The Coldest Girl In Coldtown
by Holly Black Book review by Miranda Fraser ISBN: 978-0-316-21309-7 If the name Holly Black doesn't immediately bring to mind dark images mixed with heavy emotions and magical creatures, then maybe we're reading two different author's works. I mean, I did a book report on Tithe in seventh grade, a book so beautifully dark and slightly depressing, that my teacher was concerned what type of books I was reading, lol. So to see her writing career has far from slowed down, is inspiring. I reached for the book out of the sheer nostalgia of Black's 'Modern Faerie Tales', but stayed for the intriguing back paragraph. A paragraph where the words and phrases such as, "massacre", "infection", "survivors", "never leave", and "terrible secret"; mingle together like an enchanting aroma beckoning for you to open the pages. The story revolves around a girl named Tana, a seventeen year old with a sad past and an even darker future. She wakes up after a night of partying to discover most of her class, people she's known practically her whole life, are all dead. This is where the truth is unraveled. See, the paragraph on the back of the book spoke of an infection and a massacre, call me silly, but all I could think of was the Walking Dead. Turns out this book is about Vampires, where turning human's into vampires is spread through the infection of a bite. I personally loved this concept, think about, long gone are the days where a vampires bite is enough to turn a human. With movies and shows like Vampire Diaries, there are all new ways the transformation takes place. Here, Black revives this belief with a slight twist. People who become infected are considered 'cold' and the world now has closed cities called, 'coldtowns' where vampires and infected are sent to live where they can't hurt or infect anyone else. Once you enter Coldtown, there is no turning back. As you can imagine with the world dealing with such an outbreak of vampire-ism, they are no longer a secret living in the shadows and in our nightmares. Instead they beckon behind screens showing off a life of glamour. But I digress... turning back to Tana, when she realizes everyone is dead, she also realizes that the vampire, or vampires, may still be in this very house- hiding from the sun. In seeking a phone she finds an infected survivor, her ex-boyfriend, and a chained up vampire boy. In what can only be considered a stupidly moral decision, she saves them both. Turning her life completely upside down! They immediately begin driving towards Coldtown, the largest in the United States. Aidan is infected, Gavriel is a vampire, and Tana may very well be on the cusp of turning cold herself! The clock is ticking for them all. Gavriel, as it turns out, is hundreds of years old, and very wanted. And very charming. It was like falling for Roiben (from Tithe) all over again! But he looks out for Tana and keeps her safe. His mind is ravaged and at times his thoughts are very muddled, but his intentions seem to be for the best. Tana finds herself drawn to him and yearning for him, and yet they part ways. Bravely heading into Coldtown with her 'friends' she hopes for the best and believes she will leave. Things go horribly wrong. Horribly fast. Coldtown is a dark ravenous place that will eat you alive- literally. Filled with Vampires and wannabee Vampires- convinced of the glamour the famous vampires portray on tv. The truth is sometimes muddled. Reality can be staring you in the face, and yet you do not see all the pieces clearly. With that, I will say that this book is brilliantly written, with a conclusion unlike anything I was expecting. I sat on my bed, a tear rolling down my cheek, wondering how it has invoked such an emotion from me. Tana and the characters surrounding her are complicated, raw, treacherous, and human. No matter how you spin them, vampires are as human and flawed as the mortals they feed off of. Once again Holly Black, thank you for bringing me into a world of magic and wonder, emotions and adrenaline, and unlikely romances that tear my heart out but fill it up at the same time. Beautiful. Read on my fellow book worms, may we one day have Belle's Library. As always links to the authors pages are below.
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