Review: Vesper by Jeff Sampson

About a year ago (February-ish, I think), the publisher (HarperCollins) put a teaser of Vesper by Jeff Sampson out online.  I read the first 78 pages and really enjoyed them.  But then life happened, and my TBR pile EXPLODED and Vesper got put on the back burner.  Over Christmas, I noticed that the ebook version of Vesper was on sale on Amazon for 99cents (and still is), so I bought it.

 

Here is the summary from Amazon (linked to the ebook version):

Emily Webb is a geek. And she’s happy that way. Content hiding under hoodies and curling up to watch old horror flicks, she’s never been the kind of girl who sneaks out for midnight parties. And she’s definitely not the kind of girl who starts fights or flirts with other girls’ boyfriends. Until one night Emily finds herself doing exactly that . . . the same night one of her classmates—also named Emily—is found mysteriously murdered.

The thing is, Emily doesn’t know why she’s doing any of this. By day, she’s the same old boring Emily, but by night, she turns into a thrill seeker. With every nightfall, Emily gets wilder until it’s no longer just her personality that changes. Her body can do things it never could before: Emily is now strong, fast, and utterly fearless. And soon Emily realizes that she’s not just coming out of her shell . . . there’s something much bigger going on. Is she bewitched by the soul of the other, murdered Emily? Or is Emily Webb becoming something else entirely— something not human? 

As Emily hunts for answers, she finds out that she’s not the only one this is happening to—some of her classmates are changing as well. Who is turning these teens into monsters—and how many people will they kill to get what they want?

As Emily hunts for answers, she finds out that she’s not the only one this is happening to—some of her classmates are changing as well. Who is turning these teens into monsters—and how many people will they kill to get what they want?

Because I had already read the first part of the book and enjoyed it, I figured I was in for a treat.  Overall, I felt a little let down.

I liked how Emily wasn't moody, that she was a self-proclaimed geek and proud of it.  I liked that she didn't just fall for some guy.  I liked how she really questioned what was happening to her.  I was interested to see how an adult male would write a teenage girl, and that was ok, I felt that was right-on. 

But then, I didn't like how the "logical" conclusion to Emily's condition was werewolf.  I honestly didn't see that one coming, for me, the "diagnosis" kind of came out of thin air.  It was "fast paced" in that it moved quick but didn't go into a lot of depth (or enough depth to satisfy me.)

All in all, I was just kind of meh about the book.  I can see how some would LOVE it, but sadly enough, it just wasn't for me.