Sworn (Book #1 of the Vampire Legends) by Emma Knight

Release Date: September 7, 2011
Publisher: Emma Knight
Series: Vampire Legends series, Book 1

Rating: 3 out of 5 stars.

Synopsis:
After her family moved from Pennsylvania to New York, Rachel Wood faced the overwhelming challenge of starting a new school and finding new friends. First couple of days in school didn't go as smoothly as she anticipated, but her world brightened when one of the cutest boys in school asked her to go to a party with him. Despite bumps along the way, her first date and house party seemed fun until a group of girls decided she wasn't welcome. Her first week in the new town ended with both sweet and sour notes.

Instead of letting the bad times keep her down, Rachel focused on the happy moments and tried to figure out a way to see Rob, the guy of her dreams, again without all the drama. As her plans unraveled, her path led Rachel straight into a dangerous, life-altering situation. A mysterious stranger appeared from the shadows, rescued her and turned her world upside for the second time since moving to the new town. What do these changes mean for Rachel? Will she be able to figure it all out before it's too late?


Review:
When this book showed up on OHFB and at a sale price, I thought it deserved a chance to be read. It was a little out of my comfort zone since it was labeled YA, but I began reading the book with an open mind.  Right away I got the sense that Rachel was the typical middle child who didn't know who she wanted to be, stuck between the seemingly perfect older sister and easy-going younger brother. Combine that with the trauma of moving from her small hometown into a larger, suburban city and it became a recipe for disaster for the main character.

Many of the characters were the stereotypical teens in high school - the jocks, the popular girls, the goths, the punks and many more. The author did a good job of showing those cliques and their interactions. Rachel's awkwardness as the new girl in school became apparent before she even stepped into the building while her siblings projected their own personalities with ease. Her parents made brief appearances in this book, but they were concerned and interested in their children's lives which I thought was refreshing.

The pacing of the story was a little all over the place for me. The events of the school year happen so quickly that I wasn't sure how much time had actually passed in the story. One moment the family moved into their house. A few weeks later found the school preparing for the Homecoming Dance though there had been no discussion of the dance throughout the scenes at the school. While I thought the story was a good one for YA readers, I also thought there could have been so much more included that would have added more dynamics.

Overall, the story was a good one. I believe the author has the base of a really good series, but there were a lot of editing errors that distracted me. Things happened with little explanation or warning and often left me wondering why or how they impacted the story. I honestly hope the author takes some time to go back through this book and work out some of the listed issues so the story can shine. If you're looking for a YA paranormal to add to your collection or need something to fill an hour or two, this may just be the book for you.

Sworn (Book #1 of the Vampire Legends) by Emma Knight is currently available online at several retailers in both paperback and Kindle formats. Click the link below to visit the book's Amazon page.
Sworn (Book #1 of the Vampire Legends) by Emma Knight