Youngblood by Sasha Laurens – a Review

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Description:
Kat Finn and her mother can barely make ends meet living among humans. Like all vampires, they must drink Hema, an expensive synthetic blood substitute, to survive, as nearly all of humanity has been infected by a virus that’s fatal to vampires. Kat isn’t looking forward to an immortal life of barely scraping by, but when she learns she’s been accepted to the Harcote School, a prestigious prep school that’s secretly vampires-only, she knows her fortune is about to change.

Taylor Sanger has grown up in the wealthy vampire world, but she’s tired of its backward, conservative values—especially when it comes to sexuality, since she’s an out-and-proud lesbian. She only has to suffer through a two more years of Harcote before she’s free. But when she discovers her new roommate is Kat Finn, she’s horrified. Because she and Kat used to be best friends, a long time ago, and it didn’t end well.

When Taylor stumbles upon the dead body of a vampire, and Kat makes a shocking discovery in the school’s archives, the two realize that there are deep secrets at Harcote—secrets that link them to the most powerful figures in Vampirdom and to the synthetic blood they all rely on.

Review:

Youngblood by Sasha Laurens is a YA fantasy standalone novel. We meet Kat Finn, our heroine, who is a vampire, living with her mom, among humans; they must drink Hema, a synthetic blood substitute to survive.  Kat is happy being friends with many of her human classmates, but knows that she and her mother barely scrape by.  Kat is thrilled to learn that she has been accepted to Harcote School, an elite private school for young vampires only, especially for the wealthy; someone anonymous has paid all her expenses.  Kat’s mom does not want her to go, but she wants to learn more about youngbloods like herself, especially having been isolated from vampires all her life.

Taylor Sanger, the second heroine, has attended Harcote for three years, and is shocked to learn her new roommate is a former friend, who she hasn’t seen in years.  Taylor hasn’t forgotten that Kat and her mother left a long time ago, without saying goodbye; and both remain distant though civil. Taylor is openly a proud lesbian, and avoids Kat, who joins with some of the mean girls, as well as the school hunk, Galen Black. In a short time, Kat begins to have some feelings for Taylor, but still pushes herself to see Galen, since she considers herself straight.

When Taylor finds her favorite teacher dead, they both become entangled in a dark conspiracy that threatens Vampiredon. CFAD, is a blood disorder in humans that is fatal to vampires; Hema is the blood substitute vampires use to stay alive.  With the death of the school teacher, Taylor and Kat learn from archives that a cure has been found to allow vampires to be able to use human blood.  Who is behind the murder of the teacher, and why they want to stop the possible cure?

What follows is an excellent story that towards the end, became very exciting.  As we get closer to the end, Kat realizes her feelings for Taylor has gotten stronger.  Kat was a great heroine, always independent in doing what she thought best, and not allowing others to change her mind.  Taylor was also great, not caring what people thought of her, and determined to discover the truths.  I really enjoyed Youngblood, which was well written by Sasha Laurens. 

Reviewed by Barb

Copy provided by Publisher