Read for the YA and RIP III Reading Challenges.
Blood and Chocolate is the story of Vivian, a teenage werewolf. Her pack was recently forced to flee their home in West Virginia after a fire that caused the death of the pack leader (her father). They’ve moved to the suburbs in Maryland, and both she and the pack are adrift in this new world. In the midst of this, Vivian meets Aiden, a human, who she falls in love with, against the rules of the pack.
I read YA books because they often have incredibly compelling stories set in fantastic worlds that were often probably only labeled as a young adult book because the protagonist is a young adult. I often pick based on recommendation, or by familiarity with a certain author, so I don’t often run into the inevitable book filled with adolescent angst. Sadly, my good run seems to be at an end, because this was one of those books. It was an interesting enough story, and I liked the way that the pack, and all of the interactions with the pack members were portrayed. I thought it was an interesting combination of wolf and human society.
What annoyed me about the book was Vivian’s foray into love, the really stupid consequences, and the all too pat wrap up. Maybe I’ve just become too old to read adolescent angst and be able to empathize with it, but I found myself more than once wanting to shout myself hoarse at Vivian. It was irritating enough to me that I’ll probably avoid reading anything else by this author unless someone I trust gives me a superiorly glowing review of another one of her works.