High hopes and huge disappointments - What are my two key emotions for this odd, disjointed and often off-putting supernatural endeavor called Drain You, Alex? It all sounds so good at first glance - a unique, quirky protagonist, evil vampires, a humorous and dry tone - but none, none of that lives up to expectations. The title is the most appropriate thing about the whole book: I felt the will to read drain out of me the more pages I turned. The "humor" here wasn't funny, the main character is one of the most unlikeable people I've ever had the misfortune to have to read about, there was no real presence of any tension in the novel, and the "plot" is MIA for the majority of the novel. It's a mess, and not a fun one.

If you don't like main character Quinlan, chances are high you are not going to like the rest of what Drain You has to offer. I hated Quinn. Hated, hated, hated, like I haven't disliked a fictional being in a loooong, long time. She's self-centered, selfish, rude, annoying, stupid, ungrateful, unthinking... I could go on and on with what's wrong with Quinn and her "characterization". Pages of my reading notes for this book are littered with things like: "WHAT did she just say?" "Why does she treat everyone around her like shit?" "Why am I supposed to care for a character that doesn't have the decency to warn other people when she is putting their lives and their entire families' lives!, in mortal danger?"

This was my main reaction to almost anything Quinn says or does:

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And what else do I hate in YA novels besides dumb, superficial female protagonists? Instalove, and with a murderous, mysterious vampire! (How original! I've never read another YA paranormal book/series like that!) Be warned: Drain You has that hackneyed romantic element in spades. Quinn is astonishingly like the hated Bella in regards to her undead lover: they both consider their lives as "meaningless" when separated from their vampire boyfriends (in Quinn's case this is after knowing James less than three weeks' time. And her life is "meaningless" without him? GET A GRIP), they both fail to understand the danger of what they're involved in, they're both flat and dull girls who don't really know what they're getting into. Quinn is Bella - just with a "punk" twist and a much more liberal wardrobe. She even has the normal human boys that just can't help but fall in love with her! (and that she summarily rejects, uses, rejects, and then uses again. It's gross.)

Despite the (or maybe as a direct result of) complete lack of tension or suspense in the novel, I was majorly, majorly underwhelmed by both the final conflict and the denouement shown here. Maybe that's a direct result of the lack of plot, or antagonist presence but the end of the novel is flatter than the cardboard Quinn was made from. Either/or, it could go both ways because really neither the plot nor the villains play much into the storyline. The bulk of this disjointed, choppy narrative is devoted purely to all angst and emo and melodrama about how lonely and bored and cool poor little Quinn is, when really all she is is insufferable. Even when she is the direct cause of ALL THE PROBLEMS she faces with Morgan, Naomi. Whit and James, Quinn feels the most for...herself, takes no responsibility or ownership over the danger she puts everyone in. Not once. Fuck, I hated this character. GTFO.

Drain You was an entirely underwhelming disappointment, one I wish I had DNF'd halfway through. If I could tell past-Jessie "it doesn't get any better, any funnier, any cleverer" I would've set this down after Quinn decides two stalker-y nightwalks with a creepy, blood-covered boy constitute the beginning of a good relationship. No. Just no. Lots of potential, extremely poor execution is the final verdict on the mess that is Drain You. ( )

Originally reviewed at http://www.flyleafreview.com/2012/08/book-review-giveaway-drain-you-by-m.html

3.5/5 Stars

Okay, so you you may have heard all the comparisons Drain You has to Twilight, and you may have heard that there is a ferocious case of insta-love at work in this book as well. I heard these things too, and I still decided to read Drain You. Why? Both of those things would have normally made me run for the hills. I liked Twilight just fine when I read it , but I have moved on and don't particularly wish to read rehashed versions. And insta-love? Well, I made my thoughts on that subject clear here.

No, I read Drain You for one reason alone: The nostalgia factor. The very talented Jen over at Jen Ryland/ YA Romantics wrote this awesome review of Drain You, which included a spot on Helpful 90s Glossary for the Tragically Young. I read that and I was hooked. I went on to land two ARC's of Drain You, so I call that a sign, people. I was meant to read this book. And the verdict? Having read for the 90s nostalgia, I was not disappointed. I loved that part of the book. Is everything in this book perfect? No. But if you grew up during the 80s and 90s, I think you will find Drain You to be an awesome walk down memory lane.

The Nostalgia Factor

Nostalgia- a sentimental longing for the past, typically for a period or place with happy personal associations.

Having spent the better part of my twenties during the 1990s, this book definitely brought back a lot of memories. There were a multitude of 80s and 90s movie references worked into the story: Heathers and The Lost Boys immediately come to mind but there are snippets of Less Than Zero, Pretty in Pink, and Teen Wolf as well. There's the music: we've got The Cure, The Red Hot Chili Peppers and Nirvana as well as Ice Cube and Dr. Dre. There's also the 90s fashion (flannel and Doc Marten's of course) and the language: I haven't heard anyone call somebody's look crucial or use the term cool beans in years. I pretty much had a smile on my face the entire time I was reading the book.

And there was just an overall slacker attitude prevalent among the characters, and throughout the book, that totally rings true of the entire decade. None more so then the main character of Quinlan. Now I know a lot of the people who have read Drain You haven't liked her character. And it's true, her redeeming qualities (and yes, she does have them) are kind of buried under her less than redeeming qualities. Quin is a slacker extraordinaire, she's got the whole goth/grunge/hip hop/Bohemian vibe going on. She's also a player, juggling not one, not two, but three potential love interests in the book. She is manipulative, and uses and abuses boy friends and girl friends to get what she wants. In some ways she's kind of like a guy. She is immature and unrealistic, but she's not an adult, so I can't fault in her completely. In short she's not the most likable of characters. But you know what? Those are the kind of characters I actually like to read about. And she does have some likable characteristics. She's fiercely loyal, snarky and funny, and she does exhibit remorse when she she treats someone badly. In the end I liked Quin, I liked her voice and I liked her attitude. It's definitely not the norm as far as YA protagonists go, and I liked that too.

There are a handful of other characters in Drain You, including Quin's main love interest James, his brother Whit, and Quin's smitten co worker, Morgan. There's also Quin's best friend Libby, and James and Whit's sister Naomi. And there are some bad guys affectionately termed the Spaders (after all the bad boy roles actor James Spader played in various 80s and 90s movies.) Of all these my favorite was probably Whit, anyone who has a poster of Diane Keaton and Woody Allen in Annie Hall and a beat up typewriter in his room scores automatic bonus points in my opinion.

The characters of Quin and James do seem to hit it off a little too quickly for my taste. If I were being honest I would have to say that the romance between the two didn't exactly wow me but I did enjoy the interaction and banter between the two.

True to most YA lit, there is minimal interaction with parental units. Which I think is unfortunate because I have read some really great YA lately that didn't brush off the parents and instead had them play active roles in the story. But here Quin's parents are reminiscent of the parents of Winona Ryder's character Veronica in Heathers, present but not really present.

I also enjoyed the L.A. setting in Drain You. It reminded me of equal parts Valley Girl, Clueless, and the world of Francesca Lia Block's Weetzie Bat series with mentions of hip landmarks interspersed throughout.

There's a fair amount of action paced throughout the book but the thing that keeps me from rating Drain You higher is the conclusion. I recently read a book that ended on a very open note. It turned out that the book is the first in a planned series, so the unresolved ending didn't bother me as much because I know there are future books in the works. In Drain You, the ending is not only unresolved, but very, very abrupt. There is a big dramatic final scene and then Bam! The book just stops. It was jarring and a bit weird. I have no idea if Bloom plans to continue on with this story and these characters, so I am kind of left scratching my head over the whole thing. Will I ever know what happens to Quin, James and the rest of the gang? It's still unclear at this point and that bothers me.

So Drain You was both a hit and a miss for me. I absolutely adored the nostalgic take on the 1980s and 90s. I liked the unconventional character of Quin and the cool beans setting of L.A. circa 1990-something. But the lackluster romance and strangely abrupt ending of the book ruffled me a bit. I would definitely read a sequel should M. Beth Bloom choose to write one, I liked the characters and the story and would be interested to see what happens in the end. But like Jen, I think to fully enjoy this book you need to be a bit older than the average YA reader.

3.5/ 5 Stars ( )

Review courtesy of Dark Faerie Tales

Quick & Dirty: This novel fell far below its potential, turning into a Gossip Girl meets the Twilight Saga that relied heavily on YA cliches. The writing, however, was talented.

Opening Sentence: The canyons were hot at night, even with the desert winds whipping through the hills.

The Review:

I want to start out by saying that I am so angry at this book. At Bloom. There was so much potential in this story, in the voice and it not only didn’t deliver, but it ran in the other direction. The writing is gorgeous, Bloom is clearly very talented, but the plot of this story has been done. The characters I couldn’t like, no matter how much I share Quinlan’s love of diet coke or how hard I tried. And I really did try.

Let’s start with the plot of the story — which is that a bored Quinlan falls insta-in-love with a vampire, who is all things dangerous and sexy and when James gets complicated she falls into a dark depression, etc. Sound familiar? (Don’t worry, there is way more to the story.) Quinlan has a best guy friend that she completely abuses but who is still in love with her for inexplicable reasons and very quickly the story devolves into a Gossip Girl meets the Twilight Saga. The focus of exposition is on skanky clothes and trying really hard to remind us that Quinlan is cool. In an attempt to save her best friend from being preyed on by vamps, Quinlan puts herself in serious danger — and earned herself a few pages worth of respect from me.

Quinlan knows she’s selfish and horrid. She knows and complains about it for ages but never does anything — which turned her swiftly into my least favorite kind of heroine. She’s fickle and doesn’t think about the consequences of anything, but is aware enough to complain about them. James — the vamp — and his brother Whit are very bizarre love-interests in that while reading them I wasn’t at all attracted. I mean, sure they were sexy, but so is every other YA hero. They didn’t have redeeming qualities that I could hold onto and use to even like them. They were just there, and Quinlan wanted them, and all the drama follows.

OK, so I hated the characters and the plot is so much like Twilight that you’ve probably already guessed what happens. The writing, as I said, was brilliant. Bloom’s not afraid to go into dark places and the villains brought chills down my spine. (Not an easy thing to do.) I honestly think she overflowed the book with teen angst because that’s what she thought people wanted to read. Next time, I’d rather she pack the book with tension and suspense, instead of melodrama, and build characters I can get behind.

I honestly think Bloom is an author to watch out for. I may not have liked this book at all but throughout it her writing wowed me and that’s not an easy thing to do.

Notable Scene:

“Do you have a roommate or something?”

“James leaned up on his side, on his elbow, facing me. “Luke.”

“Do you let him have the bed?”

“No, he has his own closet to sleep in.”

“Right.” I didn’t know if I’d ever know when James was kidding. Never? Always?

I realized it was way too hot: My shirt was damp, my skin glistening with sweat. “CAn you turn that fan on?”

“It’s broken.”

“Great.”

I propped my knees up to let them air out. I was dripping.

“Hy,” he said. “Give me your arm.”

“What arm? I’ve melted into the rug. I’m a puddle resembling a girl.”

FTC Advisory: HarperTeen provided me with a copy of Drain You. No goody bags, sponsorships, “material connections,” or bribes were exchanged for my review. ( )

Drain You
By M. Beth Bloom
YA Paranormal Romance (light romance)
HarperTeen, July 24th, 2012
Rating: Strong PG-13. Open door sex scenes, but no really details given
Coffee Beans: 4/5
Favorite Lines: So I loved Libby, but in a vintage way. Like a childhood blanket, or my dad’s mac and cheese. A deep love, but not one you tap into on a daily basis. (Ebook, pg 25)

Okay, no big deal, I’d just call Stiles…at his underground lair, where he most likely had Libby chained to a radiator and she was loving it. Stella gave me the number, which contained not even one six, let alone the three in a row I’d expected. (Ebook, pg 76)

…I drew on so much eyeliner I looked like a sobbing drunk raccoon on a tequila bender… (Ebook pg 134)

Disclaimer: I received a free copy of this book via NetGalley in exchange for my unbiased review.

I admit, when I read the first chapter, I wasn’t that impressed. The voice was a little off and the writing didn’t grab me. But I kept reading and figured out that this was pretty much awesomeness. It instantly reminded me of The Lost Boys, but now. It also reminded me of the 90’s (which I loved) and made me want to move back to SoCal and remember the good times I had while growing up.
There were multiple things that impressed me with this book:
• The dialogue. Snappy, witty, snarky, and funny, Bloom’s dialogue is just downright good. I was there, it was real, and it carried the story much more than just narrative alone
• The MC’s voice. Quinn has a dark sense of humor and is so quick with everything, and her attitude of “whatever” is the icing on the cake. There were so many funny lines that were added that perfect certain something, which made the entire reading experience that much better
• The MC. Quinn, for me, is very real. She cares deeply about those who mean something to her. She doesn’t know what she wants when it comes to boys. She’s shallow and selfish at times, but she has drive. And I didn’t find that off-putting at any point. Mainly because she gets called on it (several times) and she knows it’s the truth. But we’ve all been there. Admit it.
• The relationships. There are several different, unique relationships Quinn is a part of, and they all come to life so realistically. Her absentee parents but their very functional relationship. Her coworker and complicated relationship-er, Morgan. Her casual best friend, Libby. The snobby girl from school, Naomi. James, the hot brother Quinn never knew existed. The equally hot other brother and instant best friend when crush disappears, Whit. And the evil twins, Stiles and Sanders. They all work brilliantly.
• The package. I’m assuming this is going to be a series. Depending on how well this one goes. I thought it was a tight, well-written story encapsulated into one book. The ending was finite but there are definitely LOTS of questions that still need answering.
There was one thing that didn’t sit well with me, though.
• Instalove. I’m not a fan of this. It’s unbelievable and really jars me out of a story. Yeah, we get Quinn thinks James is hot and she’s majorly crushing on him and they have to get together for the sake of plot progression. But getting as close and invested as they did—and in only a week—is a little hard for me to swallow.
• The MC sleeps. A lot. Which isn’t bad, I guess. But she’s always tired and sleeping. *Shrugs shoulders* Just thought I’d mention that.
If you’re a fan of the 90’s (and if you aren’t, you should be), if you liked The Lost Boys (and if you didn’t, shame on you. Watch it again and change your mind), and if you enjoy dark humor, pick up the book. You’ll probably be pretty entertained.
Pick it up and decide for yourself. :)
And yes, this is another vampire book. I love them so much ( )

"I don't care what you think unless it is about me. It is now my duty to completely drain you." - Nirvana

Quinlan Lacey lives a very ho-hum life, spending her time slacking at her job, sleeping away the summer days, fighting off the advances of Morgan -- a boy who might be good for her, but is just too easily attainable for her to give a damn. Things change the night she sees her prim and proper classmate, Naomi, wandering along the street covered in blood. Naomi's brother, James, appears and Quin is immediately drawn to him. Of course James is all wrong for her (he's a vampire), but having someone that feels so right yet is oh so wrong might give Quin the sense of excitement her life seems to be missing, but is Quin's need for a little excitement worth risking her life?

I'd read very mixed reviews of this one, and I was a little hesitant when I started it. I'm happy to say that I didn't find it as awful as a lot of other reviewers, but I still wasn't blown away by it. I found it just okay. The characters are all pretty bland and not very likable. I could see where the author was going with Quin, and her obsession with Kurt Cobain was pretty apparent in a lot of her behavior (bored, put off, rebellious), but it just didn't grab me. I found it difficult to connect with her, which, in turn, hampered my enjoyment of the story. I will say that Quin's voice is very authentic, and bleeds off the page, but that voice started getting on my nerves after a while. The use of "like", while very realistic, begins to grate on my nerves after a while. I felt as if I were reading subtitles on an episode of "Keeping up with the Kardashians".

I also felt that the pacing was off. There were times when it dragged and other times when I felt there was a missed opportunity for some really meaty stuff. The ending also left a lot to be desired. I would have liked more of a resolution.

In a market that has been bled out by an over-saturation of vampires over the last few years, coming up with something truly original is no easy feat. The story was okay, but I felt as if I'd read it before. At the same time, if you are a fan of Twilight, or you aren't sick of the typical YA vampire, you may want to give this one a try. For me it was just okay. ( )