Review #6 Blood and Chocolate

Klause, Annette Curtis. Blood and Chocolate. New York: Delacorte, 1997. Print.

Annotation:

Vivan is young, beautiful, smart and classy. When she paints a picture that is published in the school newspaper depicting herself and her pack as wolves, she tumbles into a relationship with a boy who she believes could be the one human to enjoy her secret. She is warned to stay away from him by the rest of her pack...but being the rebellious teen she is, she doesn't listen. Will Vivian and her kind human Aiden be able to withstand the pack? Will Vivian be forced to reveal her secret of being a wolf-shifter?

Justification for Nomination (genre Supernatural/Horror):

Blood and Chocolate, which won the 1998 YALSA Award for Best Books for Young Adults, is a very easy read that keeps you entranced from the tragic beginning to the triumphant and shocking end. It is written in third person, from the perspective of Vivian, a young and beautiful shifter who grows restless dealing with the annoying young wolves her age. Although she is destined to choose a mate from one of her own, she rebels and meets a kind and gentle boy who seems to understand her. I really enjoyed this book, although I had almost no prior fascination with the genre. I found it even easier to read than some of the books I bought on my own accord, and really enjoyed the ease in which I fit into the life of Vivian and her family. Although the reader might wish Vivian was a little more mature at times, as an adult it is harder to shrink into teen's shoes and think that perhaps this behavior is normal for them. I could relate to Vivian and many levels though, generically, and her strong female character presence in the book made it incredibly alluring to read when she was with one of the male characters.

The plot in this book takes several turns, and I think someone can really enjoy this book for that reason. It was not your typical story and without reading the book or a spoiler you will be unsure of how it ends.