Rampant

I must confess, first of all, to having been one of the children that Astrid could never understand; I loved unicorns and owned several My Little Ponies with magic horns. Honestly, I still like the idea of them, although in my world, they certainly are not man-eating monsters. Despite my childish love of pretty, shiny, friendly unicorns, I am not opposed to the idea of these blood-thirsty, fanged, venomous creatures either. Peterfreund does something new with unicorn lore, but she sells it.

The book did not really take off for the first couple hundred pages in my mind, mostly because Astrid spent them trying to escape her destiny. She whined and wished for things to be different. While entirely understandable and necessary even, this show more does not make for the most exciting reading. Once she starts coming into herself more and accepting her unicorn hunter-ness, the book starts moving at a very quick pace.

The action scenes are well done and do not go on long enough to be boring. The book is definitely violent; be prepared for bloodshed and bad things to happen. Peterfreund tackles really important issues, such as what exactly constitutes virginity and rape. She does so very well, presenting ideas without beating the audience over the head with her opinions. These parts really make the reader think. I even think that (sections, at least) of this book could be used in a study on virginity for a sexual ethics course (yes, they do exist, as I took one).

Shameful though it may be thought to admit it, I worried a bit about a book where the main character has to remain virginal or lose what makes her the main character. I suspected there would be a lack of romance and male characters, since romance in paranormal books often equals sex these days. Let me just say that there is romance in this book, although there are no overdramatic declarations of love on first eye contact.

I highly recommend this book for fantasy lovers. It has action, romance and well-drawn, multi-faceted characters that grow and change through the series. This might be a good book for Hunger Games fans searching for something else exciting and fantastical, although not quite as heartbreaking. show less

Astrid just wants to grow up to be a doctor, but her mother's obsession with unicorns has made it difficult. And then, in the midst of a steamy make-out session with her boyfriend, a unicorn attacks. Turns out her mother was right all along--unicorns do exist, and they're out for our blood. So instead of prom and graduation, Astrid gets shipped to Italy to a unicorn-hunting training camp.

I love the twist of turning unicorns into bloodthirsty predators, and the unicorn-hunters are enjoyably bad-ass. Astrid herself has a detailed, unique, and realistic personality--her interest in medicine doesn't feel tacked-on, and she reads like a confused but smart teen-aged girl. I loved her thoughts on the artificiality and arbitrariness of show more virginity (yes, unicorn hunters have to be virgins) and her use of observation and methodological testing of theories feels like exactly what I want someone in her position to do. Her fellow unicorn-hunters are a diverse bunch, from a model to a street kid, and they have personalities and minor plots of their own. And the setting is pleasantly macabre: the training is held in a ruined convent filled with furniture made from unicorn bones.

Unfortunately, the story falls apart a bit near the end: the climax feels too short and unsatisfying, and several plot threads remain unexplained. But overall, I liked this book and its heroine.

The opening chapters can be read here: http://browseinside.harperteen.com/index.aspx?isbn13=9780061490002 show less

Quick & Dirty: An imaginative and captivating read that will have you terrified one minute and shocked the next.

Opening Sentence: “‘I will never really leave,’ said the unicorn. Diamond sparkles floated from the tip of its glittering silver horn. ‘I will always live in your heart.’”

The Review:

What’s this? Not my loveable Rainbow Brite? My Little Pony? Yeah, not so much and I loved it!

Rampant is a well drawn story with solid unicorn lore, history and amazing world building. I absolutely loved Astrid. She is such a likeable and strong character, not to mention that she kicks major butt. Astrid is struggling with average teenage issues. She’s dating the hottest and most popular guy in school who wants to take their show more relationship to the next level sexually, and dealing with the usual social pressures of school. A major event happens early on in the book and as a result, Astrid is off to Rome. There, she will learn more about the killer unicorns and the history of their hunters. Peterfreund does an excellent job detailing the existence of various types of unicorns. The unicorn lore is layered and complex, but it doesn’t overshadow current events. It was very interesting taking this journey with Astrid. You see Astrid go from being the girl who is in denial and just wants a normal life, and abhors the idea of killing animals, to stepping up and taking charge, and owning her destiny. Her mom is a bit of a train wreck and a character that I couldn’t get behind. She just felt so cold to me, rarely affectionate with her daughter, and had such unrealistic expectations of Astrid. At one point, I thought that she was pathetic for trying to live her life through her daughter. I have to admit that I really loved Bonegrinder. It was really hard reading some of those scenes because I just didn’t want anything bad to happen to my beloved and blood-thirsty Bonegrinder. It will be interesting getting to know the other hunters better and hearing more of their back-story. The love story between Astrid and Giovanni is actually pretty devastating. Astrid grapples with her physical and emotional reactions to Giovanni, and looks to him as a way out of the death and destruction. Giovanni is older and more experienced, and views his relationship with Astrid as more than physical gratification. Their relationship will certainly be fraught with difficulty and full of sacrifice for both parties.

Overall, I think Rampant is an excellent read. These rabid and deadly unicorns will absolutely terrify you. This book has it all, from making out, to fight scenes, flesh eating mythical creatures, deadly kills, heartbreak, and downright gore. The pacing of the book is good and the premise is certainly engaging. I actually bit all of my nails off while reading this book. Many thanks, Ms. Peterfreund. Yes, I did go to get a manicure afterward. I’m really looking forward to reading the sequel.

Notable Scene:

Again, the darkness quivered, deepest indigo on black. But then, as I had that night in the forest, I saw it more clearly. I…felt it. Just beyond the arch it stood, waiting for me, waiting for the boys, waiting to pounce. Far bigger than Bonegrinder. Far bigger than any zhi. Dappled skin, a heavy, dark mane, and a long, evil horn.

“Are you all right?” Giovanni asked, taking my arm and pulling me back toward him. “I’ve never seen anyone move so fast,” he went on. “You looked like you disappeared for a second.”

FTC Advisory: I purchased a copy of this book. In addition, I don’t receive affiliate fees for anything purchased via links from my site. show less

16 year old Astrid has always thought her mother was nuts with all her talk of killer unicorns and how they were driven to extinction by a virgin ancestor. But when Astrid’s best chance for a prom date is mauled by a unicorn in an apparent reemergence, Astrid discovers the truth behind the legends and joins a convent of virgin warrior maidens in Rome charged with protecting mankind from the foul beasts.

Sounds kind of out there doesn’t it? But Author Peterfreund has done her research and actually bases both the virgin warriors and the killer creatures on historical myths and legends, and weaves them perfectly into the tapestry of this thrilling novel.

There are so many things to love about this book. Let’s start with the show more characters. There are a lot of them, but even the supporting players get distinctive enough personalities that you can tell them apart. There’s Astrid - the type of sarcastically hilarious, fiercely loyal girl you want as a best friend (and want on your side in the case of a killer unicorn apocalypse). There’s also her free-spirited and athletic cousin Philippa. And there are the couple of boys that become serious threats to their virginity and their powers. (Abstinence programs take note – this book makes a great case for keeping your virginity!)

I also loved that the book takes you on an emotional journey with Astrid. There are the highs of a successful hunt, a stolen kiss (ok, a lot of stolen kisses), and discovering the benefits of her powers. But there are also the lows of defeat, of discouragement, of wanting to give it all up.

One last thing I want to mention is how much I enjoyed the scenes with Bonegrinder, the small unicorn of the zhi variety that lives with the convent girls. She is as sweet as a kitten to virgins but gores anyone else. Every time she was around, I just wanted to cuddle my kitten even tighter. show less

Imagine a world where unicorns are not only real, but the antithesis of the cuddly, soul saving, pointy-horned creatures fantastical literature has made them out to be. Usually, when I give the basic premise of the series to my fellow readers, I get a raised eyebrow and a skeptical expression. To which I always answer, “Just trust me, you’ll love it.” And thus far, I’m pleased to report that has, overwhelmingly, been the case.

Astrid just wants to be a regular teenage girl, but her mother, a descendent of Alexander the Great, knows Astrid’s destiny is far superior to ordinary high school life – she’s one of the few who can protect the world from the five races or unicorns who seek to destroy humanity. So Astrid is shipped show more off to a ramshackle training facility in the heart of Rome to begin her education in world saving. But fewer and fewer young women can join her in her quest against the unicorns as there is a clause in the world saving rules that keeps many eligible youngsters from being able to fulfill their noble destiny: they have to be virgins. And someone, out in the world, outside of their cloistered training ground (or possibly within it), is trying to make sure that the number of unicorn killers is kept to a minimum by taking advantage of this clause. Astrid must decide if she truly wants the life of a unicorn killer and if she’s willing to give up a budding romance with a delicious Italian in order to fulfil her destiny.

I know, that’s full of clichés about a teenage girl finding herself. It is Diana Peterfreund’s prose that makes the story impossible to let go of and ridiculously hard to put down. Astrid’s voice is firm and clear, she’s her own person and her character development is flawless. Like Amy before her, Astrid is an inspiration and role model for those looking to stand on their own two feet and fight for themselves. show less

This was a fast, exciting read, as many supernatural books of late have been. Nice butt-kicking main character, great setting (Rome), great monsters to fight (unicorns), and original in many ways. The reason it's a 3 and not a 4 is simply that there were some confusing parts, parts that I think many young people would get tripped up on. Some of the characters loyalties were never clear, and there were some actions with shaky motivation. BUT, a great read nonetheless.

I plan to die in another decade or two. That's barely enough time to finish Ulysses, much less read YA novels (the first in a series!) about a snarky heroine (Astrid) who happens to stumble across a poisonous, malevolent unicorn in the woods while she's necking with her low-rent boyfriend (Brandt), but retains the presence of mind to call her mother ... because her mother (Lilith) is the Queen of All Things Unicorn and knows that Astid is destined to - what else? - join a roaming gang of female teenage virgins and hunt down the poisonous beasts and slay them in their lair.

Or something. I didn't finish the book. I got past "pop my cherry" and "hand job" with no problems, but coming right behind was "my mother's psychosis was not only show more genetic, it had uniformity of type as well", and there, right there, I lost my suspension of disbelief. No teenager in the history of teenagers has ever talked like that AND believed in unicorns AND dated the hottest guy in school for a month and a half without putting out. No, no, no. show less