Review: Static by Tawny Stokes

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Static by Tawny Stokes

Publisher: self published via CreateSpace

Published: August 12, 2011

Pages: 296

Received: part of blog tour via Bewitching Book Tours

BUY NOW:  Amazon

Be careful what you listen to....

During the summer before her senior year, 17 year old band groupie, Salem Vale, has been following her favorite punk rockers, Malice, from gig to gig hoping that one night she might get backstage and meet the sinisterly sexy guys. She’s been saving her virginity for the lead singer Thane. One fateful evening she gets her wish. It’s a dream come true.

Except the dream turns to a nightmare when she wakes up in a dumpster, tossed away like yesterday’s trash, with no memory of what happened the night before. She feels strange, different, as if something is trying to get out. Soon she realizes she’s changing…turning into something not quite human.

Now a hunger deep inside claws at her to feed, to siphon energy from those around her. Before she can do just that, Trevor, the band’s roadie shows up and stops her from killing. With his help she learns to control the hunger inside, because he’s just like her. And in return he wants her help to do one little thing…

Help him kill the members of Malice.

From the very first chapter I was pulled into this book. I loved that the story follows the trials and tribulations of the groupie scene via a teenage girl, but is also mixed with otherworldly problems. I think I enjoyed the idea of this book as I've always wondered what it was like to follow a band around on tour or work for a band and you actually get to glimpse it all in this book.

The band is actually very edgy, yet once you see into their world I found them really creepy and quite disturbing. I guess that's part of what makes the story work and the whole idea of wanting to kill Malice to save others from the same fate as Salem and Trevor.

"Parents hide your little rockers because the demons are coming to town to suck out their souls"

Salem is a strong character from the start and she just becomes that much more empowered as the plot progresses. So many changes in her life cause her to have to make very tough decisions, yet she always seems to handle everything with confidence. Sure, she has her moments of insecurity, but don't we all?

I think my favourite part of this entire book is the romance that flares between Trevor and Salem. Trevor is just like her, changed into something neither of them ever expected, and he is determined to help her survive this change. The flirtatiousness between the two is absolutely fantastic - they flip back and forth between uncertainty and excitement. It's the perfect romance to balance all the crazy that is happening in this story. 

This book has great characters (both main and secondary ones), is very unique from other YA novels out there right now and has some amazing twists to the plot that I didn't see coming. Such a great read!

What are you waiting for? Go pick up a copy!

Note: There are a few scenes with undertones of sex (though not completely descriptive), some make-out sessions and some underage drinking. I think this novel would be best for older teens and adults.

About the author: 
Tawny Stokes has always been a writer. From an early age, she’d spin tales of serial killers in love, vampires taking over the world, and sometimes about fluffy bunnies turned bunnicidal maniacs. An honour student in high school, with a penchant for math and English, you’d never know it by the foot high blue Mohawk and Doc Martens, which often got her into trouble. No longer a Mohawk wearer, Tawny still enjoys old school punk rock, trance, zombie movies, teen horror films, and fluffy bunnies. She lives in Canada with her fantastical daughter, two cats, and spends most of her time creating new stories for teens.
Tawny also writes adult paranormal/urban fantasy fiction under the name Vivi Anna, and is an aspiring screenwriter.

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