Review: American Vampire by Jennifer Armintrout

• Mass Market Paperback: 336 pages
• Publisher: Mira (February 22, 2011)
• ISBN-10: 0778328783
• Source: Netgalley

Graf, on his way to a party hosted by his vampire sire Sophia, gets lost and finds himself trapped in the small town of Penance, OH. No one has been able to enter or leave in five years. This situation is made worse by a monster, referred to as It, that stalks the citizens of this small, desolate town.

Graf meets Jessa, the sole member of her family who has survived. She’s quite reluctant to accept help from a vampire, but she ultimately offers him a dark room to sleep in. Also residing in Penance is Derek, Jessa’s married ex-boyfriend along with his wife Becky & kids.

The citizens of Penance are already quite critical of Jessa for her relationship with Derek, so when Derek accuses her of being a witch and the creator of It, she & Graf struggle to survive being burned at the stake. At the same time, information about Derkek, and his ties to It, are ultimately unveiled.

American Vampire is a delightful book that combines several genres including horror, thriller, & paranormal romance. I’m typically not a fan of romance of any type, but Armintrout did a good job of balancing that aspect of the book with others.

Readers will hate to love Graf & Jessa. Graff, as a vampire, has one thing on his mind: eating. Well, to be quite frank, after meeting Jessa, he’s not only hungry for her blood but her flesh as well. He’s not apologetic about it either. Graf’s inner dialogue is a side of the story I particularly enjoyed.

Jessa frustrated me to no end. Five years ago she had a potential future but now, like the other citizens, she just had to settle. She continues to go back to her ex-boyfriend despite the fact he is married. She’s known as the town whore, a name they don’t hold back.

However, when you put Graf & Jessa together you get the most unlikely of couples & quite the comical exchange of insults.

This small town lives up to it’s name.  Penance is defined as “a punishment undergone in token of penitence for sin” (Dictionary.com) and the citizens are certainly attempting to make up for the sins of others.  These sins include, but are not limited to, murder, lust & infidelity.

American Vampire is a quick read, one that I would recommend to fans of vampire fiction & paranormal romance.

*Warning: book contains vulgar language, violence, and scenes depicting sex acts*