Darkride by Laura Bradley Rede

Darkride by Laura Bradley Rede
Published: 9th December 2011
Young Adult
Buy the book: Amazon/B&N/Smashwords

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This book had me laughing out loud at times but it also brought tears to my eyes. A definite rollercoaster of emotion. A dark ride.

Ander McNair used to be the favorite son of a great monster-hunting family – until he was bitten by a werewolf and the hunter became the hunted. Now anything that makes his pulse race, even a kiss from his girlfriend Cicely, is enough to turn him into a monster. When he finally gets a chance to earn his cure by killing a vampire prince, he finds he has to choose between his own past and the future of the girl he loves. Can a guy who’s not even human learn what it means to be a man? 

Luke Marianez used to be an immortal vampire prince – until the witch he loved betrayed him and cursed him with the ability to die. Now he lives in the world of vampire blood bars, where the waitresses are the drinks, and dreams about killing the last of the witch’s line so he can live forever. But revenge doesn’t just mean breaking the curse. He wants to break the girl’s heart, too. Can Luke seduce Cicely without falling in love himself? 

Cicely Watson doesn’t believe in werewolves or vampires. She’s not even sure she believes in true love. But she’s about to discover what every werewolf knows: 

People change.

You see the words girl, vampire and werewolf and you immediately think "another Twilight rip off". Nothing could be further from the truth. That is about as far as the similarities go.

From the moment I was a couple of pages in, I did not want to stop reading. Written from Cecily's, Ander's and Luke's POV, this just captures the readers attention. It's fast paced and exciting, at times I was on the edge of my seat with my heart in my mouth. It kept me guessing throughout, I had no idea what direction we were going to be taken in.

Cicely is an awesome main character. She is best friends with Ander, but secretly crushing on him. When he lets her down, she turns to Luke, who is only too happy to hang out with her. But this has unexpected consequences for him. Ander and Luke are natural enemies but they both need to make changes and work together for the sake of Cecily. They now have something in common.

Cicely is a normal girl one day and thrown into a world of vampires and werewolves the next. I was amazed and awed at her strength and courage as she dealt with not only trying to save her own life, but also the lives of those around her. I still don't know exactly how I feel about some things that happen in this book, I will have to see how the next one plays out before I can make my decision.

I love Ander and Luke and I'm completely torn between them. Normally I find it quite easy to pick a favourite in the love triangle, usually the guy who got there first, but not here. They are both great guys in their own ways.

I really like Emmie too. She totally loves being a thrall and she is such a happy, friendly person that it would be impossible not to like her. Zoe is also a really good friend to Cicely and she is lucky to have her.

Laura has put her own stamp on the mythology of vampires and werewolves. There are two different types of vampire, the ones who are born and the ones who are made. The ones who are made are undead. They don't heal from their injuries and can be killed by sunlight. The ones who were born are trying to get their immortality back.

I would definitely recommend this book, vampires, werewolves, romance and action, what more could a girl want?

"I press my lips to the curve of her neck, just to prove I am strong, just to prove I can do it. But I can't. I'm going to bite."