Book of the Week: Insatiable

Meena Harper is just a normal girl living in Manhattan with her unemployed brother and excitable Pomeranian mix Jack Bauer. Meena is a writer on the soap Insatiable, struggling to pay her ex-boyfriend back for the downpayment on their condo, and completely average except for her one thing: Meena can see the future, specifically, how people are going to die. When Meena gets passed over for a promotion at work--in favor of the show's executive producer's spoiled niece--she also finds out that the soap has decided to go in a new direction in order to lure younger viewers. Insatiable is going Twilight. Unfortunately for Meena, not only does she not believe in vampires, but she actively dislikes the bloodsucking fad.

"Yeah," Leisha said, sounding a little bored. "What is it you're always saying again? In the cult of monster misogyny, vampires are king?"

"Well," Meena said, "they do always seem to choose to prey on pretty female victims. And yet for some reason, women find this sexy...Even though these guys admit over and over to wanting to kill us the idea that they're nobly restraining themselves from doing so is supposed to be attractive? Excuse me, but how is knowing a guy wants to kill you hot?" [p 35]

So begins Meg Cabot's Insatiable (set to hit bookstores in July), a refreshing take on the vampire trend, and there are indeed vampires in this book, other than the ones Meena is forced to write about for TV. In fact, Meena's next door neighbors are undead and it isn't long before she comes face-to-face with their cousin, a handsome Romanian prince and professor named Lucien. Not surprisingly Meena is drawn to the dazzlingly handsome and preternaturally charming Lucien and is surprised when he seems to be attracted to her as well. Of course, like with any relationship there are bumps on the road to romance. Little things like the fact that Meena is human and Lucien, well, isn't. Lucien is in town to track a vampire serial killer who threatens to expose his entire brethren and is being stalked by Alaric, a muscle-bound vampire hunter who works for the Palatine Guard and won't stop at using Meena to get at Lucien.

When I received this book in the mail I let out a little squeal of delight, I didn't even know Cabot was coming out with a new book and this one is certainly right up by alley. Okay, so it's not War and Peace, but most of the books I read aren't. I like books that entertain me and Meg Cabot always delivers on that score. I've loved her past series from The Queen of Babble to the Heather Wells books--add vampires (so I'm a Twihard--sue me), a little romance, and Cabot's quick wit and you've got a winning formula in my opinion. I also like the fact that Cabot's heroine has spunk and a backbone even when being courted by the preternaturally sexy Prince of Darkness.

The ending of the book was a little unsatisfying, but I guess that's to be expected if they're setting up a sequel. Regardless I enjoyed Insatiable and would recommend it for those who like Cabot, the supernatural or just a little bit of romance.


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