{YA Review} The Immortal Rules by Julie Kagawa

{YA Review} The Immortal Rules by Julie Kagawa

To survive in a ruined world, she must embrace the darkness…

Allison Sekemoto survives in the Fringe, the outermost circle of a walled-in city. By day, she and her crew scavenge for food. By night, any one of them could be eaten. Some days, all that drives Allie is her hatred of them—the vampires who keep humans as blood cattle. Until the night Allie herself dies and becomes one of the monsters.

Forced to flee her city, Allie must pass for human as she joins a ragged group of pilgrims seeking a legend—a place that might have a cure for the disease that killed off most of civilization and created the rabids, the bloodthirsty creatures who threaten human and vampire alike. And soon Allie will have to decide what and who is worth dying for…again. (Blurb via Goodreads)

{Details} Hardcover, 485 pages. Published April 24th 2012 by Harlequin Teen. Source: library

{Rating} 3/5

{Review} It started depressing and didn't really let up. It's a world of hunger, fear, death, desperation. Sounds like fun, huh?

The heroine, Allie is a survivor. She's surviving in harsh circumstances in a harsh world. She is taught to only look out for #1 but she doesn't, she's a saver even at a cost to herself. She tries to be disconnected, unemotional but she grows attached. She grows attached to Stick and Zeke and Caleb and their little tribe.

Allie is getting by, barely, but she's attacked and then she has to make a choice, die and stay dead or die and become what she hates most: a vampire. But she's a survivor, and chooses to survive in any form. And then as a vampire she's got to figure out who she's going to be? A monster or a monster who fights it.

I liked Allie's voice. Her humor, pragmatism, hope, acceptance, her battle against her new vampire nature. Here's an example:

"All right. I can do this. How hard can it be, really? Kneeling, I picked up a long metal spike, frowning. What in the world? Are you supposed to stab someone with these? Do tents come with vampire-slaying kits?" (Kagawa, 222)

And there's a boy of course. Zeke.  A human who has no idea what Allie is. He embodies humanity, kindness, consideration, helping, sharing. But he's a vampire hater and Allie's a vampire.

It's not like any other vampire novel I've read before and though it started slow - and depressing, I already mentioned that, right? - it was definitely worth my time and I'd recommend that you check it out. I already have Blood of Eden #2, The Eternity Cure and I'm eager to dive in.