Review: Rampant (Killer Unicorns, Book 1) by Diana Peterfreund

Rampant (Killer Unicorns, Book 1) by Diana Peterfreund

HarperTeen (August 25, 2009)

416 pages, Young Adult

$12.23 (Amazon.com, Hardcover) $9.99 (Kindle Edition)

Procurement

I won this via a contest on Dark Faerie Tales.

My Grade

Plot: 5

Setting:

Writing: 5

Originality: 5

Characters: 5

Passion: 5

Overall: 30/30! A++

Cover/Title Bonus: 5

Summary (Goodreads)

Forget everything you ever knew about unicorns . . .

Real unicorns are venomous, man-eating monsters with huge fangs and razor-sharp horns. Fortunately, they've been extinct for a hundred and fifty years.

Or not.

Astrid had always scoffed at her eccentric mother's stories about killer unicorns. But when one of the monsters attacks her boyfriend—thereby ruining any chance of him taking her to the prom—Astrid finds herself headed to Rome to train as a unicorn hunter at the ancient cloisters the hunters have used for centuries.

However, at the cloisters all is not what it seems. Outside, the unicorns wait to attack. And within, Astrid faces other, unexpected threats: from the crumbling, bone-covered walls that vibrate with a terrible power to the hidden agendas of her fellow hunters to—perhaps most dangerously of all—her growing attraction to a handsome art student . . . an attraction that could jeopardize everything.

First Line(s)

1

Wherein Astrid Is Thrice Tested

“’I will never really leave,’ said the unicorn. Diamond sparkles floated from the tip of its glittering silver horn. ‘I will always live in your heart.’”

I swallowed the bile rising in my throat and forced myself to continue reading.

Plot

Wow. This was the most unique adventure I’ve ever read. The plot was awesomely thought out and everything flowed and moved along awesomely. The unicorns and Astrid were two aspects that made this book unforgettable.

Setting

It started in the backyard of the house Astrid was babysitting at and ended up in Rome. Rome was portrayed perfectly, that I could picture the setting as if I was there. There were no times that I couldn’t visualize any scene. I totally felt as if it were a movie reel in my head. True, most books feel like that but some are just better than others.

Writing

I loved the writing in this book. The descriptions of the cloisters was perfect. I truly felt like I was there. I loved seeing it all from Astrid’s point of view too. She was a true, down to earth girl that kicked some major ass.

Originality

Um, hello, unicorns? Enough said. I honestly wasn’t sure how I was going to react to reading about unicorns and killer ones at that but it was truly an amazing subject to be introduced to. I can NOT wait to read more about the unicorns and Astrid.

Characters

Astrid is the kick ass lead female character. She advances from a normal teenage girl with a unicorn crazed mother set on turning her into an unicorn slaying warrior into, well, an unicorn slaying warrior. The magical aspects intertwined in this story were astonishing.

Phil is Astrid’s cousin and is there the whole way through Astrid’s adventure. I liked her free spirit way and how it rubbed off on Astrid when she really needed a break away from the stress that is  unicorn slayer training.

There are a ton of minor characters, some forgettable, some memorable.

Passion

Astrid meets a boy while in Rome. Giovanni is a sweetheart. Their relationship is challenged but honorable in the end. I can’t wait to read book two to see how their future really is.

Overall

Amazing. I couldn’t put it down. I loved the action. I loved how true Astrid felt. I loved being in Rome. The unicorns were both awesome and terrifying. Diana Peterfreund is a new favorite author for me and I will be pre-ordering the next book in this series, Ascendant, which will release in September 2010.

Cover/Title Bonus

The cover is well fitting. The title, however, is not clear to me. I’m guessing it’s stating that the unicorns are rampant but I’m not sure. I guess that makes sense.

Series

Rampant by Diana Peterfreund

 Ascendant (Killer Unicorns, Book 2) coming September 2010

Connect with Diana Peterfreund

    

I’d label this book a must read. Have you read it? What did you think?

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