Review: Vampire Theory by Lily Caracci

Vampire Theory
by Lily Caracci
Outskirts Press, Inc.
Softcover Edition; 598 Pages
ISBN:978-1-4327-5463-1
Genre: Young Adult Paranormal
Source: Review copy from Outskirt Press

4.5 / 5 Stars

Summary
Emalyn Archer has never imagined being ranked "Most Wanted" on a serial killer's hit list.  She has never wielded a weapon - much less a designer stiletto - to save her life, has never driven a car off the top of a twelve-foot wall and most definitely doesn't think she'd ever fall for her best friend, the notorious player.

But there's a first time for everything.

When mysteriously gorgeous Alan comes to North Willchester High, bringing with him the equivalent of the Apocalypse, Emalyn learns that change isn't always for the best.  Particularly when you're the sole saviour of a doomed (and oblivious) hometown and your tactical skills rival a fourth-grader's.  It will take a girl more than her rapier-sharp wit, serious Chemistry lessons and a hunky sidekick to win the race against Alan's fanged armada.  Particularly when her once-trustworthy allies are intent on serving her head on a silver platter to this debonair madman.

And the worst of it? She won't escape entirely human.

My Thoughts
I thoroughly enjoyed this teen angst, romance, mystery, thriller, suspense novel by debut novelist Lily Caracci.  There was enough of everything in here to fully satisfy any reader.  There was the three-way romance between Emmy, Luke and Alan and then the entanglement between Miranda and Alan made things even more interesting.  All of the high school drama and the ensuing social activities surrounding high school were the perfect settings for many interesting and intriguing scenes to occur. 

What I truly found enjoyable were the characters. Ms. Caracci certainly went out of her way to ensure that the characters stayed true to their personalities and allowed them time to grow and develop in order to tell a fantastic story.  Emmy is an amazing and intriguing character and I truly enjoyed her courage, her sass, her wit, and her guts.  Although she appears at first to be meek and mild, and seems to be on the outside of her in-crowd group, she is anything but meek and mild, and always stands up for herself in any situation.  One of the scenes I love is when she punches a guy who tries to hit on her and wouldn't leave her alone.  She couldn't then get it out of her mind as she wonders if she's becoming too aggressive because she's been hanging around vampires.  It's hilarious!  All of the characters were truly interesting, even the bad guys, and I found myself totally caught up in the action not just through the plot but through characterization.  

The plot itself was a mixture of everything you could find in a novel.  I loved the high school angst as much as I loved the vampire scenes.  The writing was done with such dexterity that I never really knew when the vampires were going to show up.  When I was expecting vampires, I got high school social scenes and when I was expecting normal high school scenes, suddenly the action would explode and everything would twist and change.  Ms. Caracci's writing style certainly evoked a lot of emotions in me and I could envision the scenes in my mind very clearly.

Verdict
I really enjoyed Vampire Theory.  My only significant issue with this novel is the ending in that the conclusion left me feeling somewhat unsatisfied as some things were not clarified and some things were left hanging with no explanations.  I am guessing, and hoping, that there is perhaps a sequel in the works to Vampire Theory and that everything will be explained later.  Otherwise, Vampire Theory is an enjoyable novel full of suspense as well as an engaging look at high school life.