Book Recap: Blood Tide by Tess Oliver

Cover Inspection:
I think the cover is pretty. The girl is dressed like a gypsy.
It is also fitting as the heroine has gypsy blood.

SUMMARY (book description based on GoodReads):
When four strangers move into Blackpool Cove the same week a tragic shipwreck befalls its shores, Trixie Muldoon waves it off as coincidence. Even the arrival of the appealing, young investigator, David Durham, does not convince her otherwise.
But when a girl disappears, it's obvious something sinister has gripped the quiet, coastal town, and it all leads back to the town's newest inhabitants, including the mysterious Beck Ryker.
Everything about Beck Ryker, his scarred face, his hypnotic gaze, his seemingly tortured past, says heartbreak and regret. Yet Trixie finds herself drawn to him.
But when the tangle of secrets surrounding Beck unravels, Trixie finds herself caught between terror and passion.
Blood Tide is a young adult paranormal romance set in the fictional town of Blackpool Cove in the year 1880. It is approximately 70,000 words.

BOOK REPORT CARD:

Cover	3.0
Plot	3.0
Writing	3.5
Characters	2.5
Ending	3.0
Overall Rating	3.0 Very Good  (89% - 92%) * highest rating possible is 4.0

LOCATION/SETTING:
The story is set in Blackpool Cove, a coastal town in the 1800s. Blackpool is a small town where everyone knows everyone.

MAIN CHARACTER:
The protagonist is Beatrix Muldoon. Her family and friends call her Trixie. She lived with her grandparents at Blackpool Cove as she was an orphan. When she was little, her father's fishing boat has been lost at sea, and her mother died of a fever. Trixie has a gift - she can sense a person's character by mere touch. According to her, she has a sarcastic tongue. However, she is well-liked by the townsfolk as she is easy-going.

WHAT THE BOOK IS ABOUT:
** spoilers ** This is a vampire story set in the 1800s. The story begins with a shipwreck in a small coast town called Blackpool Cove. At or about the same time as that shipwreck, a boy of eighteen, his father, and their minions moved into town. The town welcomed the newcomers with open arms until a girl went missing. It was later found out that the girl was buried alive. Suspicions arose. It happened that Trixie's grandmother has gypsy blood, and can sense bad luck and bad weather, and she has a feeling that the new comers are the ones responsible for the town's misfortune. Moreover, two other boys moved into town. One was named David, a young investigator. David's eye color are not the same, and has half a pinky finger. The other was named Beck. Beck is handsome, has a scar on his face, and an earring. He looks like a pirate. Trixie felt a connection with him, however, there is something very mysterious about him. He vanished in a blink of an eye. He seems to hear Trixie's screams when she was in danger. Trixie found out that Beck and the other newcomers are not humans. They are vampires. Except for Beck, the "bad vampires" feed on humans. Also, David is a dhampir, the half human, half vampire vampire hunter. Trixie found out that "bad vampires" and are actually the ones responsible for the shipwreck. They needed to feed and so they killed people, but made it appear that it was a shipwreck so no one would suspect. With the vampires in town, their small town is in grave danger. Now, Trixie, Beck, and David must do some serious vampire hunting to make their town safe again. ** spoilers end **

LOVE:
There are some seriously witty and funny lines in this book! I found myself smiling at some parts of the story. I especially loved the part when Trixie tried to test the theory that vampires have a counting obsession. (Reminds me of Count Dracula of Sesame Street!) She actually sprinkled seeds on the table just to see if Beck would count them. That part was so cute it easily became my favorite part of the book! I also love the friendship between Beck and David. I loved their friendly banter. I do think they have a complicated friendship - the vampire and the vampire hunter. Nevertheless, they remain good friends and would do anything to protect each other. And of course, the romance, this book contains some sweet, old-fashioned romance. There's nothing beyond little kisses, so this book is good even for young teens.

NO LOVE:
I would have to say that I did not like the middle part of the book. It was a bit dragging honestly. I wanted to browse through the pages. For me, there were too many talking and spying scenes. I wanted to see some vampire action. But that is just me. Maybe I just get bored easily. Some might see it as good suspense and world building in a book.

FAVORITE CHARACTER:
Trixie! I love her. She is actually someone I would love to be friends with. She is simple and easy going. She is independent, witty and sarcastic. Unlike other YA heroines, Trixie's sarcasm is not bordering on "rude." She also loves her grandparents and would do anything for them.

FAVORITE LINE:

A sparkle gleamed in Beck's dark eyes. "Trixie, are you trying to get me to count those seeds?"

MUSINGS:
Honestly, I am sick of vampires! There are just too many books about them already! When I found out that this book is about vampires, I didn't feel like reading it anymore. Good thing I continued reading it! The book is light and fun. There is actually none of those gory bloodsucking scenes, unless you count the part where Beck was feeding on the birds. The writing is not choppy, and the the story transition is very smooth. This is my first Tess Oliver book, and I will definitely read her other books.

DOODLES:
no trailer yet

AUTHOR'S WEBSITE:
Tess Oliver

SIMILAR READS:
To Catch A Pirate by Jade Parker

CONTENT REVIEW:
profanity: none
violence: mild
sexual content: mild
mature themes: mild
age recommendation: 12+