REVIEW: The Dark Heroine (Dinner With a Vampire) by Abigail Gibbs

Book Cover

Synopsis: (Taken from GoodReads.com)The sexiest romance you’ll read this year…

One moment can change your life forever…

For Violet Lee, a chance encounter on a darkened street draws her into a world beyond her wildest imaginings, a timeless place of vast elegance and immeasurable wealth – of beautiful mansions and lavish parties – where a decadent group of friends live for pleasure alone. A place from which there is no escape… no matter how hard Violet tries.

Yet all the riches in the world can’t mask the darkness that lies beneath the gilded surface, embodied in the charismatic but dangerous Kaspar Varn.

Violet and Kaspar surrender to a passion that transcends their separate worlds – but it’s a passion that comes at a price…

If you know me, you know that I despise Twilight and everything it stands for. I strongly stand alongside those who also feel that Twilight was one of the worst book series to every grace the charts. While some may say, “Well, at least people are reading…” I have to firmly disagree. I would much rather my own daughters to spend their lives reading nothing (which we all know won’t happen) then to read Twilight and think, “Yes — this is literature and more importantly, this is how a man should love me!”

You get the idea.

But, I digress: When I was requested to read and review a new fanfiction gone wild/er published — I had to think about it. In fact, I almost replied, “Are you F-in kidding me? Do you even read my tweets? Twilight? Fan-Fiction? ” But, the PR representative/media professional caught me in a soft spot — the author is/was a young teen at the time of it being written. Plus, the synopsis didn’t sound anything at all like fan-fiction (other than the fact that there were vampires in it.)

So I had to think back at what I was like at 15 and my dreams and aspirations of growing up and becoming a big name author. (I think around that time I wrote an NSYNC Fan-fiction so I am not one to judge.) Abigail Gibbs was barely 18 when she landed a six-figure deal with a publishing company to publish The Dark Heroine. It is more than anything I could ever say for myself and I will be the big 3-0 in February.

So, regardless of how I felt about the idea of the book, I was already highly impressed by Gibbs’ accomplishments in the book world. I still am.

The Dark Heroine revolves around Violet Lee, a newly 18 teen-to-adult who is out celebrating her birthday (with drinks, of course) somewhere in England. When she is stood up by her friends, she angrily stumbles around and onto a deathly and horrifying scene between Vampires and Vampire Hunters.

It was a bloody massacre. (And when you read that, you must insert a British accent.)

I think the first chapter was, by far, my favorite. It is no doubt that Gibbs can write and the fact that she was 15 when she wrote this novel, is beyond impressive. It was (by far) written so much better than the actual Twilight series. But after she is whipped away to some secluded mansion (I really dislike “rich people” stories), I began to lose interest.

Why must vampires always be rich? At this point in time it was beginning to remind me of Wither, which I heavily disliked. The being kidnapped beyond your will, yet treated really nicely in the lap of luxary. It was a bad deja vu.  Kaspar is one of the vampire royalty prince like people that live within this mansion. He’s a bit of a horny-ass; always banging women after women, with not a single ounce of respect for anyone. The louder he can scream and bang upon walls during his sexcapades, the happier he seems to be.

Even though Violet is under “protection”, she manages to get raped and almost sucked dry by another vampire. She doesn’t seem to be able to avoid Kaspars molestation, either. There wasn’t a single part of me that liked ANY part of Kaspar (okay, well, except his name.) So already knowing that he would eventually become the love interest of Violet Lee, bothered me. I couldn’t support that.

Love is not like this, people.

Another thing that bothered me (as it does with any book) are dual point of views. One minute we’re in Violet’s head and another, in Kaspars. Personally, I could do without being in Kaspar’s head. After all, his thoughts and actions often contradicted each other. I feel that by being in Kaspar’s head, the author really wanted us to like Kaspar. But, it didn’t work for me.

Then the book, at times, jiggled between first person narratives and third person. DO NOT DO THIS. For the love of all that is good and holy in the literary world, do NOT play around with point of view. PLEASE. EVER. NEVER. EVER. That, to me, showed a lack of experience writing. I’ve seen adults do it, as well, and it is never a good thing. At least, Gibbs has an excuse; she was just fifteen when she wrote this so I won’t completely discredit her for her efforts. After all, she does have talent.

Although The Dark Heroine wasn’t for me, I look forward to seeing Abigail Gibbs grow as an author ounce she gains more life experience. I think, after a few more years, she will begin to see that real love and romance doesn’t begin with kidnapping, rape, and being verbally, emotionally,  and physically abused.

I hope that as Abigail Gibbs read this review, she comes to realize (within time) that I am not bashing her novel (as I have no problem doing with other authors). The Dark Heroine wasn’t all bad and I am sure it will be enjoyed by many. I applaud Gibbs with her success and urge her to take this opportunity to travel the world, read more of the most amazing literary pieces ever written, and then take another stab at novel writing. Remember your audience (young and impressionable youth) as they need a higher standard for read(s) and romantic expectations.

Other Reviews to Take Into Consideration

• The Overflowing Library
• Dark Readers
• Book Passion for Life
• Totally Bookalicious
• Addicted 2 Novels
• Fluttering Butterflies
• The Good, The Bad, and the Unread
• One More Page
• Nocturnal Book Reviews
• District YA

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