Amish Bloodsuckers by Barbara E. Brink
When Amish Bloodsuckers first came up on my Twitter feed I laughed and said to myself, “Now there is a book I am not interested in reading.” Normally, I would rather read about dragons than vampires and the whole idea of Amish vampires was a big stretch. However, Barbara Brink is a very gifted tweeter and she drew me in as she promoted “Chosen” in 140 characters or less.
This book reminded me of the Buffy the Vampire Slayer television series in that it involved a teenage girl slaying vampires with the help of her friends. There was also a little romance for those romantically inclined.
The first book lays the groundwork for the second and third. The story starts off with Jael as a misfit in a regular high school located in Sunburn, Nevada. She discovers just before her sixteenth birthday that she is the chosen one. Her father, mother and an uncle are aware of this and have been training Jael to fight vampires from a very early age. Jael’s parents are from the Amish community of Loon Lake, Minnesota where vampires have taken over the leadership. I don’t want to reveal any more of the plot, but have no doubt this is a unique and engaging read.
I liked the writing style. I liked the characters. The story was action packed. There was enough detail to paint a picture, but not so much that the story bogged down in it. One thing I appreciated was the respectful way Barbara Brink treated people who live and express their faith in a way far from mainstream. Important life lessons were shared without being clunky and getting in the way of telling a good story.
The only real complaint I have is that the author’s writing is so captivating that it was impossible to stop at one book. Housework and other non-essential work waited until I finished all three books. I am going to make sure there is nothing super important on my calendar before I start another book by Barbara Brink.
