The Silver Kiss

As much as I don't want to describe it as such, I can only really think of this book in terms of its similarity to Twilight. It's not nearly as corny - not by a long shot - but it's kind of the same idea. Zoe's going through big family changes, she doesn't feel like she belongs, and then a pale boy she's instinctively drawn to shows up and they connect on some weird, inexplicable level - despite his protests that he's not good for her. Poor Bella. I mean Zoe.

The fact that this isn't as superficially cheesy as Twilight is the only thing that saved this for me. The ending was a little weird, too. I'm not sure I really understood it, but I won't consider that so harshly. It was still an okay book. ( )

This book was on a regular reading schedule in high school, I have to remember to buy a copy so I can dip back into it from time to time. Not quite as beloved as COMPANIONS OF THE NIGHT, this was a great YA vampire book. ( )

I remember reading this book in Library School in a YA class and really liking it, so I came back again and reread it. With the vampire craze on this is good choice for those looking for a read-alike of the Twilight series. Romantic, mysterious, many of the same plot lines of the books by Meyer, but safe for teens to read. Instead of a absent mother (in Twilight series) Zoe has a dead Mother, and a mysterious boyfriend who has a secret (guess what it is?) Wonder if Stephenie Meyer read this book back in 1992 when it first came out? ( )

Summary: Zoe's life is falling apart, and she has no one to share it with: her mother is dying from cancer, her father is growing increasingly distant in his grief, and her best friend is moving away. When she meets a strange, pale boy named Simon, she's instinctively drawn to him, and even though she knows she shouldn't trust him, she feels like he really gets her, and understands the losses she's going through. And she's right, Simon does understand death... because he's a vampire, and has been alone on his quest to track a savage murderer through the centuries.

Review: Maybe if I had read this in junior high, shortly after it was published, I would have had an easier time identifying with the characters. Maybe if I had read this before I got so thoroughly burnt out on vampires, I would have found it more interesting. Maybe if I had read this before I started reading critically (or cynically, take your pick), I would have found the writing style easier to deal with. Maybe a lot of things... but maybe not.

This book does do one thing very well, namely portray Zoe's mix of emotions in the face of her mother's illness. I didn't identify with it personally (thank god!) but it felt very real and very raw, and I can see how it would really resonate with a reader who has lost a loved one to illness, especially at a young age.

But all of the rest of the story, all of the vampire stuff and the "romance", does not hold up particularly well. It may have been new and interesting when it first came out, but it's showing its age in a world that is flooded with teen paranormal romances. Simon wasn't a particularly intriguing character to me, and their relationship felt rather forced and not particularly romantic.

I also really didn't care for the writing style. I didn't notice it so much in Blood and Chocolate, the other one of Klause's books that I've read, but in The Silver Kiss the prose is weirdly blunt and choppy, with a lot of short, declarative sentences, and basically no nuance. It made it feel like it was written for a younger audience than teens, which created some cognitive dissonance with some of the more violent and bloody behavior it portrayed.

This book is short, so it was a fast read, but in the final analysis it just didn't do enough for me. 2.5 out of 5 stars.

Recommendation: It's one of the starting points of the current craze for teen vampire fiction, so it might be worth checking out for historical interest, but on its own merits as a vampire story, it hasn't aged well. ( )

This really WAS a quick read! On the whole, I really enjoyed the book, I found the ending a little too pat for my taste, but Klause's writing style was succinct and entertaining. I liked the dynamic between Zoe and Simon. Their relationship was touching and a bit sad as they each reached out to each other. ( )