Review: Drink, Slay, Love by Sarah Beth Durst

Title: Drink, Slay, Love

Author: Sarah Beth Durst

Publisher: Margaret K McElderry Sept 2011

Synopsis: What happens when a vampire is stabbed through the heart by a were-unicorn? She suddenly develops a very inconvenient conscience. Oops.

Status: Read from September 17 to 18, 2011 — I own a copy {Courtesy Simon and Schuster}

My Thoughts:

I couldn’t resist the description of this YA title when it was offered by Simon and Schuster, a vampire gets staked by a unicorn and develops a conscience – what’s not to love? Drink, Slay, Love is a fun, quirky story with surprising wit.
Sixteen year old vampire Pearl Sange is stunned when the pretty sparkly unicorn stakes her with his horn in the alley behind the ice cream store and even more surprised when she wakes on the sofa at home, her Family peering down at her. Her chest is sore and she is a little confused but it isn’t until she is caught by a pair of wannabee hunters and forced to face the sunrise that she discovers she is now immune to daylight. Pearl is dazzled by the day, the way light streams through stained glass windows, but is less impressed by the crush of humanity. Her parents see Pearl’s unique ability as the perfect opportunity to gather the bodies they need to provide sustenance at the impending Feast in honor of the Vampire King, so Pearl is made to attend high school. But daywalking isn’t the only side effect of the unicorns attack, Pearl is beginning to see humans as more than food and handing over the entire Junior year as the main course no longer seems to be such a good idea.
It’s brave of Durst to step away from the mold and combine vampires with vampire slaying were unicorns, but I think it works in Drink, Slay, Love because she doesn’t discard the traditional mythology completely. This isn’t a story to take seriously, it is generously sprinkled with humour and blissfully free of melodramatic teenage angst. It’s a lighthearted YA novel with snappy dialogue and delightful attitude.
The characters might be just a touch shallow but they are fun. Pearl is smart, snarky and fierce, and even as her allegiance transitions from her Family to her friends she doesn’t lose that core of moxie (for want of a better word). Durst manages to combine characters that represent every highschool clique – from the geeky Zeke and Matt to mean girl’s Ashlyn and Tara. Evan has his own secret to keep of course but is a sweetie, I like that the relationship between Evan and Pearl is low key.
Durst cleverly gives a nod to the (legions) of adult YA fans with her references to 1980’s teen movies classics Pretty In Pink and the Breakfast Club. For her more age appropriate readership, their are some less than subtle digs at the Twilight Saga.
Drink, Slay ,Love was much better than I had expected and I enjoy being surprised by a book. Amusing, clever and fresh its the perfect read for girls that once loved ponies and now swoon over brooding vamps.

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Available to Purchase

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@ BookDepository