| Can I Come Look At These Items? | | This online store is in association with Amazon.com, so these great, high-qualiy products will come from their warehouse or from other partners. Thanks for shopping! |
|
|
|
Companions of the Night | 
 enlarge | Author: Vivian Vande Velde
Publisher: Magic Carpet Books
Category: Book
List Price: $5.95
Buy New: $2.00
You Save: $3.95 (66%)
New (28) Used (13) from $1.97
Avg. Customer Rating:  157 reviews
Sales Rank: 31163
Media: Paperback
Reading Level: Young Adult
Number Of Items: 1
Pages: 224
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.4
Dimensions (in): 6.9 x 4.5 x 0.6
ISBN: 0152166696
EAN: 9780152166694
ASIN: 0152166696
Publication Date: September 1, 2002
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
Shipping: Expedited shipping available
Shipping: International shipping available
Condition: New - Has remainder mark. Fast shipping from trusted wholesaler with many exclusive publisher contracts.
|
| Also Available In:
|
| Similar Items:
|
| Editorial Reviews:
Amazon.com Review
The romantic horror genre reaches a new level of complexity in this novel, which manages to be simultaneously thought-provoking and blood-curdling. Kerry becomes the unwitting accomplice of an attractive, mysterious boy on the run, only to discover that he is a vampire. Can she trust her feelings for someone so alien to her? Or has she been "seduced by the glamour of evil"? An ALA Best Book for Young Adults, this was called "a tingly thriller" by Horn Book
Product Description
Kerry's got a tough night ahead of her.
What begins as a simple lost-and-found trip to the Laundromat turns into a nightmarish odyssey of murder, vampires, and--quite possibly--true love. Vivian Vande Velde puts a terrifying spin on what should be a typical night in a small town.
|
| Customer Reviews: Read 152 more reviews...
 captivating, in more ways than one December 2, 2008
When I became interested in vampire fiction, this book was one of my first choices to read because I have enjoyed several of Vivian Vande Velde's other books. And besides, the summary (see the editorial reviews above) caught my attention. _Companions of the Night_ turned out to be even better than my expectations.
The fascinating and original plot immediately grips the reader and doesn't let go; I started reading at night and ended up staying awake much later than I had planned (five in the morning actually) because I didn't want to stop. There are many great twists and turns as the novel progresses, usually as the protagonist finds out new and startling pieces of information which her vampire companion (I started to write "friend," but that's not really accurate) had previously withheld from her.
Here I would like to insert a side-note: those who, like me, are easily scared should be warned that this book is a little scary. People get murdered, people are in danger of being murdered, there are vampires and blood, you get the idea.
Another strength of the book is its complex and realistic characterization. Kerry, the protagonist, is an ordinary sixteen-year-old girl whom I found very likeable and easy to relate to. She's not perfect; she makes mistakes and morally questionable decisions throughout the novel, but never loses the reader's sympathy.
I absolutely love Ethan, the vampire. He embodies all a vampire should be: dark, attractive, sometimes charming and pleasant, always mysterious and unpredictable, but far from being tame or harmless. While the reader suspects that he harbors some goodness and kindness and even affection for Kerry in him, it is impossible to forget that he is also dangerous and deceitful, someone who has killed people and who could easily turn on Kerry the next second. This carries over into VVV's thoughtful take on vampires in general: they are people rather than monsters, and like humans they possess both good qualities and bad, but at the same time it cannot be ignored that they do kill humans and enjoy it.
Finally, the "villain" of the story, though he doesn't come to the attention of the reader until more than halfway through the book, is (for me at least) almost as easy to sympathize with as the other two main characters. A broken man who has become slightly unhinged by grief, he seeks to kill vampires out of revenge for his loss and the hope of preventing the death of more humans. Kerry has some trouble near the end of the book deciding who exactly she should be helping, and the fact that the reader faces the same dilemma shows how well VVV succeeds in creating real, three-dimensional characters, all of whom fall somewhere between black and white.
The best thing about the book, though, is the ending. I don't want to give anything away, but it's not a perfect fairytale ending. Kerry, and perhaps Ethan as well, have to make some difficult choices, and things are left open in certain respects, as is usually the case in real life. But that is what makes the book so great, the fact that, in every way that counts, it is true to life.
I suppose I ought to offer some criticism as well as praise, to show I'm not a mindless fangirl... The romance happens a bit fast - like over the course of three days or so. The structure and pacing could also perhaps have been done better; as I've mentioned before, we don't find out there's a villain till more than halfway through, and the story somewhat lacks direction until then. But these are minor faults, easily outweighed by the book's strengths.
Conclusion: I highly recommend this book.
Those who like _Companions of the Night_ might also like _Sunshine_ by Robin McKinley. And you might be interested to know that, according to her website, the best vampire book Vivian Vande Velde has ever read is _Those Who Hunt the Night_ by Barbara Hambly.
 Compelling read with poor conclusion November 20, 2008
This book is a short easy read. At the start it is very interesting and pulls you in. However, towards the end the book takes turns with little reasoning behind them. For example, the main character Kerry suddenly declares her love for Ethan. Throughout the book an attraction was described but at the end it just jumps to love? However because she refuses to become a vampire and he refuses to become human (which is odd b/c apparently you can go back and forth in this book) they decide to part and never speak again....what type of love is that? I guess both characters have never heard of being friends before. Overall I felt that details just materialized in this book without explanations and the ending was very incomplete.
 Fantasic, a fav!! September 3, 2008
A great book!! Super sexy, and well written. A fantastic romance/vampire book. There is so much tension between the girl and the vamp, it drives you nuts (in a good way). Great book for all kinds of people.
Good, but just didn't pull me in August 2, 2008
This was a solid book, a very good story. Unfortunately something was missing. I can't say exactly what it was, but I just wasn't emotionally drawn in. However, it's still a good read, and the ending, in my opinion, is perfect.
A Great Novel July 12, 2008
About ten years ago, I picked up this book for the first time. It has been my favorite book ever since. I wish only that she had made this into a series, because I fell in love with the characters. Another wonderful gift for a teenage girl.
If you enjoyed this book, also check out The Silver Kiss and Blood and Chocolate.
|
|
|
| |
News 
