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threemonkeysThe story goes something like this. Picture a world where humans and vampires are locked in a bitter struggle. A young woman is captured by a group of vampires and held as food/temptation for another vampire they hold captive. The young woman finds that she has powers which enable her to free herself and the grateful captive vampire. These two form a bond as they battle the vampires and misguided humans. By the way - the young woman has a very supportive group of friends and family around her.
It sounds awful. It sounds almost like the premise of Buffy. However the silly premise of Buffy was transformed by the genius of Joss Whedon who managed to pull it off and make something spectacular. For Buffy, as is always the case, the imitators came along and thought that it was just the story that matters and made genuinely awful attempts to replicate the success. These attempts are usually so sad that there is no way you should even attempt to touch let along watch or read.
However, the description above is not the description of Buffy. It is the description of Sunshine by Robin McKinkey. Despite the trite plot and setting, it is not awful. In fact it is quite wonderful. The thing is that McKinley appears to realise that it is not the story but the storytelling that matters. There are many elements which contribute to this. The writing has that apparent simplicity about it that writers find so hard to manage. The main character is drawn with a complex depth. The writing manages a wry look at darkness without losing the horror. The first person narrative is very well paced and makes the book one of those "hard to put down" articles that interfere with sleep patterns. So taken together, these elements combine to make an enjoyable whole. Very possibly the best vampire book I have read - certainly the best for many years.
I would not have read this book were it not for the insistence of a couple of people who urged me to look past the description on the back cover to find a good book. It is good to have friends who look out for you like that.
It sounds awful. It sounds almost like the premise of Buffy. However the silly premise of Buffy was transformed by the genius of Joss Whedon who managed to pull it off and make something spectacular. For Buffy, as is always the case, the imitators came along and thought that it was just the story that matters and made genuinely awful attempts to replicate the success. These attempts are usually so sad that there is no way you should even attempt to touch let along watch or read.
However, the description above is not the description of Buffy. It is the description of Sunshine by Robin McKinkey. Despite the trite plot and setting, it is not awful. In fact it is quite wonderful. The thing is that McKinley appears to realise that it is not the story but the storytelling that matters. There are many elements which contribute to this. The writing has that apparent simplicity about it that writers find so hard to manage. The main character is drawn with a complex depth. The writing manages a wry look at darkness without losing the horror. The first person narrative is very well paced and makes the book one of those "hard to put down" articles that interfere with sleep patterns. So taken together, these elements combine to make an enjoyable whole. Very possibly the best vampire book I have read - certainly the best for many years.
I would not have read this book were it not for the insistence of a couple of people who urged me to look past the description on the back cover to find a good book. It is good to have friends who look out for you like that.