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Point Horror Unleashed
Blood Sinister
Ellen Forrest is sick, she feels as if the life is being sucked out of her. The doctors think that she is suffering from a disease of the blood, and she has been sent to her grandmother's house to rest, but she seems to be getting worse, not better. Can it have anything to do with the diaries she has found in the attic? Diaries written in Victorian times by her great great grandmother. Diaries that describe an encounter with a handsome young Count who comes from the Land Beyond the Forest.
Ellen likes a vampire story, who doesn't? The difference is that this one just happens to be true…
Ellen likes a vampire story, who doesn't? The difference is that this one just happens to be true…
224 pages, Paperback
First published September 20, 1996
14 people are currently reading
1198 people want to read
About the author
Celia Rees
45 books1,135 followersCelia Rees (born 1949) is an English author of children's, YA and Adult fiction.
She was born in 1949 in Solihull, West Midlands but now lives in Leamington Spa with her husband. Rees attended University of Warwick and earned a degree in History of Politics. After university, she taught English in Coventry secondary schools for seventeen years, during which time she began to write.
Since then, she has written over twenty YA titles. Her books have been translated into 28 languages. She has been short listed for the Guardian, Whitbread (now Costa) and W.H. Smith Children’s Book Awards. She is a regular tutor for the Arvon Foundation. She has been Chair of the Children’s Writers and Illustrators Group and on the Society of Authors’ Management Committee.
Her first book for adults, Miss Graham's Cold War Cookbook, was published by HarperCollins in July, 2020.
She was born in 1949 in Solihull, West Midlands but now lives in Leamington Spa with her husband. Rees attended University of Warwick and earned a degree in History of Politics. After university, she taught English in Coventry secondary schools for seventeen years, during which time she began to write.
Since then, she has written over twenty YA titles. Her books have been translated into 28 languages. She has been short listed for the Guardian, Whitbread (now Costa) and W.H. Smith Children’s Book Awards. She is a regular tutor for the Arvon Foundation. She has been Chair of the Children’s Writers and Illustrators Group and on the Society of Authors’ Management Committee.
Her first book for adults, Miss Graham's Cold War Cookbook, was published by HarperCollins in July, 2020.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 124 reviews
January 27, 2021
I only recently found out that the 'Unleashed' offshoot of Point Horror was in fact solely British authors and a way to distinguish them from the original series American counterparts.
Though there's an argument to be had that an English Gothic tale is way scarier too...
This popular 90's series was always a gateway for young readers into the genre and the perfect way to launch these titles was with a heavily influenced vampire tale from Bram Stoker's classic Dracula.
Our main protagonist 16 year old Ellen is currently staying at her grandmother's house as the Doctor's try to discover what is causing her life threatening illness.
Feeling so weak she keeps herself busy with old diaries from her great-grandmother that she had stumbled across in the attic.
The diary entries transport the reader to Victorian London which helps add an extra layer of depth as present day Ellen is enthralled in her namesake's relationship with the enigmatic Count that she was supposed to marry
The mystery of Ella's illness and how the diary entries enables her to solve the puzzle are cleverly connected.
It's easy to see why these were deemed more darker.
Though there's an argument to be had that an English Gothic tale is way scarier too...
This popular 90's series was always a gateway for young readers into the genre and the perfect way to launch these titles was with a heavily influenced vampire tale from Bram Stoker's classic Dracula.
Our main protagonist 16 year old Ellen is currently staying at her grandmother's house as the Doctor's try to discover what is causing her life threatening illness.
Feeling so weak she keeps herself busy with old diaries from her great-grandmother that she had stumbled across in the attic.
The diary entries transport the reader to Victorian London which helps add an extra layer of depth as present day Ellen is enthralled in her namesake's relationship with the enigmatic Count that she was supposed to marry
The mystery of Ella's illness and how the diary entries enables her to solve the puzzle are cleverly connected.
It's easy to see why these were deemed more darker.
September 23, 2013
A fairly obscure mid-90s paranormal YA book. you can definitely tell that it's from another era -- this is the first vampire book I have read in a bajillion years where vampires are creepy, not sexy. here, the vampire is a surprisingly subtle metaphor for an abuser -- a being that targets the vulnerable (primarily young women), manipulates them into feeling that they did something wrong that they should remain silent about, is incredibly charming to the people who have power over potential victims (like parents or institutional caregivers), is so horrific that people prefer to remain in denial about their existence and consequently don't believe their victims, and lives at the expense of another.
As Marx knew, an interesting thing about vampires, politically speaking, is that their strength is gained by stealing the life force of another. Vampire stories allow us to talk about how people who have power over others generally don't have it through some kind of natural superiority, but through, at some point, theft, violence. As a metaphor, it lets us talk about not just injustice, but exploitation -- how oppression survives because it's to the benefit of someone. This is why sexy vampire books with hot vampire boys and swooning human girls are basically indistinguishable from every other het romance out there -- vampires and humans aren't so different from men and women, in that they're embedded in a structurally exploitative relationship. The main difference is that in a book with vampires in it, women and girls can be scared of what they might also desire without being seen as crazy.
there's also an interesting narrative thread about how doctors can abuse their power, and nurses, who have less power and more contact with patients, are more likely to be in your corner. I have beef with doctors so I'm into it.
Lost a point for a character hastily justifying her existence and appearance with "my father is Chinese but my mother is English" half a page after she's introduced -- clumsy as hell. Got a point back for what seems like a surprisingly accurate depiction of Jiangshi.
As Marx knew, an interesting thing about vampires, politically speaking, is that their strength is gained by stealing the life force of another. Vampire stories allow us to talk about how people who have power over others generally don't have it through some kind of natural superiority, but through, at some point, theft, violence. As a metaphor, it lets us talk about not just injustice, but exploitation -- how oppression survives because it's to the benefit of someone. This is why sexy vampire books with hot vampire boys and swooning human girls are basically indistinguishable from every other het romance out there -- vampires and humans aren't so different from men and women, in that they're embedded in a structurally exploitative relationship. The main difference is that in a book with vampires in it, women and girls can be scared of what they might also desire without being seen as crazy.
there's also an interesting narrative thread about how doctors can abuse their power, and nurses, who have less power and more contact with patients, are more likely to be in your corner. I have beef with doctors so I'm into it.
Lost a point for a character hastily justifying her existence and appearance with "my father is Chinese but my mother is English" half a page after she's introduced -- clumsy as hell. Got a point back for what seems like a surprisingly accurate depiction of Jiangshi.
November 24, 2009
This is a teen novel about a young modern day girl named Ellen suffering from a rare, undiagnosed blood disease. She discovers several diaries and delves into them with enthusiasm. The writer is an ancestor and very much like Ellen herself only living in historical times. They even share the name Ellen. Confused yet?
The book then goes back and forth between the past Ellen and the present Ellen's life which are similar in many ways. The past Ellen, at the request of her father, is pretty much forced to spend time with an ailing visiting Count. As time goes on it's pretty clear that the Count is a vampire. The more the present Ellen reads the more deeply enmeshed in the past Ellen's life she becomes. So much so that oftentimes it is unclear exactly which Ellen we are reading about. Either way both of them are in danger from the evil, old fashioned style vampires. While I found it refreshing that the vampires were sinister and weren't the glammed up sexy versions we so often find these days the story just didn't work for me.
This book had a good start and was very interesting but lost me about 2/3's of the way in because I was hopelessly confused about events. Which Ellen was which? Why was present Ellen experiencing things that the past Ellen did? Was I just confused? I have no idea. I continued to the end in somewhat of a reading fog and didn't comprehend many of the plot twists. Ah well, can't win 'em all.
The book then goes back and forth between the past Ellen and the present Ellen's life which are similar in many ways. The past Ellen, at the request of her father, is pretty much forced to spend time with an ailing visiting Count. As time goes on it's pretty clear that the Count is a vampire. The more the present Ellen reads the more deeply enmeshed in the past Ellen's life she becomes. So much so that oftentimes it is unclear exactly which Ellen we are reading about. Either way both of them are in danger from the evil, old fashioned style vampires. While I found it refreshing that the vampires were sinister and weren't the glammed up sexy versions we so often find these days the story just didn't work for me.
This book had a good start and was very interesting but lost me about 2/3's of the way in because I was hopelessly confused about events. Which Ellen was which? Why was present Ellen experiencing things that the past Ellen did? Was I just confused? I have no idea. I continued to the end in somewhat of a reading fog and didn't comprehend many of the plot twists. Ah well, can't win 'em all.
April 8, 2012
Sabrina Smith
Horror
Ellen is very sick. When she stays with her grandmother to be closer to the specialist treating her, she discovers the diaries of her great-great-grandmother in the attic. The diaries were written by her great-great-grandmother when she was about the same age, and tell the story of a mysterious man and his sister who became involved in her life. Ellen begins to think the man was a vampire, and things get stranger still when she begins to vividly dream what happens next before she reads it, and odd things are happening in her own life as well.
A classic vampire tale, the book is full of gothic atmosphere, suspense, and a touch of sensuality around the vampires. The diary entries are clearly different from the present, but when Ellen begins living the story in her dreams it becomes a little less clear. If that does not deter readers, they will be rewarded as the suspense grows to the somewhat predictable but exciting conclusion. Teens into scary vampire stories will devour it.
Horror
Ellen is very sick. When she stays with her grandmother to be closer to the specialist treating her, she discovers the diaries of her great-great-grandmother in the attic. The diaries were written by her great-great-grandmother when she was about the same age, and tell the story of a mysterious man and his sister who became involved in her life. Ellen begins to think the man was a vampire, and things get stranger still when she begins to vividly dream what happens next before she reads it, and odd things are happening in her own life as well.
A classic vampire tale, the book is full of gothic atmosphere, suspense, and a touch of sensuality around the vampires. The diary entries are clearly different from the present, but when Ellen begins living the story in her dreams it becomes a little less clear. If that does not deter readers, they will be rewarded as the suspense grows to the somewhat predictable but exciting conclusion. Teens into scary vampire stories will devour it.
April 21, 2009
Celia Rees is quite well-know over here in Ireland and the UK; I'm not sure how popular she is in the US, though she deserves to be! This is a very well-written take on vampires, similar to the Dracula myth but not. Ellen is smart and sensible, a good heroine. While I wasn't entirely convinced at the beginning of the romantic subplot, it carried on well through the book that I forgave its dubious beginning. The book was originally published in the '90s, so it feels a bit dated, but this is not immediately apparent until one thinks about it. (There's no mention of a laptop, the internet, or mobile phones, but as Ellen is sick for so much of the book this doesn't exactly become much of an issue.) The diary entries also work well, especially as I'm not a big fan of books that make substantial use of letters or diary entries. If you like vampires, check this out.
August 1, 2025
Extremely poorly written. Weak characters whose actions and intentions are vague at best. So many things don't make sense, even though the writer tries very hard to force the reader to believe it does, which just pisses me off. There are many unnecessary characters and plotlines. It's not even the author I am mad at, but the publisher, for letting so many obvious mistakes and plot holes seep through. Shame on you.
November 11, 2019
I actually DNFed the book, which is something I rarely do. This one was a nostalgia read for me, I loved Celia Rees as a teenager and was looking forward to revisiting some old favourites. The writing and story in this is quite dull. I know we go in knowing that it's about vampires but everything is way too obvious too early on, and modern day Ellen, who is meant to be our protagonist, doesn't really do anything. I possibly would have pushed through and finished the book out of obligation (I really hate to DNF) if I didn't already know the ending from reading it as a kid.
I have some more of this author's books to read which I will still try in the hope that this was just a dud.
I have some more of this author's books to read which I will still try in the hope that this was just a dud.
January 12, 2011
I was really excited to read this book. The beginning was kinda broing but I thought that it would get better.
Boy, was I wrong. It just got broinger, and boringer and boringer. At the end, I was in a dark pit of boringeness...
OMG! I don't even wish it were better. Books this boring don't need to get better. Blehy. That is what thios book was.
BLEHY! I say, BLEHY!!!!!!!!!
The ending kinda sucked.
THis book was such a waste of my times. Bleh... I am ashamed of myself for even finishing the entire book.
Boy, was I wrong. It just got broinger, and boringer and boringer. At the end, I was in a dark pit of boringeness...
OMG! I don't even wish it were better. Books this boring don't need to get better. Blehy. That is what thios book was.
BLEHY! I say, BLEHY!!!!!!!!!
The ending kinda sucked.
THis book was such a waste of my times. Bleh... I am ashamed of myself for even finishing the entire book.
September 3, 2012
Suitably gothic and creepy without being too graphic, this is the kind of non-sparkly vampire fic I would happily give to a YA reader. The women in it are strong and very much a part of the solution, not dolls to be carried around. Nobody sparkles. There's also a good plot line, plenty of action and suspense, and it's fun.
August 26, 2019
This was one of my favorite vampire books and is what introduced me to my love of supernatural stories
October 17, 2016
Una interesante historia sobre misterios familiares y un vampiro, inspirada en las antiguas historias clásicas de vampiros y en entornos un tanto más góticos, como cementerios abandonados. Me ha gustado mucho, era fácil de leer y me intrigaba, aunque hacia el final me parecía un poco precipitada y fácil.
July 13, 2017
3.5 stars
This review can also be found at http://fortheloveofbooksreviews.blogs...
Ellen is a teenage girl with a mysterious illness. A strange disease or ailment of the blood plagues her, and has her returning to hospitals time and time again. She fears that she may not have much time left.
She moves in with her grandmother, and comes across a series of diaries written by one of her ancestors, a female doctor also named Ellen. As she reads entry after entry, it becomes obvious that the older Ellen had come across a real-life vampire.
With the reappearance of a childhood friend, and the creepy sight of an old cemetery across the road from her grandmother's house, Ellen wishes that she could unravel the mysteries that plague both herself and her ancestor. But will she survive to uncover the truth?
This was a fairly quick read. I read it in one night, I found myself unable to put it down. However, this wasn't because the book was amazing.
It was definitely enjoyable, no mistake there. But there was something missing.
First off, the things I liked. I liked the way that vampires were creepy and not sexy. I love myself some sexy vampires, but a good old-fashioned monster is definitely also appreciated. I liked the way that the author told two stories at once, the story of the past and present Ellens. The diary entries were thorough and painted a clear picture of the past, while the modern Ellen's experiences were also well described and explained.
The mystery of Ellen's illness kept me reading. I really wanted to know what was wrong with her, and if she would survive. There was definitely some empathy from me concerning this situation, and Andy cared for Ellen in a way that made him immediately likeable.
There really should have been more in this book, though. More scenes, more action. A long book, with more character development and emphasis on creepy happenings would have bumped this book up to a four, maybe even a five star read. The base story was there, and certainly enjoyable, but with a little more time, this book could have been fantastic.
This review can also be found at http://fortheloveofbooksreviews.blogs...
Ellen is a teenage girl with a mysterious illness. A strange disease or ailment of the blood plagues her, and has her returning to hospitals time and time again. She fears that she may not have much time left.
She moves in with her grandmother, and comes across a series of diaries written by one of her ancestors, a female doctor also named Ellen. As she reads entry after entry, it becomes obvious that the older Ellen had come across a real-life vampire.
With the reappearance of a childhood friend, and the creepy sight of an old cemetery across the road from her grandmother's house, Ellen wishes that she could unravel the mysteries that plague both herself and her ancestor. But will she survive to uncover the truth?
This was a fairly quick read. I read it in one night, I found myself unable to put it down. However, this wasn't because the book was amazing.
It was definitely enjoyable, no mistake there. But there was something missing.
First off, the things I liked. I liked the way that vampires were creepy and not sexy. I love myself some sexy vampires, but a good old-fashioned monster is definitely also appreciated. I liked the way that the author told two stories at once, the story of the past and present Ellens. The diary entries were thorough and painted a clear picture of the past, while the modern Ellen's experiences were also well described and explained.
The mystery of Ellen's illness kept me reading. I really wanted to know what was wrong with her, and if she would survive. There was definitely some empathy from me concerning this situation, and Andy cared for Ellen in a way that made him immediately likeable.
There really should have been more in this book, though. More scenes, more action. A long book, with more character development and emphasis on creepy happenings would have bumped this book up to a four, maybe even a five star read. The base story was there, and certainly enjoyable, but with a little more time, this book could have been fantastic.
November 19, 2015
2 Stars.
Celia Rees was the first author to whet my appetite for historical fiction during my early teens, and I’ve been lucky enough to meet her more than once through Litfest. It was during a Litfest event all about Gothic YA Fiction that I first came across Blood Sinister.
Both our protagonists in Blood Sinister share the name Ellen. In the 1990's we have Ellen Forrest, a sixteen year old who is very ill with a blood disease her doctors have been unable to diagnose and are struggling to treat, and in the 19th century we have Ellen Laidlaw, her great great grandmother, who is the daughter of a doctor well known for his advancements in the treatment of blood diseases. Their stories collide when Ellen Forrest discovers her great great grandmother's diaries, written when she was sixteen, detailing the strange events that followed the arrival of a pair of mysterious family friends with an aversion to sunlight...
It was a short, quick read which was just what I was in the mood for, but sadly it was nothing spectacular. It's forgettable, with a rather weak ending, and for someone who's loved Rees's works for so long that was a disappointment.
Having said that, there were elements of the story that were a lot of fun. Rees played around with vampire stereotypes; stereotypes she could play around with because Ellen Laidlaw lived and wrote her diaries before the publication of Bram Stoker's Dracula, therefore it was believable that she and her friends and family would never even think to suspect their mysterious guests of vampirism.
I thought it was a wise choice to give the story two protagonists, though I'm still undecided as to whether or not I liked that they were both called Ellen. Historical fiction is one of the most common genres in which you'll find novels with two protagonists; setting one character in the past and another either in or nearer to the present day, who is usually researching the person from the past, is a good way to involve people in the story who are unfamiliar with historical fiction. A lot of people think they need to be a history expert to enjoy historical fiction, and that's just not true.
(If you are one such person and you'd like to read some historical fiction that is told through the eyes of two protagonists, then give Sebastian Faulks' Birdsong, Katherine Howe's The Physick Book of Deliverance Dane, and Kate Mosse's Labyrinth a try!)
However, both Ellens were also forgettable. I didn't dislike them, but I didn't connect with them or particularly care if they lived or died either. It was great to see, through Ellen Laidlaw, a 19th century heroine pursuing medicine and being supported in that pursuit, but sadly it was this Ellen who also suffered from "not like other girls" syndrome. She was better than the other women around her, who only cared about marrying well and having babies and looking pretty, and I really dislike women who are portrayed this way. There's nothing wrong with wanting to marry well, have babies or look pretty, just as there's nothing wrong with wanting to pursue medicine, and I'd like to see more heroines in fiction - particularly YA fiction - who are aware of this.
Blood Sinister is just okay. It's unlikely to be something I remember in a year's time, but for a quick, tongue-in-cheek Halloween read it was fun, and despite my lower rating I'd recommend it to anyone out there who's looking for something fast and easy to read as Halloween approaches!
Celia Rees was the first author to whet my appetite for historical fiction during my early teens, and I’ve been lucky enough to meet her more than once through Litfest. It was during a Litfest event all about Gothic YA Fiction that I first came across Blood Sinister.
Both our protagonists in Blood Sinister share the name Ellen. In the 1990's we have Ellen Forrest, a sixteen year old who is very ill with a blood disease her doctors have been unable to diagnose and are struggling to treat, and in the 19th century we have Ellen Laidlaw, her great great grandmother, who is the daughter of a doctor well known for his advancements in the treatment of blood diseases. Their stories collide when Ellen Forrest discovers her great great grandmother's diaries, written when she was sixteen, detailing the strange events that followed the arrival of a pair of mysterious family friends with an aversion to sunlight...
It was a short, quick read which was just what I was in the mood for, but sadly it was nothing spectacular. It's forgettable, with a rather weak ending, and for someone who's loved Rees's works for so long that was a disappointment.
Having said that, there were elements of the story that were a lot of fun. Rees played around with vampire stereotypes; stereotypes she could play around with because Ellen Laidlaw lived and wrote her diaries before the publication of Bram Stoker's Dracula, therefore it was believable that she and her friends and family would never even think to suspect their mysterious guests of vampirism.
I thought it was a wise choice to give the story two protagonists, though I'm still undecided as to whether or not I liked that they were both called Ellen. Historical fiction is one of the most common genres in which you'll find novels with two protagonists; setting one character in the past and another either in or nearer to the present day, who is usually researching the person from the past, is a good way to involve people in the story who are unfamiliar with historical fiction. A lot of people think they need to be a history expert to enjoy historical fiction, and that's just not true.
(If you are one such person and you'd like to read some historical fiction that is told through the eyes of two protagonists, then give Sebastian Faulks' Birdsong, Katherine Howe's The Physick Book of Deliverance Dane, and Kate Mosse's Labyrinth a try!)
However, both Ellens were also forgettable. I didn't dislike them, but I didn't connect with them or particularly care if they lived or died either. It was great to see, through Ellen Laidlaw, a 19th century heroine pursuing medicine and being supported in that pursuit, but sadly it was this Ellen who also suffered from "not like other girls" syndrome. She was better than the other women around her, who only cared about marrying well and having babies and looking pretty, and I really dislike women who are portrayed this way. There's nothing wrong with wanting to marry well, have babies or look pretty, just as there's nothing wrong with wanting to pursue medicine, and I'd like to see more heroines in fiction - particularly YA fiction - who are aware of this.
Blood Sinister is just okay. It's unlikely to be something I remember in a year's time, but for a quick, tongue-in-cheek Halloween read it was fun, and despite my lower rating I'd recommend it to anyone out there who's looking for something fast and easy to read as Halloween approaches!
January 24, 2011
I have previously read "Witch Child" and "Sorceress" by Celia Rees and was impressed. When I saw she had a vampire book out, it became one of the many books on my "to-read" list.
I really enjoyed this book! It is not your typical vegan vampire, pretty girl falls in love with, they live happily ever after book. This book comes closer to the classical vampire story.
Ellen suffers from a rare blood disease, she is dying. She moves to London with her grandmother to be closer to the specialists that will be treating her. While staying at her grandmother's she wanders up into the attick and finds a trunk full of diaries and other memorabelia from her great-great grandmother. The diaries were written by Ellen, the person she was named after.
Ellen is intigued with the diaries, and eventually begins to have flash backs from her great great grandmother's life. The previous Ellen becomes innundated with vampires. Her father is a DR. and has taken one in at his clinic to help with his blood disease. He does not know he is really a vampire.
Present day Ellen has the help of her childhood friend, Andy. He is supportive and cute. He helps her deal with the problem of the modern day vampire.
Great book! I highly recommend it. Suitable for any reader who likes a bit of horror, mystery and vampires.
I really enjoyed this book! It is not your typical vegan vampire, pretty girl falls in love with, they live happily ever after book. This book comes closer to the classical vampire story.
Ellen suffers from a rare blood disease, she is dying. She moves to London with her grandmother to be closer to the specialists that will be treating her. While staying at her grandmother's she wanders up into the attick and finds a trunk full of diaries and other memorabelia from her great-great grandmother. The diaries were written by Ellen, the person she was named after.
Ellen is intigued with the diaries, and eventually begins to have flash backs from her great great grandmother's life. The previous Ellen becomes innundated with vampires. Her father is a DR. and has taken one in at his clinic to help with his blood disease. He does not know he is really a vampire.
Present day Ellen has the help of her childhood friend, Andy. He is supportive and cute. He helps her deal with the problem of the modern day vampire.
Great book! I highly recommend it. Suitable for any reader who likes a bit of horror, mystery and vampires.
May 31, 2012
This book was a last minute addition during my time at the book sale. I didn't even know why I thought I wanted it but i bought it. And then *cues in eerie music* it blew my mind for it was neither a) slow or b) boring.
As you can see from the cover there are two punctured holes on a young girl's neck. So one can assume with ease that this is about vampires. YES, but what one does not realize that this is a classic from the Count Dracula's time (None of that Twilight or Uninvited nonsense).
The flow of the story was moving at a reasonable speed. there was no 'wait, what the hell happened?' moments no 'what nonsense' moments. The vampire in here (we call him Count ZSE-something unpronounceable) is a truly evil vampire who wants our main girl, Ellen because she's special. Her blood is special. And to make matters more intense, at one point he became her doctor and tells everyone she's hallucinating. How to gain instant trust on another fellow? How to ensure another person would hand you his/her life and trusts you with it? By becoming a doctor. That way you can gain access to your patient(or prey) so much easier.
Oh,such pure geniusnosity.
As you can see from the cover there are two punctured holes on a young girl's neck. So one can assume with ease that this is about vampires. YES, but what one does not realize that this is a classic from the Count Dracula's time (None of that Twilight or Uninvited nonsense).
The flow of the story was moving at a reasonable speed. there was no 'wait, what the hell happened?' moments no 'what nonsense' moments. The vampire in here (we call him Count ZSE-something unpronounceable) is a truly evil vampire who wants our main girl, Ellen because she's special. Her blood is special. And to make matters more intense, at one point he became her doctor and tells everyone she's hallucinating. How to gain instant trust on another fellow? How to ensure another person would hand you his/her life and trusts you with it? By becoming a doctor. That way you can gain access to your patient(or prey) so much easier.
Oh,such pure geniusnosity.
January 8, 2012
Finally, a YA vampire story that doesn't involve brooding vampire boyfriends.
Ellen's illness has doctors stumped and while she convalesces at home, she discovers the diaries her great-great grandmother, a pioneering female doctor, kept as a young woman. Ellen is immediately drawn in to her grandmother's story, in which she becomes an unwilling companion to a patient/family friend of her father's who suffers from some sort of blood disease.
The book switches between modern day and Victorian times in the telling of the story and moves along at a good clip, but then concludes suddenly in 2-3 short chapters. It was like a tv show that only had 5 minutes to wrap things up and rather than being a thrill-ride to the end, it felt like some characters were running around making things happen without any convincing motivation, except to get to the end of the story.
Still, it's worth a read. Published in 1996, you're more likely to find it in a used bookstore (I picked it up at Half Price Books).
Ellen's illness has doctors stumped and while she convalesces at home, she discovers the diaries her great-great grandmother, a pioneering female doctor, kept as a young woman. Ellen is immediately drawn in to her grandmother's story, in which she becomes an unwilling companion to a patient/family friend of her father's who suffers from some sort of blood disease.
The book switches between modern day and Victorian times in the telling of the story and moves along at a good clip, but then concludes suddenly in 2-3 short chapters. It was like a tv show that only had 5 minutes to wrap things up and rather than being a thrill-ride to the end, it felt like some characters were running around making things happen without any convincing motivation, except to get to the end of the story.
Still, it's worth a read. Published in 1996, you're more likely to find it in a used bookstore (I picked it up at Half Price Books).
February 20, 2012
This was a fairly interesting read, it's different from the vampire books that have been coming out lately. There is no girl falling in love with a vampire, or wanting to be a vampire. There is very little in terms of romance in this novel, which is ok. Overall it is a good read, I didn't love it, but I liked it.
The story revolves around Ellen, who is dying of a blood disease that no doctor can figure out. She is living with her grandmother because it's closer to the hospital and her doctors. She finds her great-great grandmother's diaries and decides to read them, doing so causes her to realize that maybe some of the horror stories are true after all, or at least they were in 1878.
Throughout the novel you get to read the excerpts from the diaries, which is pretty interesting, they are read as diary entries, sometimes with Ellen pausing to put in her thoughts.
I thought the books was well written, it was a bit hard to put down, but I just wasn't in love with the story. Still a good read that I would recommend to vampire lovers.
The story revolves around Ellen, who is dying of a blood disease that no doctor can figure out. She is living with her grandmother because it's closer to the hospital and her doctors. She finds her great-great grandmother's diaries and decides to read them, doing so causes her to realize that maybe some of the horror stories are true after all, or at least they were in 1878.
Throughout the novel you get to read the excerpts from the diaries, which is pretty interesting, they are read as diary entries, sometimes with Ellen pausing to put in her thoughts.
I thought the books was well written, it was a bit hard to put down, but I just wasn't in love with the story. Still a good read that I would recommend to vampire lovers.
September 17, 2008
With vampires being very popular among young adults, I would have to say that this is a good read.
The story takes place with Ellen, a sixteen year old girl, who goes to stay with her grandmother because she has a bad blood condition and her mother fears that she is going to die soon. While Ellen is staying with her grandmother she stumbles upon her great, great grandmother Elyn's diaries that she wrote when she was sixteen years old. As Ellen begins reading the diaries she is overcome by her dreams and is able to find herself in a different era dealing with the things that Grandma Elyn dealt with. Ellen soon realizes that history may repeat itself in her own life.
Celia Rees is a tealented writer and I am enjoying other books written by her, I can see where there would be an interest in her books among young adult readers.
The story takes place with Ellen, a sixteen year old girl, who goes to stay with her grandmother because she has a bad blood condition and her mother fears that she is going to die soon. While Ellen is staying with her grandmother she stumbles upon her great, great grandmother Elyn's diaries that she wrote when she was sixteen years old. As Ellen begins reading the diaries she is overcome by her dreams and is able to find herself in a different era dealing with the things that Grandma Elyn dealt with. Ellen soon realizes that history may repeat itself in her own life.
Celia Rees is a tealented writer and I am enjoying other books written by her, I can see where there would be an interest in her books among young adult readers.
October 6, 2014
I love Celia Rees books...especially Pirates and the two witch books. And this is no different to those. I particularly like the way the book combined the present and the past. It was very well written and although it is a young adult book i think, like me, they can be enjoyed by those older also. I hadn't read one of her books for quite a few years and now that i have I'm tempted to even buy one of her books that i haven't got!
Want to read
August 14, 2014Another book I would be more interested in purchasing if the cover artwork was the same as the foreign edition!
January 6, 2020
Amazing book red it all in one sitting love the cover and fonts.
Ellen goes to stay with her gran who lives nearer the hospital as she has a mysterious illness and finds her ancestor ellens diarys she reads them and discovers her ancestors dad a doctor hosted a count (his patient) and also a vampire,ancestor ellen managed to escape the counts grasp and years later could he be back seeking blood attonement and revenge on present day ellen.
reminded me a bit of caos which I love with the revenge and life for a life thing so glad the countess got destroyed hated her character. really enjoyed it
Ellen goes to stay with her gran who lives nearer the hospital as she has a mysterious illness and finds her ancestor ellens diarys she reads them and discovers her ancestors dad a doctor hosted a count (his patient) and also a vampire,ancestor ellen managed to escape the counts grasp and years later could he be back seeking blood attonement and revenge on present day ellen.
reminded me a bit of caos which I love with the revenge and life for a life thing so glad the countess got destroyed hated her character. really enjoyed it
January 18, 2021
Este sin duda es uno de los mejores libros que he leído sobre historias vampíricas. Y verdaderamente lo disfruté. No sólo por su manera al narrar sino por todos los giros inesperados que te acercan aún más con la trama.
Creo que si tu gusto va enfocado en vampiros e historias entrelazadas sin agregar nada de romance y cosas cursis, este libro es el indicado. Si bien narra de una manera diferente y con suspenso a comparación de otros libros que he leído sobre vampiros.
Considero también que el libro está un poco infravalorado, por lo que pienso que todos con gustos similares a este libro, deberían darle una oportunidad.
Leído el 28 junio del 2016.
Creo que si tu gusto va enfocado en vampiros e historias entrelazadas sin agregar nada de romance y cosas cursis, este libro es el indicado. Si bien narra de una manera diferente y con suspenso a comparación de otros libros que he leído sobre vampiros.
Considero también que el libro está un poco infravalorado, por lo que pienso que todos con gustos similares a este libro, deberían darle una oportunidad.
Leído el 28 junio del 2016.
March 9, 2023
This is my first vampire book in a while (I did read Twilight ages ago, but I don't remember it), and it was relatively enjoyable. Most of the book was diary entries, seeing the events happen to someone in the past, with very little of the present included, though the diary entries were well written, with interesting descriptions, and gripping. However, at least for me, the explanations at the end were a bit vague, particularly the reasons for Ellen's illness (though maybe I missed the vital clues along the way), so that was a bit disappointing, but overall, the book was entertaining.
August 20, 2022
I read this years ago when I was very young, like 11/12 years old. It of course is not suitable for kids that age and I remember I made sure to read it after dark to get more creepy feels lol. Also I was not allowed reading scary books in general and vampire books specifically so it felt extra exciting. This book gave me some disturbing dreams etc. Of course I don’t remember much more then that now years later but I remember I enjoyed it
June 4, 2017
*Read in under 2 hours*
This was a really nice quick read about vampires and the life of two girls both named Ellen.
Celia Rees' writing is as intriguing and compelling as her other book that I've read as I urged myself to continue reading until I finished.
I can't wait to pick up other books by her!
This was a really nice quick read about vampires and the life of two girls both named Ellen.
Celia Rees' writing is as intriguing and compelling as her other book that I've read as I urged myself to continue reading until I finished.
I can't wait to pick up other books by her!
January 7, 2018
I had mixed feelings about this book. I liked the fact that it included an ancestors diary. I’ve always enjoyed that in a book.
However, later in the book, when it’d switch between the two Ellens, it were a little more confusing because it weren’t in a diary entry.
It was a nice little read but I probably wouldn’t read it again, honestly.
However, later in the book, when it’d switch between the two Ellens, it were a little more confusing because it weren’t in a diary entry.
It was a nice little read but I probably wouldn’t read it again, honestly.
January 22, 2018
i loved this book as a kid so when i was clearing out some books i reread it and still love it the only issue i have with it is the Ellen age and Andys age because it makes it they be together forever
May 3, 2018
I loved the book at first, but then when I got to chapter 22 it all started getting boring. It got boring because it started adding too much details all of a sudden and it just made it annoying to read. And I kinda liked the last page.
October 12, 2019
Started ok, plot became quickly obvious and the ending was not so good.
Still, its a quick and easy read, and considering the year it wqs written, the vampire trope isn't bad.
Audiobook narrator was ok.
Still, its a quick and easy read, and considering the year it wqs written, the vampire trope isn't bad.
Audiobook narrator was ok.
December 10, 2019
I read this as a tween and for some reason popped into my head. As an adult it lacks a whole lot of everything. "My doctor is a vampire" "I believe the let's go chop off his head" ermmmm ok. Still enjoyed it for all of the hour it took to read
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
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