The Emerald Talisman by Brenda Pandos

Julia knows she's not normal. Being able to feel other people's emotions isn't normal, but she's dealing with it. She has learned to avoid crowds and has even become popular among new mothers for her amazing ability to so accurately interpret their babies' needs. So it comes as no surprise that she is walking home, alone, through the woods, when she senses an intense blood-lust. Terrified, she runs and falls over a cliff only to be rescued by the dashing Nicholas.

After several whirlwind interactions, Julia finally realizes that there is something off about Nicholas. He's different every time she sees him and he's always on his way somewhere else, but he can be so sweet to her. When kids in her school start disappearing and Nicholas is all too familiar with the details, Julia begins to question everything she knows about him and the missing teens.

I can't really explain it well, but this book is best described as "foggy." There was so much that was unclear in this book, not just the storyline but the writing as well. It was so blasé that I couldn't really jive with it. While we get to know Julia quite well, as she is very self-aware, I felt like the other characters were empty. There was nothing to them or their plot-lines.

What I certainly missed in all of this was the fact that this was going to be a vampire book. That really irked me. I would have preferred an every day serial killer to vampires. The scenes were so familiar and yet so irritating. There was no comfort or enjoyment in this book for me.

In summation, this book just completely underwhelmed me. While I know there are people who have enjoyed this book, I am not among them. Although if you like alternative vampire lore, try it out.