Book Review: Dayling

Dayling
Author: Gabriel Madison
Pages: 238 paperback
Reading Level: YA
Published: December 1st 2010
Review Source: Author
Available: Amazon / Barnes & Noble / AbeBooks

Summary: (from goodreads) Turning eighteen is an exciting time for most girls. It means finally being considered a legal adult, having more freedom and a wild birthday party. For Haven Vigano, it means immortality, a craving for human blood and no longer being able to move around in the daytime. Haven is a Dayling, but in three weeks she will 'Cross Over' into the world of Nightlings.

Most Daylings live their lives as humans for as long as they can, which means they attend school, make normal friends and indulge in all the pleasures of being mortal... Most Daylings except for Haven. She's as antisocial as they come, even in the Dayling world.

To make matters worst, a friend from her past, another Dayling named Sébastien, arrives in Tallahassee with the news that an ancient group of Nightling hunters called The Holy Sect of Mântuitors are hunting down and killing her kind. Haven's father fears a Nightling is helping the Mântuitors in their quest to rid the world of immortals.

Now Haven must deal with her growing attraction to Philip, a teenage boy she saved from being beaten by four other guys, plus understand Sébastien's jealousy towards her human crush, and oh yeah, help deal with the threat of the Mântuitors. Times were a lot simpler for Haven when she felt indifferent towards everything and everyone.

First I have to say it took be a while to finish this book. Not because of contexts, but because I had a lot going on and had to go on my yearly family vacation. I am glad I was able to finish it though because it was a really good story. This story was simply wonderful. I loved the fact that Madison created a new world for the vampires, something new that I haven’t read before. The characters were well developed and I truly enjoyed Haven and Phillip’s love story.

Haven Vigano is a Dayling and is the daughter of the leader of the Vigano vampire family which means she hasn’t turned into a vampire just yet. She is stronger than a human still, but not as strong as she will be when she crosses over and turns into a Nightling. Haven still has a few more weeks before she has to say goodbye to the sun and everything a normal teenager takes for granted. One night she gets dragged by her cousin, Sophia to high school party full of human teenage kids. This has never been her crowed, but has not choice but to go. Soon she realizes she has a chance to sneak out and as she walks by a back alley, she sees a boy getting beat up by a group of high school jocks. Something inside of her tells her she needs to turn around and keep walking, but the little voice inside of her tells her that she needs to go and kick some butt and save her “spiky haired prince.” And that’s exactly what she does. The only problem is that she can’t seem to stay away from this boy. After dropping her “prince” at the hospital, she realizes she can’t go home just yet because its still night time and her father, the leader of her family, will be up waiting for her and she knows he will not be happy for her leaving the party alone. Once home, she has to go and confront her father and as her punishment, which by the way, she picks herself, is to enroll herself in high school, which her father agrees to. But little does her father know that her human love interest also attends the same school. That’s where the story takes off and takes you to underground group named “Mântuitors” which date back hundreds of years were created to destroy all creatures of the night, the vampires.

I truly enjoyed reading “Dayling” and the way it ended gave me the impression that there will be a sequel and who knows, maybe this will be the beginning of an amazing series. I sure hope so.