The Taste of Blood: ReVAMPed Edition

by Jon Athan

After an encounter with her nineteen-year-old boyfriend at an underground party, Genesis Hudson—a naive thirteen-year-old girl—believes she has become a vampire. A thirst for human blood quickly manifests within her, intensifying with each passing day. She feels sick without it, nauseated and starved. Aubrey Horne, Genesis’ best friend, knows she is mentally unwell, but she needs time to find a way to save her from herself. So, with an abundance of reluctance, she agrees to help her find blood.

But during their search, she discovers a side of Genesis she had never seen before...

How far can two girls go to find blood? Can Aubrey save Genesis before it’s too late? Or has Genesis really become a vampire?

Jon Athan, the author of Our Dead Author’s Enhanced Edition and Are Your Parents Home?, presents a tense, disturbing coming-of-age novel about friendship, obsession, and identity.

This 2026 ReVAMPed Edition has been re-written, re-edited, and extended. It is the definitive ‘The Taste of Blood’ experience.

This novel contains graphic content. Reader discretion is advised.

176 pages, Kindle Edition

Expected publication February 26, 2026

Reviews

[Becki 🤎 · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Taste Of Blood 🩸: REVAMPED edition, out 26th Feb

So firstly I am absolutely privileged to be part of Athan’s street team, he is one of my ultimate favs & to get sent his books to read & review is honestly a dream come true for me! Secondly, he never ever fails, this one had me HOOKED!!

Genesis isn’t like other children in school, at the age of 13 she only has one friend Aubrey & only has one ambition…that is to be a vampire!

When she meets Bryce she thinks she’s hit the jackpot, he agrees to turn her into a vampire as long as she gives him her virginity in return. (Bryce is a pos dirt bag that I was hoping would get brutally crushed at some point) 😤

It’s not long before Genesis truly believes she is a vampire, she needs human blood but is struggling on how to get it. She turns to Aubrey for help, if they can just get her enough blood to see her over she will never ask for anything else.

But when is enough, enough? Aubrey can see how bad Genesis’s mental health must be but how can she stop her?

👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼 another unreal read!! I’m not always into vampire stories but this had me in a chokehold, I read it in 2 sittings by the pool & was totally focused, dnd mode on!

I was so torn with Genesis in this! She is clearly struggling with her mental health & at only 13 she’s sucked into the delusions BUT the lengths she went to & the way she treat poor Aubrey had me wanting to shake her so bad!

And the ending! I was like 😱 flipping the page back & forth for more! Whyyyy!! Honestly it was incredible! If you have read this before then it’s definitely time for a re-read with the revamped edition.

Releasing 26th Feb, check those triggers! Thank you again Jonny for allowing me to be part of this 🤎

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

[renee w · Rating 5 out of 5]

“I’M A VAMPIRE “

Meet Genesis a young 13 year old naïve girl who is consistently bullied at school and trying to find her place to fit in. When she meets a 19-year-old college student online….She quickly decides to meet up with him at a private party when all is said and done, he has convinced Genesis that she is now a vampire. And Genesis is HUNGRY !
Aubrey is Genesis’s best and only friend and she is going to help Genesis feed, but at what cost ?

I have read so many novels from Athan and I have to say that this somehow has managed to jump up into my top book from him . This book scared the hell out of me as most of his stories do because this one I could truly see happening. Check your triggers. This one is not for everyone.

[Rachel M · Rating 5 out of 5]

Normally I’m a bit apprehensive about vampire stories, I find they are either really good or a bit boring. This one however is a really good one! If there’s one thing Jon Athan can do it’s pull you into the story and make it 100% believable! This one’s got it all, vampires, love, predators, friendships, bullies and whole load of gore!

[McKenzie McCollin · Rating 5 out of 5]

I got this book in exchange for my honest review
I SCREAMED 🤯 Jon Athan you absolute madman Thirteen-year-old Genesis falls for Bryce a nineteen-year-old “vampire” who lies and lies and convinces her that drinking his blood will make her one of him she falls she drags her terrified best friend Aubrey into a nightmare darker grosser more chaotic and insane every page punches you in the gut then again and again Jon’s writing is so vivid you can smell the blood taste the panic feel the terror crawling under your skin.. I am SCREAMING I am SHOOK I can’t breathe I can’t stop reading it it’s horrifying brilliant everything 5/5 stars no debate mark your calendar 2/26/26 clear your schedule prepare to have your mind heart soul shredded and feel like you just expirenced a fever dream.

[Jamie Young · Rating 5 out of 5]

Admittedly, I don’t always love vampire books but this took things to an entirely different vampire vibe. As usual, Athan takes a taboo subject (someone obsessed with being a vampire, though that it affects their mental health) and turns it into a delicious and brutal story.

13 year old Genesis has somehow gotten involved with an older grooming POS dude, Bryce. In order to string A CHILD along he uses different lies and manipulations and naive Genesis now thinks she is a vampire and has a worsening and sickening desire for human blood.

Genesis has a best friend, Aubrey. Sweet and loyal and often bullied Aubrey. Genesis confides in her about her new vampirism and although Aubrey is incredibly concerned, she wants to try and be there for Genesis and doesn’t really think her taste for blood will go too far.

Aubrey is so, so wrong. Genesis is convinced she needs blood and is on a downward spiral, she’s getting desperate and her mental health is taking a turn for the worse. How far will Aubrey go to help Genesis? And if she stops helping her, how does she know she will be safe? Things. Get. Messy.

I highly enjoyed this book although parts of it were just maddening! Genesis is such a little asshole but she’s also 13 so I want to believe she is just troubled. But let’s just say any sympathy I had for her dissolves as the story progresses. Aubrey is sweet as pie and anyone would be lucky to have her friendship, unfortunately when it’s a demented wannabe bloodsucker, Aubrey is not going to get the same love back she gives out. Mild spoiler coming in this next like but I sure would have loved for Bryce to have a significantly violent ending. Also, the tampon! Really??!! I gagged. Thanks, Jon. 🤭 And lastly, the very last paragraph and line of the book.. didn’t see that coming!! Loved it!

Thank you to Jon Athan and Carrie for letting me be part of the Street Team. Every time I receive an ARC, I squeal in excitement and feel so honored to be a part of the group. I received this ARC for free in exchange for an honest review. Hope you all sink your teeth in this ReVAMPed edition! Happy reading! 📖🩸

[Carrie Shields · Rating 5 out of 5]

"𝑴𝒐𝒎, 𝒉𝒆𝒍𝒑 𝒎𝒆! 𝑷𝒍𝒆𝒂𝒔𝒆! 𝑰'𝒎 𝒉𝒆𝒓𝒆...𝑰 𝒏𝒆𝒆𝒅 𝒚𝒐𝒖. 𝑷𝒍𝒆𝒂𝒔𝒆, 𝑴𝒐𝒎."
𝑯𝒆𝒓 𝒃𝒓𝒐𝒌𝒆𝒏, 𝒓𝒂𝒔𝒑𝒚 𝒗𝒐𝒊𝒄𝒆 𝒓𝒆𝒗𝒆𝒓𝒃𝒆𝒓𝒂𝒕𝒆𝒅 𝒕𝒉𝒓𝒐𝒖𝒈𝒉 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒘𝒐𝒐𝒅𝒔, 𝒃𝒖𝒕 𝒏𝒐 𝒐𝒏𝒆 𝒄𝒂𝒎𝒆 𝒕𝒐 𝒉𝒆𝒓 𝒓𝒆𝒔𝒄𝒖𝒆. 𝑳𝒊𝒌𝒆 𝒔𝒐 𝒎𝒂𝒏𝒚 𝒕𝒊𝒎𝒆𝒔 𝒃𝒆𝒇𝒐𝒓𝒆, 𝒔𝒉𝒆 𝒘𝒂𝒔 𝒂𝒃𝒂𝒏𝒅𝒐𝒏𝒆𝒅 𝒃𝒚 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒘𝒐𝒓𝒍𝒅.

An earlier release that I missed, it's now been 'revamped' with a fresh edit and some bonus scenes. This, in many ways, was a stark departure from his other work. While the same brutality is still there, there was a haunting destruction of innocence in this one that lingered long after the story was done.

Genesis Hudson is a naive thirteen-year-old girl who believes she has become a vampire after an encounter with her nineteen-year-old boyfriend at an underground party. She deludes herself into feeling a thirst for human blood manifesting within her that grows more intense with each passing day. She shuns food, claiming she feels sick without what she really needs, which is blood. Aubrey Horne, Genesis’ best friend, knows her friend is mentally unwell, but she is desperate to help her. Reluctantly, she agrees to help her find blood. It will be the worst mistake of her young life.

What set this novel apart for me is not just its brutality, but the way the author anchors that brutality in raw, uncomfortable humanity. The story moves with a grim inevitability that makes it impossible to look away. The pacing is razor-tight, his atmosphere claustrophobic, yet beneath all of that, there’s a surprising emotional resonance. I think the horror hits so hard because it comes from visceral fear. We've all seen the true crime stories of how vicious young teens can be, and I couldn't help but think of young Shanda Sharer. If you're not familiar with her story, look her up.

Even though you'll want to look away at times, the tension builds steadily and the payoff lands with devastating force, all without ever feeling gratuitous for its own sake. This is a story that will wound your psyche and stay with you long after the final chapter. Many thanks to the author for the early copy. This new edition will publish February 26, 2026.

[Milt Theo · Rating 3 out of 5]

Although "The Taste of Blood" has never been among my favorite Jon Athan books (and it still isn't), the "ReVAMPed Edition" worked wonders on the original, deepening the characterization and enhancing the violent scenes. However, I still feel the book is trying to do too much at the same time, and the plot often lost focus for me.The story has huge potential: a 13-year-old girl believes she's a vampire and starts acting like it, at the same time going through life in school, where she's bullied, and being neglected at home by her caring but far too self-centered parents. So we already have the themes of bullying, parent neglect, and deeply disturbing mental issues.

The book gets even more complicated though by throwing in a groomer, a child predator whose idea of luring children is vampirism; and there's also the girl's best friend, who soon becomes a main character herself - morally conflicted and smart enough to know what's happening but a total mess as far as taking action is concerned. The plot spins several ways at once, trying to resolve the tension between the two girls, coming up with several cringe-worthy situations, absurd scenes, and an explosive ending - with a punchline epilogue I found a bit forced and didn't really like.

The book's strength lies in the uncompromising, unapologetic and totally bleak way in which it deals with its (many) premises: you get inventive and detailed killings, plenty of revolting brutality, and truly chilling depictions of mental decline.

[Sierra Waff · Rating 5 out of 5]

At the center of this novel is a young girl who becomes convinced she is a vampire, a belief that slowly bleeds into every part of her life. What makes this disturbing isn’t just the violence or the bloodshed, but how convincingly her psychological unraveling is portrayed. Her world is already hostile, shaped by bullying and neglectful parents. That isolation becomes fertile ground for delusion, manipulation, and escalating harm.

As the story expands, it introduces multiple threads that complicate the narrative. There’s a predatory adult who uses vampirism as a tool to groom and control, and a the girls BFF who sees enough of the truth to be terrified, yet lacks the strength or clarity to intervene. These competing perspectives create constant tension, even when the plot feels deliberately chaotic. At times, it almost feels like the book is daring the reader to keep up as it barrels toward its conclusion.

This edition leans hard into Athan’s strengths. The violence is graphic and inventive, but it always serves a larger purpose. The real horror comes from watching moral boundaries collapse and mental health deteriorate in slow, irreversible ways. Even when scenes become uncomfortable or extreme, they feel intentional rather than gratuitous.

While it may not be the most brutal entry in Athan’s catalog, it’s one of his most emotionally bleak. The Taste of Blood: ReVAMPed Edition is a dark, unsettling read that brings something twisted and psychologically heavy to vampire fiction.

[A5hley Clarke · Rating 5 out of 5]

A vampire novel unlike anything you’ve ever read before

Jon Athan has done it again revising what was already a great book and I’m all for the changes made having an opposing dynamic really works well between Genesis (our vampire) and her best friend Aubrey,

We start the story at a party and unfortunately a very realistic abuse of power and predatory behaviour is displayed I really think Jon always is able to tap in to the psyche of the observer really well and shares a voice of what people think.

After these events Bryce convinces Genesis she’s a vampire and the hunt for blood is on

Now I don’t like to give away spoilers but what I can say is the ways of acquiring blood range in grossness this book is not for the average horror fan it is as Jon says Extreme(lite) it’s palatable it’s not as dark or gruesome as his other books it’s an entry level into splatterpunk but honestly if this was my first foray into the genre I would be very happy to read more.

Jon really knows how to tell a story and that is honestly what keeps me coming back for more yes the content is disturbing on occasion but everything about this story is quite believable you can imagine something like this happening and the ending was shocking what a revelation get a copy to read as soon as you can you won’t be disappointed

I received an ARC of this book from the Author but my thoughts and opinions are my own

[Nicole Rubbo · Rating 5 out of 5]

I just finished this incredible arc from Jonny Athan

Lured to a college party by a manipulative nineteen-year-old, thirteen-year-old Genesis is drawn to Bryce—a predatory boy who preys on her loneliness and curiosity. Spinning an elaborate lie, he convinces her that he is a vampire, claiming that by “sharing blood” and being “intimate” with him, he can transform her into one too.

Naïve, eager to belong, and too young to understand the danger she’s in, Genesis believes him.

When she returns to school, she confides in her best friend, Aubrey, insisting that she has begun to change—physically, mentally, and hungering for things she doesn’t understand. Convinced she now needs human blood to survive, Genesis spirals into a disturbing, delusional state.

Aubrey, terrified and desperate to help her friend, tries to keep Genesis grounded while also attempting to supply what Genesis thinks she needs—an impossible task that drags both girls into increasingly grim and chaotic territory.

This coming-of-age horror story doesn’t flinch from its gore or the emotional brutality of growing up too fast under the weight of trauma and manipulation.

[Danielle Hennessy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh I loved this book so so much. Do much so that I read it in about 2 hours! I love a good vampire book anyway so was looking forward to this one which is a vampire book with a twist.

The characters had great depth to them to the point that Genesis genuinely scared me and I felt pure pity and fear on poor Aubrey's behalf. Was she stupidly naive? Yes, but I didnt want her to go to prison for it.

I appreciated that Jon showed so clearly what a piece of predatorial scum Bryce was without being too heavy on the details. As for the gore in the book - the perfect amount of gore without making it all about the gore. This book relied on its narrative to keep it going which I loved and which was done very well!

I figured that Genesis was just a deluded girl but towards the end, a part of me was starting to wonder if she was maybe a vampire afyer all because of Aubrey's symptoms... until that last line!

[Terry Miller · Rating 5 out of 5]

I just finished an ARC of Jon Athan's re-release of The Taste of Blood. It's a story of two best-friends whose relationship grows increasingly strained after one of them believes she has been turned into a vampire. Genesis convinces Aubrey to help her get blood through various means. One thing leads to another and soon Aubrey finds herself an assessory to murder. As Genesis' behavior becomes more unhinged, Aubrey becomes less and less comfortable around her. It's obvious Genesis is growing more unstable by the day. One day, after a field trip, and after several days of missed school by Genesis, Aubrey fears for her family after she calls each of them but no one answers. What follows is a tragedy. But all her family survives, as does Aubrey. But, there's some bad news. Heartbreaking news that will change her family's lives forever.

[A.M. · Rating 5 out of 5]

We meet Genesis a young 13-year-old shy and naive girl who gets bullied a lot at school and doesn't have much friends. As many teenagers her age, she decides to find friends online and well stumbles on this 19-year-old college freshman name Bryce. She quickly decides to meet him in person at an underground party that will forever changer her life. After meeting Bryce (her now boyfriend), he was able to convinced her that she was a vampire. From there, the story gets brutal...

For me, this book is the right one for someone who wants to dipped their toes into extreme/splatterpunk horror. Don't get me wrong, Jon still packs a punch with brutality and grossness but at a lesser extreme (or I've become desensitized from all the extreme plots I read). This is not your average vampire story but definitely worth a read and must have in your collection.

[Emily Fleming · Rating 5 out of 5]

A dark and different take on a vampire story. Vampires aren’t usually my favorite trope, but this one was extremely unique and well done.

It’s not as brutal as Athan’s other books, but it’s still very disturbing. The story follows a teenage girl with declining mental health who meets a predator online. Her school friend wants to try and help her but things go downhill fast. It’s grim, emotional, and heavy throughout. I felt sympathy for Genesis even when she made terrible choices.

If Athan’s books feel too extreme for you but you’re interested in getting into the extreme/splatterpunk genre, this is a good place to start!

[Lauren · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is one of those books that makes you stop and think. Just how far would someone go that’s made to believe something they’re told online. What they’re told when they meetup with said online person. We essentially read the unraveling of a young teenage girl as she creates a nightmare around her. But to her, it’s all real. This book was full of Jon Athan horror, gore, jaw dropping scenes, you name it. This is definitely a must read.

[Ashley Hana · Rating 5 out of 5]

The best vampire book I've read! I'm such a sucker for books with absolutely delusion characters, and holy shit did this book deliver! Less heavy on the gore, it focuses more on the the sick mind of Genesis: kind of an extreme thriller. But don't worry! Though less gorey, I still ended up gagging like crazy from one scene lmaoooo.

[Tara Losacano · Rating 5 out of 5]

Well holy shit 😳 This is definitely one of Athan's darker, bleaker reads. He lures you in with sympathy for our MC, only to gradually escalate her depravity until we're caught in a whirlwind of insanity, violence, and yes, plenty of blood🩸The ending hits particularly hard too. This is the revamped version and an easy 5/5 skull read for me ☠️ Athan ALWAYS delivers!!

[Aiden Messer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Impressively creepy! This book is a terrifying deep dive into the psychology of a disturbed teen

[Christopher Dahman · Rating 5 out of 5]

I just finished the reVAMPed ARC of The Taste of Blood and it was fantastic. I’m a big fan of vampire stories, and knowing Athan’s usual style, I was really curious to see how he’d handle this one.

The pacing is quick, the characters feel believable (even when they’re completely delusional), and the premise brings something fresh to the vampire genre. I’ve read seven or eight of Athan’s other books, and while this one might be a little tamer compared to his usual extremes, it still packs that over-the-top punch he’s known for.

The ending is dark, bleak, and exactly the kind of finish I was hoping for. Overall, a gripping and original story that I’d definitely recommend.