Review: Vesper

Author: Jeff Sampson
Pages: 304
Publisher: Balzer + Bray/ HarperCollins
Source: Library
Synopsis: 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?


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Vesper is a really interesting debut to a sure to be awesome series.

The first noticeable thing about Vesper was the readability. The moment I opened the page and read Emily's transcript I was hooked and almost finished the book in one sitting (I didn't because I had to sleep). It was easy to read and not too long or short. There could have been more details but it was mysterious and never boring.

The story is about Emily's transformation between regular girl to Nighttime Emily who's a total wild child after the other Emily, Emily C. is killed by a bullet. What's causing this transformation is the main sort of conflict and I was just as stumped as Em was. Emily is a likable character. She was a bit scared of people but she was genuinely cool and funny. Nighttime Emily was awesome. She was crazy and a risk taker but she never went too far. She was clever. Both Emilys together made an even better girl who was thoughtful but daring.

The mystery of the story revolved about Emily's transformation. During the transcripts we'd get brief little clues as to what was happening. I love this way of telling the story- you know there is a bigger picture and you get little clues that help you figure it out but everything is revealed only in the grand finale. There were many surprises while reading Vesper and it was fun.

Overall, a quick fun read full of mystery, action, and a bit of friendship. Vesper debuts a series to keep your eyes on. All it was missing was some answers. 3 stars,

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