Immortal Without Any Fun

Published: April 24th, 2012

The Immortal Rules

By: Julie Kagawa

HarlequinTeen

ISBN-13: 9780373210510

In a future world, Vampires reign. Humans are blood cattle. And one girl will search for the key to save humanity.

Allison Sekemoto survives in the Fringe, the outermost circle of a vampire city. By day, she and her crew scavenge for food. By night, any one of them could be eaten.

Some days, all that drives Allie is her hatred of them. The vampires who keep humans as blood cattle. Until the night Allie herself is attacked—and given the ultimate choice. Die… or become one of the monsters.

Faced with her own mortality, Allie becomes what she despises most. To survive, she must learn the rules of being immortal, including the most important: go long enough without human blood, and you will go mad.

Then Allie is forced to flee into the unknown, outside her city walls. There she joins a ragged band of humans who are seeking a legend—a possible cure to the disease that killed off most of humankind and created the rabids, the mindless creatures who threaten humans and vampires alike.

But it isn't easy to pass for human. Especially not around Zeke, who might see past the monster inside her. And Allie soon must decide what—and who—is worth dying for.

My Review

   Allison Sekemoto has been scrounging for herself on the streets ever since her Mother died years ago.  She refuses to be registered to the vampires as a portable bloodbank in exchange for food and quasi-protected status.  So instead she is Unregistered, roaming the streets with a gang of misfits trying to avoid the attention of any vampires altogether and not starve to death while she's at it.  But then one night Allison and her friends are caught in a dangerous situation with rabid vampires and she is almost killed by them.  A mysterious vampire named Kanin comes to her rescue, giving her the choice to turn - she  chooses to become a vampire, the very thing she hates the most.  Allison must learn to reconcile herself to survival, even if it means doing anything that's necessary.  Then an unexpected problem leaves her alone, causing her to end up joining a band of wanderers who are searching for Eden, a mythical city of technology and most importantly, no vampires AT ALL.  Along the way she begins to have feelings for Zeke, a kind human boy.  But he's been indoctrinated to hate all vampires and she knows she will lose him sooner or later.  Can Allison and the others survive and will they find Eden after all?  And will Zeke be more complicated than Allison expected?  I was excited for this book because it sounded different from most of the other vampire books that I've read.  Considering how burnt out the vampire craze of the past few years has left me, it takes a book that seems really special to perk my interest.   I did end up liking Allison and her sense of inherent loyalty to her friends, her belief system and herself.  She didn't let being a vampire make her an inhumane monster like most of them were.  However, the whole star-crossed love situation was not played out in a way that garnered my sympathy.  I liked Zeke and I liked Allie - just not together.  Ruth (one of the wanderers) was just too unlikable to be realistic at all.  Being on the run like that doesn't lend any realism to being that much of a petty little bitch.  You'd think she'd have outgrown it by then.  I loved the dystopian aspects of the book.  But the description got a little purple-prose for my taste, with the fight scenes leaving me skimming ahead rather than being transfixed.  I liked the book, but it was not the book for  me and while that disappointed me I understand why.  I should have realized it after reading Kagawa's Iron Fey series with a mediocre reaction.  This is only recommended for hardcore vampire fans or fans of Kagawa's previous works.  

VERDICT:  2.25/5  Stars

*I received an Advanced Reading E-book Copy from the publisher, via NetGalley. No money or favors were exchanged for this review. This book was published April 24th, 2012.*