Halfway to the Grave (Night Huntress #1)by Jeaniene Frost
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*4.5 Color Me Surprised Stars*
My chin stuck out. Pride or peril, take your pick.
I’m not going to say that this was the most groundbreaking and extraordinary book I’ve ever read, but it had something I have been missing for a while now-a male lead that, while undead, was still the most loyal, sweet, endearing, and attentive guy I have read about in a while. Sure, I had to substitute his platinum hair for brown immediately….a discussion that was at the forefront of the buddy read thread since we couldn’t focus on anything but that dreadful hair color for quite a bit, but Bones managed to weasle his way into my daydreams as I sat mindlessly at work attempting to finish up so I could just get home and read. And that, my friends, was all I really wanted at this moment-a sweet guy that could take my mind off of every day life if only for a moment.
Cat is half human, half vampire. See, her mother was raped 22 years ago by a vampire, therefore setting Cat up for the ‘job’ she currently holds: killing every vampire she can get her hands on. She wants vengeance for her mother’s fragile state of mind about things that go bump in the night, and also that fact that she is part ‘monster’. Then one night she approaches Bones for her latest kill, and soon her world doesn’t seem quite so black and white as she had once imagined.
You stare straight through me as if I’m not even there. You look at me…and you don’t see a man. You see a vampire, and therefore accord me less substance”
Overall, I would have to settle my inner debate that I liked Cat. At first, I loved her. Then she started to grate on my nerves, because how many times does this awesome vampire guy have to save you, treat you admirably, practically drool all over you (in a non-clingy and very passionate and sweet sort of way) before you realize that he is loyal and not the monster you think his kind to be? That he is perfect for you because he has nothing but respect for you? I just hated seeing her continually hurt his feelings, and it started to become a problem for me. I liked at first that she wasn’t quick to jump in the sack with him-it’s nice to see a heroine not go all mushy right up front, but then after about 50% of the book, I was like, ‘Dude, okay. We get it-you are strong and not easily manipulated-NOW KISS HIM, YOU FOOL!!!’. Then as the story started to wind down, she started to become pretty badass, I will admit. I started to love her again, because that strong will was necessary. So, ultimately, I respected her as a character. (PS, I TOTALLY understand where Cat gets her stubbornness-Damn, but her mother annoyed the living daylights out of me)
“I’m saying I’m a moody, insecure, narrow-minded, jealous, borderline-homicidal bitch, and I want you to promise me that you’re okay with that, because it’s who I am and you’re what I need.”
It can be said that I’m a sap, that I cry at the drop of a hat, and in real life-maybe. But for books, I do have a little backbone when it comes to the tears and hysterics. FOR MOST BOOKS. Now, I knew what was going to happen at the end, because my curiosity knows no bounds and I always research just a little too much, but I STILL started to get a little misty eyed when things unraveled at the closing of the book. And I’m so happy I did-I’m so excited that I cared enough about these characters to give a damn about their well-being. It’s an accomplishment, and I will most definitely be moving forward to the next book tonight. (It should be noted that this is under my ‘tearjerkers’ shelf-I’m getting so blurry about the lines that decipher what needs to be on these shelves….for instance, this should probably be under my ‘cliffhanger’ shelf as well, but I’ve not been accurate on that shelf for a while-I don’t even know what a mild cliffhanger is like anymore because almost every book seems to have a cliffhanger now-ARRRGHHH)
So, no, this wasn’t the most earth shattering story I’ve ever read, but it made me happy. All I wanted was an escape from reality and a fluffy story where things aren’t so complex that I need to ponder them after I’m finished with each chapter, and that’s exactly what I got. A solid, fun group (or pairing) of characters in a somewhat perilous story where no one is safe…and sometimes that’s all you need.
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