RAMPANT (Killer Unicorns #1) by Diana Peterfreund

Rampant (Killer Unicorns #1)
Author: Diana Peterfreund
Publication Date: August 25, 2009
Publisher: Harper Teen
Genre: Young Adult, Urban Fantasy

Summary on Goodreads:

FORGET EVERYTHING YOU EVER KNEW ABOUT UNICORNS...

Astrid Llewelyn has always scoffed at her eccentric mother's stories about killer unicorns. But when one attacks her boyfriend-- ruining any chance of him taking her to prom-- Astrid finds herself headed to Rome to train as a unicorn hunter at the ancient Cloisters the hunters have used for centuries.

However, all is not what it seems at the Cloisters. Outside, unicorns wait to attack. And within, Astrid faces other, unexpected threats: from bone-covered walls that vibrate with terrible power to the hidden agendas of her fellow hunters to her growing attraction to a handsome art student... an attraction that could jeopardize everything.

My Thoughts: 

I'm quite having a hard time looking for the right words to describe this book. I even thought of not posting it at all. I might say I'm a little disappointed. When I first saw this book at the bookstore, I was enticed to buy it. The cover is good and the summary on the back cover is much more captivating so I grabbed it and bought the hard copy without a second thought. I guess my instinct that time was not good as it usually is... 'cos as much as I hate to say this, it didn't live up to my expectations.

Astrid's mother wants her to be a unicorn hunter, because that is her birth right. She's a Llewelyn, came from the family of best unicorn hunters, descendants of Alexander the Great. She has to stay a virgin, or else she can't be a hunter. But Astrid doesn't want to be one, she wants to be a doctor. And then her boyfriend was attacked by a unicorn, dumped her after she saved his life, and her best friend accused her of taking drugs... and as if she had no other choice, knowing her mom is determined to send her to the Cloisters (a place for training unicorn hunters), she headed to Rome.

The story actually is quite fascinating. I might say, it's unique. Imagine all these virgin teenage girls who came from the family of hunters, descendants of Alexander the Great, fighting monstrous, killer unicorns! It really has a good plot, an original one I'd say. But unfortunately, this doesn't live up to that potential. The story is good, but the style of writing is not impressive. I had a hard time catching up with the emotions and drama of this book, though I admit I still enjoyed the rest of the pages. It became thrilling and exciting when you reach the second half of the story. But the first half is boring and a little slow.

When it comes to the characters, most of them are just your average teenager, except that those girls are huntresses. There is nothing so amazing or extraordinary about them. Even Astrid and Phil, being descendants of the best huntresses of all, are quite a typical teenagers to me. So if you're looking for a book where the heroines or heroes are remarkably strong with super power and all... then this book is not for you. Even Giovanni is not the type of guy who will sweep you off your feet.

Despite its flaws, there are things that I love about this book. I love Bonegrinder, the pet zhi at the Cloisters. She's a unicorn but tamed and whose love was so unconditional. I hate Cory for hurting her and I love Phil for loving her. I like it when Giovanni says "Ti Voglio Bene" (I had to looked up its meaning in the dictionary!). I felt sad for what happened to Phil (Astrid's cousin), she is my favorite character. She's strong and beautiful and independent. She cares for Astrid so much and I like how she and Astrid cares for each other.

Other than the lame romance between Astrid and Giovanni, there is nothing more I have to say about this book. Sadly, with a book with so much potential, all I get are handful of questions instead of rightful answers. This book has lots of whys and hows, and I didn't get explanations at all. So it's a little frustrating for the reader like me to fully understand the story. I could have enjoyed this book more.

It's a fun and light read, but I don't recommend it. There are more great books out there. I admit I enjoyed it, but it's not something I would read again. I'm not even sure if I will read the next sequel at all.

My Rating: