Infinite Days by Rebecca Maizel: Review Posted by Tiffany at 8:43 PM

Title: Infinite Days
Author: Rebecca Maizel (site)(blog)
Published: August 3, 2010 by St. Martin's Griffin
Pages: 336 (Hardcover)
Price: $7.99 Book Depository $9.99 Amazon 
Rating: 5/5
Series: Vampire Queen #1
Synopsis: Lenah Beaudonte is, in many ways, your average teen: the new girl at Wickham Boarding School, she struggles to fit in enough to survive and stand out enough to catch the eye of the golden-boy lacrosse captain. But Lenah also just happens to be a recovering five-hundred-year-old vampire queen. After centuries of terrorizing Europe, Lenah is able to realize the dream all vampires have -- to be human again. After performing a dangerous ritual to restore her humanity, Lenah entered a century-long hibernation, leaving behind the wicked coven she ruled over and the eternal love who has helped grant her deep-seated wish. 

Until, that is, Lenah draws her first natural breath in centuries at Wickham and rediscovers a human life that bears little resemblance to the one she had known. As if suddenly becoming a teenager weren’t stressful enough, each passing hour brings Lenah closer to the moment when her abandoned coven will open the crypt where she should be sleeping and find her gone. As her borrowed days slip by, Lenah resolves to live her newfound life as fully as she can. But, to do so, she must answer ominous questions: Can an ex-vampire survive in an alien time and place? What can Lenah do to protect her new friends from the bloodthirsty menace about to descend upon them? And how is she ever going to pass her biology midterm? (Goodreads)

Initial Thoughts: This book was so much better than I thought it would be. The synopsis is very misleading. She's not worried about what other people think of her, as long as they don't think she's a vampire. She also has no worries when it comes to Biology. She used to tear people up for fun, she has biology down. I picked this up mostly for the novelty of a vampire going human and trying to go back to High School. One thing that annoys me: the model on the cover looks like a boy, not a girl.

Review: The very best thing about Infinite Days was the way it was written; the beautiful, dreamy tone of the novel. Lenah was very believable as a 500-year-old vampire. At first, before she started getting back her human emotions, she was cold and aloof. Too often the vampires that are supposed to be ancient act like they're twelve years old. I loved that she started out as a cold, heartless, unapologetic vampire who loved to kill. It made the eventual appearance of human emotions and her reaction to them much more interesting. I can't say that there was an awful lot to the story. It wasn't really anything special. I had guessed the Big Surprise by about the fifth page. However, the characters were well-drawn and engaging. I wish we'd seen a bit more depth from the two human boys, but it didn't really take away from the overall feel of the novel. The vampires were much more vicious (old-school) than a lot of YA vampires are these days. It made for a refreshing read, and a much more suspenseful one. You aren't really worried for someone's safety if the monsters have consciences, but when they not only don't mind killing, but relish it, you get a bit more nervous for them. I would love to see  a book about a certain someone's experiences, and I'm hoping the sequel will explore some of that. I'll definitely be picking it up!

Quick Review: Infinite Days is hauntingly beautiful, with engaging characters. There isn't a whole lot of intricate plotting, the author focuses on the emotional development and backstory of the characters (mostly vampires) instead. I couldn't put this book down and, after I finished it, I couldn't stop thinking about the characters. The direction the series will take in the next book (books?) is left up in the air. I can't wait to read the sequel.