Review: Vesper, A Deviants Novel

Title: Versper, A Deviants Novel

Author:Jeff Sampson

Number of Pages: 292

Publisher: Balzer + Bray

DAC

Buy HERE

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Emily Webb is a geek. And she’s happy that way. Content hiding under hoodies and curling up to watch old horror flicks, she’s never been the kind of girl who sneaks out for midnight parties. And she’s definitely not the kind of girl who starts fights or flirts with other girls’ boyfriends. Until one night Emily finds herself doing exactly that . . . the same night one of her classmates—also named Emily—is found mysteriously murdered.

The thing is, Emily doesn’t know why she’s doing any of this. By day, she’s the same old boring Emily, but by night, she turns into a thrill seeker. With every nightfall, Emily gets wilder until it’s no longer just her personality that changes. Her body can do things it never could before: Emily is now strong, fast, and utterly fearless. And soon Emily realizes that she’s not just coming out of her shell . . . there’s something much bigger going on. Is she bewitched by the soul of the other, murdered Emily? Or is Emily Webb becoming something else entirely— something not human?

As Emily hunts for answers, she finds out that she’s not the only one this is happening to—some of her classmates are changing as well. Who is turning these teens into monsters—and how many people will they kill to get what they want?

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Vesper… I first picked it up because of the Debut Author Challenge, and honestly, because I liked the way the book looks (I can be so superficial sometimes). I like the cover, but I didn’t expect that kind of book, based on it.

First of all, the plot was good, but I must say, that I feel like there was something missing in the middle. (If you know what I’m talking about, please tell me! I can’t put words on it and that annoys me.) The beginning really got me into the book, but the middle fell flat. I wasn’t really captivated by it, but the ending is extremely good. I can’t wait to read the sequel, because honestly, I really got into the story at the end.

I find the characters to be average. There was none that really stood out for me in a positive way. There was only Megan that really annoyed me at some point, but mainly because she seemed so coldhearted at some point. I’m a little on the fence with Emily, because there was moment where I liked her, but other moments were I felt like there was something wrong with her. It bugged me a little, but I guess she had to be that way, if we went her character to fit the story.

Sampson style was good. I like how he included the transcript of a conversation between Emily and an agent of some company. It really added something interesting to the story. The writing was okay, but not amazing. I guess it goes with the type of character, as I can’t really imagine Emily thinking in a poetic way, when she is a 16 years old teenager going through what she is going through (I think if I was in her position, my story would include a lot of swearing and incoherent thoughts.)

Overall, I would give it a 7.5/10. Good start and good ending!