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After Eventide
When Lorraine moves to Ocean Beach, California, to live with her dad for the summer, extreme loneliness is the worst she must deal with. Then Harold Godwin, Fairy King vampire, decides he can't stay away from her. While the sun is up, she cultivates a normal life of walking dogs, making new friends, and just being beachy. After sun down, Lorraine explores her own super powers while Harold weaves magical stories of being captive in the medieval army of England's enemy, Duke William of Normandy. As both lives collide, Lorraine is forced to choose between them. No matter how much we wish it, life is not lived in the in between of eventide.
308 pages, Paperback
First published July 17, 2010
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
June 11, 2016
This is a very strange story. There were times that I thought for sure the author was outright mocking young adult vampire novels with this book, but then it would go and take itself too seriously with the flashback sequences, which in my opinion were too sophisticated for the rest of the story.
One example of what I mean by mocking other YA vampire stories would be the whole romance thing with Harold. It made me uncomfortable and my first thought was he was like a pedophile. He is 40 something in the book when he becomes a vampire. He is interested in a 15 year old girl. It was almost like the author was saying, "Yes this feels like pedophilia and so should all those other vampire stories. No matter what age the vampire looks, he's still way too old for that teen-aged girl."
Harold was not likable to me and I thought Rain was downright stupid. I also didn't like the way it ended. It felt very abrupt. I don't know if the author intends to just leave it that way or write a sequel. I'm not sure if I would read one if she did. On the positive side of things, I did really enjoy the vampire lore in this story. It was different from most.
One example of what I mean by mocking other YA vampire stories would be the whole romance thing with Harold. It made me uncomfortable and my first thought was he was like a pedophile. He is 40 something in the book when he becomes a vampire. He is interested in a 15 year old girl. It was almost like the author was saying, "Yes this feels like pedophilia and so should all those other vampire stories. No matter what age the vampire looks, he's still way too old for that teen-aged girl."
Harold was not likable to me and I thought Rain was downright stupid. I also didn't like the way it ended. It felt very abrupt. I don't know if the author intends to just leave it that way or write a sequel. I'm not sure if I would read one if she did. On the positive side of things, I did really enjoy the vampire lore in this story. It was different from most.
December 24, 2020
*1.5 rounded to 2.
I really...don't know with this book. Can't tell if it was a parody or actually serious. The title is what caught my attention (eventide is an interesting word...thought maybe that'd amount to something), but I really couldn't understand what was going on half the time. Sadly, DNF. The cover is interesting as is the title, and some of the writing was decent, but...overall...ueeegh.
I really...don't know with this book. Can't tell if it was a parody or actually serious. The title is what caught my attention (eventide is an interesting word...thought maybe that'd amount to something), but I really couldn't understand what was going on half the time. Sadly, DNF. The cover is interesting as is the title, and some of the writing was decent, but...overall...ueeegh.
April 18, 2011
This book was about a 15 yr old girl Lorraine "Rain" Meriwether, who was spent her summers with her dad in California on a beach. Since she didn't have any friends there, she was just dying of boredom. This particular summer, she decides to get a job walking dogs and she also meets an old vampire named Harold Godwin. Then her typical boring summer became an adventure. No longer are Rain's days spent alone, but she has her boss and her son as well as Harold with his vampire posse.
This story was not the typical vampire story. Rain was funny, a tad dramatic as any teenager would be in comparison to Harold's arrogance and more adult views. I liked that Rain was innocent, so I felt protective of her where Harold was concerned. While I was intrigued by Rain and the dilemma she faced, I did not connect with Harold or their "relationship". It seemed like she was a young girl who was giddy by the attention of an old vampire. There was just something pretentious about Harold, I couldn't figure it out until the end. I liked Harold's narrative of his past in England, but they lasted too long for me.
The book was not an a page turner for me but it was certainly not predictable. The ending was more intriguing for me, finding out about Rain's destiny. Her family's history with vampire hunters made things made her journey make more sense for me. This book is a good mix of humor, history and young romance. I suspect that the author will revist Rain and Harold in the future, via a sequel. I recommend this book to anyone who enjoys more innocent YA vampire stories.
***Reviewed for Paranormal Romance Guild***
This story was not the typical vampire story. Rain was funny, a tad dramatic as any teenager would be in comparison to Harold's arrogance and more adult views. I liked that Rain was innocent, so I felt protective of her where Harold was concerned. While I was intrigued by Rain and the dilemma she faced, I did not connect with Harold or their "relationship". It seemed like she was a young girl who was giddy by the attention of an old vampire. There was just something pretentious about Harold, I couldn't figure it out until the end. I liked Harold's narrative of his past in England, but they lasted too long for me.
The book was not an a page turner for me but it was certainly not predictable. The ending was more intriguing for me, finding out about Rain's destiny. Her family's history with vampire hunters made things made her journey make more sense for me. This book is a good mix of humor, history and young romance. I suspect that the author will revist Rain and Harold in the future, via a sequel. I recommend this book to anyone who enjoys more innocent YA vampire stories.
***Reviewed for Paranormal Romance Guild***
September 26, 2010
After Eventide by Catherine Olson
Quirky, Fun, Real, and Addicting
Author Catherine Olson has created something new wither vampire novel AFTER EVENTIDE. In this story, 15-yr-old Lorraine Meriwether (Rain for short) goes to stay with her dad on the beach on CA over the summer. While there, she meets a very old vampire with a historical background. Author Olson divines a new origin for the vampires and tinkers with their abilities and motives enough to make this vampire tale stand apart from every other one I have read. The storytelling is top-notch, and by sticking our pre-vampire Harold Godwin into his medieval England past, the reader gets a fun history lesson peopled with men from the modern tale. I found this aspect of the book fun and unique enough that it was difficult to put it down between chapters.
My very favorite thing about this novel is the lead’s running narrative. She makes me laugh out loud with the things she thinks and the way she perceives the world around her. Somehow, author Olson has channeled this adolescent child perfectly, and reminded me what it was like to be that age. Bravo!
PG-13 for language and violence, suitable for YA and Adults
Ellen C. Maze
Author of Curiously Spiritual Vampire Tales
Quirky, Fun, Real, and Addicting
Author Catherine Olson has created something new wither vampire novel AFTER EVENTIDE. In this story, 15-yr-old Lorraine Meriwether (Rain for short) goes to stay with her dad on the beach on CA over the summer. While there, she meets a very old vampire with a historical background. Author Olson divines a new origin for the vampires and tinkers with their abilities and motives enough to make this vampire tale stand apart from every other one I have read. The storytelling is top-notch, and by sticking our pre-vampire Harold Godwin into his medieval England past, the reader gets a fun history lesson peopled with men from the modern tale. I found this aspect of the book fun and unique enough that it was difficult to put it down between chapters.
My very favorite thing about this novel is the lead’s running narrative. She makes me laugh out loud with the things she thinks and the way she perceives the world around her. Somehow, author Olson has channeled this adolescent child perfectly, and reminded me what it was like to be that age. Bravo!
PG-13 for language and violence, suitable for YA and Adults
Ellen C. Maze
Author of Curiously Spiritual Vampire Tales
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews