A Teen Vampire “Romance” That Doesn’t Bite: Uninvited

Bear with me, I know this is the second young adult book in a row, but I promise I will get to the older stuff soon. Besides, sometimes it does a person good to read something a little below their age level—you’ll find they’re quicker to get through, they can be more relaxing because they’re an easier read, and they may remind you of something you should have learned a long time ago.

For example, I recently read Uninvited, by Amanda Marrone. Though I made a comment earlier this week about Twilight and vampire books, I’m still, at my core, a fantasy girl. I’ve always loved supernatural themed stories, and I’m willing to wade through a few bad ones to find some favorites (check in with me next week for my review of Tithe). Since Twilight though there’s been a flood of cookie-cutter supernatural love stories. So, I read this book expecting another bucket of water but instead I got a life-preserver.

Now, the writing itself was nothing too fancy—it was appropriate for a young adult book, especially when you consider how few adolescents are heavy readers these days. What kept me reading was the story. The main character, Jordan, is not a role model by any means—especially when the book begins. She’s a slacker, an alcoholic, and she engages in a good amount of swearing, sexual acts, and recreational drug use. She’s also being stalked by her ex-boyfriend…who’s a vampire (talk about high school drama).

Anyway, what’s so compelling about this book isn’t the vampire. Where Marrone really drew me in was her depiction of the psychological and emotional struggles of a teenage girl. Honestly I don’t even think vampires needed to be involved, nor were they the main focus of the book. Marrone just cleverly uses them to enhance the books exploration of Jordan’s insecurity.

Even when Michael (her vamp ex-boyfriend) was alive, their relationship wasn’t really a good one. You can see that in the way he manipulates her—trying to coax her to open her window with talk about their future together. The reader begins to see, especially during Michael’s occasional frustrated and violent outbursts, that he doesn’t really care for her—he has his own selfish reasons for any affection he shows her. But the reader can also see, and even relate to (especially if ever they were a teenage girl) why this shy and reclusive girl is drawn to promises of eternal love, even though she knows on some level that he’s out to get her.

By complicating the issue further with the supernatural, Marrone highlights the problems and confusion that arise from young love. The reader witnesses Jordan’s indecision—her back and forth feelings for Michael and her the difficult feelings she has for her life in general. Although at first glance Jordan may not be a role model, it’s her choice to be better than Michael, to choose herself instead of choosing to succumb to someone else (no matter how good he makes it sound) that makes this book worth reading.

Marrone and Jordan send a strong message about the importance of paying attention to how being in a relationship can change you. Jordan figures out that a relationship shouldn’t make you less than the other person—if you’re with someone who’s good for you, they should enhance you, not diminish you. They shouldn’t tell you that your other friends are weird and discourage you from hanging out with them. And, though it sounds cliché, you shouldn’t have to change who you are (change your whole species in this case) for someone to love you. And that’s what’s so great about this book—instead of trying to tell girls the kind of cheesy messages that may sound silly but are still so important, Marrone shows the reader why they’re important. I mean yeah, it’s not like most of us are being propositioned by bloodsucking fiends on a daily basis, but we are often seduced by people who are much more subtle.

Now for the box or bookshelf verdict: I personally put this book in the box because I probably just won’t read it again. I have to save shelf space for truly epic books that I’ll read forever and ever. But I’m glad I read it and I’d definitely encourage everyone else, especially adolescent girls, to read it. This book definitely deserves at least some time on your shelf.