Gr 8 Up–In Kagawa’s postapocalyptic dystopia, vampires reign. Allison Sekemoto, 17, and her unregistered gang live in the shabby Fringe of New Covington while vampires rule the Inner City with their human pets, drinking blood donated by their Registered subjects. Unregistered humans roam without meal tickets or the Prince’s protection, prone to arbitrary violence and starvation. In an act of desperation, Allie and her friends venture into the rabid-infested ruins surrounding the city in search of ancient, abandoned food hoards. As clouds roll in heavy with rain, the troupe is ambushed by rabids (Red Lung-infected vampires) and all are brutally murdered. Lying ravaged with death fast approaching, Allie accepts an unexpected offer of immortality from Kanin, joining the blood-sucking race that destroyed her family. His guidance and Allie’s defiance clash with the vampire’s ugly past, leaving her to wander a land swarming with rabids in search of a cure for Rabidism and her own Vampirism. The zealous heroine’s characterization as an anarchist and independent thinker resonates along with classic YA themes of identity and belonging. Her ironic romance with a young man named Ezekiel adds a softer tone to a dynamic and perilous quest. Kagawa devotees can expect lots of bloody carnage in the upcoming movie, as “The Blood of Eden” series has already been optioned by Palomar Pictures.–Jamie-Lee Schombs, Loyola School, New York City
Though she hates the bloodsuckers, Unregistered teen Allison Sekemoto (who's Asian, despite the white girl on the book jacket) chooses vampirism over death. She teams up with a nomadic group of humans searching for Eden, a city without monsters. With its tough-as-nails heroine, abundance of paranormal creatures, and romantic subplot, this post-apocalyptic tale has strong appeal.
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