Wednesday, June 22, 2011

Review: After Midnight by Lynn Veihl

Description:

Ever since the death of their parents, Catlyn Youngblood and her two older brothers have shared a nomadic existence, always moving from place to place. When they at last settle for good in the sleepy backwoods town of Lost Lake, Florida, Cat thinks she might finally have a normal life.

While riding her horse late one night, Cat meets an enigmatic boy named Jesse Raven. Even more strange than her overpowering attraction to him is Jesse's apparent aversion to daylight. Only under the cover of darkness can they meet. As Cat and Jesse's bond grows stronger, Cat discovers an incredible secret about the Ravens' and her own family's pasts—a secret that could destroy their love. Their families, knowing the truth, conspire to keep them apart. But Cat and Jesse will risk everything to be together . . . including death.

Jenny's Review:

Catlyn is tired of starting over. She has moved with her brothers many times and has been in 14 different schools. Finally her brother and guardian, Patrick "Trick", has decided that they will stay in Lost Lake, Florida. Cat really wants to be homeschooled but her brother says no way, so together, her and her other brother, Grayson, head off for their first day of school. The first few days are not great for Cat as she seems to have made an enemy of the most popular cheerleader at school.

Then she sneaks out at night to ride her horse and meets Jesse Raven, who she can't seem to get out of her mind. She knows there is something different about Jesse and just can't seem to figure out what it is. Hint: He can only go out at night and the sunlight burns him. Meanwhile, Cat finds out that her brothers have been keeping secrets from her about who her family really is and these secrets might keep her and Jesse apart. While all these things are happening to Cat at home, she is also feeling the stress of being an outcast at school. The enemy of the cheerleader and the attention of the football star really starts to get to her, especially when she finds out that her brother is dating the cheerleader.

Many events lead up to a surprising twist at the end of the book, which was great. I really liked the book for the many surprises. At first I thought it was going to be a typical girl meets vampire and falls in love, like many other books out right now. Not a bad thing because I like those books too. But at the end, Viehl created more depth because she tossed in a few twists that I really didn't see coming and really enjoyed, *possible spoiler* like Patrick having the ability to change and erase people's minds. It will be interesting to see what other adventures Viehl creates for Cat and Jesse, and to see if their bond really will hold up against what appears to be many people keeping them apart.


*This book was sent via the publisher for review purposes.
*Reviewed by Jenny O.

1 comment:

Becky said...

Thanks for sharing this review. This sounds like a book that I would read.