Velvet (Swoon Novels)

by Temple West

[bookishzelda]

When I first started reading Velvet, it definitely has a familiar feel. Temple West was able to take this and make it unique. The story takes what you know about vampires and gives them a different spin. I loved this new lore and found the book was easy to get sucked into.

Caitlin was so angry in the beginning and instead of wishing she would cool it, I felt angry with her. She had every right to be, after losing her mother and then being shipped off to a new place to live with a part of her family she doesn’t even know.I felt like you get to really see her grief. I was glad that it wasn’t glazed over. You really see her go through stages and as she makes new friends and becomes closer with Adrian she finally starts to open up and let go. I love the fact that she sews and wants to be a fashion designer. So she is kind of a clothes expert.

Adrian is not creepy or stalkery. Well he does have the whole weird eye thing going on but that makes him more fascinating. Despite his choice to be a bit more reclusive he’s not unapproachable. The kids at school know him and if they talk to him he doesn’t send them off. He has that perfect balance of being a loner but not drawing attention to that fact.

I loved Caitlin and Adrian’s interaction with one another. It’s playful and fun. They don’t just have a physical chemistry but they have a great relationship as friends first. I liked how they moved through the stages and you see them actually falling for eachother. Hey and no love triangle which was nice.

I liked the plot too. This version of Vampires is so interesting and very cool. I really liked the change up of the lore. Although how they come into being is kind of creepy. I could see that though instead of biting and turning them. There is a lot more character development then there is big action. I was fine with it and I’m thinking the next book is going to be more of the opposite. We get a bunch of pieces to the puzzle but not everything. So the end is one of those cliffhangers where some things are wrapped up but you are having on others. I always find that to be the best kind.

If you enjoyed the Vampire phase but were looking for something fresh. This is definitely the book.