This book is advertised as a “YA Paranormal Cozy Mystery,” and it pretty well checks all the boxes. Like most Cozy Mysteries, it’s light on the blood, gore, and violence. As a Cozy Paranormal about vampires, it’s likewise light on the horror nastiness. The conflict is balanced nicely between the supernatural danger, the solving of the mystery, and the romantic relationship between the main character and her…let’s call him partner.
The main character of the series, Jenna, is a younger version of Buffy the Vampire Slayer. Most of the time she is a normal teenager, mildly insecure in a likeable way. However, there are times when I get the impression that the author’s voice is seeping through, and Jenna sounds more like twenty-five. However, we expect a certain amount of maturity in someone who kills supernatural evil beings, so it’s forgivable. The other characters are the mild stereotypes we expect in this genre.
The author has spent a great deal of effort in creating the paranormal environment and the rules for the magic that is used. She does not make the mistake of letting the magic overwhelm the characters. They are responsible for what happens. However, there is rather too much explanation of the background details of people’s powers, especially at times when readers are dying (well, not quite) to have the action move along.
Likewise, there is rather a lot of setting description, perhaps too much at times, and a great deal of clothing-and-makeup disclosure. Perhaps that’s appropriate for the intended readers.
The ending is sufficiently tidy to wrap up the book, with a few loose ends left to tantalize us into looking for the next one in the Jenna Sutton Supernatural series.
Recommended as a light, fun read for young adults and all the rest of us.
(4 / 5)