Midnight Predator
Review by Molley S. Kinney, submitted on 6-Oct-2002

Atwater-Rhodes, Amelia. Midnight Predator.

240p. Delacorte. May 2002. Tr $9.95. ISBN 0-385-32794-3. LC number unavailable.

Gr 7-9 -- Turquoise Draka, a human vampire hunter who escaped from slavery, is hired to kill the cruel and powerful Jeshickah. To accomplish her mission, she must once again become a slave, but this time to Jaguar, the kindly master of Midnight, a legendary vampire domain. In a classic battle of good versus evil, humanity versus the supernatural,

Atwater-Rhodes fashions a tale that allows readers to see that each individual, human or vampire, makes choices in life. On the surface, it is the fight between right and wrong, but readers will come to the understanding that people, situations, and actions are not that simple. The characters continually wrestle with their perceptions of themselves and others in order to change and grow. The plot and characters are so skillfully intertwined that each one moves the story to its thoughtful yet inconclusive ending, which allows readers to imagine how Turquoise will continue in her life.

The harshness and violence are softened by the soulful searching of the characters, and the story's consistent tone keeps readers engaged from first page to last. Young people who enjoyed Atwater-Rhodes's Shattered Mirror (2001) and Annette Curtis Klause's Blood and Chocolate (1997, both Delacorte) will want to add this title to their must-read list.