Review: Twisted Dreams by Marissa Farrar

Book Blurb: Born of a vampire father to a human mother, Elizabeth Bandores’ life was never going to be normal, so she can’t imagine why she thinks starting college will be any different. Having grown up in the affluent Hollywood Hills of Los Angeles and desperate to escape, she decides on the small college town of Sage Springs. With dreams of being a writer, she joins the college newspaper and is introduced to blond, confident Flynn Matthews, Sage Springs’ rising swim star. But a carnival has set up in the small town, and the boy running the Waltzer catches her eye. Dark-haired, leather-jacketed Riley is rude, with an air of danger. Elizabeth can’t help but notice him. And when an accident thrusts them together, she discovers he’s noticed her, too. Sage Springs isn’t the quiet little town Elizabeth had hoped for. The forests bordering the town harbour a dark secret—one some of the residents have been trying to protect, and the leaders of the carnival have set in their sights... My Review: 2 Out Of 5 Stars

Genre: Another-World, Supernatural, Vampires, Witches-- Elizabeth is excited to leave Los Angeles behind and go to a small town to start college. Life has not been very easy for Elizabeth, mainly due to the fact she is a dhamphir- half human half vampire. She loves both her parents, but her strange lifestyle has not made her any friends, so she is looking for a new start. Her college career is off to a shaky start when her car is electrocuted, a cute mysterious boy lurks around and her denied vampire instincts go into overdrive. Elizabeth may be over her head in supernatural when all she wanted was a little slice of normal. I was expecting a more grown up urban fantasy when I started reading this, less the awkward teen girl who desperately wants friends and more the bad-ass big city half vampire girl who can take on the world. So needless to say I was slightly disappointed when I started reading this book and found something like a coming of age, be yourself kind of vibe. Elizabeth lacks the confidence that I enjoy in my supernatural main characters. And no, I am not talking about an ego, or an “I can get any man attitude”, but more of the belief that she can succeed or at least go out swinging and I felt like I missed that here. Some of the side characters possessed that trait, but the main character fell flat. Let’s also talk about the fact Elizabeth sleeps with someone she barely knows and forms a strong “emotional attachment” to him and becomes the needy clingy girl. Elizabeth is then shocked when he tells her that he needs to leave the next day with his job and she demands he quit it and stay with her, even going so far as to propose that he can live under her bed in her dorm. He never stated his undying love and neither did she before their tryst, yet she goes crazy emotional, believing he betrayed her when she knew all along what he is. It made me really not like her and doubt her maturity level even more than I already did. And speaking of the love interest, he was described as having feminine features, which I guess worked for him since all the girls wanted him, yet I pictured a delicate girl with stubble. Not very appealing, especially when she had a chance at an attractive swimmer. (Have you seen a swimmers body? Nothing feminine there.) Overall I was not impressed with the plot and the characters of the book. I won’t be reading anymore in this series. I am sure others will really enjoy or relate to this book, but I can’t. As a side note, I am intrigued about Elizabeth’s parent’s story so I might read about them sometime because the writing was not bad, just the storyline lost me. I received this story from the author in exchange for my honest review.