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Almost Human #1
What We'll Do for Blood
**Previously titled The Road to Hell**
467 pages, Paperback
First published October 21, 2015
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Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews
October 13, 2016
Scott Whitney just wants to survive his final exams and finish up his senior year of high school. He has a great girlfriend, but dreams of getting away from his status-conscious family and going to college. He doesn’t fit into his family’s perfect little lives, although that doesn’t stop Scott from trying.
While celebrating his father’s promotion, Scott meets Maria, his father’s gorgeous co-worker. Soon, Maria is at the house all the time, helping his father, bonding with his mother, and setting Scott’s teeth on edge. Then one night, Scott finds Maria drinking his father’s blood, and he realizes he has no idea what’s going on. Scott is determined to save his father, despite Maria’s efforts to keep him quiet. Family has always been important to Scott, but now “blood” takes on a whole new meaning.
"What We’ll Do for Blood" is set in 1989, so there’s no cell phones to call for help, and no internet to scour for information. This is a very diverse book, not the typical YA vampire fare, and Scott is an out-of-the-ordinary hero. This book is less Twilight, and more Interview with the Vampire, not bothering to romanticize vampires and instead putting a great character front and center.
(I was contacted by the author to do an impartial review of this novel.)
September 14, 2016
Let me preface this review by saying that I think someone who is looking for a more adult vampire story minus the hyper sexualization that's found in many adult vampire urban fantasies would like this a lot. Unfortunately, I was not a fan and DNF'd this at 30% or so.
What We'll Do For Blood features a diverse cast of characters of many ethnic groups and social classes. There's a strongly defined line between the upper suburban and those who are more middle class. The world is thoroughly outlined, though occasionally I questioned the time period.
Read more here:
https://youngadultbookmadness.wordpre...
What We'll Do For Blood features a diverse cast of characters of many ethnic groups and social classes. There's a strongly defined line between the upper suburban and those who are more middle class. The world is thoroughly outlined, though occasionally I questioned the time period.
Read more here:
https://youngadultbookmadness.wordpre...
December 12, 2016
Survival of the Brave
First of all a huge thanks to the author for providing me with a copy of the book and allowing me to enjoy her work and share my views on the same
What we'll do for blood is in true sense a story about survival of the brave with the characters trying to fight it out with a supernatural power that is beyond them. The book captures this helpless and fight in its true colour and makes for an interesting read. One of the things that you will notice is the strength and the amount of weightage each of them enjoys through the book.
Its like a view of an all american urban home gathered around the dining table and enjoying family time when suddenly everything goes upside down. The picture of the family is very vivid and clearly painted in the book and i love how each character is well defined and well framed in their descriptions. its like they are very real and living it out in front of you.
The only trouble is that the pace can be a bit monotone. It moves in a straight line but the events and the story in general will make for an amazing read. For vampire lovers the book would be a different treat.
First of all a huge thanks to the author for providing me with a copy of the book and allowing me to enjoy her work and share my views on the same
What we'll do for blood is in true sense a story about survival of the brave with the characters trying to fight it out with a supernatural power that is beyond them. The book captures this helpless and fight in its true colour and makes for an interesting read. One of the things that you will notice is the strength and the amount of weightage each of them enjoys through the book.
Its like a view of an all american urban home gathered around the dining table and enjoying family time when suddenly everything goes upside down. The picture of the family is very vivid and clearly painted in the book and i love how each character is well defined and well framed in their descriptions. its like they are very real and living it out in front of you.
The only trouble is that the pace can be a bit monotone. It moves in a straight line but the events and the story in general will make for an amazing read. For vampire lovers the book would be a different treat.
October 17, 2021
this was a great start to a vampire series, the characters were well done and I enjoyed the story that was going on. It was a great start and I enjoyed reading this.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
September 10, 2016
Reviewed at my blog: Babbling Books
First off I want to thank the author for contacting me and asking me if I would review this book for her. I always appreciate the opportunity to review an author's work personally so I am grateful to receive the chance to do so.
Secondly I would like to say that while in this particular instance this book did not WOW me per-se, I know there are many people out there that would likely love this book so I'm going to highlight some of the really great things about it.
The diversity for one. Most of the main characters in this book are African-American (if I'm understanding the narrative correctly) and the setting is actually right before 1990 so I was enjoying reading something from a little different perspective. Now, there are no plots in the book involving race or anything but I know a lot of readers are looking for "diverse" books that have characters that aren't exclusively white and so I think this would definitely be a good choice. Another interesting note is that the titular character, Scott, is described as being somewhat pudgy even though his girlfriend is obviously attractive, which is not a narrative I've seen used very often. I commend the author for being willing to write a-typical characters and to write them well.
I also liked that there was only one main arc for this first book so that it didn't feel too overly cluttered or bogged down with multiple plot threads or character arcs to follow. It was nice only having to really follow Scott and how he kept getting more and more isolated from everyone as his panic over Maria grew. And tied in with that was the great pacing that made the book such a fast read for me and kept me on the edge of my toes wondering how everything was going to end up for the characters.
My only complaints that dropped the rating down to three were that the language was a bit too crude for my taste and there were some fairly violent moments in the book that I felt bordered on grotesque. I'm someone who gets mental pictures when I read and so when the scenes become more disturbing it's hard for me to enjoy the book. It definitely upped the feeling of the book as a paranormal/thriller though.
Overall this was an easy, fast paced read that was fun to sit down and enjoy. I was excited to see some more intricate characters and an older setting as well and I am intrigued as to where the author will go with the next book in the series.
*A very big thank you to Ms. Mannarino for generously allowing me the opportunity to read and review her book! I would recommend everyone to go and take a look at her website.Just click the text here to take a look and thank you all for reading!
First off I want to thank the author for contacting me and asking me if I would review this book for her. I always appreciate the opportunity to review an author's work personally so I am grateful to receive the chance to do so.
Secondly I would like to say that while in this particular instance this book did not WOW me per-se, I know there are many people out there that would likely love this book so I'm going to highlight some of the really great things about it.
The diversity for one. Most of the main characters in this book are African-American (if I'm understanding the narrative correctly) and the setting is actually right before 1990 so I was enjoying reading something from a little different perspective. Now, there are no plots in the book involving race or anything but I know a lot of readers are looking for "diverse" books that have characters that aren't exclusively white and so I think this would definitely be a good choice. Another interesting note is that the titular character, Scott, is described as being somewhat pudgy even though his girlfriend is obviously attractive, which is not a narrative I've seen used very often. I commend the author for being willing to write a-typical characters and to write them well.
I also liked that there was only one main arc for this first book so that it didn't feel too overly cluttered or bogged down with multiple plot threads or character arcs to follow. It was nice only having to really follow Scott and how he kept getting more and more isolated from everyone as his panic over Maria grew. And tied in with that was the great pacing that made the book such a fast read for me and kept me on the edge of my toes wondering how everything was going to end up for the characters.
My only complaints that dropped the rating down to three were that the language was a bit too crude for my taste and there were some fairly violent moments in the book that I felt bordered on grotesque. I'm someone who gets mental pictures when I read and so when the scenes become more disturbing it's hard for me to enjoy the book. It definitely upped the feeling of the book as a paranormal/thriller though.
Overall this was an easy, fast paced read that was fun to sit down and enjoy. I was excited to see some more intricate characters and an older setting as well and I am intrigued as to where the author will go with the next book in the series.
*A very big thank you to Ms. Mannarino for generously allowing me the opportunity to read and review her book! I would recommend everyone to go and take a look at her website.Just click the text here to take a look and thank you all for reading!
November 15, 2016
This is the first book in the 'Almost Human' series by C.L, Mannarino. It is pitched as a Young Adult Paranormal novel and follows a familiar theme of vampires living among us.
There are some issues which definitely need addressing. There is considerable swearing - the 'F' word in particular - and this is not going to be to everyone's taste. At the same time there's an almost complete absence of sex bar literally a couple of seemingly incongruent moments. The two you would expect together (for older readers) or not at all (for younger).
More irritating is the number of typographical, grammar or spelling errors which litter the book (I marked up at least 20 as I went along) which means Mannarino's proofreader(s) didn't do a good job. While even the best writer/editor teams miss some slips, there shouldn't be many or it distracts the reader from engaging in the story.
Then there's the story itself. Scott Whitney is the downtrodden hapless youth who realises a vampire is stalking his family. He sets out to free them from the danger and persuade someone to believe him that a monster prowls. A standard plotline with plenty of room for twists and turns but, if I'm honest, nothing much happens. In writing a series of books, the author must of course think both of the overall story arc which will run the course of the novels but ALSO of the need to make a satisfying story for each individual book.
I didn't feel Mannarino managed to do this with 'What We'll Do For Blood'. There are times when the pace seems to flop along rather than makes us breathless and chapter endings rarely leave you on a 'page turner'. After the penultimate climax in the last few chapters we have the traditional 'calm before the storm' but in this case it's two chapters that read like a personal travel diary; there's no hint of danger or false plot leads to tantalise us. Until the climax occurs it goes nowhere at all.
In short, there are issues which Mannarino will need to sort out for the next book in the series or risk losing the audience. There IS potential for the storyline and it's not a bad novel as such - I did find one or two characters intriguing for instance. As long as swearing isn't an issue for you then this is something a young teenager trying out their first 'vampire' series could enjoy. Yes, the plot is predictable right up to the end but then that could be said of all but a small handful of YA paranormal novels and fans will not mind this I'm sure.
There are some issues which definitely need addressing. There is considerable swearing - the 'F' word in particular - and this is not going to be to everyone's taste. At the same time there's an almost complete absence of sex bar literally a couple of seemingly incongruent moments. The two you would expect together (for older readers) or not at all (for younger).
More irritating is the number of typographical, grammar or spelling errors which litter the book (I marked up at least 20 as I went along) which means Mannarino's proofreader(s) didn't do a good job. While even the best writer/editor teams miss some slips, there shouldn't be many or it distracts the reader from engaging in the story.
Then there's the story itself. Scott Whitney is the downtrodden hapless youth who realises a vampire is stalking his family. He sets out to free them from the danger and persuade someone to believe him that a monster prowls. A standard plotline with plenty of room for twists and turns but, if I'm honest, nothing much happens. In writing a series of books, the author must of course think both of the overall story arc which will run the course of the novels but ALSO of the need to make a satisfying story for each individual book.
I didn't feel Mannarino managed to do this with 'What We'll Do For Blood'. There are times when the pace seems to flop along rather than makes us breathless and chapter endings rarely leave you on a 'page turner'. After the penultimate climax in the last few chapters we have the traditional 'calm before the storm' but in this case it's two chapters that read like a personal travel diary; there's no hint of danger or false plot leads to tantalise us. Until the climax occurs it goes nowhere at all.
In short, there are issues which Mannarino will need to sort out for the next book in the series or risk losing the audience. There IS potential for the storyline and it's not a bad novel as such - I did find one or two characters intriguing for instance. As long as swearing isn't an issue for you then this is something a young teenager trying out their first 'vampire' series could enjoy. Yes, the plot is predictable right up to the end but then that could be said of all but a small handful of YA paranormal novels and fans will not mind this I'm sure.
January 30, 2017
Alrighty, it's time to share how awesome, What We'll Do For Blood by C.L. Mannarino is.
It's pretty awesome by the way. It pulls you in from the beginning and that's what's really great about this story. Right from the start you're filled with the need to know more and consistently have to get to the next page. The characters are plenty and the depth that's included with them is no shortage.
I was very satisfied with the range in this book and it made the entire story better. I love, love, variety and this book delivered. I recommend checking it out, even if you take your time to read the story. It can get a bit confusing which for me is often a good sign. It reminds me to take my time, read carefully to catch details I might miss otherwise. It has a few twists and turns that catch your attention, and some calmer moments that either trick you or give you what you need. (A moment to breathe in between all the crazy paranormal activity taking place.)
I do look forward to the future of this series to see what happens next. I'm curious to know what this incredible author has in store for us.
It's pretty awesome by the way. It pulls you in from the beginning and that's what's really great about this story. Right from the start you're filled with the need to know more and consistently have to get to the next page. The characters are plenty and the depth that's included with them is no shortage.
I was very satisfied with the range in this book and it made the entire story better. I love, love, variety and this book delivered. I recommend checking it out, even if you take your time to read the story. It can get a bit confusing which for me is often a good sign. It reminds me to take my time, read carefully to catch details I might miss otherwise. It has a few twists and turns that catch your attention, and some calmer moments that either trick you or give you what you need. (A moment to breathe in between all the crazy paranormal activity taking place.)
I do look forward to the future of this series to see what happens next. I'm curious to know what this incredible author has in store for us.
September 24, 2016
Thoroughly enjoyed it! It’s full of action and suspense. Scott has suspicions about a neighbor a colleague of his father’s. So he sets out to spy on her when his father and mother begin having problems. Creeping beneath Maria’s window he sees his father and her hot and heavy then the unthinkable happens when Maria takes a bite from his neck and drinks his blood. Scott can’t wrap his mind around it.
Overall this is a very engaging story. There was one part that through me when Scott and his sister sneak into Maria’s house to save their father. They encounter Maria but never get to the father and leave the house without him. I totally get the invincible teen thing but didn’t make sense that they forgot about their father once attacked by Maria. I waited for one of them at least to attempt getting to their father or even the remorse they felt leaving the house but it was a small plot glitch in the wonderfully written book.
The author kept me interested and reading. Absolutely recommend this book for those who love bloodsucking beasts and suspense.
Overall this is a very engaging story. There was one part that through me when Scott and his sister sneak into Maria’s house to save their father. They encounter Maria but never get to the father and leave the house without him. I totally get the invincible teen thing but didn’t make sense that they forgot about their father once attacked by Maria. I waited for one of them at least to attempt getting to their father or even the remorse they felt leaving the house but it was a small plot glitch in the wonderfully written book.
The author kept me interested and reading. Absolutely recommend this book for those who love bloodsucking beasts and suspense.
November 27, 2016
I read this book fairly quickly *as in three days* because it was a very addictive story, and you wanted to know what was going to happen next. I, however, do not enjoy vampire stories very much. I’m perfectly fine with a vampire being in a story and not having the main theme, but I just don’t like reading stories only dealing with vampires. So, I’m assuming from the synopsis and the beginning of this review you’ve realized that Maria is the vampire...
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Aubrey Joy
Read more here!
https://pointextaken.wordpress.com/20...
Aubrey Joy
February 6, 2017
What We’ll Do For Blood is a decent start as it is well-paced and well-written. While we can appreciate taking the traditional vampire route, it does have its predictable moments that do take away from it being exceptional. The extra of society ranking and community impressions and the likes add a little something extra to the story. It is an easy read and while does feature a high school main character, still will appeal to an older audience as it has some more violent descriptions but do note that this book seems to be intended for young adults (at least).
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews