I don't usually read vampire books - as a matter of fact, I stay away from them because they do nothing for me. It's just the fact that I'm a Kirsty Eagar fangirl that made me read this book.
So maybe this book is not that special within the genre, but I absolutely loved it because it felt different. I suppose (and I always want to write I reckon after I read a Kirsty Eagar book) that if I had to step out of my comfort zone and read a vampire book, this was a good choice.

Kirsty Eagar took a real event, the sinking of the East India Company ship, Batavia and the massacre that followed and added a vampire twist to it.

You have a secret vampire organization, five very normal teenagers, a fatally ill man, and four really nasty vampires fighting - all against each other.

I loved Jamie. He's this boy who did something he regrets, and he just can't live it down. I think it was more that he couldn't forgive himself, than everyone around him blaming him for it. His thoughts felt somehow realistic, and there was a tiny bit of hopelessness in them which made me very sympathetic to him. There was also determination which made me root for him so much. As much as he wanted to give up, he never did.
Tanner was my favorite of the bunch, for reasons unknown. He was like a voice of reason to Jamie, the way he would keep him in check. I just loved him.

And I loved the little story between Kelly and Jamie and hoped beyond hope that I would get at least something for rooting for them.

The mutineers' plan was brilliant, actually. I found myself wondering if it would have worked if something like that happened for real and I realized that it totally would! The setting was great, I could feel the music festival excitement, and I can definitely see how something like Juice being distributed for free wouldn't have seemed suspicious to anyone!

Oh, I'm kind of mad for what the author did to Sophie. She isn't a major character in the story, but my mind kept going back to her, and what would happen to her if...well, if they managed to stop the vampires. Just awful.

I won't gush about Kirsty Eagar's writing, because I'm a fangirl so there's no point. I thought it was wonderful prose, and I loved that it was written from 3rd person POV. There is a bit of head-hopping which caught me off guard but I got over it. As with her other books, surfing is a big element of the story.

If you are looking to get all hot and bothered over vampires, this is not the book you want to read. If you're looking to read about kickass vampire slayers, this is also not your book. Because these teens have nothing working in their favor, just pure will to survive. The book may be a bit slow but the last ten percent totally makes up for it. The suspense of what will happen next was killing me. I say I definitely loved the book and recommend it, but it may not be everyone's cup of tea. ( )

Saltwater Vampires
By
Kirsty Eager

My " in a nutshell" summary...

Ooh...yum...watery vamps...Australian surfers...and a dangerous outcome for a small Australian town.

My thoughts after reading this book...

Jamie...young surfer...suddenly undergoing weirdly odd feelings as though he is turning into a vampire...which he is...has awakened to find that his neck has been bitten, he has a sensitivity to sunlight, and he has an unquenchable thirst.

Jamie and the vamp who has bitten him...have to save the world...or at least their town.

There are some really very bad vampires, an equally bad sort of federation...and two teenagers who have to try to prevent themselves from totally turning...oh my goodness!

Whew!

What I loved about this book...

Hmmm...I loved the matter of fact way that Jamie's friends accepted and helped him in his beginning throes of vampiredom. I loved the story...t was sort of scary, filled with lovely vampy history...and fascinating.

What I did not love...

Perhaps a ad too long...although I loved this book I was ready for
the ending.

Final thoughts...

I found this to be a yummy different vampire story. The vampires come out of the ocean! ( )

Ah Kirsty Eagar, how I love thee (in a non creepy way) let me count the ways 1 is Raw Blue, 2 is Night Beach and 3 is Saltwater Vampires, 4 better be coming soon (I need more love in my life!)

Seriously, I have been wanting to read Saltwater Vampires for months and finally slotted it into my schedule despite the demands on it. An Australian YA paranormal thriller, Saltwater Vampires twists the famed mutiny and massacre that occurred after the shipwreck of the Batavia off the West Australian coast in 1629 into a vampiric legend that centuries later endangers the residents of Rocky Head, a small coastal town.

The main protagonist is fifteen year old local surfer Jamie, accompanied by his best mate Tanner, new girl Talia, Kelly and Willem. After being attacked during a pre dawn surf by Dale, with whom he shares a tragic past, Jamie notices odd changes within himself and begins to hunt for answers. This small band of teens then finds themselves in the midst of a horrific conspiracy while trying to negotiate curfew, relationships and blood thirsty vampires.

The isolated town and the blackened ocean at night provides a gothic atmosphere, which grows increasingly sinister as the residents are affected by the cabal’s plan. Eagar builds the suspense carefully, her characters threatened by both obvious and unexpected enemies. Though the pace is a little slow at times, the novel bursts into a frenzy of action as the final confrontation draws near and it becomes impossible to put it down.

Fans of the classic cult movie The Lost Boys will adore Saltwater Vampires but Eagar’s own unique skill as a storyteller ensures everyone will appreciate this supernatural tale. With wonderful writing, an original plot and engaging characters, Saltwater Vampires is a great read. ( )

This New Year, Jamie and his avid surfing friends have more on their mind than catching good waves, making money, and enjoying themselves at the local music festival when they stumble upon a 400-year-old vampire plot and employ all the resources they have on hand in order to save their town.

There are few authors I would trust to write a truly original and good vampire story. Kirsty Eagar is one of them, and she delivers beautifully with SALTWATER VAMPIRES, her sophomore novel. Quirky, fast-paced, and sprawling, SALTWATER VAMPIRES should be your next read if you’re looking for a book that’s, well, pretty much like no other.

Usually the adjectives “quirky,” “fast-paced,” and “sprawling” aren’t used together to describe one book, but hey, this is Kirsty Eagar we’re talking about here, and she defies norms. SALTWATER VAMPIRES is quirky because, as others have said, it is a purely Australian vampire thriller. It combines elements of the paranormal, thriller, horror, and YA contemporary, presented in a distinctly Australian writing style, by which I mean, in addition to some Australian slang, a deep respect for readers’ intelligences: the book is not going to pause for you to get with it, so you had better not have a lazy reading mind and expect everything to be laid out clearly for you.

SALTWATER VAMPIRES’ fast pace comes from its thriller aspect. The book channels some Dan Brown and Stieg Larsson for its exciting premise. Don’t expect a melodramatic romance here: these 15-year-olds are trying to save their town, and their actions and reactions befit that of one of their age and predicament—that is, they (especially the boys) are going to occasionally say some really stupid things that make you want to clip them upside the head the way you would a younger brother. I truly enjoyed how realistic yet personable the characters were, and would not trade their occasional awkwardness and dramatically heroic decisions for the much more boring and unbelievable antics of a pair (or trio) of luv-struck-dumb teenagers.

Finally, this book is sprawling because of the way it successfully handles its convergence of multiple genres, time periods, and perspectives. In between setting up the Batavia backstory to following the thoughts of some vampire-connected adults on their journey to Australia, the book remains true to its YA genre by treating its teenaged characters the way they should be treated: sympathetically, but with attention paid to their idiosyncracies and (occasional) idiocies.

SALTWATER VAMPIRES doesn’t make vampires out to be anything other than single-minded monsters. It also doesn’t delve too much into the subtle mindsets of adolescents, so if you’re looking for something akin to Raw Blue, you won’t find it here. On the other hand, if you want an exciting read unhampered by teenager melodrama, you’ll want to basically date this book. ( )

Review courtesy of All Things Urban Fantasy

Read Tori's full review at:
http://allthingsurbanfantasy.blogspot.com/2011/01/review-giveaway-saltwater-vamp... ( )