The Knack

This urban fantasy is on the horror end of the genre. A creepy tale, well told.

New to Anaheim, California is Aaron Capps. This young Texas transplant is in for a rude awakening as he confronts a new form of urban vampire. They can make others do what they want. They make others feel what they want them to feel. Puppets without strings. They live off the soul’s force, feeding off bodily fluids. High school is just the tip of the iceberg, and no member of his family is safe from those that have The Knack.

A family battlefield survivor, Kyna Miller is self-control personified. This high school warrior leads her tribe with an iron hand, taking from them, taking for them. Yet, newcomer Aaron is different. He’s more than fresh meat. He’s a possibility.

Writers of fiction see the world for what it is, and they don’t hold back reality to satisfy the needs of others. They tell it like it is. Five stars for this carefully crafted look into a new urban mythos.

Not what I expected, but that turned out to be a good thing. The Knack is basically an urban fantasy story about a group of teenagers who, for better or for worse, contract a disease that gives them psychic powers, with one important drawback: they must continuously feed off of the life energies of others in order to stay healthy. In that respect, there's a mild vampire/horror element to the plot, but it's mainly a garnish on what is at its heart a very touching, very powerful love story. The novel jumps back and forth between the perspective of the two main characters, Kyna and Aaron, both of whom must learn to deal with the benefits and consequences of their burgeoning powers. And it isn't easy as they discover what can sometimes be an amazing gift can also be a terrifying burden.

This is a beautifully told character-oriented, contemporary fantasy novel. Its harsh at times, but then it's always darkest before dawn, and in this case I think the journey is totally worth it.

This is the first Jesse Gordon book that I've had the pleasure of reading. His perception on social, personal, and relationships are so deep and touching that I have since read all of his works. This books take on a coming of age story is definitely one of the most original I have ever read. Now don't read "coming of age" as "commercial tween vampire rip-off." The issues and subjects tackled in this book are far from the usual star-crossed lover force fed to us on a regular basis and the subject matter is definitely intended for mature adults. This book is definitely not for the immature and probably would go way over the heads of the commercial reader. The characters are well fleshed out and three dimensional. One of my favorite things about Jesse Gordon's writing is the way his fiction can give us so much insight into our own world. As the first Jesse Gordon book I read, this one will always hold a special place and I hope for more people to enjoy this beautiful story.


s

Jesse Gordon writes with such vivid description that is so precise that it is almost as if you can smell, taste, feel what the characters are going through. Not for the faint of heart, but overall a very good read!