Vesper by Jeff Sampson

Vesper (Deviants #1)

Jeff Sampson

304 pages

Publisher: Balzer + Bray/HarperCollins

Release Date: January 25th, 2011

Source: Publisher

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?

      
   Jeff Sampson's YA debut novel, Vesper, is seriously a must read. To me, it falls into the genres contemporary, paranormal, and mystery all at once. The book was written through Emily Webb's personal account, which she gives to a mysterious man named F. Savage. I didn't even know what was going with Emily until the middle of the book - and I loved the surprise!

   Emily Webb is your ordinary 16 year old. She's pretty, but not overly pretty, she's smart, but not a genius, and she's a geek. But here's the thing: lately, she's only geek by day. At night, she changes into a totally different Emily. One that dresses dangerously, and does a whole bunch of dangerous stuff - climbing out her window, sneaking in people's yards, crashing parties... you get the picture. And in the morning, when she goes back to her normal, geeky self, she regrets it.

   I would too. And that's what I really liked about Vesper. It had that paranormal-ness to it, yet I could almost always relate to Emily. And what I liked even more about Vesper - Emily Webb totally kicks butt. Sounds awesome to me.

    Vesper is a unique twist to a common theme. I recommend it for both boys and girls. So what are you waiting for? I know I'm waiting for the second book :)

  

I love the cover.

It's dark and mysterious, just like Emily Webb and her new found problems.