My rating: 3 of 5 stars
Alma Katsu's book The Taker is all about immortality and the price people pay if they want to live forever. The story revolves around a girl named Lanore and the challenges she had to face in her life. She is madly in love with Jonathan, the son of the richest family in their small village, who just can't seem to stop himself from getting involved with women. Although they become close friends, Lanny finds herself loving Jonathan more than he could ever love her.
The story is divided into 2 parts where Lanny has been caught by the police for murdering a man and the Lanore of her distant past. She is narrating her story to Luke whom she befriends. The two of them find themselves drawn together by major events in their lives.
One of the reasons why I liked this book is that the immortal characters have no superpowers. They are people who have found themselves in situations that made them into what they are. Although there is some sorcery or necromancy within the story, it does not involve magic wands or other fantastic feats. The characters find themselves changed after being made immortal but the changes are not that major which can be a relief.
There are also elements of sex and sadism woven into the story but they are not too graphically described as many other books though there are some readers who may feel a bit put-off. There are also descriptions of cruelty which may not go down well with many readers. Having said that, the story is engaging and has twists and turns that can only be described as unexpected.
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