In late-Victorian London, there are all sorts of people -- scholars, shopkeepers, beggars, and, well, vampires. The Quick by Lauren Owen explores the stories of both the hunters and the hunted, the Quick (live people) and the un-dead.
I wanted to love this book based on the published summary but that summary didn't mention one main thing -- that it was a vampire story. This wasn't bad on its own but it made the book sound quirkier and more mysterious than it ended up being. Vampires aren't exactly mysterious anymore. I thought it was a good story but not a stellar one. Owen's love of all things Victorian and her scholarship certainly came through and I do hope that she decides to write about this time period again -- just not about vampires.
Hanging out in the sun,
K
I'm so with you on this one. I wanted to like The Quick and really enjoyed about the first quarter of it. It's not that I have anything against vampires, but I felt like their total reveal should have come much later in the book.
ReplyDeleteYes. It didn't really have any mystery left after that reveal. I never stopped enjoying it but I wasn't enthralled either.
DeleteI've been looking forward to this one, but everyone seems to say they didn't love it like they thought they would. I may have to wait to read it until my expectations go down a bit.
ReplyDeleteI think it will make a difference for future readers to have lower expectations. ;)
DeleteI'm cleverly setting my expectations low and going in with the awareness that the twist is vampires. I'm prepared for it now. You know I love books about Victorians.
ReplyDeleteVery clever, Jenny, my dear.
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