review: “the tear collector”

The Tear Collector by Patrick Jones.
Walker Books // Hardcover // 272 pages.
Reviewed from library copy.

Cassandra Gray is a different kind of vampire from what you’re used to. Instead of needing blood to survive, Cass needs human tears. What better place than a high school to find the tears she needs to survive? Cass is there for the students, absorbing their tears. But as Cassandra works her way into the high school, manipulating her classmates into sharing their sorrows, she begins to change. Students start to matter to her…

This book was not my cup of tea, at all.

The idea that vampires need tears to survive instead of blood was really intriguing, but unfortunately I felt the plot was the same event over and over again. Cass would find someone who needed to cry, manipulate them into shedding their tears, and then leave them alone. Even when she seemed to care about the teen, I couldn’t believe her. And when she started to have a relationship, I really didn’t believe her.

Her family villain was over the top and I almost found myself rolling my eyes at his antics.

The important thing about this review is that while I didn’t like it, I suspect the reason is twofold.

1. I was expecting a paranormal story and instead got a lot of high school drama and cliques.
2. I am an adult and high school drama honestly does not interest me. I was there, I got teased as a teen, I did some teasing as a teen and I really don’t feel like reliving that particular part of my life.

So, no, I didn’t like this book. I still think it has a place in YA literature. My teens will probably react surprised when they find out it’s not as paranormal as they might expect, but where I wasn’t interested (the high school drama) — they probably will be.

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Patrick Jones