BkRv :: A big slurpie of MUST LOVE

BOOK REVIEW :: 
DRINK, SLAY, LOVE
Sarah Beth Durst
@sarahbethdurst :: website




YA | Vampires

FIRST LINE :: “One hour until dawn,” Pearl said. She leaped off the roof and landed catlike on the pavement. “Oodles of time, if we steal a car.”

 










SUMMARY :: from the B&N website

Pearl is a sixteen-year-old vampire . . . fond of blood, allergic to sunlight, and mostly evil . . . until the night a sparkly unicorn stabs her through the heart with his horn. Oops.

Her family thinks she was attacked by a vampire hunter (because, obviously, unicorns don’t exist), and they’re shocked she survived. They’re even more shocked when Pearl discovers she can now withstand the sun. But they quickly find a way to make use of her new talent. The Vampire King of New England has chosen Pearl’s family to host his feast. If Pearl enrolls in high school, she can make lots of human friends and lure them to the King’s feast—as the entrées.

The only problem? Pearl’s starting to feel the twinges of a conscience. How can she serve up her new friends—especially the cute guy who makes her fangs ache—to be slaughtered? Then again, she’s definitely dead if she lets down her family. What’s a sunlight-loving vamp to do?

REVIEW ::
I had been nervous about Sarah Beth Durst’s latest work DRINK, SLAY, LOVE because vampires seemed like a GIANT leap from fairy tales and I did not think it possible to love another book of hers more than I did ICE. Well, dear Readers, I stand here before you a changed mind because DRINK, SLAY, LOVE is made of awesome with all the right sorts of bubbly.

THE GOOD BITS
{How much more Buffy can you get?} I have read other books before that reminded me of Buffy, but DRINK, SLAY, LOVE has raised the bar in so many ways that I seriously think EVERYONE must read this book for the love of Joss Whedon! Vampires have never been snarkier – and if Pearl and Buffy ever got into a fight, let’s just say that I’m not sure who will come out the victor in strength and clever insults.

{So fresh and so clean!} Sarah Beth Durst pulled all the stops with this story, and I definitely did not want to put this book down. EVER. What would Pearl say or do next to insult these humans who refuse to leave her alone? Do unicorns really exist? Does gym class still suck for the undead? Which vampires are friend or fiend? The genius behind DRINK, SLAY, LOVE is the delightful element of surprise and watcing Pearl react to the ridiculousness of her situation. I cannot remember a time when I had more fun with a vampire novel!

{Pearl} Snarky, sexy, strong, and toasty marshmallowy inside! Why can’t all female protagonists in paranormal be like Pearl? I know I am quite particular as to what I expect from a book, but it is awfully hard to find a protagonist that simply have it all in spades. So please excuse me when I go ALL-CAPS BALLISTIC when I find Pearl to be BEYOND AWESOMESAUCE. Ka-BOOM goes my dynamite!

THE BAD BITS
{No sequel?} BOOOO. HISS. While DRINK, SLAY, LOVE definitely can stand on its own spine and sometimes it is best to leave a good book alone, I just have a smidgen of WANT to have more Pearl and company in my life.

THE OVERALL
ICE may have melted my heart, but DRINK, SLAY, LOVE is a big slurp of delicious red velvet cheesecake that I would gladly give up my blood for! This is one book that you absolutely MUST READ (NOW!) - it will renew your faith that vampires are not a thing of the past and prove that Sarah Beth Durst still has aces up her sleeve that are itching to come out. I cannot wait to see what she has cooked up in VESSEL because it sounds and looks stunning!

DISCLAIMER :: PUBLISHER
RELEASED SEPTEMBER 2011 BY MARGARET K MCELDERRY BOOKS (SIMON & SCHUSTER CHILDREN'S)
OTHER BOOKS IN THE SERIES :: NO.