Book review: Blood and Chocolate
Life used to be so simple for Vivian, when she could only enjoy the sharp thrill of changing into her wolf-self; the nights spent running under the gleaming full moon; the fierce protection of her father, the pack’s leader. But when her father is killed by arson, the pack is thrown into chaos: forced to move to suburban Maryland, both men and women of the pack bicker and fight amongst themselves, jostling for power. Vivian finds refuge from the escalating violence and disunity in her pack in Aiden, who is a gentle human, a mere “meat-boy.” She longs to reveal her double identity to him, believing that he more than anyone else can accept her for both her wolf and human self. But when mysterious and violent attacker threatens to expose the pack, Vivian suddenly finds herself caught between two hostile worlds-and desperately unable to choose.
My thoughts
For me, this book falls under the “I like it…but” category. In many ways, it’s rich and intricate; the characters are never predictable; and the wolf world that Klause creates is alien yet intriguing. But, I think this book is also an example of the limitations of YA fiction for more adult readers. Let me explain.
One of the things that makes the book so richly detailed is the violent, sensual, primal wolf world that Klause creates. It actually took me a while to get used to, because rather than making the wolf pack more human in their behavior, Klause actually makes them seem as feral as real wolves. The males fight each other for dominance as well as for mates; the females have no qualms about using their sexuality to get what they want. There’s even a whole power structure embedded in their gestures, in their facial expressions, and in their physical behavior overall. My mind was slow to understand that these characters are only human-looking on the outside; it was only during a pivotal scene, when the pack finally “chooses” its leader that it clicked in my mind that these shape-changers characters are essentially animals-but in the wildest, freest sense. They don’t hold to morals and standards the same way that humans do.
Vivian makes for an intriguing guide into this primal world. Not only is she conflicted about her wolf identity, but also she’s a jumble of teenage emotions-love, lust, anger, confusion, jealousy, and even pride. Her most interesting inner conflict is when she’s at war with the violent nature of her wolf self. When she’s watching the other males savage each other for dominance, she watches with a dismayed eye: “Why did they have to make their beauty foul? What kind of people were they that they’d kill their friends?” (147). Add to that an attraction to a human boy, and you’ve got a whole one fascinating character on your hands.
But I think maybe that’s where the “but” in my perception of the book comes from. Because Vivian is so fully fleshed out while Klause only skims the surface of the supporting characters. Klause more often tells the essential details about them rather than show them somehow. I can see how the brisk and choppy narrative is suitable for a younger, more impatient audience, but I guess I just wanted more...meat to the rest of the characters, and to the plot.
My thoughts
For me, this book falls under the “I like it…but” category. In many ways, it’s rich and intricate; the characters are never predictable; and the wolf world that Klause creates is alien yet intriguing. But, I think this book is also an example of the limitations of YA fiction for more adult readers. Let me explain.
One of the things that makes the book so richly detailed is the violent, sensual, primal wolf world that Klause creates. It actually took me a while to get used to, because rather than making the wolf pack more human in their behavior, Klause actually makes them seem as feral as real wolves. The males fight each other for dominance as well as for mates; the females have no qualms about using their sexuality to get what they want. There’s even a whole power structure embedded in their gestures, in their facial expressions, and in their physical behavior overall. My mind was slow to understand that these characters are only human-looking on the outside; it was only during a pivotal scene, when the pack finally “chooses” its leader that it clicked in my mind that these shape-changers characters are essentially animals-but in the wildest, freest sense. They don’t hold to morals and standards the same way that humans do.
Vivian makes for an intriguing guide into this primal world. Not only is she conflicted about her wolf identity, but also she’s a jumble of teenage emotions-love, lust, anger, confusion, jealousy, and even pride. Her most interesting inner conflict is when she’s at war with the violent nature of her wolf self. When she’s watching the other males savage each other for dominance, she watches with a dismayed eye: “Why did they have to make their beauty foul? What kind of people were they that they’d kill their friends?” (147). Add to that an attraction to a human boy, and you’ve got a whole one fascinating character on your hands.
But I think maybe that’s where the “but” in my perception of the book comes from. Because Vivian is so fully fleshed out while Klause only skims the surface of the supporting characters. Klause more often tells the essential details about them rather than show them somehow. I can see how the brisk and choppy narrative is suitable for a younger, more impatient audience, but I guess I just wanted more...meat to the rest of the characters, and to the plot.