Blood and ChocolateBy: Annette Curtis Klause
Published By: Delacorte
Publication Date: August 1997
Page Count: 264
Buy it at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, or IndieBound
Source: Library
Audience: Young Adult - Fantasy, Werewolves
I read this in a single sitting. I just couldn't stop which is weird because, on the face of it, I don't think this is a 5 birdie book. I am not 100% sure why though... I'm giving it 4.5 for now.
It's about a girl who is a werewolf (or something close to it) who falls for a normal guy, tells him about herself and then all kinds of chaos breaks loose in the town & her pack because of her actions. I found the writing compelling, and I enjoyed reading the main character, Vivian. She's one of those strong leads I like so much, who doesn't mind telling the world to go to hell. She's very headstrong and not always right, but I like how she asserts herself.
I think this is a really quintessential werewolf book, and I think anyone who is a fan of the genre should read this - there are so many things to like. If you enjoyed the Andrea Cremer Nightshade books, you will love Vivian. She suffers from similar problems to Calla Tor, female in a male wolf's world etc, but her solutions are quite different. It also has plenty in here for fans of The Wolves of Mercy Falls by Maggie Stiefvater too. The werewolves have very believable wolf behavior, and it was great to see them being quite animalistic.
Final word... I think this is pretty hot for YA, so I wouldn't let anyone younger than a 13 yr old read it, and even then it would depend on the 13yr old. There's a lot of lust going on within!
Vivian Gandillon relishes the change, the sweet, fierce ache that carries her from girl to wolf. At sixteen, she is beautiful and strong, and all the young wolves are on her tail. But Vivian still grieves for her dead father; her pack remains leaderless and in disarray, and she feels lost in the suburbs of Maryland. She longs for a normal life. But what is normal for a werewolf?
Then Vivian falls in love with a human, a meat-boy. Aiden is kind and gentle, a welcome relief from the squabbling pack. He’s fascinated by magic, and Vivian longs to reveal herself to him. Surely he would understand her and delight in the wonder of her dual nature, not fear her as an ordinary human would.
Vivian’s divided loyalties are strained further when a brutal murder threatens to expose the pack. Moving between two worlds, she does not seem to belong in either. What is she really—human or beast? Which tastes sweeter—blood or chocolate?
