Vesper

Title: Vesper

Author: Jeff Sampson

Publisher Harper Collins

ISBN: 978-0-06-199276-6

Available: February 2011

Source: Star Book Tours

Emily Webb is an average geek that doesn't get into trouble and hides herself from others her age. When things start happening at night that make her break out of her former shy self on the same night another classmate named Emily dies, she can only think she's been haunted by a ghost. But then even things don't really add up. She is becoming fearless and changing more and more until all she can think about is finding her mate and finding the person responsible for the murders and near murders in the former quiet town.

Paranormal books are all the rage in the young adult section and this one will find a nice comfortable space between them. This book has a little of everything; mystery, death, romance and the element of surprise of the paranormal involved! I loved the way that Mr. Sampson weaved in the interrogation of the Vesper with the actual story. It added a mysterical (not a word I know) element that kept me turning the pages. I knew she was going to get caught, but had no clue how she got to that point. The book flew along and before I realized it 300 pages had come and gone. There were a few spots that seemed to be too short (the BioTech scene for one) and I hope that the friendship of the two best friends is explained more in the future books, but the element of surprise of the deviant behaviour overshadows some of those minor problems. It is actually titled as Vesper (A Deviants Novel) so I hope it isn't long before the next installment comes. Because like any good author....he left lots of loopholes and a few mysteries left to be solved.

This is marked as middle grade lit and young adult but I would say that it is more suited to those in the middle grades than high school. However, anyone with an appetite for Hyde and Jekyll like books will find this appealing. A couple of scenes with alcohol but the consequences were also added in (both in physical and parental areas).

I liked this book and will give it a 6 out of 7 thumbs up! The cover of this book is another amazingly simple but effective picture!

I was given a copy of this book through StarBook Tours to review and pass on. All thoughts contained herein are all mine!