The Immortal Rules- Julie Kagawa

"In a future world, vampires reign. Humans are blood cattle. And one girl will search for the key to save humanity.
Allison Sekemoto survives in the Fringe, the outermost circle of a vampire city. By day, she and her crew scavenge for food. By night, any one of them could be eaten.
Some days, all that drives Allie is her hatred of them. The vampires who keep humans as blood cattle. Until the night Allie herself is attacked—and given the ultimate choice. Die…or become one of the monsters.
Faced with her own mortality, Allie becomes what she despises most. To survive, she must learn the rules of being immortal, including the most important: go long enough without human blood, and you will go mad.
Then Allie is forced to flee into the unknown, outside her city walls. There she joins a ragged band of humans who are seeking a legend—a possible cure to the disease that killed off most of humankind and created the rabids, the mindless creatures who threaten humans and vampires alike.
But it isn't easy to pass for human. Especially not around Zeke, who might see past the monster inside her. And Allie soon must decide what—and who—is worth dying for."- Amazon Summary



 9/10 stars!

I know what you're thinking. "Oh no, not another vampire novel!" . But I assure you, this one is of a far higher class than the others. Let me first make clear: This is not your typical "Pretty but weirdly insecure girl meets mysterious sparkly-boy" novel. It is set in a futuristic dystopia, where people living on the fringe, like Allie, are in constant danger of barbarous gangs, bloodthirsty vampires, demented 'mole-men', savage 'rabids', and the most prevalent threat of all, starvation.
 Before you dig in to this book, I have to warn you: Its pretty brutal. This isn't a novel for little girls, if you haven't gathered it already from the cover. (Which is reeeaaaally creepy, don't you think?) There are some graphic descriptions of humans being, quite literally, ripped apart, and there are a few very gory scenes. If you have a weak stomach, this is probably not for you. Although, if you think you can handle it, it will be worth every cringe!
 Okay, so the lead character is Allison Sekemoto, or, 'Allie', as she is most commonly referred to. She is callous, cruel, vicious, and super-duper badass. Allie is unlike any heroine I have seen before, but I loved her! She never whined about her relationship issues, nor did she complain about her physical attractiveness. In Allie's mind, there is but one driving force: Survival. She does not waste her time sniveling on about materialistic desires, which I appreciated; If I was in a life-or-death situation, I probably wouldn't be worrying about my hair, either! Well, when she starts building relationships with other characters (*cough* ZEKE *cough*) , she begins to grasp new concepts such as friendship and love. Yeah, looking back, it seems pretty cheesy, but the author applies it subtly, so it doesn't seem so bad at the time.
 So: Zeke. He. Was. Awesome. These days, most male protagonists in YA fiction are dark and mysterious, however Zeke is anything but. I mean, seriously, he would make a Nobel Peace Prize-winner seem like a douchebag! Zeke is kind, loyal, funny, and a great love interest! Him and Allie are like day and night, but, opposites attract, I guess!
 I really can't write this review without mentioning Kanin. As the vampire who turned Allie, he played quite a significant role in the first half of the book. As much as I ADORE the whole Allison/Zeke relationship, I was kind of hoping for something to... happen... between her and Kanin. Kanin remained cold and distant throughout his appearances in the novel, save for several cute moments when we glimpsed at his softer, protective sides. I am looking forward to seeing more of him in the next installment of the series.
 In conclusion, this is a fabulous novel, a worthy addition to my list of favorite books, and a stunning extension to Julie Kagawa's ever-growing collection of  truly brilliant stories.
 Let me know what you think in the comments, and I am always welcoming new followers!
- Daisy H

P.S. If you loved "The Immortal Rules" and "The Iron Fey series", check out Julie Kagawa's own blog by clicking here!