Thicker Than Water

This was an interesting book. I origionally bought it because the main character, Kia, had the problem of cutting, one I've faced for many years, and I saw that the book accurately portrayed life as a self-injurer. The book didn't really develop characters much aside from Kia, but I was rather fond of that. When struggling with depression, self-injury, a mother with cancer, exct, it is hard for a person to really see how other people are developed and actually look at them as the "flat" way that this novel portrays characters. Some parts were very hard to believe. I, for one, love vampires, and was thrilled by the vampire sub-cult, though, in the end, it reveals that they are just role-players, and it was very hard to believe people, adults none-the-less, would jump that far into a role-play. Also, it still leaves a lot of things unanswered that lead up to Kia believing that these people really are vampires, and I wish it would have covered that more. All in all though it was a very good read and I felt very attached to following Kia through her journey of pain, self-injury, escape methods, and eventual realization of needing to talk to others and gain help from them.

Seventeen year old Kia feels powerless. Her mother is dying of cancer and she is living with her father who is uninvolved with her life and often absent. Her friends have problems of their own and can't provide the support she needs, and she is cutting herself to release the pain. Introduced to a world of goth night clubs that cater to the "vampire" community, she meets and falls for a mysterious DJ named Damon. Kia pursues Damon through the vampire scene, believing that he may be an actual vampire with the potential to save her mother. Readers of Thicker than Water may recognize familiar themes: the isolated protagonist of Annette Curtis Klause's Silver Kiss also hopes for a vampiric cure for her dying mother, and Pete Hautman's Sweetblood also introduces a self-destructive teen who develops a relationship with a person who may or may not be a vampire. However, the book is much more graphic than either of these and very emotionally intense, Jablonski throws so much pain and isolation in Kia's path that the reader almost gets a sense that the author was in a contest to create a character who was even more disturbed and isolated than protagonists in other titles in this genre. This intensity makes the end of the story feel a little too pat. Yet, her writing is powerful enough to keep the reader up well past the witching hour.

Kia feels powerless over her life. Her mom is dying from cancer, and no matter how many times Kia visits her, her mom never seems to get any better. On top of that, Kia is stuck living with her father, who is a joke of a parent. It's like he doesn't even know how to be a dad because he's so absorbed in his work. To help her deal with the pain, Kia sometimes resorts to cutting herself. It's not some petty cry for attention; Kia keeps her cutting a secret. Even from her best friends, Carol and Aaron. One day, at the hospital, Kia meets a girl named Hecate, whom she connects with right away. Hecate introduces her to a new scene, opening Kia's eyes to a whole new world. An underground world where vampires rule. Where people dress up in elaborate Victorian costumes, with red contacts and fake fangs. Carol and Aaron find the vampire gothic club scene more than a little disturbing, but Kia feels more at home in the dark vampire world than anywhere else. These people seem to understand her in a way that nobody else does. They don't judge her, but just welcome her and support her. Plus, Kia's first night at the club introduces her to Damon, a captivating vampire DJ. There's something about Damon that is so intriguing that Kia can't stop thinking about him. She finds herself returning night after night, just hoping to see him and hoping to feel his touch. Damon is very important and respected member of this vampire world, and just knowing that he's chosen Kia, singled her out as his own, gives Kia a rush. As her mom becomes weaker and weaker, Kia immerses herself deeper into the vampire culture, though she doesn't quite understand all of it. Kia withdraws from her friends, Carol and Aaron and starts ditching school. It's not like her dad has any idea what's going on in her life, since he's always on business trips. The more Kia learns about the vampires, the more curious she becomes and the more she thinks that Damon just might be the answer to all of her problems. All clues point to Damon being a real vampire. Carla Jablonski does a fantastic job in blurring the lines of fantasy and reality as she shows how impressionable Kia is and how quickly Kia's life changes as her wishful thinking impairs her judgment. Although everything will never again be as it once was, Kia needs to learn to deal with her life, however unfair it may be, rather than running away from her problems. Reviewed by: Amber Gibson

This is a great book for adults and kids alike! Carla Jablonski's writing shines in this novel that blends reality and imagination for both her characters and for her readers. The protagonist, Kia, is a teenager who delves into the club world of goths and vampires. With her father too busy for her and her mother in the hospital, Kia is left on her own to explore the world and discover the fine line between life and death. Along the way, she meets Damon, a truly intriguing character who, by all appearances, is a vampire and the answer to all of Kia's problems. Jablonksi's characters are so real and engaging. Jablonski really opens the door to Kia's mind so that the reader feels that they are right there with Kia through her episodes of cutting, visits to the hospital, and her foray into the world of vampires. Like Kia, the reader takes the journey of doubt and questioning to that of belief and reality. This makes for an awesome read. I couldn't put the book down and stayed up all night to finish it. I want to read all of Jablonski's novels! And I want to know more about what happens to Kia!...a sequel???!!! "Thicker than Water" is definitely in my top ten list of best books EVER!

The novel really delves into the vampire cult world. It is not for the meek of mind. Kia is a goth girl who's mother is dying or cancer and she cuts herself to release the pain. She finds another way to escape by going to vampire clubs and parties and she gets sucked, no pun intended, into an underground cult of followers who live the vampire lifestyle. There she finds new friends and an attraction to the infamous DJ Damon. As she gets pulled into this sub-world all her life around her falls apart. I read the whole book in one night and I must say I could not put it down. Overall it is a very good read and gives you a glimpse into an otherwise unknown world.