V-Games by Caroline Peckham

The V-Games is a paranormal thriller and is the first in a series.

Selena is in jail for killing her stepfather. Even though Selena and her mother have been subjected to physical and emotional abuse for years, the state believes that she deserves to be punished. Selena is not inherently a bad person, so to be stuck in jail with hardened criminals is pretty scary.

Varick is a vampire and in the servitude of the Van Helsings. Once a feared pirate, he now has to bow down to his masters as torture and starvation face his every transgression. The V-Games are about to start soon and Varick must take his pick of contestants from prisons that look the other way when inmates go missing (well they get glamoured anyway!)

Selena and some of the others are carted off, dolled up and let loose on an island. An island where they have to get from checkpoint to checkpoint each day while bets are placed on their lives until only one survives to cross the finish line. And in their way? Starving vampires! Something strange has happened though; Selena seems to be getting a little more help than the others from Varick. She can feel a spark of interest from him and even though she doesn’t want to admit it, the feeling is mutual. So now vampires are real, hunters are real, the games are real and being the last contestant standing; has totally become real.

As has been claimed, this book can be compared to the story in The Hunger Games mixed in with some of the obsession from Twilight. If you are looking for in depth characters with angst and soul this is not for you. Take it as a YA novel filled with action, betrayal, friendship and a love interest, and you have a fun afternoon’s read. Not that you don’t get to feel the characters – there is a definite cheer for the girls you feel didn’t’ deserve to be there in the first place and a boo for those “bad girls” who did.

The writing flows well and is easy to read with minimal editing mistakes. A slight twist at the end leads into the next book nicely. While not a deep story, it kept me turning pages until the end. Those who enjoy a strong female lead and an interesting take on an old idea will enjoy this.