Pretty Dead by Francesca Lia Block

Reviewed by Mercedes Adame

    This fiction book was published by HarperTeen and the date of publication is 2009. This is an easy reading book because it has 195 pages. The main character of this story is Charlotte. She is a vampire who is five feet ten, blond; blue eyed, and has large eyes. She also has the characteristics of being thin, have naturally pink lips, and broad, bony shoulders. Charlotte is creative and artistic. Or was when she was mortal. A passage from the book read, “I spent my days in the meadows with an easel and canvas, painting the wildflowers and the sky that Charles loved.” This quote shows that Charlotte was artistic in painting wildflowers and the sky. She is also a person who is calm because when her parents dead she took the situation as if nothing had happened.

    This story takes place in Malibu, although later it changes to Los Angeles. Therefore, the setting still stays in California. The story begins with Charlotte. She says that teenage girls are powerful creatures and wonders if children of the night aren’t different. What makes her wonder about herself and normal teenage girls is her loneliness. That’s when her troubles start. Charlotte makes a friend named Elizabeth who was said to have dead of suicide. Now Charlotte is left alone with Elizabeth’s boyfriend, Jared, to keep her company.

    However, later in the story, Charlotte discovers that not only does she have to deal with the death of her friend but also the surprise of her life. Charlotte is realizing she is gaining back some of her humanity. She realizes that her nails can break, she can feel worried or feel sensations, that she can cry, and has started her menstrual again. Though, another surprise arrives. That surprise is that her creator has come back for her! How can she be able to confront her creator when she is falling in love with Elizabeth’s boyfriend?

    Finally, Charlotte is told by her creator, William, that she is no longer an immortal. This brings her joy since its all she has ever wanted. Now she can live her life by having children and everything she had envious humans. But this happiness does not last long. It is the fact that her creator has chosen another woman as his partner that made her shiver and the decision of her creator is breath-taking! This event can ruin all those things that Charlotte has wished for as a human.

    I really liked this book because it contains a lot of action and breath taking thrills. Some examples would be Elizabeth’s death, when Charlotte and Jared get together, when Charlotte’s creator arrives, and lastly, when you discover the ending.  I recommend this book to those who like dark moods, epic thrills, and great endings. I recommend this book to those people because if you don’t like dark moods, epic thrills, and great endings you won’t like the story as much or understand it.