I'm having a tough time rating this. I found most of the book kind of ridiculous, though I really enjoyed certain bits that caused the occasional chuckles (like some of Lucius' sarcastic remarks or the letters to his uncle).First of all, the story was pretty inconsistent, some parts gave the impression that we were supposed to view it as a satire, but then it would take a serious and melodramatic shape. Which was pretty darn confusing. The main characters were partially ok, I guess, and I was pleased with the dynamic of their relationship until they fell into the emo stereotype of star-crossed lovers. Boy keeps his distance from girl to keep her safe and makes up excuses instead of telling the truth. Because she's way too vulnerable and can't handle it. Of course, the more he rejects her, the more she'll want him. Boy loses his marbles 'cause he can't be with girl. All of which is fine, I guess, but as long as it's a short phase. I do love a plot twist sprinkled with suspense, but in this case, it was dragged to the point I lost interest. All that struggle and dancing around what's really going on and the constant denial of their feelings just made me squeamish. Too much drama. Relationships are complicated enough, even without the weight of terrible secrets and heart-ripping betrayal. The girl ended up having a stake piercing her chest just so he could finally confess his love. What happened to communication? One of the basis of solid relationships. Even when the couple is made of two teenage vampires. I guess the key word is teenage. A lot of teenagers seem to think the world starts and ends with them. And too often mistake attraction for a deep meaningful connection. Anyways, moving on to the next point.I've had some issues with Lucius' and Jessica's background which was supposed to be dark and mysterious. The Romanian vampire mythology did not work well for me. Instead of being believable (as believable as fantasy can be), it made me giggle every time it was mentioned. The way she envisioned it seemed really silly to me. The same with some of the names she chose, which, by the way, are not actually Romanian. Not that I'm trying to nitpick here.Additionally, the bad-boy theme is getting a bit tedious for me. Can't a guy be mysterious without being a major toll? And do they always have to be so darn perfect, physically speaking? What about the Josep Gordon-Levitts of the world? They are perfectly capable of sweeping a girl off her feet even though they don't look like a Greek sculpture. Nevertheless, I did have my fun with this book and it's certainly better than the latest paranormal romance books I've read. So I'll give it 2.5 stars for the humor and a few neat moments between Jess and Lucius.
