Ema Toyama

Cliche and simple, and that makes it more than well done.

Mito's looks are said to be the golden ticket through life, but someone forgot to tell life that. After being fired from the cafe, Mito's back on the street without a thing to live off of. When Ruka, a vampire, crosses Mita's path and soon offers to take care of everything, it's not hard to agree. After all, allowing a vampire to feed a little here and there with the promise of knowing how to stop is better than dying on the streets. It might be a dangerous game, but Mito doesn't realize how deadly until she discovers that Ruka doesn't like girls...only the ones he reads about on paper. Mito dresses up as a boy to keep herself safe, since she usually lives on the streets, but she's shocked Ruka hasn't figured that out. Now, she's not sure how she can keep her secret because going back on their deal is no longer an option.

Fans of Vampire Knights, Boys over Flowers, or any tales, which swim between those lines, will enjoy this one. The story is nothing original...(poor girl agrees to deal to survive with hot and wealthy guy, finds out things might not be as she thought, has other hot guys interested in her, romance buds from one direction or the other, and soon, she has all sorts of problems)...but it's exactly this cliche-ness which makes it so wonderful. It's the kind of read to pick up, know what's basically coming up, and yet, has enough twists and turns to pull the reader in.

The graphics follow the plot, allowing it to give the right emotions and context, and creating a great balance with the written words. It's easy to follow, easy to understand, and a quick read. There is a side bar, every now and then, with a humorous cat adding its tidbits. This cheeses it up just right and fits the tale, in general. Because while there is a dark hint, it keeps itself light, too. So, it's a fun mix.

I always find that these are, if anything, too short. The characters gain the needed depth to make them interesting and engaging, and the plot thickens with twists and hints at danger to come. But of course, there's just enough to wet the fangs before the volume is done. The urge to grab up the next one and see what happens next is definitely there. I received a complimentary copy through Netgalley.… (more)