Monday, October 11, 2010

Review: Infinite Days

Infinite Days by Rebecca Maizel (Vampire Queen, #1)
Date Released: August 03, 2010
Published by:
St. Martin's Griffin
Pages:  Paperback, 310 pages
Young Adult
Overall:Photobucket

Lenah Beaudonte is, in many ways, your average teen: the new girl at Wickham Boarding School, she struggles to fit in enough to survive and stand out enough to catch the eye of the golden-boy lacrosse captain. But Lenah also just happens to be a recovering five-hundred-year-old vampire queen. After centuries of terrorizing Europe, Lenah is able to realize the dream all vampires have -- to be human again. After performing a dangerous ritual to restore her humanity, Lenah entered a century-long hibernation, leaving behind the wicked coven she ruled over and the eternal love who has helped grant her deep-seated wish.

Until, that is, Lenah draws her first natural breath in centuries at Wickham and rediscovers a human life that bears little resemblance to the one she had known. As if suddenly becoming a teenager weren’t stressful enough, each passing hour brings Lenah closer to the moment when her abandoned coven will open the crypt where she should be sleeping and find her gone. As her borrowed days slip by, Lenah resolves to live her newfound life as fully as she can. But, to do so, she must answer ominous questions: Can an ex-vampire survive in an alien time and place? What can Lenah do to protect her new friends from the bloodthirsty menace about to descend upon them? And how is she ever going to pass her biology midterm?

Synopsis via Goodreads

My Thoughts:

Rebecca Maizel introduces us to Lenah Beaudonte, a 500-something year old vampire who has a penchant for control, death, and luxuries of the high life.  The girl, well vampire, seems to have everything a girl who is a vampire could ever want including a coven of vampires she created herself for her protection and companionship.  Did I mention she had an extremely good looking and loyal love, one in which seemed unbreakable and never ending no matter the circumstances?

Too bad the one thing Lenah Beaudonte wanted could not be killed for or purchased.  Leanah wanted to be human and the love of her life, Rhode, was willing to do anything to make that happen, to make her happy and as whole as she could ever be.

I won't lie, as much as I loved this book, I felt immediately betrayed by Leanah's decision to let Rhode do what it took to give her her life back so she could touch and feel.  I couldn't imagine pushing the person I loved under a bus like that, but that is exaclty what Leanah did letting the possibility of having a soul and everything that came with it blind her vision.  That one decision and moment alone painted a whole picture about the characters and what hid beneath their still hearts.

All of the other characters introduced to us came with a purpose and a few of them really stuck with me.  The new love interest, the mean-girl, the best friend, those created by Leanah so easy to turn against her.  Along with all of the new feelings that wash through Leanah paired with her exposure to things she never knew existed, these people play up key moments that marked my heart. (The sound room anyone? The Greenhouse?  The Art room?)

Rebecca didn't give us pretty vampires with an alternative way of life.  These vampires took human blood and killed those who simply stepped a little to close... or for simply existing at all...or even for the fun of it.  What she did give us was another take on a vampire story, one in which was not only born off of pure love and intentions but is fueled by an enthralling and touching need for the ability to feel.

While I did have my qualms with this book, and it was slow starting for me, I truly did love this book despite not giving it a five star overall review.  Unfortunately for me having Leneah turn her back on Rhode the way she did really made this character untouchable for me in many ways- even if that one life changing moment went beyond her and was Rhode's decision.

Regardless,  Infinite Days wasn't what I expected, it far exceeded my expectations and it has a beautiful cover to boot.  This book came with real and raw emotions and there was no guarantee of a happily ever after that seem to come with many books. 

Book #2 is definitely something I am anticipating and can't wait to get my hands on.


Cover:Photobucket 
Characters:Photobucket 
Plot:Photobucket 
Overall:Photobucket

7 comments:

  1. I loved this book but I did feel betrayed when she let Rhode go as well, though given there's a sequel, I'm holding out hope he's not gone for good:) I loved that there was no happily ever after guarantee just like you said, it kept me on the edge of my seat. I'm ready for Stolen Nights:)

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  2. I can't wait to read this. I've had it on my TBR list for far too long. Thanks for the review! :]

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  3. I will be getting this as part of a book tour soon and I can't wait to read it. Great review :)

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  4. Jenny- Yeah, I don't know, the whole situation with Rhode really didn't sit well with me because I liked him as a character SO MUCH. I was emotionally vested in him so easily and so deeply it sort of felt like she did that to me, not him. I can't believe how beautiful Stolen Night's cover is!

    Alissa, Chrisse... Hope you enjoy it as much as I did. Don't let my few qualms put a bad taste in your mouth before you read it. I love that this book actually touches real emotions and that the MC actually hurt my feelings. Lol.

    Happy Reading!

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  5. *Sigh* looks like I am still the only one who really disliked this book.

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  6. I like how dark this book goes. The vampire parts were fun. But her high school life was too cliched for me. And I liked Tony more than Justin.
    I thought that she didn't really understand how much Rhode had to sacrifice until it was too late for anything to change (not that she would have). Rhode really fascinates me. As does Vicken.
    Alison Can Read

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  7. I really enjoyed this book, but did not love Justin and felt angry with Tony's demise. I am interested in seeing what will happen next in this series though. Good review

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