Wynne Channing

What Kills Me

Zee, is studying abroad. Italy, the place of romance and lovers. She is staying with a host family and studying Italian. On the way home, she gets lost. A gorgeous guy approaches her. At first she thinks he is going to rob her. After introducing himself he helps her home and asks her out on a date. Zee is thrilled, like any teenager would be. When she gets inside the host family puts a 9pm curfew on her. How is she going to go out with the cute boy? When he shows up at her place the next night, she sneaks out. Like any teenagers, she has to see this cute boy again. He takes her for gelato, buys her flowers, a necklace and treats her like a princess. Any girls dream. He then takes he to a church that has been abandoned. Just as she starts to get nervous, the boy admits he is going to kill her. He says he is going to drain her dry. He chases her threw the church. They reach a spot where there is a massive hole, it looks like there is no bottom. A robed man approaches and tries to stop the boy from hurting Zee, not before she falls in the hole. When Zee awakens, she slowly climbs out of the hole and the robed man helps her out. She finds out the robed man and his helper Lexi are vampires and the boy who tried to kill her was one as well. She is horrified to find out she is one too. Guards show up and Zee doesn't understand what is going on. When finally in front of the vampire Empress, she learns that she is a vampire with no sire or an abomination. They charge the boy who chased her and Zee to death. As the sun rises, Zee has no other option than to watch the boy burn from the sun and know what is coming next for herself. But as the sun rises, she doesn't burn. After climbing out and getting away she washes up on a shore line. Noel a vampire, helps her to his cabin where he and his family lives. Zee doesn't know it yet but the Empress has not forgotten her. After telling her story to Noel and his family, Noel knows Zee is not safe and he must protect her.  When the soldiers show up, Lucas (Noels son) and Zee have to run. The chase begins! Why does the Empress what her killed so badly and why is Zee the vampire so different than everyone else around her? Is she what everyone fears the monster of monsters? Zee and Lucas are chased across the globe in the hopes to finding answers and someone to help them, will they find the answers they seek?

What kills me, is a action packed, thrill ride. Starts off with a teenager with a crush and continues on non-stop. One action scene to another with a few touching moments in between. You feel Lucas and Zee grow closer to one another and you can sympathize with Zee. Her fear and wonder of her new environment. By then end you know that this is just the start of a very cool series (I hope). I would love to find out what happens to Zee, Lucas and the vampire world. I would consider this a young adult book, but it has some violence and gore in it. So ages 15 and up is my recommendation. But worth the read for any adult as well!