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Night Roamers #1
Blur
There ARE creatures lurking in the dead of night... Seventeen year old Nikki and her twin brother, Nathan, move to the small town of Shore Lake to start over after their mother is brutally attacked. When a missing teenager washes up on shore during their first night at the cabin and there are whispers of vampires in Shore Lake, Nikki begins to realize that there are things roaming in the darkness that are far more sinister than what they left behind in the big city.
This book contains some graphic language, violence, and mild sexual situations.
This book contains some graphic language, violence, and mild sexual situations.
202 pages, Paperback
First published November 4, 2012
702 people are currently reading
4202 people want to read
About the author
Kristen Middleton
119 books753 followersNY Times and USA Today Bestselling Author, Kristen Middleton, is from the Midwest and not only enjoys writing, but connecting with her readers. Kristen also writes gritty biker books under the name Cassie Alexandra. She is also involved with raising money to help locate missing and exploited children, helping other authors succeed by sharing what she's learned in the self-publishing industry, and volunteering resources or her time whenever she can. "Besides having a passion for writing, I adore children, suspenseful movies, watching Shameless and The Walking Dead, traveling, Moscato wine, Chianti Grill, Savoy Pizza, and meeting new friends."
Kristen Middleton lives in Minnesota
Favorite Quote (Henry Ford)
"Whether you think you can or think you can't, you're right."
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 358 reviews
October 30, 2013
Oh my god, seriously? This was beyond rushed and WAY to cheesy!
Nikki was just a fucked up bundle or hormones. At one point I kind of excused her behaviour because I assumed she was being forced into her crazy assed feelings. Just to find out that the 'mind control' was forced onto her only once. So in reality she really is this stupid!
The monsters of the book were terrible. Completely lacking in skill of being whom I'm assuming they've been for a very long time. It seemed like a piss poor excuse copy of some twilight-but-not-twilight book.
I feel that if a little more thought was put into the writing of this book, and it was spread out a little more, it could have been a decent book.
The characters weren't built up properly and they formed relationships and feeling too quickly. It became TOO unbelievable, and that's saying something when reading paranormal.
I wont be continuing onto the second book.
April 1, 2013
Okay so i will, willingly give this a 2.5
It's a fast, easy read. Unfortunately raging teenage hormones have gone ape-shit crazy in this book.
I thought that our main character Nikki would have some self-control, or be cautious of men after what happened to her mother - oh and her mother? Really. The only sensible one it seems was Nikki's twin Nathan.
Okay Let's start from the top. Nikki and her small, as she puts it - dysfunctional family - moves because the twin's father comes back to and attacks their mother, but really it is an excuse to have them move to a town infested with vampires. Yes that is actually a line from the book so i am not lying. I actually don't mind that concept because i loved Morganville Vampires. And to be honest, i read most of this faithfully until about 80% in then i skimmed and gave up. Hey seriously it might be me, i am not the biggest vampire fan - but these felt very i don't know how to put it. I just wasn't feeling it, i felt more giggly and maybe that was the point.
Dunc - an actually, ridiculously nice guy. And apparently after knowing each other for i think it was about a week or so, maybe two, Nikki and him were "falling in love" and i felt like i was watching a five second relationship in the works which is sad because i did NOT like Ethan - who is the other love interest who started to show up when i started to give up. All i know about him is that he calls her by the wrong name, and pretty much tries to jump her bones every time they are in the same room together and quite frankly that is no way to start a relationship in my eyes.
The vampire aspect doesn't start snowballing until the end - again where i started to drift. Well i mean there is the idea that they might be out there, there is obviously something paranormal going on but really it wasn't a journey of this characters growing, experiencing, and in the most cheesiest way possible for me to go on is to say: learning what true love is.
I will admit it was just a fun read, the characters are pretty charming when they want to be...all but Ethan i don't care what other people say i really don't like him and i wanted to. i really did but no thank you. So if you are looking for just something fast, fun, a little bit sex-sceney which i did NOT see coming, sure go for it.
It's a fast, easy read. Unfortunately raging teenage hormones have gone ape-shit crazy in this book.
I thought that our main character Nikki would have some self-control, or be cautious of men after what happened to her mother - oh and her mother? Really. The only sensible one it seems was Nikki's twin Nathan.
Okay Let's start from the top. Nikki and her small, as she puts it - dysfunctional family - moves because the twin's father comes back to and attacks their mother, but really it is an excuse to have them move to a town infested with vampires. Yes that is actually a line from the book so i am not lying. I actually don't mind that concept because i loved Morganville Vampires. And to be honest, i read most of this faithfully until about 80% in then i skimmed and gave up. Hey seriously it might be me, i am not the biggest vampire fan - but these felt very i don't know how to put it. I just wasn't feeling it, i felt more giggly and maybe that was the point.
Dunc - an actually, ridiculously nice guy. And apparently after knowing each other for i think it was about a week or so, maybe two, Nikki and him were "falling in love" and i felt like i was watching a five second relationship in the works which is sad because i did NOT like Ethan - who is the other love interest who started to show up when i started to give up. All i know about him is that he calls her by the wrong name, and pretty much tries to jump her bones every time they are in the same room together and quite frankly that is no way to start a relationship in my eyes.
The vampire aspect doesn't start snowballing until the end - again where i started to drift. Well i mean there is the idea that they might be out there, there is obviously something paranormal going on but really it wasn't a journey of this characters growing, experiencing, and in the most cheesiest way possible for me to go on is to say: learning what true love is.
I will admit it was just a fun read, the characters are pretty charming when they want to be...all but Ethan i don't care what other people say i really don't like him and i wanted to. i really did but no thank you. So if you are looking for just something fast, fun, a little bit sex-sceney which i did NOT see coming, sure go for it.
March 19, 2013
I'm not really sure how to describe BLUR. Parts were awkward, parts were cheesy, parts required an eye-roll in exasperation. The dialog seemed forced. I have two brothers and we have never, ever called each other bugger and/or twerp, especially not repeatedly and not at 16 years old. So you want your teenage characters to use curse words but then use childish "terms of endearment"? And how about the use of "jump his bones" and "jump Ethan's bones" a total of five times thorough out the book. Three of those between pages 110 and 116. I don't know any teens who talk like that. I know I didn't, and I know my teenage step-daughters don't and have never heard their friends say that.
The character hormones (I can't even say it was just the teens because the mom was just as bad) were ridiculous. Oh hey, we just met a couple days ago but I LOVE you. No wait, I LOVE this one, no I LOVE this guy, oh hell I don't know I guess I LOVE them both. Been done a million and one times in the past. And the fact that Nikki keeps seeing someone in her bathroom window, but she is on the second floor of the house. How about putting up a curtain or even a sheet?
There were also some weird sentence structures and some missing words. Here are a couple of examples: "I'm hungry, but I don't for what." Missing the word "know". Or this one: "I'll see you at in town." At, it? And how weird is it that the mom has slept away about half of the book, with two "bug bites" on her neck that have swelled up, and has to wear sunglasses even inside the house because her eyes are bothering her but dismisses her ailments, and doesn't seem worried. While I give an 'A' for effort on the plot, I found it lacking and predictable.
I really hate giving negative reviews. Really I do. But considering this book seems to have just as many four and five star reviews as two and three, I think this is another one of those "not every book is for every person" circumstances. At twenty-six chapters, BLUR is a fast read but just not for me.
The character hormones (I can't even say it was just the teens because the mom was just as bad) were ridiculous. Oh hey, we just met a couple days ago but I LOVE you. No wait, I LOVE this one, no I LOVE this guy, oh hell I don't know I guess I LOVE them both. Been done a million and one times in the past. And the fact that Nikki keeps seeing someone in her bathroom window, but she is on the second floor of the house. How about putting up a curtain or even a sheet?
There were also some weird sentence structures and some missing words. Here are a couple of examples: "I'm hungry, but I don't for what." Missing the word "know". Or this one: "I'll see you at in town." At, it? And how weird is it that the mom has slept away about half of the book, with two "bug bites" on her neck that have swelled up, and has to wear sunglasses even inside the house because her eyes are bothering her but dismisses her ailments, and doesn't seem worried. While I give an 'A' for effort on the plot, I found it lacking and predictable.
I really hate giving negative reviews. Really I do. But considering this book seems to have just as many four and five star reviews as two and three, I think this is another one of those "not every book is for every person" circumstances. At twenty-six chapters, BLUR is a fast read but just not for me.
August 9, 2013
It's sad when "It has a nice cover" is the nicest thing you can say about a book.
Plot: thin and predictable
This book tries to do both horror and romance and fails at both.
Dialog: terrible
I don't know anyone who this way. Characters seem to agree about everything and then spend the next 2 pages talking about it. It reminds me a lot of Laurell K Hamilton (and not in a good way).
Setting: flat
Monsters: completely lacking in horror
Romance: awkward and cheesy ... etc.
The good news is I didn't have spend anything on it.
Plot: thin and predictable
This book tries to do both horror and romance and fails at both.
Dialog: terrible
I don't know anyone who this way. Characters seem to agree about everything and then spend the next 2 pages talking about it. It reminds me a lot of Laurell K Hamilton (and not in a good way).
Setting: flat
Monsters: completely lacking in horror
Romance: awkward and cheesy ... etc.
The good news is I didn't have spend anything on it.
April 1, 2013
Nikki and her twin brother Nathan have just moved to a new town after their estranged father attacked and raped their mother. Immediately upon arrival, all three have found some hot person to lust after. For their mother, it's local cop Caleb. For Nathan there are several girls, and for Nikki there's Duncan. And when Nikki begins working at the diner, she meets Ethan. When dead bodies begin turning up, Nikki hears rumors of vampires. Could Ethan be a vampire?
When I first started reading this, I thought it had a cheesy, fun tone to it, kind of like Fear Street. But the further I got into the story, the worse it got. The dialogue was stilted and the characters were wooden. Nikki didn't seem to have much insight into what was going on. She's on a date with Duncan, then Ethan comes along and suddenly she's ready to ride him until morning... Huh, how did that happen? The scary parts weren't scary at all (oh no, a face at the window!). And when you start hearing rumors about vampires, maybe those two bug bites on Mom's neck should be a big clue. There were a lot of places where I felt the tension needed to be ratcheted up or drawn out. The jump to everyone believing in vampires was what I believe is called Jumping the Shark. These vampires have no finesse, they just mind control everyone into lusting after them or kill anyone who suspects them - there's really nothing new here.
When I first started reading this, I thought it had a cheesy, fun tone to it, kind of like Fear Street. But the further I got into the story, the worse it got. The dialogue was stilted and the characters were wooden. Nikki didn't seem to have much insight into what was going on. She's on a date with Duncan, then Ethan comes along and suddenly she's ready to ride him until morning... Huh, how did that happen? The scary parts weren't scary at all (oh no, a face at the window!). And when you start hearing rumors about vampires, maybe those two bug bites on Mom's neck should be a big clue. There were a lot of places where I felt the tension needed to be ratcheted up or drawn out. The jump to everyone believing in vampires was what I believe is called Jumping the Shark. These vampires have no finesse, they just mind control everyone into lusting after them or kill anyone who suspects them - there's really nothing new here.
July 15, 2016
I could tell by just reading the first few chapters this was going to be one of those cheesy books you know you shouldn't like but yet you do anyways. This was that for me. I'm not ashamed we all have guilty pleasure books. You could tell from the beginning that the weirdness at night was going to be vampires and you pretty much knew who was going to be one. Nikki and her family move to this small town after her father does something terrible to their mother. Once they get there weird things start happening and Nikki begins to feel that someone or something is watching her. We do learn that she is right and it was in fact vampires. Of course she spent most of the book looking nuts to other people because she was trying to convince them they were real. The ending to book was intriguing because it left me wondering if Caleb (Nikki's mom's boyfriend) was really not as bad as we thought.
June 7, 2017
This was terrible. Worse than Twilight, if that's possible.
December 13, 2013
http://fiercebookblogger.blogspot.com/
http://www.amazon.com/Blur-Night-Roam...
That's the amazon address to read the summary. Okay so this book was free on my Kindle and i can see why.
Plot: Twilight + Immoral Series = Blur. This story was mostly a rip off from Twilight but had some elements from Immortal series. The whole story was about a girl, her twin brother, and her mom who move to a new place to get away from a psycho dad. That's the only original thing in there. She meets a boy who instead of working on cars (Jacob) works on boats. Oh how clever. Then there is murders happening and the people have their throats ripped out. Didn't see that coming. Then a boy who is pale and she figures out a vampire. She has a magnetic pull to him and can't help wanting to jump him. So she does. FYI this is for ages 16+. There was no sex but wow it was close. And awkward because i felt she was cheating on boat boy. Just me though. Honestly the story was so silly and such a rip off i spent most of my time laughing at it.
Characters: The main character is Nikki and she is dull, confusing, and apparently the only one who can put two and two together. I didn't mind her at first then as she was like i want boat boy but no! Now i want vampire boy! It got annoying, She feel in love with two people in the matter of like 5 pages. Uh, okay. Nathan, her brother is annoying as i don't know what. He is the stereotype of man. I man, you girl. I master. Then he seems to pimp Nikki off. He's like I'm okay with you dating so and so. Who asked your permission buddy. Duncan is you're all American stereotype guy. And apparently a super good person who stays with his Dad so he won't be lonely. I'm just surprised he didn't turn into a werewolf. Well, there's always book 2. The comes Ethan. Honestly, Ethan is a rapist. Not kidding. He enters Nikki's mind and makes her do 'stuff'. But somehow she loves him and has that special magnetic pull. She trusts him despite him mind raping her and then since he craves her blood so much she lets him have some. Like omg. These people. So if you couldn't tell from this they sound just like Edward, Bella, and Jacob. There even is a vampire daddy where all other vampire children stay with him. Hmmm. Can anyone say Carlisle? And the real characters name is Caleb...yeah.
Writing/Syntax: The syntax was good. Ms. Middleton had not too many errors that i noticed. I just wish the story was more original because she had some pretty good ideas in there.
There is a book 2. I won't be reading it but if you do read it comment below and tell me if she got more original or not. Also there is a book 3 but again i won't be reading it. This book left me severely disappointed. The beginning was great but slowly turned stereotypical, cliche, and a rip off from Twilight. I give it 1 star just because of the good beginning. Comment below with your thoughts and opinions but please no cursing. Younger children might stumble upon my site. Also if you wan me to read a book and review it. My review will be fair and honest. Thanks,
~Cat
http://www.amazon.com/Blur-Night-Roam...
That's the amazon address to read the summary. Okay so this book was free on my Kindle and i can see why.
Plot: Twilight + Immoral Series = Blur. This story was mostly a rip off from Twilight but had some elements from Immortal series. The whole story was about a girl, her twin brother, and her mom who move to a new place to get away from a psycho dad. That's the only original thing in there. She meets a boy who instead of working on cars (Jacob) works on boats. Oh how clever. Then there is murders happening and the people have their throats ripped out. Didn't see that coming. Then a boy who is pale and she figures out a vampire. She has a magnetic pull to him and can't help wanting to jump him. So she does. FYI this is for ages 16+. There was no sex but wow it was close. And awkward because i felt she was cheating on boat boy. Just me though. Honestly the story was so silly and such a rip off i spent most of my time laughing at it.
Characters: The main character is Nikki and she is dull, confusing, and apparently the only one who can put two and two together. I didn't mind her at first then as she was like i want boat boy but no! Now i want vampire boy! It got annoying, She feel in love with two people in the matter of like 5 pages. Uh, okay. Nathan, her brother is annoying as i don't know what. He is the stereotype of man. I man, you girl. I master. Then he seems to pimp Nikki off. He's like I'm okay with you dating so and so. Who asked your permission buddy. Duncan is you're all American stereotype guy. And apparently a super good person who stays with his Dad so he won't be lonely. I'm just surprised he didn't turn into a werewolf. Well, there's always book 2. The comes Ethan. Honestly, Ethan is a rapist. Not kidding. He enters Nikki's mind and makes her do 'stuff'. But somehow she loves him and has that special magnetic pull. She trusts him despite him mind raping her and then since he craves her blood so much she lets him have some. Like omg. These people. So if you couldn't tell from this they sound just like Edward, Bella, and Jacob. There even is a vampire daddy where all other vampire children stay with him. Hmmm. Can anyone say Carlisle? And the real characters name is Caleb...yeah.
Writing/Syntax: The syntax was good. Ms. Middleton had not too many errors that i noticed. I just wish the story was more original because she had some pretty good ideas in there.
There is a book 2. I won't be reading it but if you do read it comment below and tell me if she got more original or not. Also there is a book 3 but again i won't be reading it. This book left me severely disappointed. The beginning was great but slowly turned stereotypical, cliche, and a rip off from Twilight. I give it 1 star just because of the good beginning. Comment below with your thoughts and opinions but please no cursing. Younger children might stumble upon my site. Also if you wan me to read a book and review it. My review will be fair and honest. Thanks,
~Cat
July 15, 2022
*heavily sighs*
This is yet another book inspired by The Twilight Saga. And honestly, rolling eyes is a natural reaction to every time a writer mentions this is different from the movies while characters converse in a book.
It's about a family of three moving places to Shore Lake, a town where one can easily find themselves in strange situations. And by strange I mean a girl lying dead on the same land as your cabin-in-the-woods. And also, when people feel they're being watched multiple times and are warned even more frequently, the wise thing to do is flee from the goddamned place, however beautiful it is. But this, of course, doesn't happen because that's how you get the book moving.
The plot was spooky, which is pretty good. It had a few action packed scenes that left you guessing.
The writing was easy to understand, not very elaborative. The book's good for a weekend fix. Many things were rushed as in not given the right amount of time for a scene to be captivating, especially the last one-third of the book,
The lead's reaction to finding out about vampires wasn't natural, like every Wattpad story you'll come across. It wasn't that enjoyable for me because I've read books with a deeper plot before and this wasn't up to par. I'll recommend it to early and mid teens.
Somewhere between 2.5 and 3 stars.
This is yet another book inspired by The Twilight Saga. And honestly, rolling eyes is a natural reaction to every time a writer mentions this is different from the movies while characters converse in a book.
It's about a family of three moving places to Shore Lake, a town where one can easily find themselves in strange situations. And by strange I mean a girl lying dead on the same land as your cabin-in-the-woods. And also, when people feel they're being watched multiple times and are warned even more frequently, the wise thing to do is flee from the goddamned place, however beautiful it is. But this, of course, doesn't happen because that's how you get the book moving.
The plot was spooky, which is pretty good. It had a few action packed scenes that left you guessing.
The writing was easy to understand, not very elaborative. The book's good for a weekend fix. Many things were rushed as in not given the right amount of time for a scene to be captivating, especially the last one-third of the book,
The lead's reaction to finding out about vampires wasn't natural, like every Wattpad story you'll come across. It wasn't that enjoyable for me because I've read books with a deeper plot before and this wasn't up to par. I'll recommend it to early and mid teens.
Somewhere between 2.5 and 3 stars.
March 11, 2014
This was a fast paced NA PR. It is not really what i would class as YA as there are sexual situations/violence/and a whole lot of cussing.
The book was alright, a good way to spend an hour but it wasn't great.
I do not plan on reading anymore books in the series.
The book was alright, a good way to spend an hour but it wasn't great.
I do not plan on reading anymore books in the series.
January 4, 2014
This book was so amazing! When I started reading this I just couldn't stop. I usually hate vampire books, but this one was so much different. Instead of making me turn away from boredom it drew me in. It was the perfect mixture of horror, romance, and fantasy rolled up into one book.
Nikki and her twin brother, Nathan, move to a new state with their mother after they go through a terrible experience caused by their father raping their mother and physically abusing her after a divorce. They think of this new opportunity as a 2 year long vacation, but on the very first day of their arrival in Shore Lake they find a girl's dead body floating in a lake. The police take care of the body and the sheriff of the small town really hits it off with Nikki's mother. They decide to have dinner together a few days later and Nikki's mom ends up with 2 small bites on her neck. Soon after she becomes sensitive to light and has no appetite for real food. While this is going on, Nikki has a peeping tom that spies on her but disappears before Nikki gets a good look at his face. Nikki meets a really hot dude and falls in love with him. His name is Duncan. Nikki also gets a job at the local diner and meets a guy called Ethan who drinks only coffee while being at the diner at night. He draws Nikki in, and after he shift is over that night Ethan shows up on Nikki's balcony like a creeper. Ethan runs away before Nathan and Duncan can do anything about it. At yet another shift at the diner, Ethan draws Nikki in and tells her to keep her balcony door unlocked. She does and Ethan tries to get her to run away with him but luckily Nathan saves her life just in time before she was about to leave with him. A few days later at the town festival, Ethan kidnaps Nikki and takes her to his house and tries to seduce her before the town sheriff comes in and kicks Ethan out of Shore Lake. Ethan must leave and go to New York, and tries to convince Nikki to go with him and leave everything she has behind. Nikki doesn't want to but before Ethan leaves she allows him to drink her blood. Before he's done drinking Nikki's blood, the town sheriff and Nikki's mother scare of Ethan. The book ends with Nikki passing out from extreme blood loss.
The ending of this book killed me. This is the ultimate cliffhanger any book could ever have! I'm looking so forward to reading the second book in this series.
This book was absolutely amazing! It's also free on Kindle, so if you like young adult fiction mixed in with vampires with a little bit of horror and a lot of romance, this book is for you.
I hope you enjoy Blur by Kristen Middleton!
Nikki and her twin brother, Nathan, move to a new state with their mother after they go through a terrible experience caused by their father raping their mother and physically abusing her after a divorce. They think of this new opportunity as a 2 year long vacation, but on the very first day of their arrival in Shore Lake they find a girl's dead body floating in a lake. The police take care of the body and the sheriff of the small town really hits it off with Nikki's mother. They decide to have dinner together a few days later and Nikki's mom ends up with 2 small bites on her neck. Soon after she becomes sensitive to light and has no appetite for real food. While this is going on, Nikki has a peeping tom that spies on her but disappears before Nikki gets a good look at his face. Nikki meets a really hot dude and falls in love with him. His name is Duncan. Nikki also gets a job at the local diner and meets a guy called Ethan who drinks only coffee while being at the diner at night. He draws Nikki in, and after he shift is over that night Ethan shows up on Nikki's balcony like a creeper. Ethan runs away before Nathan and Duncan can do anything about it. At yet another shift at the diner, Ethan draws Nikki in and tells her to keep her balcony door unlocked. She does and Ethan tries to get her to run away with him but luckily Nathan saves her life just in time before she was about to leave with him. A few days later at the town festival, Ethan kidnaps Nikki and takes her to his house and tries to seduce her before the town sheriff comes in and kicks Ethan out of Shore Lake. Ethan must leave and go to New York, and tries to convince Nikki to go with him and leave everything she has behind. Nikki doesn't want to but before Ethan leaves she allows him to drink her blood. Before he's done drinking Nikki's blood, the town sheriff and Nikki's mother scare of Ethan. The book ends with Nikki passing out from extreme blood loss.
The ending of this book killed me. This is the ultimate cliffhanger any book could ever have! I'm looking so forward to reading the second book in this series.
This book was absolutely amazing! It's also free on Kindle, so if you like young adult fiction mixed in with vampires with a little bit of horror and a lot of romance, this book is for you.
I hope you enjoy Blur by Kristen Middleton!
November 2, 2013
Amazon Review
"BLUR" (Read 11/02 - 11/02/2013)
Sadly, this book was a complete disappointment! This is my first 1-Star review I've ever given to a book. I agree with the review by Surayya Hosein "Terrible", and wonder as well, how this received so many stars?¿
"Blur" is written from the POV Nikki Gerard, a 17-y.o., along with her twin brother; Nathan and their mom; Anne, escaped from California, after their father brutally raped and beat Anne viciously.
Almost 3-months after the attack, Anne Gerard jump at an opportunity to start over in a small town, far away from her monstrous ex, she takes her kids and runs to Shore Lake, Montana. Shortly after they move to this idyllic town, they discover there really are worse monsters out there, than their father.
It's a shame this book had so many contradictions and inconsistency - very disappointing! I had to constantly remind myself, "This is a YA read!", yet most of the dialogue throughout the book is more befitting of a juvenile/YT (Young Teen), except the YA sex scenes.
Prior to the sexual-lustful scenes in the story, Nikkie; the main character, speaks and acts more like a 5th or 6th grader (13-14 y.o.). BUT!, when sex gets thrown in, Nikki is no longer the chaste innocent virgin, she's suddenly to 'ready, willing and able.
As a previous review said, a woman, especially one with kids escaping a maniacal ex-husband, who raped and assaulted her (couple months prior), does not invite invite a strange man over for home cooking and a romp in the hay! That kinda trauma takes time, just to get over the shock and years learning to live with PTSD and sadly in some cases, agoraphobia.
Similar issues with Nathan - dying to have his girlfriend visit him, yet suddenly he's falling over a new girl. Deanna suddenly just drops out of the story!
The characters are hardly likeable, due to lack of character development, poor grammar and vocabulary, and just too many contradictions and inconsistencies. It's a crying shame this wasn't developed and written better, as I do see a good plot and storyline. Perhaps, a new editor?
Please note, I'm only sharing my opinion, which is based on my own experiences and truths. I'm also aware I probably don't fit the regular demographics the author is writing for (I'm well into adulthood). Regardless, there are many YA urban fantasy series I've become addicted to, this IS NOT one of them.
"BLUR" (Read 11/02 - 11/02/2013)
Sadly, this book was a complete disappointment! This is my first 1-Star review I've ever given to a book. I agree with the review by Surayya Hosein "Terrible", and wonder as well, how this received so many stars?¿
"Blur" is written from the POV Nikki Gerard, a 17-y.o., along with her twin brother; Nathan and their mom; Anne, escaped from California, after their father brutally raped and beat Anne viciously.
Almost 3-months after the attack, Anne Gerard jump at an opportunity to start over in a small town, far away from her monstrous ex, she takes her kids and runs to Shore Lake, Montana. Shortly after they move to this idyllic town, they discover there really are worse monsters out there, than their father.
It's a shame this book had so many contradictions and inconsistency - very disappointing! I had to constantly remind myself, "This is a YA read!", yet most of the dialogue throughout the book is more befitting of a juvenile/YT (Young Teen), except the YA sex scenes.
Prior to the sexual-lustful scenes in the story, Nikkie; the main character, speaks and acts more like a 5th or 6th grader (13-14 y.o.). BUT!, when sex gets thrown in, Nikki is no longer the chaste innocent virgin, she's suddenly to 'ready, willing and able.
As a previous review said, a woman, especially one with kids escaping a maniacal ex-husband, who raped and assaulted her (couple months prior), does not invite invite a strange man over for home cooking and a romp in the hay! That kinda trauma takes time, just to get over the shock and years learning to live with PTSD and sadly in some cases, agoraphobia.
Similar issues with Nathan - dying to have his girlfriend visit him, yet suddenly he's falling over a new girl. Deanna suddenly just drops out of the story!
The characters are hardly likeable, due to lack of character development, poor grammar and vocabulary, and just too many contradictions and inconsistencies. It's a crying shame this wasn't developed and written better, as I do see a good plot and storyline. Perhaps, a new editor?
Please note, I'm only sharing my opinion, which is based on my own experiences and truths. I'm also aware I probably don't fit the regular demographics the author is writing for (I'm well into adulthood). Regardless, there are many YA urban fantasy series I've become addicted to, this IS NOT one of them.
January 8, 2014
This book was ridiculous. My eyes hurt from rolling them so much. It started out ok - but not even half way through the book everything fell apart.
There was just so much wrong with this book. No world building. Im not even sure what the plot was exactly.....
Who the hell is Miranda? Why isn't this explained? Why isn't anything explained?? Who killed all those girls? Ethan? Sheriff Creepster? His daughter? Duncan? NOTHING IS EXPLAINED!!! Who killed the old lady next door? (My money is on the Sheriff with that one!) And why was Nikki mother such a idiot?
This whole book was ridiculous... but I've come to expect that with many of my Kindle freebies.
Seriously, don't even bother with this book.
There was just so much wrong with this book. No world building. Im not even sure what the plot was exactly.....
?¿?Nikki & Duncan love each other after maybe a week of knowing each other, she has a twin brother who likes to chase anything in a skirt, (but his love & protective nature toward his sister was very sweet) a vampire is stalking Nikki because he thinks they are destined to be together... oh! & he thinks she's someone named Miranda??? And the town sheriff & his daughter are also vampires & Sheriff Snaggle Tooth wants to mate & turn Nikki's mother because she's dying of breast cancer anyway - but Mom doesn't know she's dying??? (Sounds a little skep to me) Oh!! & all these girls keep turning up dead who bare a strikingly resemblence to Nikki?¿?
Who the hell is Miranda? Why isn't this explained? Why isn't anything explained?? Who killed all those girls? Ethan? Sheriff Creepster? His daughter? Duncan? NOTHING IS EXPLAINED!!! Who killed the old lady next door? (My money is on the Sheriff with that one!) And why was Nikki mother such a idiot?
This whole book was ridiculous... but I've come to expect that with many of my Kindle freebies.
Seriously, don't even bother with this book.
August 17, 2012
Downloaded this book because it was free on Amazon. I hadn't really read the plot summary and so when I reached a point in the book where it was clear that the supernatural beings were vampires, my first reaction was to roll my eyes and start skimming. Not another vampire syory, I groaned. However, I couldn't skim. I read through the book enthralled by the characters, even the sexy vampire ones...especially the sexy vampire ones.
I found that as the pages left to read were dwindling, that I was starting to grow concerned over the fact that there was much more to the story that needed a resolution. It ended on a cliffhanger followed by a note of when the next book in the series would be out - November 1, 2012! Cannot wait.
This book does not disappoint and I was pleasantly surprised at how quickly I became invested in the characters. If you're into this genre, I highly recommend this book.
I found that as the pages left to read were dwindling, that I was starting to grow concerned over the fact that there was much more to the story that needed a resolution. It ended on a cliffhanger followed by a note of when the next book in the series would be out - November 1, 2012! Cannot wait.
This book does not disappoint and I was pleasantly surprised at how quickly I became invested in the characters. If you're into this genre, I highly recommend this book.
December 6, 2012
Nikki and Nathan are twins who move with their mother to get away from their father. As soon as they arrive, they begin to notice that things aren't always as they seem. On their very first night in Shore Lake, Nathan discovers a girl's body at the edge of the lake. Over the next few days, things around Shore Lake escalate. Their neighbor comes and warns them that vampires are among them and to beware. When Nikki gets a job at the local restaurant, she runs into Ethan, a strangely intoxicating guy with a dark side. Follow their adventure as they try to battle against the darkside and save their mother.
This book was an easy, fun read that I thoroughly enjoyed. The only reason that I didn't rate this as a 5 star book was because of the typographical and grammatical errors that were scattered through the book.
This book was an easy, fun read that I thoroughly enjoyed. The only reason that I didn't rate this as a 5 star book was because of the typographical and grammatical errors that were scattered through the book.
March 2, 2014
Worst book ever
Very poorly written, don't waste your time. This book has tons of plot and story eras, it's not even funny. I wasted my whole weekend reading this worthless piece of writing that in my opinion has no right to be even considered a book. I could have written a book ten times better then this piece of poo. Sorry to the people who enjoyed this but, this is a story with poor plot and it really makes teenage girls sound bad and easily gullible. I'm just saying that this author should really take more time on her story ideas and maybe try to write in a different genre.
-Abby
Very poorly written, don't waste your time. This book has tons of plot and story eras, it's not even funny. I wasted my whole weekend reading this worthless piece of writing that in my opinion has no right to be even considered a book. I could have written a book ten times better then this piece of poo. Sorry to the people who enjoyed this but, this is a story with poor plot and it really makes teenage girls sound bad and easily gullible. I'm just saying that this author should really take more time on her story ideas and maybe try to write in a different genre.
-Abby
December 29, 2015
LOL TBH i read it because it was free. I had no expectations going into this book. So i actually found it entertaining and the concept so funny. I wouldn't take so many things seriously in this book. I actually didn't even know the premise of this before i started. I also wont be reading the rest of the books in this series. The main character is WEAK. Her character was VERY inconsistent. But whatevs, didn't expect much from this book anyway. Reding this felt like I watched a cheesy ytv show.... With some inappropriate scenes tho. This book doesn't even deserve one star but i did like the brother's character, so
September 9, 2015
I'm really glad I got this as a deal on Bookbub. I would never have paid money for this piece of junk. The author really needs to hire an editor because there are so many grammatical errors.
On top of that, the main characters brother seems to be the only one with any sense. Nikki's mom just got away from her abusive ex-husband, and within ten minutes of moving to a new town she's shacked up with a vampire. Seriously?!
Do yourself a favor and don't waste your time on this one.
On top of that, the main characters brother seems to be the only one with any sense. Nikki's mom just got away from her abusive ex-husband, and within ten minutes of moving to a new town she's shacked up with a vampire. Seriously?!
Do yourself a favor and don't waste your time on this one.
dnf
December 16, 2015DNF at 43%. Not only are you thrust into the middle of a mess right at the start, the story, if you can call it that, moves far foo quickly. Most of it was dialogue and there wasn't a lot of story building in the first place. There wasn't any indication of what the characters were like- at least not from what I can tell. I really wanted to give this a shot but I was bored out of my skull.
June 19, 2015
Tam hareket başlıyor, heyecan artıyor derken kitap bitti.
Want to read
March 28, 2020🎁 FREE on Amazon today (3/28/2020)! 🎁
June 23, 2018
LOVED IT!!!
Of course I'm a big fan of the twilight books and movie franchise and I've always been a fan of vampires. I am definitely impressed with Ms. Middleton's storytelling of these otherworldly creatures I can't wait to read the other three books in the series.
Of course I'm a big fan of the twilight books and movie franchise and I've always been a fan of vampires. I am definitely impressed with Ms. Middleton's storytelling of these otherworldly creatures I can't wait to read the other three books in the series.
November 10, 2017
I thought this is going to be a pain in the ass when I started reading this book. But after the arrival of Duncan and Ethan it was butterflying awesome.
March 14, 2025
Whisper was an okay read, but I have to admit… I barely remember it. There were definitely some eerie moments and a solid atmosphere that kept me interested while reading, but it just didn’t leave a lasting impact. Kristen Middleton does a great job setting up a creepy, unsettling vibe, and I remember liking parts of the mystery, but beyond that, not much stuck with me.
The pacing had its ups and downs, and while I didn’t dislike it, it wasn’t the most memorable book for me. If you’re looking for a quick, spooky read, it might be worth picking up, but for me, it was just okay.
The pacing had its ups and downs, and while I didn’t dislike it, it wasn’t the most memorable book for me. If you’re looking for a quick, spooky read, it might be worth picking up, but for me, it was just okay.
September 5, 2013
I downloaded Blur by Kristen Middleton to my Kindle a few weeks ago, because I was looking for a good read, and this one had okay reviews that left me hoping it was the book I wanted.
From the beginning, the writing in Blur isn't very good. But the book was a free download on Amazon, and the reviews weren't amazing. What was I expecting?
I kept reading.
The dialogue is kind of cheesy, and there are some facts, conversations, details, and phrases that are repeated several times throughout the book. This really bothered and annoyed me. I hated getting caught up on these things when I wanted to focus on the story, but it might just be that I am a writer, and I can no longer read JUST as a reader but ALSO as a writer.
But, I kept reading, because I hadn't yet seen any Vampires.
As I waited for the Vampires to show themselves and stop hiding in the trees and breaking things, I got very annoyed with the brother. Her twin brother was really childish and annoying. Then he would suddenly jump into "man-mode" and act like he was the one in charge and knew what he was doing.
The mother also got on my nerves a bit. She was a very bad example to her kids. I know she'd been through a lot and she was the main reason they moved, but it didn't make me feel any worse for her. She made some bad choices in the book and jumped right into decisions and relationships without much thought. No wonder her son, Nathan, had problems with his girlfriend back home (though he decided he was through with her after a mere half a car ride and didn't seem to care about dumping her), and hit on every girl in Shore Lake. And no wonder Nikki fell for a guy she had just met and was "jumping his bones", as the book said, having barely met him. Later, the mom says something about wanting to "jump someone's bones." I now hate that expression.
Yes, I have a slight issue with the morals in this book.
The one character I did like, that felt almost real to me, and I wanted to learn more about was Duncan, a boy she meets in town who helps her and her brother figure out what's going on in Shore Lake.
And the entire book was filled with Nikki and Nathan doing things that were very boring and dumb. Nikki slept a lot, took showers/baths a lot, and kind of just went with the flow of whatever her brother wanted to do. It was boring.
But I kept reading.
The Vampires showed themselves. They were fairly cheesy and predictable.
There's some naughty stuff in there, too, let me warn you. It's not super heavy, just two or three scenes that I wouldn't want anyone under 14 to read. Maybe not even 16. But, that's just me. And some kissing. The kissing was fine.
In the end, I was glad I read the book, because I learned a few WHAT NOT TO DO things. Of course, it wasn't all bad. It got better in the middle, and the end was okay. I will not be looking for the second installment, though.
I rated it a three because it was okay, but I didn't really like it, nor would I recommend it to anyone looking for an enjoyable read.
From the beginning, the writing in Blur isn't very good. But the book was a free download on Amazon, and the reviews weren't amazing. What was I expecting?
I kept reading.
The dialogue is kind of cheesy, and there are some facts, conversations, details, and phrases that are repeated several times throughout the book. This really bothered and annoyed me. I hated getting caught up on these things when I wanted to focus on the story, but it might just be that I am a writer, and I can no longer read JUST as a reader but ALSO as a writer.
But, I kept reading, because I hadn't yet seen any Vampires.
As I waited for the Vampires to show themselves and stop hiding in the trees and breaking things, I got very annoyed with the brother. Her twin brother was really childish and annoying. Then he would suddenly jump into "man-mode" and act like he was the one in charge and knew what he was doing.
The mother also got on my nerves a bit. She was a very bad example to her kids. I know she'd been through a lot and she was the main reason they moved, but it didn't make me feel any worse for her. She made some bad choices in the book and jumped right into decisions and relationships without much thought. No wonder her son, Nathan, had problems with his girlfriend back home (though he decided he was through with her after a mere half a car ride and didn't seem to care about dumping her), and hit on every girl in Shore Lake. And no wonder Nikki fell for a guy she had just met and was "jumping his bones", as the book said, having barely met him. Later, the mom says something about wanting to "jump someone's bones." I now hate that expression.
Yes, I have a slight issue with the morals in this book.
The one character I did like, that felt almost real to me, and I wanted to learn more about was Duncan, a boy she meets in town who helps her and her brother figure out what's going on in Shore Lake.
And the entire book was filled with Nikki and Nathan doing things that were very boring and dumb. Nikki slept a lot, took showers/baths a lot, and kind of just went with the flow of whatever her brother wanted to do. It was boring.
But I kept reading.
The Vampires showed themselves. They were fairly cheesy and predictable.
There's some naughty stuff in there, too, let me warn you. It's not super heavy, just two or three scenes that I wouldn't want anyone under 14 to read. Maybe not even 16. But, that's just me. And some kissing. The kissing was fine.
In the end, I was glad I read the book, because I learned a few WHAT NOT TO DO things. Of course, it wasn't all bad. It got better in the middle, and the end was okay. I will not be looking for the second installment, though.
I rated it a three because it was okay, but I didn't really like it, nor would I recommend it to anyone looking for an enjoyable read.
January 14, 2015
First off, the book starts off with the mom being raped by her ex-husband, who is a cop. Three months later, they move to Montana to get a fresh start on life, and she immediately flirts with the first guy who talks to her… WHO IS ALSO A COP. Like, what. I could maybe see her going for him if her ex-husband HADN’T BEEN A COP AS WELL so that she could say, “Oh, he’s a cop, I feel comfortable with him” but no, it’s just terrible. Also, the whole raped and abused by her ex-husband thing doesn’t come up again. The author should have picked something different that made them move. Like literally anything.
Nathan (MC’s twin brother) has a girlfriend back home and complains about leaving her then immediately flirts with everything.
Everything SCREAMS vampires. Like they roll up into town and some pretty girl says “Oh, there’s plenty of things to do here after dark, DUN DUN DUN.” Foreshadowing? You’re doing it wrong.
Nikki (the MC) falls in love with Duncan in like two days. Which the author almost handled it well, but she ended up screwing it up. You can fall in love with someone in two days, but not like that. It was poorly written.
Nikki ends up falling in love with Ethan FOR NO REASON. OH MY FUCKING GOD I WANTED TO KILL THE AUTHOR. Like, at first, it as good. “I feel these things for him because he’s using vampire powers, but it’s against my will and I don’t want it.” Like, that’s good. Realistic vampire-ness. She recognizes that they’re predators. BUT THEN SHE JUST MAKES OUT WITH HIM WILLINGLY AND SUGGESTS THAT HE FEED FROM HER AND IT’S ALL JUST SO STUPID. It’s the worst love triangle since Twilight. Actually, Twilight was better. I repeat: TWILIGHT WAS BETTER.
Other things I hated:
The pointless cliffhanger.
“Miranda.”
How no one seemed upset at all the dead girls.
How pointless the plot was.
It COULD have worked, but it didn’t. If the author hadn’t tried writing a series just to milk readers for their money, it could have been they moved, it’s a vampire town, Ethan and the Miranda thing was fully explained, the deaths were like actually explained and investigated, and the killer Dad thing was either cut or handled realistically and made relevant, then it could have worked out even with the bad writing, but this was just one problem after another.
Nathan (MC’s twin brother) has a girlfriend back home and complains about leaving her then immediately flirts with everything.
Everything SCREAMS vampires. Like they roll up into town and some pretty girl says “Oh, there’s plenty of things to do here after dark, DUN DUN DUN.” Foreshadowing? You’re doing it wrong.
Nikki (the MC) falls in love with Duncan in like two days. Which the author almost handled it well, but she ended up screwing it up. You can fall in love with someone in two days, but not like that. It was poorly written.
Nikki ends up falling in love with Ethan FOR NO REASON. OH MY FUCKING GOD I WANTED TO KILL THE AUTHOR. Like, at first, it as good. “I feel these things for him because he’s using vampire powers, but it’s against my will and I don’t want it.” Like, that’s good. Realistic vampire-ness. She recognizes that they’re predators. BUT THEN SHE JUST MAKES OUT WITH HIM WILLINGLY AND SUGGESTS THAT HE FEED FROM HER AND IT’S ALL JUST SO STUPID. It’s the worst love triangle since Twilight. Actually, Twilight was better. I repeat: TWILIGHT WAS BETTER.
Other things I hated:
The pointless cliffhanger.
“Miranda.”
How no one seemed upset at all the dead girls.
How pointless the plot was.
It COULD have worked, but it didn’t. If the author hadn’t tried writing a series just to milk readers for their money, it could have been they moved, it’s a vampire town, Ethan and the Miranda thing was fully explained, the deaths were like actually explained and investigated, and the killer Dad thing was either cut or handled realistically and made relevant, then it could have worked out even with the bad writing, but this was just one problem after another.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 19, 2015
I read a lot of reviews before starting Blur and I have to say there was a lot of negativity which at first put me off but i had downloaded it as a free eBook so still wanted to give it a go.
I am still in two minds about it, it started off well, i like that there is a lot of detail about what the characters are doing and the environment because for me it sets the seen. But the relationships between the characters is so so, i feel the mum who at first seemed to have been through quite an ordeal seemed very up beat and happy through most of the book which i thought was strange but was never sure if it was for her kids sake or some kind of vampire thing. She is also more of a friendly figure to her kids then what you would assume a mother would be.
The main character Nikki was also quite flighty in her actions to different characters. Her hormones for a teenager were dangerously over exaggerated and for some one of a virgin virtue a lot of things didn't pan out.
However this all said i did want to Finnish it till the end, some parts were very cheesy and even though people had been dying through out the book it felt more comical then sad or frightening so it had more of a teenage slasher movie made funny theme throughout. it can be summed up as very predictable in places also.
I'm not sure if i will read the second one although if i did it would be because there are a lot of unanswered questions that i would like to see resolved and maybe some more character development. this is a fast read however and free.
November 11, 2013
Anne Gerard is brutally attacked and raped by her ex-husband who escapes capture by the police. Her boss Ernie is a lovely old man who's very supportive and helps her with a new job and accommodation somewhere she can feel safe. So Anne with her twins Nathan and Nikki set off for a new life in Montana. Anne is instantly attracted to the sheriff Caleb and the place they're staying in is unbelievable but Nikki feels like she's being watched, she sees a face at the upstairs window and they find a dead body on their first night. This is just the start, weird things keep happening, things are not what they seem and what are those bites on their mothers neck, why is she sleeping all the time and wearing dark glasses.
This was a really enjoyable read although as other reviewers have pointed out its a taster for the next one, I've just downloaded the sample so hopefully this will be the start of a great new series?
This was a really enjoyable read although as other reviewers have pointed out its a taster for the next one, I've just downloaded the sample so hopefully this will be the start of a great new series?
May 4, 2016
Blur is an exciting read from start to finish. The story begins with Nikki and her twin brother Nathan moving out of state due to their mother’s new job. But it’s more than that, their father went psycho on their mother and she’s running so to speak. Hoping to find a safe place for the family to live that he hopefully won’t track them too.
Nikki’s a pretty average teen who shortly after moving to Shore Lake meets a cute boy she crushes over. In a very short time she gets a job and meets Ethan, a vampire or Night Roamer. Instantly she finds herself under his spell and deeply attracted to him. She struggles with this yet is under his spell.
As a vampire book lover I enjoyed the story and may listen/read again in the future but I didn’t find it unique enough to go completely wild over. But it is an entertaining story that I recommend for any paranormal book lover.
Nikki’s a pretty average teen who shortly after moving to Shore Lake meets a cute boy she crushes over. In a very short time she gets a job and meets Ethan, a vampire or Night Roamer. Instantly she finds herself under his spell and deeply attracted to him. She struggles with this yet is under his spell.
As a vampire book lover I enjoyed the story and may listen/read again in the future but I didn’t find it unique enough to go completely wild over. But it is an entertaining story that I recommend for any paranormal book lover.
August 15, 2017
I am unsure how I feel exactly about this book. I enjoyed the story line, though, a couple of times I was reminded of Twilight. I also felt like there was a lot of time devoted to descriptive details and excessive talking that had nothing to do with the actual story and not enough time on developing the story completely. It was like there was plenty of details, just not in the right areas. The only thing is if you ask what exactly needed more details, I can't tell you. It just felt like there was something missing to the meat of the story. It ends on a cliffhanger, so if you are like me and can't always immediately get the next book, you may not ever know the ending as there is a chance you may just forget about this series. I recommend this book if you enjoy paranormal romance novels and need a book to read in between books.
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