The Ones Who Come Back Hungry

by Amelinda Bérubé

From the author of Here There Are Monsters comes a chilling supernatural horror that is part terrifying vampire legend and part modern exploration of toxic relationships wrapped up in a novel about hunger, yearning, and loss.

After the sudden death of her perfect, popular older sister, Jo and her family feel empty. But days after crying at Audrey's graveside, Jo stumbles on the impossible: Audrey, standing barefoot in the snowy backyard. But Audrey isn't breathing. She's still marred with the evidence of an autopsy. She's decaying. And worst of all, Audrey is hungry, and only human blood can curb her relentless appetite.

Jo knows she can put her family back together; she just has to figure out how to fix Audrey. She hides her sister and sustains her with her own blood, determined to figure out how to keep Audrey with them. When her search takes her to her sister's grieving inner circle of friends, Jo finds herself drawn into their fold―and to Audrey's boyfriend, Sam.

As Jo slips further into her sister's old life, Audrey's hunger and jealousy grow more insatiable. She's not going to sit back and let Jo replace her or, worse, discover the secrets hidden beneath her golden girl facade. As Jo struggles to juggle everything she will be forced to decide which of her loved ones needs her the most ―and who she's willing to sacrifice to save them.

Genres: Horror, Young Adult, Vampires, Fantasy, Thriller, LGBT, Queer

320 pages, Paperback

First published July 2, 2024

About the author

I write about ghosts and monsters and other things that go bump in the night. My books tend to include a liberal sprinkling of weird Canadiana and the occasional zombie metaphor.

I am an eternal fangirl for YA and SFF, but any book that makes me laugh, makes me cry, or creeps me out will have my heart forever. My very favorites tend to have a thinky, supernatural flavor and don't explain too much.

In my other lives I'm a public service editor, a mother of two, and a passionate gardener. I live in Ottawa, Canada, in a perpetual whirlwind of unfinished projects and cat hair.

Reviews

[Stay Fetters · Rating 4 out of 5]

"You can’t just go killing people because you don’t like them!"

Blood soaked vampires who don't sparkle are making a comeback and my blood is pumping with excitement.

I went into this book blind. I knew it was about vampires but that was all I knew. Forget the synopsis (it gives too much away), just look at the cover and dive right on in. You won't regret it.

This was one hell of a book and I have to say that it's one of my favorites of the year. It was one that I couldn't put down and I'm glad that I didn't. Here you get the best of both worlds. You get the craziness of horror with the heartfelt, I would do anything for you YA. It was pure enjoyment all around.

[Alexsis · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was absolutely wild.

I truly don’t know how to give a proper review. I feel speechless, but I want to shout to everyone to read this book. I cried?? Over a horror book?? This book was just so good. I wanted to keep reading more and more. It was just absolutely wild. It definitely keeps you on the edge of your seat.

I do wish the chapters were shorter, but they were okay. I just had to push randomly throughout the book. There is essentially cheating going on and that was an ick for me. I had to remind myself to look past it and not think too much into it. I do feel like it dragged on a little bit too long, but it all worked out.

Thank you Sourebooks for a gifted copy of this book!

[Bookishmom4ever · Rating 5 out of 5]

What would you do if a loved one suddenly came back from the dead? What would you do if the only way to keep them from rotting into nothingness was to feed them your blood? Would you do it? Would you sacrifice yourself to keep them "alive"? These are all questions that Jo must ask herself when her perfect sister Audrey is suddenly back from the dead. Through this daring novel, Jo must figure out who she is, who her sister is, the good and the bad, and how much she is willing to go for "family." Is she willing to sacrifice everything?

Amelinda Berube's novel was breathtaking in all the best chilling ways. It is a perfect horror novel for young and old adults alike. Not only does it keep you wondering what will happen next, but also why it is happening at all. But it is also thought-provoking: What would you do in Jo's place? I read the novel within 24 hours because I had to find out what happened next. While so many questions were answered throughout the story, I was left with a lingering feeling of why! Why did it happen? What caused it to happen, and while not knowing is killing me, it also makes me love the book even more. Well done Amelinda, well done. I highly recommend this novel to YA and adult readers who love it when things go bump in the night.

Disclaimer: While I received a free advanced reader copy of this novel, my thoughts and opinions are my own.

[Carla · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 rounded down

This book was definitely an interesting take on vampires. The author did a great job setting the creepy atmosphere. The book was more thought provoking, than it was gory. Well, except for the end, that did get a bit gory.

The family dynamics were interesting. How the relationship between Jo and her sister, Audrey played out! How the mom appeared to play favorite when it came to her daughters! How the dad seemed to be checked out about the whole thing! The ending was predictable, but still satisfying.

My only real issue was how slow the middle third felt. It started to feel a bit repetitive.

Overall, an engaging and atmospheric YA thriller with an interesting take on vampires and family dynamics!

[Jennifer · Rating 4 out of 5]

As vampire stories go, this wasn't a bad one. I kept putting this one off because I am still just so worn out when it comes to our pointy-toothed monsters, but the second I started this book.... I knew I was going to regret waiting. Even with my aversion, this authors writing just sucked me in. This book contains an emotional story about losing a sister/daughter and how much someone would give just to have that person back.

[Amelinda Bérubé]

Hello beautiful readers, FYI, the audiobook edition of THE ONES WHO COME BACK HUNGRY dropped yesterday, August 6, and Suzy Jackson's performance kind of blew my mind. If you enjoyed the book--or if it's on your TBR and audio is your jam--I one meeeeellion percent recommend checking it out!

[exorcismemily · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ooooh this was good. It reminded me a bit of Suffer the Children, which I also love.

[Tori Peiler]

DNF at 58%! I’m so sad because the concept of this sounded SO GOOD. I love anything supernatural. But it was honestly really slow and not much was happening. Also when she kissed her sisters boyfriend randomly and liked it, that was so out of left field and cringe 😅

[Tonya Colvin · Rating 3 out of 5]

Part three saved this book for me.

[Lisa Mandina]

Will try to get back to it later if time

[Amber · Rating 4 out of 5]

Words cannot begin to describe how the ones who come back hungry made me feel. This book shows so much of the inside darkness of trauma and how everyone who is effected is just searching for that lifejacket to keep then a float. Done in a stunning way of making that darkness of grief come to life or in this case back to life shows the inner turmoil of fighting to keep the one you lost alive while fighting to keep yourself from falling apart in the process. Its a push and shove that causes questions and rash decisions and words that lead to the final stages of acceptance and allowing yourself to start the process to heal and grow and move on with your life without that loved one. Overall this was a captivating story and really speaks volumes on grief and what it can do to a person and the battle it takes to get to a point of healing.

[Aurora · Rating 4 out of 5]

I found this book at the dollar store, but it sounded interesting!

I must admit I had some doubts and selected it to be an easy quick read, thinking I wouldn’t love it. However! I enjoyed this more than I anticipated. I enjoyed the complexity of the characters and how it didn’t follow every single trope you THINK it’s going to follow! I also like how it left some things open ended, most importantly, why did she come back at all?

Overall, this is an solid YA vampire book, with some themes of grief and loss, but a few good twists and turns!

[ways · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really liked this book! It delved a lot into how grief and fear can make a person act, and I really liked getting to know a lot of the characters. There were multiple times where I had to prevent myself from having a physical reaction ( re : I wanted to yell at our mc but I was in public ), and it's rare that a book gets me to react that way.

[Aaron Vierkant · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is not a flaw in the writing style, but these characters were INSUFFERABLE! The mom was by far the worst, even more so than Audrey in my opinion. Harper and the dad were the only glimmers of hope for likable characters.

[Haylie 🫶🏻 · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 stars!
This book had the right amount of creepy/scary for me! I really enjoyed it.

[Jay · Rating 4 out of 5]

A heartwarming story about sisters…pun intended.

[Kenisha Rann · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love this book! I would recommend this book to anyone.

[Rhiannon · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 ⭐

[rachel x]

this cover is so dull, it's giving........ nothing

[Yuuto · Rating 2 out of 5]

Pros: a neat take on vampire/zombies
Cons: everything else

This really wasn’t horror, it was teenage drama wearing a mask and pretending to be something it’s not. It was less about “oh no my sister died and she came back and I have to keep her hidden and give her blood” and more about Jo sucking face with Audrey’s boyfriend. Even the ending was a big ho-hum. Truthfully wish I’d just DNFed it, but I was hoping the end would be worth it.

[Eden King · Rating 2 out of 5]

I wanted to love this. I wanted it to horrify me and to move me. It had promising themes. I love a good sibling/family struggle, and I love a good coming-into-one’s-own, coming-of-age story. But it was all too heavy-handed and shallow in the end. Rushed in parts it shouldn’t have been and slow in parts that needed rushing.

I applaud the thought process behind Audrey’s revenant monster self. I appreciate that there are some rules, because as a reader I needed those guidelines in order to understand and enjoy what was going on.

But I still have lingering questions. And the book telling me that in the end “we’ll just never know” through a conversation between Jo and her mom is not a message I appreciate, and it felt lazy. It felt like too much pantsing and not enough plotting.

How did Audrey become what she is? Did someone do it to her, or did she really just die of a cold and magically resurrect? And why if so? She’s obviously not the first of her kind, so what does that mean for the world of the book? Are there vampire creatures running amuck?

I was hoping there would be a reveal to do with the dad growing his plants, like maybe he’s a sociopathic scientist and grew something that infected Audrey and he let it happen because he resented her/his family, and that would speak to the family’s larger portrait of dysfunction. I was wrong. Also the plants withered…

Once again, I wanted to like Jo and didn’t. I never like this author’s main characters. That can be okay; I can get behind a morally grey character, like Camille Preaker from Sharp Objects. But Jo isn’t complex or interesting enough for me. Partially I think that’s because she’s so dependent (codependent) on everyone else around her, which was supposed to be a point but fell flat for me because she was also displayed as antisocial, offbeat, and invisible. She was uninteresting and I couldn’t relate to her or care about her.

Harper? Eh. Boring.

Sam? Dreadfully boring. (Can we also talk about the fact that Jo felt disgust when he first kissed her, then we’re supposed to believe she’s into him? Made no sense).

Lauren? Cole? Boring.

Jordan? He has my vote.

[Melissa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amelinda is one of my absolute favorite YA horror authors and THE ONES WHO COME BACK HUNGRY did not disappoint. I don't call her the Queen of Spooks for nothing!

TOWCBH is filled with lush yet accessible writing, a messy MC who feels like a real teen and who I can't help but root for, toxic AF sister dynamics (my favorite!), and a take on vampires that feels terrifyingly refreshing. This book not only begs the age-old question of "how far are you willing to go to save the ones you love?" but goes even beyond that, after the *doing* part when you're at your most broken and defeated, and asks, "well...was it worth it? Was it enough? Now what?"

Publishing Gods, buy more books from Amelinda Berube!!! NOW

[Amazon · Rating 5 out of 5]

Gruesome and full of feelings.

So. Full disclosure:
(1) I was given an ARC of this book specifically in the hopes that I’d post my opinions about it online
(2) I’m 44 and have a low tolerance for certain types of horror lit, which means I’m definitely not the target audience (teens who love spooky, gruesome stuff – if that’s you, or someone you buy books for, read on) for this book

That said, when it comes to written down horror (as opposed to, like, movies or whatever) I *do* have a reasonable tolerance for gross body horror stuff. So this book wasn’t Upsetting for me in that regard.

SPOILERS TO FOLLOW. If you wanna read this book already, and don’t want to know about stuff that happens that isn’t spelled out in the blurb on the back cover, STOP READING NOW.















Okay. I like this book.

I like the casual, no explanations required, bi/pan representation of the main character and the (relatable) dread of being/wanting Too Much that both feminine-of-center queers and anybody who grows up not really being allowed to need things or express personal boundaries both tend to have.
I like that Audrey’s death is presented on the page, in visceral, too-much-too-fast detail that sets the reader off-balance and shocked from the get-go.

I like the way Jo’s ambivalence about receiving attention never really lets up. The way her feelings of “I don’t want this, I can’t handle it, I used to have a shield and now I don’t” get jumbled up with her very human need to be seen and cared for and to experience belonging (in her family, in her peer group) – and how those things both get weaponized by people who want to manipulate her.

I like that Jo and Audrey are so close in age – barely a year apart. On the one hand, it makes me a lot more comfortable with the whole Audrey’s boyfriend situation and – maybe because my own late teens are so far behind me – it makes me smile at the reminder of how huge an age difference that single year can feel like that a character who’s possibly the same numerical age as Jo, but has enough months on her to be a grade ahead, would act both protective and condescending towards her late friend’s “baby sister”.

But also – maybe, again, this is because I’m “Mom-aged” here – it makes me wonder what the two characters were like in their infancy and toddlerhood, when their parents would have been in a state of exhaustion (basically two babies at the same time, with all the childhood development stuff happening with no “recovery period” – in-so-far as there’s ever a recovery period, but you get what I mean) and if the younger of the two babies just happened to be quieter and less loudly “needy” in infancy… how early did the patterns of which child gets support and which child is supposed to not “need” it, or even provide it, get established.

Which I guess brings me to the parents.
Something I love about Amelinda Berube’s writing is that the parents of her main characters are written in a way that feels real. They’re not caricatures of Evil Parents (the way, say, most of the parents-of-origin in Mercedes Lackey books were) and they’re not “capital-A Abusive” either. But they’re screwing up in ways that are bad for the kids they’re supposed to be responsible for in both short-term, understandable, “I’m floundering because I, too, am in a horrific situation I don’t know how to navigate” ways and in long-term, entrenched ways that are uncomfortable common.
The Dad in this story is barely present, in spite of being so much more physically “around” – struggling to get the grieving family to eat regularly, trying to stoic his way through something terrible – and the Mom looms larger and larger as things start to unravel. I wish there had been more of the changing (and not-so-changing) dynamics between Jo and her mom presented on the page. There’s a scene – not even a scene, so much as something alluded to in the epilogue – that puts those dynamics into extreme relief, and I kind of wish the tensions that came to the surface because of it had been leaned into a little more. As it stands, the final few sentences of the story leave me feeling like the Mom got off easy, almost, even understanding that their relationship was strained.

Beyond that, but still in the world of how the characters relate to each other:
I like that Jo has somebody who's so in her corner that she thinks she doesn't deserve her, while also being a normal (messed up, traumatized) human being and pushing away the support when it's offered. I like that Harper is also a normal human being with feelings and boundaries who is trying her best but also isn't An Actual Saint.

I like that Audrey's boyfriend (ex-boyfriend? Bereaved-boyfriend?) is skeavy in ways that, basically, our culture encourages dudes to be, rather than in OMG RED FLAG ways that would make the characters look foolish for falling for.

I like the way Jo manages to kind of side-step having to actually tell somebody about WTF is up with Audrey thanks to being a visual artist who gets to lean on "Uhhhhhhhhh... it's a metaphor?" when she starts trying to process what's going on through her art.


Final Thought: If you, or someone you love, (a) likes their body horror with a big side of family drama, and (b) is sick to death of the vampires-as-romantic-leads trope, and would like to see some good, old-fashioned vampires-as-empathy-free-monsters stories, this book is a good one to go with.

[Kimberly Cayton · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book started off so strong, and the premise really drew me in, but it quickly became apparent that almost none of the characters are likable or redeemable in any way. I feel like the story dragged on longer than it should have, and while ultimately not terrible, it was predictable to the point of almost being boring. I've given it some grace with the rating because I feel like it is something I would have enjoyed more 10 years ago, which is the target audience for this book.

[Nicole Austin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you Netgalley and Sourcebooks Fire for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!

"The Ones Who Come Back Hungry" by Amelinda Bérubé is a very unique thriller/horror YA book that provides a unique perspective on vampires while also exploring themes of loss and the complexities of sibling relationships. In this book, you won’t see any “Twilight” vampires. No, these are the undead that will rip you apart, and Bérubé’s descriptions throughout the book are absolutely amazing at establishing a sense of dread with these horrific, rotting vampires. I couldn’t get enough of the vivid imagery throughout. In this book, Bérubé explores both a unique take on the standard vampire but also emotional vampires, as in people in your life who drain you of your own energy, who use you for their own gain. I absolutely loved this exploration in the book as the main character, Jo, learns to become more independent from both toxic family and friend dynamics in her life.

Following the sudden death of her popular older sister, Jo finds herself grappling with grief and emptiness. However, her world is turned upside down when she discovers Audrey, her deceased sister, mysteriously returning from the grave with an insatiable hunger for human blood. Determined to keep her family together, Jo embarks on a desperate quest to find a cure for Audrey's condition, even as she struggles to navigate her own conflicted feelings and desires.

Bérubé's writing shines in this atmospheric and haunting story, drawing you into Jo's world and her desperate efforts to save her sister. The characters, particularly Jo, are richly developed and nuanced, with their struggles and motivations explored with depth and sensitivity. Sam, for example, has many flaws that are developed throughout the book, though he does have some redeeming moments towards the end. Jo's complex relationship with Audrey and her internal conflict between loyalty to her family and her own desires drive the story forward; their relationship is the central point of the story as Jo learns more about the expectations that weighed Audrey down and the complexities of her own life. I also liked the depiction of Jo’s mother, showing how grief develops in different ways while also showing how similar the two characters are.

The book also blends supernatural elements with themes of love and sacrifice, creating a thought-provoking story that lingers long after the final page. There is queer representation within this book with Jo and her best friend. The romance in this book was nice and subtle, not taking over the plot at all. The pacing is excellent with suspenseful twists and turns, especially when focusing on the vampire aspects in the book. I do wish the vampire aspect was developed a bit more, like with what caused Aubrey to transform, but overall, I really enjoyed the descriptions of the vampirism within the book. Aubrey’s transformation reminded me a bit of “Pet Sematary” with creatures coming back from the dead not completely the same.

Overall, "The Ones Who Come Back Hungry" is a very engaging story that will appeal to fans of horror and supernatural fiction, and stories of family dynamics. I definitely enjoyed this book, and I can’t wait to read more from Bérubé.

[A.M. (ᴍʏ.sᴘᴏᴏᴋʏ.ᴡᴀʏs) · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Ones Who Come Back Hungry by Amelinda Bérubé follows the unexpected passing of Jo's beloved and popular older sister, Audrey. However, shortly after shedding tears at Audrey's gravesite, Jo comes across a shocking discovery: Audrey, seemingly alive, standing barefoot in their snowy backyard. Yet, it becomes clear that Audrey is not truly alive as she shows signs of decay and scarring from the autopsy. Despite this, Audrey has a ravenous hunger that can only be satisfied by consuming human blood.

Determined to repair her shattered family, Jo takes it upon herself to care for Audrey and keep her presence a secret. As she delves deeper into Audrey's world, Jo becomes entangled in her sister's relationships and develops feelings for Audrey's boyfriend, Sam. Meanwhile, Audrey's hunger and envy continue to grow, threatening to disrupt Jo's efforts to keep their family together.

A unique and modern perspective on vampire lore, The Ones Who Come Back Hungry by Amelinda Bérubé is a YA horror novel that is both unapologetically gruesome and emotionally charged. The story delves into the complex ethical dilemmas that emerge when a deceased loved one comes back from the dead. Questions arise, and morality is often disregarded. Would you sacrifice your blood to help them survive? And if that doesn't help, how far would you go to keep them alive?

Amelinda Bérubé's novel is a gripping horror story that will appeal to younger and older readers/fans of vampire literature. The plot keeps you on the edge of your seat, while the characters are portrayed in a way that feels authentic and easy to connect with, particularly in their moments of sorrow. The story's contemplative writing style urges readers to consider how they would react if they were in Jo's shoes. While some questions are resolved through the narrative, the lingering enigma surrounding the happenings adds layers to the storyline, leaving readers craving more.

I, as a fan of vampire lit, particularly enjoyed how the author incorporated the vampire lore of "being invited" when it came to the consumption of blood. For Audrey to satisfy her hunger, Jo and her mother had to give their permission for her to drink their blood, otherwise it wouldn't have any effect at all. I commend Amelinda Bérubé's cleverness in adding this detail.

The only problem I had with this book was how Jo's attempt to become like her deceased sister, Audrey, led to her toxicity towards her parents, herself, and her best friend. It's clear that Jo, who has always been overshadowed by her sister, struggled to find her identity. However, her decisions, such as prioritizing Audrey's friends and boyfriend (cringe) over her best friend Harper, were questionable, if not concerning.

In conclusion, if you enjoy reading vampire literature and want a contemporary take on vampire lore, I suggest giving this book a read.

(Thank you, Sourcebooks Fire, for entrusting me with a physical ARC!)

[Margaret Carter · Rating 5 out of 5]

The best vampire novel I've read all year. I’ve rarely come across a fictional work that features a vampire so similar to the authentic revenants of folklore, an animated corpse irresistibly drawn to prey on the people he or she was closest to in life. The author has obviously done conscientious, in-depth research. Her prefatory “Note About Content” warns of “sibling death, grief, anxieties about germs and infection, graphic descriptions of dead and decaying human bodies” among other real-life horrors, culminating in “graphic violence.” Narrator Jo’s late sister, Audrey, was the “golden girl,” popular and accomplished, immersed in multiple extracurricular activities, around which the family’s schedule revolved. Jo, an artist, sees herself as insignificant in comparison. On the first page, she struggles with how to break the news of her sister’s sudden end to her (Jo’s) texting contacts. When she encounters Audrey, who has been lurking in the backyard shed, Jo naturally jumps to the conclusion that her sister didn’t really die. But enough doubts linger that it seems impossible to tell their family or anyone else. As it becomes progressively clearer that Audrey has returned from the grave, Jo clings to a tenuous hope of “curing” Audrey of her condition or, if she’s actually dead, restoring her to life. The undead girl’s gradual deterioration comes across as both poignant and horrific. Jo doesn't get pleasure from her sister's feeding on her; the bite hurts. Jo keeps the secret while grappling with family trauma and the grief of Audrey’s friends. Mundane teenage problems intertwine effectively with the supernatural plot. The relationship between the living and undead sisters fractures as past sibling conflicts erupt afresh. As Audrey gradually loses more of her “real” self and devolves into a self-centered, obsessive predator, Jo realizes this situation can’t continue indefinitely. She’s forced to seek help and share the dark secret. The teens’ research on vampire legends, an interlude with moments of dark humor, uncovers a confusing array of superstitions and alleged methods of destroying the undead, most of which prove useless. The one that does work results in a couple of gruesomely graphic scenes. The isolation Jo endures through most of the book is relieved only in the direst way, by bonding with a few of her peers over how to deal with what’s left of her loved yet resented sister. Which was the real Audrey, the dearly missed girl or the monster? This searingly emotional novel foregrounds the archetypal conflict between love and fear of the dead in a way that pierces to the original roots of the vampire myth.

[Daisy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Okay I'm so sorry for the barrage of reviews. I have to get better at updating in a timely manner. This is the last one, though, and it's a pretty phenomenal book. I love a book where vampires are portrayed as actually monstrous and disgusting and awful, and while there's some ambiguity about what Audrey actually is, she's close enough to count. I enjoyed all the lore sprinkled throughout as Jo tries desperately to research her sister's condition and find a way to keep her in the land of the (kind of) living. I enjoyed the descriptions of grief, as much as you can enjoy that kind of thing. I enjoyed the relationship between Jo and her artist friend whose name I've already forgotten. I even enjoyed the wildly dysfunctional thing happening between Jo and Sam, Audrey's boyfriend.

This book is full of morally questionable choices and murky gray areas and I'm always here for that. I did find Jo very frustrating a lot of the time, with her insistence on keeping Audrey a secret and trying to figure everything out alone and her self-destructive willingness to give everything up to keep her going. Audrey wasn't entirely wrong when she said Jo was acting like a martyr. She kind of was. But what chance did she have, growing up in Audrey's shadow and with their mother for a parental figure? That would fuck anyone up, and it did. And Sam was a pathetic and honestly repulsive character. Even though he didn't know that Audrey was still in the world, he should have made better choices at every turn and he didn't.

There aren't enough words for Jo's mom. Her little speech at the end where she asks for Jo's understanding and willingness to accept her good and bad sides was infuriating. I don't know if we were supposed to feel sympathetic toward her or not, but I definitely didn't. You can't do what she did to her daughter, and really to both of her daughters I guess, and then just ask for forgiveness without even apologizing or making gestures to make things right.

Lastly, the body horror was on point. So gruesome, both in the descriptions of Audrey and in the things she did to people. Loved it. Every choice had consequences here and I appreciated that, and Audrey was genuinely terrifying by the end. I didn't expect her to be, for some reason, so that was a welcome surprise. That's how I would describe this whole book, actually, and I recommend it.

[Kera’s Always Reading · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was a perfect example of one wrong choice after another made by the characters, but it still works so well. I had to sit back and ask myself what I would really do if I were ever in the very unreal situation our protagonist, Jo is in... and honestly, these ridiculous choices we see characters make that make us scream "OMG why would you do that???" are probably not that far fetched in the situation at hand, but we are so removed from it. Am I making any sense?

Jo's sister has died suddenly and the family is left in stunned, painful shock. With neither Jo, her mother, or her father unsure of how to pick up the pieces when Audrey was such a driving force in their family. When Jo happens upon Audrey outside in the cold, she immediately can tell something is off, besides the obvious impossibility. Audrey still has the autopsy scars, she is decaying, and she is eternally hungry... for blood.

Unable to tell their parents, Jo allows Audrey to feed from her. Thinking that she can save her sister, Jo also embarks on a quasi infiltration of Audrey's friend group. But, for the sister who was always just second best compared to Audrey in almost every aspect of their lives, Jo finds herself fitting into Audrey's old life quite nicely and it is intoxicating. But, Audrey is changing. Her hunger and her intense jealousy are fueling her, causing her to become more and more dangerous.

Jo must try and stop the domino effect of bad things that are happening before it is all too late.

This was such a great book. When I am in a reading funk, I can turn to YA thriller or YA horror and it eats every single time!!!

[Bonnie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh, wow. This book was dark and horrible and compelling. The way it's written, you can just feel Jo's grief eating her alive after her sister dies suddenly, and tragically. Even as she's struggling to find herself and pull herself out of the grief, it's so fragile you're afraid to root for it.

Audrey is a perfect, golden girl on the outside -- smart, athletic and beautiful. But she's gets taken by an infection so quickly, no one has time to even worry about her before she's gone. Jo is used to being in her sister's shadow, and even in her sister's death that's where she remains.

Pretty early on, Audrey comes back. Jo knows it's impossible, and sees pretty quickly that Audrey isn't the same, even if she doesn't quite know what the cause or effect of the differences are. Through trial and error she learns how to take care of the new Audj, even though it means not letting go of the grief and isolating herself from those that love her.

I bawled my eyes out in the end. I so badly wanted there to be a redemption for Audrey, for her to be saved -- though not at the cost of anyone else. I really thought Jo was going to give herself up for her sister, which was another tragedy I couldn't handle. Knowing that Harper's hand extended in friendship (and maybe more someday) is what saved Jo is extra sweet, because Jo really thought she wasn't enough. By the end, I hated Jo's mom (I don't have to forgive her, even if Jo is thinking about it), I hated Sam, and I hurt so badly for everything Jo struggled with. The growth and the fact that she finally had room to heal at the end made it all worth it.