The Night Wanderer: A Native Gothic Novel by Drew Hayden Taylor

Synopsis from Goodreads:  A sleepy native reservation. A troubled teen girl. A vampire returns home.

Nothing ever happens on the Otter Lake reservation. But when 16-year-old Tiffany discovers her father is renting out her room, she's deeply upset. Sure, their guest is polite and keeps to himself. But he's also a little creepy.

Little do Tiffany, her father or even her astute Granny Ruth suspect the truth. The mysterious Pierre L'Errant is actually a vampire, returning to his tribal home after centuries spent in Europe. But Tiffany has other things on her mind: her new boyfriend is acting weird, disputes with her father are escalating, and her estranged mother is starting a new life with somebody else.

Fed up and heartsick, Tiffany threatens drastic measures and flees into the bush. There, in the midnight woods, a chilling encounter with L'Errant changes everything... for both of them.

A mesmerizing blend of Gothic thriller and modern coming-of-age novel,The Night Wanderer is unlike any other vampire story.

My thoughts: I haven't really explored the paranormal genre so this was a step outside of my comfort zone.  There were a few different things that drew me to this story.   The first thing that peaked my interest was the setting.  The story is set in rural Canada near an Indian reservation.  I could easily picture the setting based on my own memories of the Queen Charlotte Islands.  I had the honor of living off the coast of British Columbia for two years while I was growing up.   

I knew that this book was geared toward a younger reader so I was pretty sure I could handle the "fright factor".  This was just about perfect for me.  It was descriptive enough to get your mind to wander down the path of anticipation but not so scary that you couldn't sleep at night. 

This truly is a coming of age story, but not just for the teens.  Several of the characters are going through their own coming of age.  This is what makes The Night Wanderer a story that any age can relate to.

Pick this one up for a quick read that explores culture, teen angst, three generations trying to relate to one another with a little bit of the paranormal thrown in.  I enjoyed it, and I think most of you will to. 

So now that I've taken a small step into the genre, which book should I read next?

You can learn more about Drew Hayden Taylor by visiting his page at Annick Press.

 

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Get your copy of the ebook!

http://www.kobobooks.com/ebook/The-Night-Wanderer-Native-Gothic/book-_sUOTutYPUOhd6VDPZ05_g/page1.html

I was provided a copy of the Night Wanderer by the Publisher.  This is my honest opinion of the book.