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Look for Me by Moonlight
When sixteen-year-old Cynda goes to stay with her father and his second wife, Susan, at their remote bed-and-breakfast inn in Maine, everything starts off well despite legends about ghosts and a murder at the inn. But Cynda feels like a visitor in Dad's new life, an outsider. Then intense, handsome stranger Vincent Morthanos arrives at the inn and seems to return Cynda's interest. At first, she is blind to the subtle, insistent signs that Vincent is not what he seems—that he is, in fact, a vampire. Can Cynda free herself—and her family—from Vincent's power before it's too late? Full-bodied characterizations and must-listen suspense ensure that this eerie, riveting novel will appeal to middle school fans of mystery and horror.
208 pages, Hardcover
First published April 24, 1995
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About the author
Mary Downing Hahn
71 books4,341 followersI grew up in a small shingled house down at the end of Guilford Road in College Park, Maryland. Our block was loaded with kids my age. We spent hours outdoors playing "Kick the Can" and "Mother, May I" as well as cowboy and outlaw games that usually ended in quarrels about who shot whom. In the summer, we went on day long expeditions into forbidden territory -- the woods on the other side of the train tracks, the creek that wound its way through College Park, and the experimental farm run by the University of Maryland.
In elementary school, I was known as the class artist. I loved to read and draw but I hated writing reports. Requirements such as outlines, perfect penmanship, and following directions killed my interest in putting words on paper. All those facts -- who cared what the principal products of Chile were? To me, writing reports was almost as boring as math.
Despite my dislike of writing, I loved to make up stories. Instead of telling them in words, I told them in pictures. My stories were usually about orphans who ran away and had the sort of exciting adventures I would have enjoyed if my mother hadn't always interfered.
When I was in junior high school, I developed an interest in more complex stories. I wanted to show how people felt, what they thought, what they said. For this, I needed words. Although I wasn't sure I was smart enough, I decided to write and illustrate children's books when I grew up. Consequently, at the age of thirteen, I began my first book. Small Town Life was about a girl named Susan, as tall and skinny and freckle faced as I was. Unlike her shy, self conscious creator, however, Susan was a leader who lived the life I wanted to live -- my ideal self, in other words. Although I never finished Small Town Life, it marked the start of a lifelong interest in writing.
In high school, I kept a diary. In college, I wrote poetry and short stories and dreamed of being published in The New Yorker. Unfortunately, I didn't have the courage or the confidence to send anything there.
By the time my first novel was published, I was 41 years old. That's how long it took me to get serious about writing. The Sara Summer took me a year to write, another year to find a publisher, and yet another year of revisions before Clarion accepted it.
Since Sara appeared in 1979, I've written an average of one book a year. If I have a plot firmly in mind when I begin, the writing goes fairly quickly. More typically, I start with a character or a situation and only a vague idea of what's going to happen. Therefore, I spend a lot of time revising and thinking things out. If I'd paid more attention to the craft of outlining back in elementary school, I might be a faster writer, but, on the other hand, if I knew everything that was going to happen in a story, I might be too bored to write it down. Writing is a journey of discovery. That's what makes it so exciting.
In elementary school, I was known as the class artist. I loved to read and draw but I hated writing reports. Requirements such as outlines, perfect penmanship, and following directions killed my interest in putting words on paper. All those facts -- who cared what the principal products of Chile were? To me, writing reports was almost as boring as math.
Despite my dislike of writing, I loved to make up stories. Instead of telling them in words, I told them in pictures. My stories were usually about orphans who ran away and had the sort of exciting adventures I would have enjoyed if my mother hadn't always interfered.
When I was in junior high school, I developed an interest in more complex stories. I wanted to show how people felt, what they thought, what they said. For this, I needed words. Although I wasn't sure I was smart enough, I decided to write and illustrate children's books when I grew up. Consequently, at the age of thirteen, I began my first book. Small Town Life was about a girl named Susan, as tall and skinny and freckle faced as I was. Unlike her shy, self conscious creator, however, Susan was a leader who lived the life I wanted to live -- my ideal self, in other words. Although I never finished Small Town Life, it marked the start of a lifelong interest in writing.
In high school, I kept a diary. In college, I wrote poetry and short stories and dreamed of being published in The New Yorker. Unfortunately, I didn't have the courage or the confidence to send anything there.
By the time my first novel was published, I was 41 years old. That's how long it took me to get serious about writing. The Sara Summer took me a year to write, another year to find a publisher, and yet another year of revisions before Clarion accepted it.
Since Sara appeared in 1979, I've written an average of one book a year. If I have a plot firmly in mind when I begin, the writing goes fairly quickly. More typically, I start with a character or a situation and only a vague idea of what's going to happen. Therefore, I spend a lot of time revising and thinking things out. If I'd paid more attention to the craft of outlining back in elementary school, I might be a faster writer, but, on the other hand, if I knew everything that was going to happen in a story, I might be too bored to write it down. Writing is a journey of discovery. That's what makes it so exciting.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 427 reviews
October 8, 2009
To all the whiners complaining that this book wasn't anything like Twilight - get over it! It was written ten years before Twilight, and long before vampires became teenage heartthrobs. Throughout history, vampires have been evil and dangerous - even Angel, who began to turn the tide for vampires from scary monster to romantic hero, could be dangerous. Romances between teenage girls and ancient vampires don't end well. Period.
I first read this book in middle school, shortly after it was first published, and I loved it. Of course, what teenage girl doesn't relate to a heroine that's overlooked and misunderstood by her family? Moreover, I was chilled by the way Cynda's flirtation with Vincent took a turn for the worse, and at the edge of my seat waiting to find out what was going to happen to her and her little brother, both at the mercy of the vampire. And after all of these years, this book has stuck with me. It's creepy, thrilling and a great read for a cold, dark night.
Vampires don't sparkle and they don't want to live happily ever after with their teenage brides. That's how it should be, and this book hearkens back to the good old days, when they knew their place.
I first read this book in middle school, shortly after it was first published, and I loved it. Of course, what teenage girl doesn't relate to a heroine that's overlooked and misunderstood by her family? Moreover, I was chilled by the way Cynda's flirtation with Vincent took a turn for the worse, and at the edge of my seat waiting to find out what was going to happen to her and her little brother, both at the mercy of the vampire. And after all of these years, this book has stuck with me. It's creepy, thrilling and a great read for a cold, dark night.
Vampires don't sparkle and they don't want to live happily ever after with their teenage brides. That's how it should be, and this book hearkens back to the good old days, when they knew their place.
August 14, 2016
"You know what I want, too. You're willing to give it to me, aren't you? Night after night, you'll invite me to take it."
I first read this in middle school, after I'd read The Vampire Diaries and was obsessively searching for any movie or book that had anything to do with hot vampires. I'm pleased to have enjoyed it just as much now as I did all those years ago.
The characters aren't exactly likeable, but I didn't really need to like Cynda and Todd to understand and sympathize with them. It's the parents I have a beef with in this case. They run an inn and they are ridiculously lax. Oh, sure, just let your kids hang out with a random man and don't do anything to make sure he can't sneak into their rooms at night! Sure, they may have been under the spell of vampire manipulation, but still.
Vincent is very seductive, albeit evil. And yet no less seductive for it. I was surprised at how provocative some of his dialogue was. This is 90s YA, after all! But oh, the subtext in this book. The vampire is much less terrifying than the darker, more realistic horrors this book implies.
This is a short, quick read as Hahn's work tends to be. But it's my favorite of hers, obviously, because vampires.
September 18, 2016
I gave this book the rating my goofy middle school self would've given it had that weird child had access to the internet as it is today.
This is a very dated book and everything is very predictable and the characters are flat and one-dimensional. But I remember having fond memories of loving this book, and don't want to penalize it for the fact that my standards have risen and Vincent is no longer a tall dark and dangerous dreamboat of horror.
Cynda was always whiny and annoying though. I wish I could smack her.
This is a very dated book and everything is very predictable and the characters are flat and one-dimensional. But I remember having fond memories of loving this book, and don't want to penalize it for the fact that my standards have risen and Vincent is no longer a tall dark and dangerous dreamboat of horror.
Cynda was always whiny and annoying though. I wish I could smack her.
April 11, 2011
I remember being obsessed with this book in middle school. Ob. Sessed. I also remember it having enough romance and passion and awesome twist-at-the-end-edness for me to reread it a bunch of times. So when I found a cheap copy in a used book store, I bought and read it in a day.
See, I wanted to enjoy this. I mean, it brought back such fond memories, right? And I remember Mary Downing Hahn as being a great author, so I wanted to enjoy the hell out of this book. Unfortunately it was just...utterly predictable. And not in a good way. Also, it was short. This book was published in 1995. Back when young adult books were much shorter and the character development wasn't NEARLY as involved. And it shows. Because the entire time I was reading this book, I was irritated with everybody from the main character to the cat. Nobody in this book comes off likable at all and Vincent is the biggest caricature of a villain I've since since the curly mustache guy tying the girl to the traintracks in the looney tunes cartoons. Also, the repeated references to the poem got old. Mainly because they felt incredibly tacked on and like Hahn needed a literary reason to write a vampire novel.
See, I wanted to enjoy this. I mean, it brought back such fond memories, right? And I remember Mary Downing Hahn as being a great author, so I wanted to enjoy the hell out of this book. Unfortunately it was just...utterly predictable. And not in a good way. Also, it was short. This book was published in 1995. Back when young adult books were much shorter and the character development wasn't NEARLY as involved. And it shows. Because the entire time I was reading this book, I was irritated with everybody from the main character to the cat. Nobody in this book comes off likable at all and Vincent is the biggest caricature of a villain I've since since the curly mustache guy tying the girl to the traintracks in the looney tunes cartoons. Also, the repeated references to the poem got old. Mainly because they felt incredibly tacked on and like Hahn needed a literary reason to write a vampire novel.
May 20, 2009
I love Mary Downing Hahn. She is an incredible author. Look for Me by Moonlight is inspired by a poem called The Highwayman. In the poem an inn-keepers daughter is in love with a highwayman. An employee at the inn is jealous so he alerts the authorities that the highwayman is frequently at the inn. They come and tie up the daughter, but she manages to shoot herself and warn the highwayman that the soldiers are there. He comes back the next day and is killed himself. This poem is frequently brought up and quoted throughout the story. In this story, the main character's father is the owner of a B&B. Vincent, a handsome intellectual man, comes to stay at the B&B. Vincent has a secret, he is a vampire, and he is linked to the deaths of many young women throughout the years who has stayed at the inn. The girl has to save herself and her brother from the man who she has fallen in love with, and who stands to destory them both.
July 17, 2012
This is the first vampire book I ever read. I was probably only ten or eleven when I read it. This book was the first of many vampire-related novels and films to come. It's a beautiful, simple, and sometimes spine-tingling read.
July 17, 2010
Cynda is sixteen, and for her, the world is unfair. Like so many other teenage heroines of supernatural tales, she's frustrated by the boredom and isolation that comes when she moves in with her estranged father and his wife who run a remote inn, even an inn that's supposedly haunted. As such, her curiosity is piqued when a mysterious young man named Victor shows up at the inn one night and decides to stay awhile. Her five-year-old half-brother Todd hates him immediately, but Victor quickly wins over Cynda's parents, and seems to offer the sort of all-consuming romance every young girl dreams of. Of course, appearances can be deceiving, but by the time Cynda learns you should never give your heart away too quickly, it may be too late.
So, okay, yes, Mary Downing Hahn has given us a vampire love story, but remember; "Look For Me By Moonlight" first hit shelves in 1995, slightly before the real fervor of supernatural romance started to hit. Told in first-person by Cynda herself, the narrative does an excellent job of presenting a typical teenage girl; she's neither perfect nor overly obnoxious, she's just a teenager with average problems who wants someone to take her seriously and think about her first for a change. Her infatuation with Victor is interesting to watch; we know there's something slightly off about him, despite how charming he is, and it makes certain scenes very sinister indeed. There are scenes that are romantic, and yet there's an undercurrent of wrongness in them that Cynda is (occasionally deliberately) blind to.
And yet, despite this, it doesn't feel like it's preaching against teenage love, which is a mistake similar stories tend to make. Cynda's feelings are real; what she hasn't learned, and what the story is trying to teach her (and its readers) is that with love comes vulnerability and blindness, and it's all too easy for the wrong person to have hold of that power and manipulate it. The book doesn't want you to "wait 'til you're older", it just wants you to be cautious, and for that I could just about hug it.
Ultimately, the best thing I can say about this book is that it stuck with me for the fifteen-odd years since I first read it in junior high. While the writing isn't particularly electrifying, it crafts a wonderfully creepy and tense tale that is both spooky and bittersweet. Everything is wrapped up a bit too neatly at the end; at the time, Ms Hahn was basically THE writer of horror fiction for young adults, and as such all her books have a vague, "Made for TV Movie" vibe to them. But if you're hungry for a vampire story with real bite, you could do a lot worse than this satisfyingly unique tale.
So, okay, yes, Mary Downing Hahn has given us a vampire love story, but remember; "Look For Me By Moonlight" first hit shelves in 1995, slightly before the real fervor of supernatural romance started to hit. Told in first-person by Cynda herself, the narrative does an excellent job of presenting a typical teenage girl; she's neither perfect nor overly obnoxious, she's just a teenager with average problems who wants someone to take her seriously and think about her first for a change. Her infatuation with Victor is interesting to watch; we know there's something slightly off about him, despite how charming he is, and it makes certain scenes very sinister indeed. There are scenes that are romantic, and yet there's an undercurrent of wrongness in them that Cynda is (occasionally deliberately) blind to.
And yet, despite this, it doesn't feel like it's preaching against teenage love, which is a mistake similar stories tend to make. Cynda's feelings are real; what she hasn't learned, and what the story is trying to teach her (and its readers) is that with love comes vulnerability and blindness, and it's all too easy for the wrong person to have hold of that power and manipulate it. The book doesn't want you to "wait 'til you're older", it just wants you to be cautious, and for that I could just about hug it.
Ultimately, the best thing I can say about this book is that it stuck with me for the fifteen-odd years since I first read it in junior high. While the writing isn't particularly electrifying, it crafts a wonderfully creepy and tense tale that is both spooky and bittersweet. Everything is wrapped up a bit too neatly at the end; at the time, Ms Hahn was basically THE writer of horror fiction for young adults, and as such all her books have a vague, "Made for TV Movie" vibe to them. But if you're hungry for a vampire story with real bite, you could do a lot worse than this satisfyingly unique tale.
September 27, 2009
Look For Me By Moonlight was not exactly what I expected. I thought I was getting into a YA paranormal romance type of novel, but there was really no romance to speak of. By the time Vincent began planting kisses on Cynda's naïve teenage lips and neck, it is perfectly obvious to the reader that he is bad news.
Vincent himself is an incredibly well-written "bad guy," complete with an atmosphere of danger and cruelty. Our heroine however, was weak, weak, WEAK! I kept waiting for Cynda to see Vincent for who he really was... then, I waited for her to do something about it. In the end, it was Will who really facilitated Vincent's demise. The other characters of the novel - Cynda's father, stepmother, her brother Todd, and even her new friend Will - are less cleanly drawn. These auxiliary characters do their part by fading into the background of the story, without really creating any discernible subplots to muddy up the main plot.
Overall, Look For Me By Moonlight was suspenseful and sufficiently creepy, but still a little disappointing. It was predictable and the ending fell flat - just plain unfulfilling after a pretty good build-up. I can't say I'd particularly recommend Look For Me By Moonlight to anyone. The story is pretty shallow - but if that's what you're looking for, this book is for you. I need a little something more.
Vincent himself is an incredibly well-written "bad guy," complete with an atmosphere of danger and cruelty. Our heroine however, was weak, weak, WEAK! I kept waiting for Cynda to see Vincent for who he really was... then, I waited for her to do something about it. In the end, it was Will who really facilitated Vincent's demise. The other characters of the novel - Cynda's father, stepmother, her brother Todd, and even her new friend Will - are less cleanly drawn. These auxiliary characters do their part by fading into the background of the story, without really creating any discernible subplots to muddy up the main plot.
Overall, Look For Me By Moonlight was suspenseful and sufficiently creepy, but still a little disappointing. It was predictable and the ending fell flat - just plain unfulfilling after a pretty good build-up. I can't say I'd particularly recommend Look For Me By Moonlight to anyone. The story is pretty shallow - but if that's what you're looking for, this book is for you. I need a little something more.
December 24, 2011
More reviews at http://readerpants.blogspot.com.
READALIKES: "The Highwayman" (poem by Alfred Noyes); The Old Willis Place and many others by Mary Downing Hahn; anything by Lois Duncan (my personal favorite is Ransom)
RATING BREAKDOWN:
Overall: 4/5
Creativity: 4/5
Characters: 4/5
Engrossing: 4/5
Writing: 4/5
Appeal to teens: 5/5
Appropriate length to tell the story: 5/5
CONTENT:
Language: none
Sexuality: mild; large age gaps in the relationships; some kissing and staring at breasts through shirt
Violence: moderate; vampire feeds on willing and unwilling victims; murdered girls' ghosts haunt the inn; a violent death
Drugs/Alcohol: very mild; adults drink wine
STATUS IN MY LIBRARY: We have it, but it hasn't been very popular so far (maybe because of the dated cover). Only three students before me had checked it out since 2009. Now that I have read and enjoyed it, I will be recommending it to many.
WARNING: The reviews on this site are intended for librarians who need thorough book reviews in order to make informed purchasing decisions. As such, anything below this warning may contain mild spoilers. I try not to give away too much, but I do review the entire book.
WHAT I LIKED: I'm a little embarrassed to admit that after 3 years in the middle school library, this is my first Mary Downing Hahn book. I know, I know, my students would be shocked, especially since I recommend Hahn's books frequently and constantly hear from students who love her books.
Look for Me By Moonlight starts quickly and sets up multiple conflicts within the first 50 pages. There is a developing romance, a mysterious stranger, and a murdered girl's ghost, all against the backdrop of an insecure teen girl trying to fit into her father's new family. Cynda's half-brother's intense fear of the "wolf" and seemingly irrational hatred of Vincent adds to the suspense, as does the spooky and frigid backdrop of the inn itself.
Protagonist Cynda's character is complex, her motives understandable and believable. Though he irritates her plenty, Cynda feels both protective and jealous of her five-year old stepbrother, Todd. She desperately craves her father's attention, yet her subtle attempts to garner his attention are lost on all of them. Though Cynda likes the new family, she clearly feels isolated from all of them at the same time. She feels drawn to Vincent, yet at the same time feels something is wrong about the way he looks at her.
I love how easily Cynda falls into Vincent's trap; he plays on her insecurities to enchant and manipulate her, which may cause teen readers to spot that type of manipulation in their own lives. That Cynda ignores her own warning bells rings true to what people do in their own lives every day. How many people regret their own actions when they don't listen to their own better judgment? How many people fall into manipulative traps every day and regret it for the rest of their lives?
I picked up Look For Me By Moonlight mainly because of the title, which is a quotation from Alfred Noyes's poem "The Highwayman." Since I first read it in seventh grade, "The Highwayman" has been my all-time favorite poem. I get tears in my eyes every time I read it or even think about it, so I know no story is ever going to live up to my nostalgia for "The Highwayman." That said, I love how Hahn masterfully encompasses the creepy setting of the poem without trying to copy its plot. While "The Highwayman" is a story of a tragic love triangle, Look For Me By Moonlight is more a story of predator and prey. So cool.
Look For Me By Moonlight won't be my last Mary Downing Hahn book. Hahn is a master at setting up a creepy scene and adding interesting, complex characters that have problems readers will relate to. The writing is simple enough for a reluctant middle school reader yet interesting enough to hold an adult reader's attention.
WHAT I DIDN'T LIKE:
*BIG OL' SPOILER HERE--SCROLL DOWN A FEW LINES IF YOU ARE SURE YOU WANT TO CONTINUE!*
(keep going...)
(you're almost there...)
There are several major "Ick" factors in this story:
Ick Factor #1-- Every time Vincent drank from little Todd, my stomach turned a little. Drink from Cynda all you want, pretty boy, she got herself into this mess and now needs to find a way out of it. I'm rooting for her, but it's her own fault. But Todd? Todd, who feared Vincent from the get-go, tried to warn everyone to no avail, sweet little baby FIVE YEAR OLD Todd, exposing his tender little neck for some nasty thing to drink from? That's just not right.
Ick Factor #2-- What is with Cynda's dad and his child bride? Let's do some math here. If Cynda was six when her dad left the family and is now sixteen, that would mean that her dad left ten years ago. In the story Cynda mentions that Susan is probably in her "late 20s." That would have made Susan only slightly older than Cynda is now when she met Cynda's dad, who must have been around thirty when he met her (he had a six-year old daughter and was married). He has a good 10-12 years on her, which isn't terrible if you are in your forties, but in this case, Susan was still a teenager dating a thirty-year old man. YUCK.
Ick Factor #3-- While Vincent "could not be older than thirty" and Cynda is only sixteen, Vincent desires (or pretends to desire) Cynda sexually. Cynda says Vincent's eyes "lingered on my lips and then moved to my breasts" (78), and the pair kisses passionately several times. GROSS. Then, later, Vincent talks about becoming Cynda and Todd's "father," and I actually threw up in my mouth a little bit. Vincent wants to be Cynda's father after he made out with her? It's just not right, and I felt icky reading about it. I wish Hahn had made Vincent ten years younger and desirous of Cynda as a bride rather than a daughter.
June 25, 2013
This book was very, very good, but REALLY creepy. It's a very very old take on vampires--nothing like the new Twilight obsession--it is about how vampires are supposed to be. In this, the vampire isn't a sparkly teenage boy--this vampire is a REAL vampire. He's very persuasive and extremely evil.
A great, quick read!
A great, quick read!
April 1, 2014
The genre was a mystery,and romance,and fiction.The audience is the reader themselves, I like the fact that Cynda became stronger at the end of the book she just needed to prove to everyone what Vincent was and what he does to the family and a good friend and Cynda as well with all the suffering he put her through.
In my opinion I thought the book was amazing I do wish it had something surprising at the end just thought it would end a little bit different then it did and I recommend people read it.I liked it because it keeps you on the end of your seat and wanting to know what happens to the family,Cynda, Vincent, and others.My favorite Character was Vincent I loved how he was described and well put together in this book,yes the characters felt very real to me because the details,the setting,and how the moods was with the weather.The story kept me guessing what would happen next to everyone and what didn't happen,My favorite part is where the first kiss is described.I laughed at some parts because one of the family members are just to funny and just says what they feel.Yes I do wish the ending was different because it was nothing happen to them even tho they knew it did, I wished it ended where Vincent enters again and Mary Hahn makes a second book to keep it going.
To anyone who likes mystery,fiction,romance I recommend this book to just by review it stills sounds amazing.There are comparable books to this some are series but its only one thing that is the same in is book and the four series
In my opinion I thought the book was amazing I do wish it had something surprising at the end just thought it would end a little bit different then it did and I recommend people read it.I liked it because it keeps you on the end of your seat and wanting to know what happens to the family,Cynda, Vincent, and others.My favorite Character was Vincent I loved how he was described and well put together in this book,yes the characters felt very real to me because the details,the setting,and how the moods was with the weather.The story kept me guessing what would happen next to everyone and what didn't happen,My favorite part is where the first kiss is described.I laughed at some parts because one of the family members are just to funny and just says what they feel.Yes I do wish the ending was different because it was nothing happen to them even tho they knew it did, I wished it ended where Vincent enters again and Mary Hahn makes a second book to keep it going.
To anyone who likes mystery,fiction,romance I recommend this book to just by review it stills sounds amazing.There are comparable books to this some are series but its only one thing that is the same in is book and the four series
July 28, 2009
I usually dislike the 'aha!' ending, where everything is thrown on its ear and the author crows about about how clever they are and how the stupid little reader was just so easily taken in (hello, Sarah Waters!)
This isn't quite like that. This 'aha!' took a silly, mediocre story and turned it into ... something else entirely. (I hesitate to say "thrilling psychological horror" but that's kind of what it is.)
My biggest - my only - problem was the narrator. Supposedly sixteen years old, she talks and acts and thinks and understands like a much, much younger child - a girl or eight or nine. Given the author usually writes about the pre-teens & especially given the denouement, I have to wonder if the narrator's age was changed after the fact. (B. disagrees with me as she often does, but I say to you again: how many 16-year-olds actually believe in vampires? Okay, maybe a Rob Pattinson type would suspend disbelief - but what if the vampire is that totally unsexy 40 year old neighbor? Even the success of Twilight doesn't make that likely.)
This isn't quite like that. This 'aha!' took a silly, mediocre story and turned it into ... something else entirely. (I hesitate to say "thrilling psychological horror" but that's kind of what it is.)
My biggest - my only - problem was the narrator. Supposedly sixteen years old, she talks and acts and thinks and understands like a much, much younger child - a girl or eight or nine. Given the author usually writes about the pre-teens & especially given the denouement, I have to wonder if the narrator's age was changed after the fact. (B. disagrees with me as she often does, but I say to you again: how many 16-year-olds actually believe in vampires? Okay, maybe a Rob Pattinson type would suspend disbelief - but what if the vampire is that totally unsexy 40 year old neighbor? Even the success of Twilight doesn't make that likely.)
June 27, 2025
This made me miss the pre-Twilight days of evil vampires! Angsty teenager Cynda is stuck living with her dad and new stepmom in their haunted inn when an enticing strange older man (*GASP*) arrives and seduces Cynda. This book is based on the poem “The Highway Man” and does a great job turning that poem into a full story.
February 13, 2014
I remember reading this over and over again in 5th grade. I was obsessed about it. I just recently picked it back up again about a year ago and fell in love with it all over again. It's an awesome read!
April 7, 2012
This was one of the first books to actually scare me. I remember reading it before bed and then just laying there in the dark after, jumping at every noise.
September 18, 2016
Still think about it over 4 years later. Creepy but captivating
July 5, 2021
It has been over 16 years sense I last read this one but it was sutch an enjoyable reread. Still a great vampire YA novel and way better than twilight ;)
The emotions and feelings the main character feels is relatable in the writing and so is the plot. Sometimes the novel becomes quite spooky in how evil and dark the story could turn out.
Look for me by moonlight by Mary Downing Hahn get a 8.2/10 stars.
The emotions and feelings the main character feels is relatable in the writing and so is the plot. Sometimes the novel becomes quite spooky in how evil and dark the story could turn out.
Look for me by moonlight by Mary Downing Hahn get a 8.2/10 stars.
October 7, 2022
SO LIKE.
i never write reviews...
i don't know what i expected reading this YA book from the 90s--i was mostly (only) interested because even from the back cover and first couple pages alone, it sounded SO much like twilight that i had to read it. the verdict is that yes, i swear twilight was partially inspired by this book. the list of similarities i came across goes ON AND ON.
(my personal favorite being that when cynda discovers vincent is a vampire she says, "i know what you are. you're... you're..." JUST LIKE IN TWILIGHT WHEN SHE- i digress)
HI!!! i would love to discuss the... pedophilia? did we anticipate that word in this review? did we anticipate those vibes in this YA vampire romance novel? THIS BOOK GAVE ME THE CREEPS DUDE! here's the deal: so cynda the main character is 16, and vincent the vampire guy "looks like he's 30", and they start to have a Romance together. i'm like... okay. kinda fucked up, kinda icky, but you know what, whatever, moving past it, let's keep reading. WELL IT GETS WORSE IT GETS SO MUCH WORSE.
when cynda inevitably gets sick of vincent's shit (re: him feeding on her blood and doing a personality 180 into pure cartoon character level villainy) and starts to hate him, he grows tired of her ... and so he starts preying on her younger brother, who is 5 years old.
like okay, sure, get you a monster who is so fucked up they drink the blood of children. ok lucy westenra etc etc BUT NO. ITS WORSE THAN THAT.
the way this whole thing (30 year old guy drinking the blood from a 5 year old boys neck) is written is so ........... NO. I can't even describe how CREEPY it is and not just for monster scary reasons! This guy is meeting with the little boy late at night to play ... which is like... KISSING HIS NECK. LITERALLY LIKE WE COULD HAVE DONE ANYTHING ELSE. WE COULDVE HAD HIM SNEAKILY SECRETLY DRINK THE CHILDS BLOOD WHILE HE'S ASLEEP OR LIKE ERASE HIS MEMORIES OF IT OR SOMETHING BUT NO. NO. KISS HIS NECK DURING MIDNIGHT PLAYTIME IN THE BOYS ROOM!!
at one point the child (5 YEARS OLD. 5 YEAR OLD BOY.) gets jealous because vincent is feeding off of cynda in front of him, and he starts crying and being like "no!! kiss ME not her!" I CANT. I CANT. IN WHAT WORLD IS A GUY KISSING A LITTLE KIDS NECK A FUN WHOLESOME ACTIVITY TO DO. HOW........
and then (YOU THOUGHT I WAS DONE.) vincent and cynda's relationship changes. suddenly it's like they no longer had a romance (THEY USED TO SNEAK AWAY TOGETHER AND MAKE OUT EVERY NIGHT?) at all, but he's now... her... father figure? he's like, i want you and your brother to be my children for all eternity. at one point he calls her his "little girl." BRO WHAAAAAAT KIND OF LANA DEL REY SONG IS THIS!!!!!!!!!!
anyway,
the pros...
pros are that i deeply enjoyed noticing which parts were uncannily just like Twilight (girl who used to live with mom and step dad now moves to a scary small town with her biological dad) (hot vampire guy is there) (this vampire guy moves back to town every so often once people forget he was there) (there's a babyfaced love interest teenager local guy to compete with the vamp) ("i know what you are...")
other pro is that the whole thing is based loosely off the poem the highwayman which is one of my favorite poems which initially endeared me to this book, however, this turns into a con because, if you couldn't tell from the title, the poem is not only straight up referenced and quoted in the text but god dude its done to DEATH by the end. this vampire guy will NOT shut up about it.
my final pro for this story is that the writing style, while absolutely insufferable, had occasional lines that were quite good :) this was usually the spookier parts of the story, where cynda is being haunted by the ghosts of the other dead girls, or being creeped out by the gothic weather, etc. i mean...yeehaw for that ig
i swear the author had one idea for the story (steamy vampire romance) and then halfway through they decided to simply go a complete other direction (vampire guy is evil and we have to burn him alive. i guess). like what i don't get is why this appears to be marketed as romance when by the end it's just softcore horror...?
TO SUM UP:
- book is so so deeply creepy and for reasons i cannot comprehend
- i just wanted cheesy vampire romance.
- i swear stephenie meyer read this in the 90s but what do i know.
- the author has brief moments of good writing. great...
- i mostly kept reading this cause i just couldn't look away i had to see what the hell was going to happen
- ALSO THE PARENTS STUFF WAS SO ANNOYING? Cynda talks about like how she's treated like shit by her family and she has a lot of valid complaints but then it's all chalked up to vincent manipulating her into thinking those things and in the end we're just... supposed to believe she's suddenly happy with her family? YEAH OKAY....
Anyway great book absolutely loved it fucking 1 star besties
i never write reviews...
i don't know what i expected reading this YA book from the 90s--i was mostly (only) interested because even from the back cover and first couple pages alone, it sounded SO much like twilight that i had to read it. the verdict is that yes, i swear twilight was partially inspired by this book. the list of similarities i came across goes ON AND ON.
(my personal favorite being that when cynda discovers vincent is a vampire she says, "i know what you are. you're... you're..." JUST LIKE IN TWILIGHT WHEN SHE- i digress)
HI!!! i would love to discuss the... pedophilia? did we anticipate that word in this review? did we anticipate those vibes in this YA vampire romance novel? THIS BOOK GAVE ME THE CREEPS DUDE! here's the deal: so cynda the main character is 16, and vincent the vampire guy "looks like he's 30", and they start to have a Romance together. i'm like... okay. kinda fucked up, kinda icky, but you know what, whatever, moving past it, let's keep reading. WELL IT GETS WORSE IT GETS SO MUCH WORSE.
when cynda inevitably gets sick of vincent's shit (re: him feeding on her blood and doing a personality 180 into pure cartoon character level villainy) and starts to hate him, he grows tired of her ... and so he starts preying on her younger brother, who is 5 years old.
like okay, sure, get you a monster who is so fucked up they drink the blood of children. ok lucy westenra etc etc BUT NO. ITS WORSE THAN THAT.
the way this whole thing (30 year old guy drinking the blood from a 5 year old boys neck) is written is so ........... NO. I can't even describe how CREEPY it is and not just for monster scary reasons! This guy is meeting with the little boy late at night to play ... which is like... KISSING HIS NECK. LITERALLY LIKE WE COULD HAVE DONE ANYTHING ELSE. WE COULDVE HAD HIM SNEAKILY SECRETLY DRINK THE CHILDS BLOOD WHILE HE'S ASLEEP OR LIKE ERASE HIS MEMORIES OF IT OR SOMETHING BUT NO. NO. KISS HIS NECK DURING MIDNIGHT PLAYTIME IN THE BOYS ROOM!!
at one point the child (5 YEARS OLD. 5 YEAR OLD BOY.) gets jealous because vincent is feeding off of cynda in front of him, and he starts crying and being like "no!! kiss ME not her!" I CANT. I CANT. IN WHAT WORLD IS A GUY KISSING A LITTLE KIDS NECK A FUN WHOLESOME ACTIVITY TO DO. HOW........
and then (YOU THOUGHT I WAS DONE.) vincent and cynda's relationship changes. suddenly it's like they no longer had a romance (THEY USED TO SNEAK AWAY TOGETHER AND MAKE OUT EVERY NIGHT?) at all, but he's now... her... father figure? he's like, i want you and your brother to be my children for all eternity. at one point he calls her his "little girl." BRO WHAAAAAAT KIND OF LANA DEL REY SONG IS THIS!!!!!!!!!!
anyway,
the pros...
pros are that i deeply enjoyed noticing which parts were uncannily just like Twilight (girl who used to live with mom and step dad now moves to a scary small town with her biological dad) (hot vampire guy is there) (this vampire guy moves back to town every so often once people forget he was there) (there's a babyfaced love interest teenager local guy to compete with the vamp) ("i know what you are...")
other pro is that the whole thing is based loosely off the poem the highwayman which is one of my favorite poems which initially endeared me to this book, however, this turns into a con because, if you couldn't tell from the title, the poem is not only straight up referenced and quoted in the text but god dude its done to DEATH by the end. this vampire guy will NOT shut up about it.
my final pro for this story is that the writing style, while absolutely insufferable, had occasional lines that were quite good :) this was usually the spookier parts of the story, where cynda is being haunted by the ghosts of the other dead girls, or being creeped out by the gothic weather, etc. i mean...yeehaw for that ig
i swear the author had one idea for the story (steamy vampire romance) and then halfway through they decided to simply go a complete other direction (vampire guy is evil and we have to burn him alive. i guess). like what i don't get is why this appears to be marketed as romance when by the end it's just softcore horror...?
TO SUM UP:
- book is so so deeply creepy and for reasons i cannot comprehend
- i just wanted cheesy vampire romance.
- i swear stephenie meyer read this in the 90s but what do i know.
- the author has brief moments of good writing. great...
- i mostly kept reading this cause i just couldn't look away i had to see what the hell was going to happen
- ALSO THE PARENTS STUFF WAS SO ANNOYING? Cynda talks about like how she's treated like shit by her family and she has a lot of valid complaints but then it's all chalked up to vincent manipulating her into thinking those things and in the end we're just... supposed to believe she's suddenly happy with her family? YEAH OKAY....
Anyway great book absolutely loved it fucking 1 star besties
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 21, 2024
i'm not sure i read any Hahn when i was younger but this was really good! thoughtfully written which isn't always the case for these old YA horror books.
May 17, 2016
This book was ok. It wasn't the greatest vampire story out there.
The story is about Cynda, who goes to Maine to stay with her father, stepmother and stepbrother in their inn while her mother and her mother's boyfriend go to Italy. During this time a stranger, Vincent, comes to the inn to stay for awhile. It turns out that Vincent is a vampire and has come to feed on Cynda.
This was a slow moving book. At times it was very boring. Cynda was a whiny little thing that annoyed me. She was always whining that her father didn't love her, that her stepmother always took advantage of her, that her brother got all her father's attention and that her mother was living it up in Italy without her. After awhile I was thinking "grow a pair". First off I have NO IDEA why Cynda would NOT want to go to Italy. I'd be all over that. I have been to Italy twice, once when I was 16 and this past summer (2012) and I absolutely LOVE everything about Italy. I would move there in a heartbeat of I had the chance. And Cynda REFUSED to go! That just blew me away. Second I have no idea why she would give up Italy to go to her father inn in Maine where it was winter and below zero degrees often. It was always cold and there were always snow storms.
Anyway When Cynda meets Vincent she falls instantly in love with him. He charms and complements her an pretends to understand her problems, which she eats up. They have a little romance before Vincent reveals what he is and takes her blood. It was weird how Cynda changed in this book. She became very weak, couldn't get out of bed most of the time and became very pale. She was always cold, the sun or light in general hurt her eyes, she stopped eating and began to want blood. All this happened and Vincent WASN'T trying to change her. This is a new take on vampire mythology and it was kinda weird.
Vincent is not the type of vampire who readers see filling up Y.A. books nowadays. Vincent is a monster. He is not loving, kind or brooding. He is a true vampire monster, who takes her blood when he wants it and loves being an evil creature. He feels no love for anyone and doesn't care what happens to people. He manipulates other to get what he wants. He is very powerful, strong and of course beautiful (that hasn't changed). He pretends to love Cynda to get her where he wants her. One bite and she is powerless to stop him. She belongs to him and he can take her blood any time he wants. He also goes after Cynda's brother Todd who is just 5 years old. Vincent drinks Todd's blood and Todd is under Vincent's power as well. Vincent really is a despicable monster. When I first read this book years ago, I hated Vincent. Now re-reading this book, I still don't like him but I don't hate him like I used to. I just think that its interesting to read a book with a different kind of vampire in it. Now all vampires are loving, sexy good guys, not monsters like vampires were in the old days. This book takes you back to those old days when vampires were evil and they liked being that way.
I liked Cynda's brother Todd. He is adorable and like any 5 year old; he wants to play, be read to and get his way. He immediately hates Vincent when he firsts sees him and calls him a bad man. Todd can tell that Vincent is evil and wants him out of the inn but no one listens to him. Then once Vincent bites him, Todd is under his spell and Todd loves him. I always feel sorry for Todd that he had to become involved in Vincent's spell. He was too little to have to face a trauma like that.
Susan was ok for a step mother. She was pregnant and did ask Cynda for help a lot. But she truly cared for Cynda and loved her. She though of Cynda as her daughter, which was sweet.
All in all a quick read that treats vampires as they were meant to be seen: as monsters.
This review is also posted on Spantalian's Book Reviews
The story is about Cynda, who goes to Maine to stay with her father, stepmother and stepbrother in their inn while her mother and her mother's boyfriend go to Italy. During this time a stranger, Vincent, comes to the inn to stay for awhile. It turns out that Vincent is a vampire and has come to feed on Cynda.
This was a slow moving book. At times it was very boring. Cynda was a whiny little thing that annoyed me. She was always whining that her father didn't love her, that her stepmother always took advantage of her, that her brother got all her father's attention and that her mother was living it up in Italy without her. After awhile I was thinking "grow a pair". First off I have NO IDEA why Cynda would NOT want to go to Italy. I'd be all over that. I have been to Italy twice, once when I was 16 and this past summer (2012) and I absolutely LOVE everything about Italy. I would move there in a heartbeat of I had the chance. And Cynda REFUSED to go! That just blew me away. Second I have no idea why she would give up Italy to go to her father inn in Maine where it was winter and below zero degrees often. It was always cold and there were always snow storms.
Anyway When Cynda meets Vincent she falls instantly in love with him. He charms and complements her an pretends to understand her problems, which she eats up. They have a little romance before Vincent reveals what he is and takes her blood. It was weird how Cynda changed in this book. She became very weak, couldn't get out of bed most of the time and became very pale. She was always cold, the sun or light in general hurt her eyes, she stopped eating and began to want blood. All this happened and Vincent WASN'T trying to change her. This is a new take on vampire mythology and it was kinda weird.
Vincent is not the type of vampire who readers see filling up Y.A. books nowadays. Vincent is a monster. He is not loving, kind or brooding. He is a true vampire monster, who takes her blood when he wants it and loves being an evil creature. He feels no love for anyone and doesn't care what happens to people. He manipulates other to get what he wants. He is very powerful, strong and of course beautiful (that hasn't changed). He pretends to love Cynda to get her where he wants her. One bite and she is powerless to stop him. She belongs to him and he can take her blood any time he wants. He also goes after Cynda's brother Todd who is just 5 years old. Vincent drinks Todd's blood and Todd is under Vincent's power as well. Vincent really is a despicable monster. When I first read this book years ago, I hated Vincent. Now re-reading this book, I still don't like him but I don't hate him like I used to. I just think that its interesting to read a book with a different kind of vampire in it. Now all vampires are loving, sexy good guys, not monsters like vampires were in the old days. This book takes you back to those old days when vampires were evil and they liked being that way.
I liked Cynda's brother Todd. He is adorable and like any 5 year old; he wants to play, be read to and get his way. He immediately hates Vincent when he firsts sees him and calls him a bad man. Todd can tell that Vincent is evil and wants him out of the inn but no one listens to him. Then once Vincent bites him, Todd is under his spell and Todd loves him. I always feel sorry for Todd that he had to become involved in Vincent's spell. He was too little to have to face a trauma like that.
Susan was ok for a step mother. She was pregnant and did ask Cynda for help a lot. But she truly cared for Cynda and loved her. She though of Cynda as her daughter, which was sweet.
All in all a quick read that treats vampires as they were meant to be seen: as monsters.
This review is also posted on Spantalian's Book Reviews
December 7, 2015
I started reading this book because I found it on the library return cart and I absolutely LOVED Wait Till Helen Comes when I was a kid. This book had more mature themes and I had difficulty getting into it at first. It was hard to identify with Cynda. Who chooses to stay in Maine during the winter over Italy, especially with a parent that broke up their family? I kept thinking as I was reading that this story should have been about Cynda being seduced by a handsome Italian in beautiful Napoli. With that being said, Cynda as a teenager was believable. I remember being both anxious how others saw me and at the same time completely self-involved, quick to jump to conclusions and bratty.
I was nonplussed over the decision to make the antagonist so much older. It would have been more believable to me if he was in his mid 20s. As a person in my 30s, I feel like the age difference is enough that a teenager would think a person in their 30s is too old. That is just me being nit-picky and it did add to the gross factor that he was so much older when he became more aggressive. One last little thing: You would think that if your step-daughter may have leukemia, you would go with her to the doctor. Obviously, this would have thrown a wrench in the plot but it was jarring to think they wouldn't go with her, even if it was just for blood-work.
What I really appreciated about this book was the way in which the predatory aspects were construed. It was very believable to see Cynda and her brother be seduced by this man. Honestly, you could take away the supernatural aspects and it would still be plausible, depending on how oblivious the parents are. The situation was tense and Cynda's plight was believable. Usually in stories like these, I want to shake the protagonist and scream at them to tell an adult but Cynda didn't have that option. I was surprised that her parents were so quick to side with Vincent over a neighbor that they were familiar with but you can chalk that up to "Vampire glamour." It took a week to get through the first half and a night to finish the rest. Once the conflict started, I couldn't put the book down. I appreciated the ending. I hate stories that end like nothing happened. This event left scars on the characters in more ways than one.
I was nonplussed over the decision to make the antagonist so much older. It would have been more believable to me if he was in his mid 20s. As a person in my 30s, I feel like the age difference is enough that a teenager would think a person in their 30s is too old. That is just me being nit-picky and it did add to the gross factor that he was so much older when he became more aggressive. One last little thing: You would think that if your step-daughter may have leukemia, you would go with her to the doctor. Obviously, this would have thrown a wrench in the plot but it was jarring to think they wouldn't go with her, even if it was just for blood-work.
What I really appreciated about this book was the way in which the predatory aspects were construed. It was very believable to see Cynda and her brother be seduced by this man. Honestly, you could take away the supernatural aspects and it would still be plausible, depending on how oblivious the parents are. The situation was tense and Cynda's plight was believable. Usually in stories like these, I want to shake the protagonist and scream at them to tell an adult but Cynda didn't have that option. I was surprised that her parents were so quick to side with Vincent over a neighbor that they were familiar with but you can chalk that up to "Vampire glamour." It took a week to get through the first half and a night to finish the rest. Once the conflict started, I couldn't put the book down. I appreciated the ending. I hate stories that end like nothing happened. This event left scars on the characters in more ways than one.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 31, 2018
Ughhhhhhhhhh. So this damn book...I picked it up cause I'm in the mood to read some pulpy vampire fiction. This was recommended to me over 10 years ago when I was still in high school...despite being in the vampire craze I turned my nose up to it, probably cause it was old. What a snob I was...and although this was far from a favorite, it was definitely worth the read.
For the majority of the book I decided to give it 2 stars. The main character is 16 year old Cynda (ew) who moves in with her Dad at his creepy inn in Maine when her Mom remarries and goes off to Italy. Cynda is your typical 16 year old...except super immature. She doesn't know how to talk in front of boys and has major Daddy issues cause her dad left when she was 4 with one of his students from the college...yuck. But Cynda quickly falls for the only winter guest at the Inn, a dark and mysterious man named Vincent. You know the type, long black hair, pale skin, an earring...and oh so charming. It seems everyone is under his spell and he plays to whiny Cynda's every insecurity. After Cynda basically pushes everyone away, she realizes too late Vincent is a vampire and then he starts to drain her blood. When Cynda finally fights back, he uses her little brother to further manipulate her.
I will say that the pacing was a bit wonky, Cynda is extremely unlikable, and most of the characters completely frustrating. However, Cynda's immaturity and whining paint her as the perfect victim for Vincent to manipulate. The vampire's thrall is often never explored in these stories so I really appreciated the author's clever use of it throughout this book. The ending truly spooked me and had me looking over my shoulder for fear Vincent was waiting in the shadows for me next.
So sure. Give this one a go, vampire fans. It's quick, I finished it in one short sitting. And while it wasn't awful it wasn't amazing either. The chilling final pages make it worth it.
For the majority of the book I decided to give it 2 stars. The main character is 16 year old Cynda (ew) who moves in with her Dad at his creepy inn in Maine when her Mom remarries and goes off to Italy. Cynda is your typical 16 year old...except super immature. She doesn't know how to talk in front of boys and has major Daddy issues cause her dad left when she was 4 with one of his students from the college...yuck. But Cynda quickly falls for the only winter guest at the Inn, a dark and mysterious man named Vincent. You know the type, long black hair, pale skin, an earring...and oh so charming. It seems everyone is under his spell and he plays to whiny Cynda's every insecurity. After Cynda basically pushes everyone away, she realizes too late Vincent is a vampire and then he starts to drain her blood. When Cynda finally fights back, he uses her little brother to further manipulate her.
I will say that the pacing was a bit wonky, Cynda is extremely unlikable, and most of the characters completely frustrating. However, Cynda's immaturity and whining paint her as the perfect victim for Vincent to manipulate. The vampire's thrall is often never explored in these stories so I really appreciated the author's clever use of it throughout this book. The ending truly spooked me and had me looking over my shoulder for fear Vincent was waiting in the shadows for me next.
So sure. Give this one a go, vampire fans. It's quick, I finished it in one short sitting. And while it wasn't awful it wasn't amazing either. The chilling final pages make it worth it.
March 9, 2022
I read this book back in middle school and I still remember it giving me major creeps.
Pros:
* The book was beautifully written! The writing style made it so I wanted to keep reading more despite the major creeps it gave me.
* The detail was there and it SHOWED! The characters were written to portray a specific feeling and the author nailed it. Granted, we might not necessarily like a character, but that doesn't mean the character is written poorly. Sometimes it means the author did their job!
* I was glued to this book and was enjoying the suspense; Chances are, you will be too.
(Spoilers ahead!)
Cons:
* A MAJOR Con is the pedophilic undertones of this book. It's the only reason why I rated the book so low. The writing itself is amazing, but the fact that the author tried to write a romantic (with the intent to deceive or not) between a 16 year old (the mc) and a predatory vampire in his 30s. I get that he's only being romantic with her to get her blood, but it's still messed up and sends the wrong message. There are other ways to get a main character to go along with someone's charade WITHOUT having to write out "passionate kisses" and lustful language like where the vampire straight out looked at the MC's breasts.
* If that wasn't enough to throw you off, the pedophilic undertones continue when the antagonist feeds off the FIVE YEAR OLD BROTHER. It's written with icky and intimate vocabulary you might find in an erotica.
In conclusion, the author's writing style has amazing promise, but is completely overshadowed by the pedophilic tones.
Pros:
* The book was beautifully written! The writing style made it so I wanted to keep reading more despite the major creeps it gave me.
* The detail was there and it SHOWED! The characters were written to portray a specific feeling and the author nailed it. Granted, we might not necessarily like a character, but that doesn't mean the character is written poorly. Sometimes it means the author did their job!
* I was glued to this book and was enjoying the suspense; Chances are, you will be too.
(Spoilers ahead!)
Cons:
* A MAJOR Con is the pedophilic undertones of this book. It's the only reason why I rated the book so low. The writing itself is amazing, but the fact that the author tried to write a romantic (with the intent to deceive or not) between a 16 year old (the mc) and a predatory vampire in his 30s. I get that he's only being romantic with her to get her blood, but it's still messed up and sends the wrong message. There are other ways to get a main character to go along with someone's charade WITHOUT having to write out "passionate kisses" and lustful language like where the vampire straight out looked at the MC's breasts.
* If that wasn't enough to throw you off, the pedophilic undertones continue when the antagonist feeds off the FIVE YEAR OLD BROTHER. It's written with icky and intimate vocabulary you might find in an erotica.
In conclusion, the author's writing style has amazing promise, but is completely overshadowed by the pedophilic tones.
October 2, 2013
This is a good bookI like it because Ilove fantasy fiction with a little bit of romance and vampires.It was about a girl name Cynthia aka Cynda. She is staying with her dad and step mother,Susan, and her step brother Todd. During her vist Cynda stays in Underhill Inn which her father owns.While at the Inn Cynda hears word of guost in the Inn. Not just any guost, guost of girls killed near by or in the Inn.Then a man named Vincent comes to stay in the Inn.Cynda is instintly attracted the Vincent.Everyone in the Inn likes Vincent execpt Tood.Cynda also meets Will,a family friend, who also likes her and she likes him.Will and Todd both warn Cynda about Vincent,Cynda agrees to meet with him every night at moonlight;inspired by Bess the girl from the HighwaymanThe guost Cynda has been hearing about soon come to see her. But never in the house.Cynda soons find out that the guost are past lovers of vincent.Cynda begins to worry about the events that occur that include Vincent.
The book is really interesting.It is not like anyother vampire romance books I've read.It has a good twist in the climax.I would love to read the other Mary Downing Hain books.My one complaint about the book is the end.It doesnt tell weather Vincent is dead, it states that his "spell" on them is lifted. For all i know he could have escaped before they locked the door.
The book is really interesting.It is not like anyother vampire romance books I've read.It has a good twist in the climax.I would love to read the other Mary Downing Hain books.My one complaint about the book is the end.It doesnt tell weather Vincent is dead, it states that his "spell" on them is lifted. For all i know he could have escaped before they locked the door.
September 22, 2012
I liked this book. Even though the plot was a little bit predictable and the characters were not developed in depth, the story was refreshing and entertaining.
Cynda is your average teenage girl who has problems with her parents and has to deal with family issues and loneliness. She is desperate for someone to listen to what she has to say. Then comes Vincent. I have to say that Vincent was the character that I liked the most. After all those romance books that have come out in the last few years, where the vampires are not "evil" anymore, is hard not to fixate on one who embodies the term. Vincent is a manipulative and seductive dark specimen who knows how to get what he wants.
I enjoyed the setting, which was an old inn situated in a dark and snowy place. Perfect Gothic establishment to introduce a vampire story. The ending for me was "MEH," but the fact that the story was good allows me to look the other way when it comes to disliking the whole book just for the ending. There is also a nice twist at one point in the plot that left me a little bit confused (in a great way).
Overall: the story was good and I love the fact that there are still vampire books out there that originally portrayed Nosferatu as real creatures of the night who do not have hearts or feelings.
Cynda is your average teenage girl who has problems with her parents and has to deal with family issues and loneliness. She is desperate for someone to listen to what she has to say. Then comes Vincent. I have to say that Vincent was the character that I liked the most. After all those romance books that have come out in the last few years, where the vampires are not "evil" anymore, is hard not to fixate on one who embodies the term. Vincent is a manipulative and seductive dark specimen who knows how to get what he wants.
I enjoyed the setting, which was an old inn situated in a dark and snowy place. Perfect Gothic establishment to introduce a vampire story. The ending for me was "MEH," but the fact that the story was good allows me to look the other way when it comes to disliking the whole book just for the ending. There is also a nice twist at one point in the plot that left me a little bit confused (in a great way).
Overall: the story was good and I love the fact that there are still vampire books out there that originally portrayed Nosferatu as real creatures of the night who do not have hearts or feelings.
September 21, 2014
I loved the book. It was very unique and different. I loved how the author started out the story as a normal teenager in love with a normal guest. She made the guest as if he was in love with her to. Put it as if the ghost of the dead girl was just haunting Cynda. Then came out with the part where the Man was just using her and pretended to love her. I loved how the author started out with him as if he was just an abuser but then out of nowhere he bit her. Plus how he said he wanted just her but then he got to the teen's brother and started killing him slowly too. Plus how the brother sensed something evil so he did like the man. But nobody noticed anything because the guest acted nice and friendly and understanding. After a while Cynda found out that the ghost of the dead girl was just trying to help them. Plus how they knew he could not be killed until Cynda found a weakness and everything went back to normal. Just before the vampire came to the hotel where they all lived at.
May 4, 2009
Alright, this book at first reminded me of Twilight. A teenage girl with divorced parents, and she is going to live with her dad in a cold area and she meets a vampire. Difference: the dad is remarried to a much younger woman, the vampire is evil, and she also has a younger half-brother. It was not a good book, I just couldn't get into it. I would've liked it better if it didn't seem so jumpy? I believe that's the word I'm looking for. And I also only had a limited amount of time to read it. So yeah, it was kind of bad!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 12, 2007
I read this book after finding it in a school library.
Originally I found it very interesting and exciting, until I got near the end and it just started feeling like the telling of a young girl caught up with an older man who is abusive in a sense... it seemed to me more like the fact he was a vampire was added in to take notice away from a more nonfiction storyline that the book could tell.
Originally I found it very interesting and exciting, until I got near the end and it just started feeling like the telling of a young girl caught up with an older man who is abusive in a sense... it seemed to me more like the fact he was a vampire was added in to take notice away from a more nonfiction storyline that the book could tell.
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February 8, 2009I read this book and could not put it down. I always knew us girls would be sucked into the dark, hansome, and mysterious figures that come upon us. I'm one of those people who have dreams based on what they see, hear, smell, taste, feel, and remember. I had a dream that took me to every scene in this book. It was a true adventure. If only this book could be real ;).
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