DemonessTenebrae

“I just went to work for a vampire, was scared by a spider, and got knocked down by a tanning bomb. And that’s just my day, not my week.”

“Any fool can kill. It takes genius to create.”

Plot.

Bishop is out of the way, the storm has settled and things are returning to normal. Morganville normal. Amelie is back on top with Oliver as her right hand man and her enemy. The town is being rebuilt and people are returning to their everyday lives.

Claire, Eve, Shane and Michael think that they can finally return to their normal lives. Claire is happy to go to school and to study both the school curriculum and Myrnin's lectures. Shane got a job just as Michael is continuing with his live performances. Eve has gotten herself a role in a musical...

But!

There is something wrong with Amelie. She is depressed, unstable and distant. Even Oliver is concerned for her and for the future of Morganville.

Eve has a new best friend, Kim. A girl who also got a role in the musical. She is an artist and Shane's ex-hookup. Which doesn't sit well with Claire. Claire is jealous and she feels alone. Since Eve spends most of her time with Kim and even Shane still thinks that Kim is cool. Whereas Claire is still doubting her looks and is very uncertain of her relationship with Shane.

Turns out, Kim isn't just some random misunderstood cool artist. She is making a documentary of Morganville. It would be all nice and easy if she wasn't making it about vampires and working with someone to get it out of Morganville. And let's not forget how Ada is turning murderous on top of everything else.

Now, it isn't just about jealousy and friendship, it's about survival.

Review.

Good but not awesome as the previous works. This book is more about feelings and usual teenager and/or relationship stuff rather than action, horror and violence.

We deal with the usual problems such as uncertainty in relationships, discarded friendship, jealousy, inability to accept someone's flaws...

Claire had every right to be jealous of Kim. Kim was obviously doing something wrong and dubious. I would also like to kick her ass if I were in Claire's position. So, no, I don't think she was being childish. It is never easy to be around your boyfriend's ex-girlfriends, much less if they were best friends with your best friend. Claire felt left out just as any other person would. In my opinion, she wasn't bitchy enough, I would be way worse.

I hated that I disliked Eve in this book. I really do. Eve was the best female character so far. Now, she wounded my heart. She was downright awful. She ignored Claire and was suddenly best friends with Kim out of the blue. And she started to hate Michael's vampire side. Now of all times. I can't believe her. But she was still funny though, just as Shane and the hottie mchottie Michael. And the unavoidable gorgeous unstable fascinating Myrnin.

Regarding the sex tapes (yep, Big Brother all around):

“Goodness," Myrnin said quietly. "I don't think I should be watching this. I don't think I'm old enough.”

One of the best scenes so far:

Claire gave out a little scream and jumped back. In the next fast heartbeat, Myrnin was there, bending over the table, examining the spider with his face only inches from it. “It’s only a hunting spider,” he said. “It won’t hurt you.” “So not the point!” “Oh, pish. It’s just another living creature,” Myrnin said, and put his hand out. The spider waved its front legs uncertainly, then carefully stepped up on his pale fingers. “Nothing to be frightened of, if handled properly.” He lightly stroked the furry back of the thing, and Claire nearly passed out. “I think I’ll call him Bob. Bob the spider.”

Amelie is still far from what she should be. I always complain about her, I know. But now she turned emo with all the depression, you-don't-know-what-it's-like and cutting. An even though I don't really like her, she does have some good moments:

“When I want to be lectured on strategy, I’ll consult someone who actually won battles,” Amelie said. “Not one who ran away from them.”
“Snap,” Eve said.
“You know what they’re talking about?” Shane asked.
“Don’t need to know to get that one. She smacked him so hard his momma felt it.”

Claire is growing up, that's for sure. She is slowly getting stronger and a much more reliable character. I didn't really like her at first, but she's growing on me. Especially after the Kim episode. Michael thinks so as well:

“Some people come to Morganville and collapse,” Michael said as he put the car in motion. “I’ve seen it a dozen times. But there are a few who come here and just—bloom. You’re one of those.”
Claire didn’t feel especially bloomy. “So you’re saying I thrive on chaos.”

And let us not forget the laid back, strong, dreamy guy called Shane:

He grinned and tossed her a second bag. “Silver nitrate and water in a Super Soaker,” he told her. “My own invention. Ought to be good at twenty feet, kind of like wasp spray.”
Oh. “You get me the nicest things.” “Anybody can get jewelry. Posers.”
Eve rolled her eyes. “Let’s go, comedian.”

Or the best ever character so far, Myrnin:

“I don’t see a way in,” Eve whispered.
Why are you whispering?” Myrnin whispered back. “Vampires can hear us, anyway.”

“Claire was struggling through last summer’s diary volume when Myrnin popped in through the portal, wearing a big floppy black hat and a kind of crazy/stylish pimp coat that covered him from neck to ankles, black leather gloves, and a black and silver walking stick with a dragon’s head on it. And, on his lapel was a button that said, If you can read this, thank a teacher.”

“Claire found herself staring at his feet, which were in bunny slippers.
Myrnin looked down. "What?" he asked. "They're quite comfortable." He lifted on to look at it, and the ears wobbled in the air.
"Of course they are," she said. Just when she thought Myrnin was getting his mental act together, he'd do something like that. Or maybe he was just messing with her. He liked to do that, and his dark eyes were fixed on her now, assessing just how weirded-out she was.
Which, on the grade scale of zero to Myrnin, wasn't much.”