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Abyss
The Making of a Monster
Kate had come to L.A. a conventional woman in a conventional marriage. But when the neglected housewife meets a handsome stranger in an acting class, she crosses over to the other side of the city of angels . . . the deathless side. Transformed by her lover into an immortal, Kate prowls the streets of Hollywood with the need for blood.
10 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published May 1, 1993
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Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews
July 13, 2019
The Making of a Monster follows Kate, a twenty-something who moves to Los Angeles with her husband. Struggling to settle in to the city, she decides to take up acting classes where she meets the alluring Justin. Kate soon becomes obsessed with this mysterious guy and the idea of having an affair with him. But she gets more than she bargained for when he turns her into a vampire.
What Petersen does really well is delve into the existential and psychological aspects of becoming a vampire. We spend a lot of time in Kate's head as she tries to navigate this new world that she has unwittingly found herself in. I thought these moments were really interesting, well written, and ended up being my favourite parts of the book.
Some of the characters' actions and dialogue were a bit unrealistic but it was still very readable. The story has some romance, some action, some blood-sucking (of course!) but I felt that it didn't seem to go far enough in any one direction and I was left wanting a bit more.
I was also hoping for more about the music scene, since the author was in a band (The Catholic Girls) and I thought that some of her personal experience would make its way into her writing, but unfortunately this side of the story felt very surface level.
Overall this was a good read and one that I would recommend to fans of vampire fiction looking for something a bit different.
What Petersen does really well is delve into the existential and psychological aspects of becoming a vampire. We spend a lot of time in Kate's head as she tries to navigate this new world that she has unwittingly found herself in. I thought these moments were really interesting, well written, and ended up being my favourite parts of the book.
Some of the characters' actions and dialogue were a bit unrealistic but it was still very readable. The story has some romance, some action, some blood-sucking (of course!) but I felt that it didn't seem to go far enough in any one direction and I was left wanting a bit more.
I was also hoping for more about the music scene, since the author was in a band (The Catholic Girls) and I thought that some of her personal experience would make its way into her writing, but unfortunately this side of the story felt very surface level.
Overall this was a good read and one that I would recommend to fans of vampire fiction looking for something a bit different.
September 29, 2012
One of the best vampire books I have ever read, too bad the author never wrote anymore books
August 7, 2010
Gail Petersen is a woman who has always been ahead of her time with both her band, The Catholic Girls and this vampire novel which would make an excellent film.
May 15, 2019
Abyss #31
The Making of a Monster isn't terrible. It's actually a decent idea. The problem is it's buried under a lot of poor, cliched storytelling and a clunky narrative. It's rushed, and lacks nuance that would make the story rise above being Just Another Vampire Story. It lacks strength because the characters are flat, the dialogue is uninspiring, and the plot doesn't make sense at some points. Yet it's still readable, and even compelling as you near the end of the book.
I expected more from this book, having been a part of the Abyss imprint, but then again, Dusk and Descent are a part of the imprint, and those were flat-out awful. This book isn't that bad. It just doesn't have enough good to make it a book I would recommend.
The Making of a Monster isn't terrible. It's actually a decent idea. The problem is it's buried under a lot of poor, cliched storytelling and a clunky narrative. It's rushed, and lacks nuance that would make the story rise above being Just Another Vampire Story. It lacks strength because the characters are flat, the dialogue is uninspiring, and the plot doesn't make sense at some points. Yet it's still readable, and even compelling as you near the end of the book.
I expected more from this book, having been a part of the Abyss imprint, but then again, Dusk and Descent are a part of the imprint, and those were flat-out awful. This book isn't that bad. It just doesn't have enough good to make it a book I would recommend.
Want to read
July 23, 2011Stephen King endorsed the entire Dell Abyss Horror line. Here is his blurb:
"Thank you for introducing me to the remarkable line of novels currently being issued under Dell's Abyss imprint. I have given a great many blurbs over the last twelve years or so, but this one marks two firsts: first unsolicited blurb (I called you) and the first time I have blurbed a whole line of books. In terms of quality, production, and plain old story-telling reliability (that's the bottom line, isn't it), Dell's new line is amazingly satisfying...a rare and wonderful bargain for readers. I hope to be looking into the Abyss for a long time to come."
"Thank you for introducing me to the remarkable line of novels currently being issued under Dell's Abyss imprint. I have given a great many blurbs over the last twelve years or so, but this one marks two firsts: first unsolicited blurb (I called you) and the first time I have blurbed a whole line of books. In terms of quality, production, and plain old story-telling reliability (that's the bottom line, isn't it), Dell's new line is amazingly satisfying...a rare and wonderful bargain for readers. I hope to be looking into the Abyss for a long time to come."
October 11, 2024
I loved this SO MUCH. Watching Kate's progression from human to vampire was captivating and leaves you with such a feeling of longing and melancholy. Soaking up all the 90s punk band LA esthetics was so enjoyable as well. A new favorite and another reminder that I need to read more old horror books, they just hit different.
August 12, 2023
Fairly solid book from my past. Maybe more of a 3.5, but rounding up for the nostalgia.
December 11, 2025
Interesting take on a vampire story.
March 27, 2024
I thought for a moment that this was the first Abyss Horror title I've read, but then I remembered Dark Dance by Tanith Lee was originally part of that line also and I just wasn't thinking about it because I read it on Kindle.
This is this author's first and only novel, and you can really tell, thought for a debut effort it isn't bad. The dialogue is pretty awkward, and the genre elements of the story are paint-by-numbers. But when the narrative is focusing on the musician life of the protagonist, which is this author's primary vocation, it reads a bit better. I did enjoy how open-ended the ending was.
This is this author's first and only novel, and you can really tell, thought for a debut effort it isn't bad. The dialogue is pretty awkward, and the genre elements of the story are paint-by-numbers. But when the narrative is focusing on the musician life of the protagonist, which is this author's primary vocation, it reads a bit better. I did enjoy how open-ended the ending was.
October 18, 2012
Great book. I agree with the other review, one of the best vampire books I've ever read!!
October 28, 2012
Of all books to remember...this is told as if it were a memoir of a real life person who is turned into a vmapire. I bought it because it was signed. Woo hoo.
November 12, 2014
Vampire novels don't really get much of my interest but this one really got me hooked. Sexy and fascinating..
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews