Book Review: Some Girls Bite

By Sandy Amazeen Apr 6, 2009, 3:02 GMT

First in a brand new series about a Chicago graduate student’s introduction into a society of vampires.Sure, the life of a graduate student wasn’t exactly glamorous, but it was Merit’s. She was doing fine until a rogue vampire attacked her. But he only got a sip before he was scared away by another bloodsucker—and this one decided the best way to save her life was to make her the walking ...more

First in the Chicagoland Vampires series, Neill’s debut novel cashes in on the latest young adult vampire trend with this tale of love, hate and secret vendettas. University of Chicago grad student Merit barely survived one vampire attack only to be turned into a vampire by another. Merit finds herself struggling to come to terms with the many changes wrought in her once well-ordered life while learning about the vampire hierarchy of organized Houses and her place within it. Merit discovers her beloved grandfather, a retired Chicago beat cop is considerably more then she realized which is a good thing as she begins receiving threats and more young women are discovered torn apart in vampire attacks.

Despite her attraction to Ethan, the droolingly delicious master of Cadogan House and the vampire responsible for turning her, Merit spurns his offer of Consort thus setting them at odds. Named a Sentinel during her initiation rites, Merit begins learning martial arts so she can at least bluff her way through most confrontations, a ploy that backfires during an intense meeting between Houses. Still smarting from Ethan’s cold shoulder treatment, Merit proves her loyalty even as a kernel of hate begins taking root and only time will tell what direction that hatred will take.

Packed with complex subplots, embittered family members and politics, this is an excellent first installment to what should be an outstanding series in a crowded field.