THE SILVER KISS

Two short stories act as prologue and epilogue for this novel, which focuses on 16-year-old Zoé, whose mother is dying of cancer, and centuries-old Simon, a reluctant vampire in a 19-year-old body. Ali Ahn narrates the stories of loss, loneliness, and the search for love in a tone that teenage girls, especially, will enjoy. However, her voice is not convincingly masculine, a weakness that distracts when the point of view changes from Zoé’s to Simon’s. Ahn's unvarying inflection and cadence add to the dark mood but don't work well for the action scenes or those depicting the teens' budding relationship. The audio edition is enhanced by an author's note explaining the origin of the story. C.B.L. © AudioFile 2010, Portland, Maine [Published: AUGUST 2010]