Book Review: THE VAMPIRE STALKER by Allison van Diepen

Have you ever...

• imagined a character in a book was your book-boyfriend or -girlfriend?
• gone to a book release party at a bookstore, where you had your copy of the new book reserved so you could get it at exactly midnight?
• canceled all plans or taken off from school or work just so you could read a book?
• refused to speak to your friends until you finished a book so that you could avoid spoilers?
  
• read through a cliffhanger ending and felt like you would seriously die if you didn't find out what happened next???
• jumped online to discuss a book on twitter or message boards as soon you finished it?
• written fan fiction?
• dressed up like a character in a book?
  
• wished you could live in a book?

If you answered no to all of these questions, first of all, you're a freaking liar. And second of all, this book probably isn't for you. If you have done any of these things, however, then Vampire Stalker is way up your alley.

Amy lives in Chicago and is obsessed with the Otherworld series, which is kind of like a combination of Harry Potter and the Black Dagger Brotherhood. Her favorite character is Alexander, a teenager bent killing Vigo, the vampire who murdered his entire family. Then one night, Amy is walking home, and she's attacked by a vampire! And Alexander saves her! How did the characters from the book come to life? And how can Amy and Alexander protect Chicago from Vigo?

When I first started this book, I liked it, but it felt really young and frivolous. I didn't get the attraction to Alexander at all and I wasn't expecting much. BUT THEN, it improved! It became awesome! And what really set this novel apart from just some silly story where Mr. Dream Guy shows up is that it actually offers an explanation for why some books feel so incredibly real and why Alexander and Vigo are suddenly in the "real" world. And the explanation kind of makes sense! Two words: literary physics.

After that, for some reason Alexander started to seem more attractive to me. Maybe it was the fact that the author stopped mentioning he was wearing khaki pants and running shoes. *pauses for tragic fashion shudder* Maybe it was that he started gaining some personality. Whatever it was, he was totally swoon-worthy, and I could completely believe that he and Amy would become a couple.

If you have any love for books at all, I would definitely recommend giving this book a try--it's much better than you think. Thanks to Pam from Bookalico.us for recommending & sending it!



Musical Notes: "Moves Like Jagger," Maroon 5