Review: The Immortal Rules by Julie Kagawa

Allison lives in the outermost circle of a walled-in city. Inside, humans are herded like cattle for vampires. Outside the walls live another blood-thirsty terror -- rabids. “Registered” humans give blood annually to vampires in exchange for food and clothing. Unregistered, like Allison, do not give their blood willing and are forced to scavenge. An unfortunate run-in on a scavenging raid forces Allison to become what she hates most.

The premise of The Immortal Rules caught my attention quickly and I enjoyed the overall storyline. Kagawa complicates the the zombie theme by introducing vampires into their origins. I enjoyed how the story unfolded, learning as Allison discovers how the vampire hierarchy has created a ruling elite across the country.

Allison is a survivor. She does what she must to live another day. She takes risks which lead to steep consequences. She also struggles to keep her new bloodlust in check so that she might protect herself and others. There is a seemingly doomed romance and plenty of action to keep teen readers turning pages.

Those who can’t get enough vampires stories will want to put The Immortal Rules on the their list. It is the first in a trilogy so get ready for an open ending. 

I'm really mixed on this book; I liked it but didn't love it. The action scenes were good, the vampire history and relationships interesting, the rabids fierce, the human nomads strangely rustic. But for me, the first person narration and obligatory-but-nothing-special romance detracted from an intriguing  premise. I’ve added the second book, The Eternity Cure, to my reading list but it may wait for some time.

Publisher: Harlequin Teens, 2012     Pages: 485

Rating: 3 Stars     Source: Public Library