Review: The Society of S by Susan Hubbard

Title: The Society of S

Author: Susan Hubbard

Pages: 304

Publisher: Simon Schuster Paperbacks

Reading Level: Young Adult

Reading Timeline: About a week (I need to really start counting this hehe)

Rating: .7

"Will S Be Lucky for Ariella?"

What if everything you knew about your family was a lie: What if, when the lies began to crack, beneath them lay a truth so dark and deep, yet so compelling, that it pulled you inside? The Society of S, a taut, character-driven literary mystery, is the future of vampirism, told in a voice that will haunt you---and make you think.

Taschima:

The tale of a vampire, as its suppose to be told.

Ari, short for Ariella, has always lived a secluded life. Abandoned by her mother, but raised by her over protective father, she has always have questions about her existence. About who she is; what she is. Why did her mother leave her? Why is her father the way he is? Why is he so mysterious? And who exactly killed the neighbors cat?

Ok, that last question is an inside joke, if you read the book you will understand.

This is a vampire book. There is no other way to say this really. The book is read like if it were a diary, though it doesn't go by dates. Susan Hubbard's way of writing will truly haunt you days after you've read it, and inspire you to read more. The story flows beautifully. And the main character is a piece of art. She is not what I am use to. I'm use to normal high school girls, or kick ass chicks. This character, though cold at times, has a level of intelligence that will amaze, and an insight that will leave you speechless. As I read it it reminded me a little of An Interview with a Vampire; it doesn't have the same plots or characters, but the mood and the style is similar.

Another positive thing on the book is that it makes you want to learn. Ari's education is truly an inspiration. Though she doesn't know how to cook, or anything about how to get somewhere, she is a master at poetry, philosophy and the likes. Raphael's favorite poet -Raphael is Ari's father- is Edgar Allan Poe. After I read the book I searched all over the internet for works on Edgar Allan Poe, and similar poets the author mentioned.

As for plot, well, you kind of read the story as it goes along. Kind of like The Time Traveler's Wife. You don't really see a goal, but you still keep reading. It will give you something to keep you going, a plot line here and there, but I believe that this book is more focused on showing different styles of vampires, it's a coming of age novel for vampires everywhere!

All that said there were something that irked me. For example, the main character is supposed to be 13. But she doesn't seem 13! She is way wiser than a 13 year old, she appears to be 17, or even 20. So yeah, that was a thorn in the middle of the road.

All in all, I like where this is going, and I will keep reading book 2, The Year of Disappearances. I think you should read The Society of S too.

PS; Weird; the title of the book, The Society of S, there is actually a society of S, but is only mentioned once.