After Midnight by Lynn Viehl

After Midnight by Lynn Viehl
Release Date: May 8, 2011
Publisher: Flux 
Age Group: Young Adult 
Pages: 360


Summary:  A Suspenseful New Series Featuring Vampires and Forbidden Love
Sophomore Catlyn Youngblood is used to the nomadic existence she and her two older brothers have shared since the death of their parents. When they settle down for good in the sleepy backwoods town of Lost Lake, Florida, Cat thinks they might finally fit in. Instead, they're shunned by the locals.
While riding her horse late one night, Cat meets an enigmatic and handsome boy named Jesse Raven. Even more strange than her overpowering attraction to him is Jesse's apparent aversion to the sun. As their attraction intensifies, long-kept secrets come to light. Cat learns that the Ravens are a centuries-old vampire clan . . . and worse still, that she and her brothers are descendents of Abraham Van Helsing, the world-famous vampire hunter. Mortal enemies by blood, the two families do all they can to keep them apart. But Cat and Jesse will risk everything to be together—including death.

My Thoughts: We are introduced to Catlyn aka Cat. She lives with her two brothers Patrick and Grayson. Patrick is older and has taken care of them for a while now. Their parent's passed away. Grayson and Cat are still in high school and the family moves around a lot. They have lived many many places but finally decided to put down some roots in Florida. Cat starts a new school and makes a few friends, a boy and a girl. She also attracts the attention of the football quarterback and his girlfriend, which she could do without. 

She ends up taking out her horse Sali on a midnight ride and bumps into Jesse Raven, the mysterious boy who lives on an island with his parents. Jesse can't go out in the sunlight or he'll burn, he doesn't need to eat, and he's very cute.  

Cat and Jesse begin a romance that nobody understands and nobody wants them together, not even the town sheriff who is just looking for a reason to lock up the family.

Many secrets are unraveled throughout the novel, family secrets. Both Cat's and Jesse's. Honestly, I felt the relationship between Jesse and Cat was rushed. And I didn't feel much of a connection to any of the characters. Jesse and Cat just instantly had feelings for each other and that bothered me, they barely knew each other! 

I liked the aspect of the book where the secrets came out, but it was a bit predictable. I knew mostly what was going to happen before it did. I did like learning all about Cat and why cat's liked her so much. I liked her brothers. I enjoyed the football scenes.  I liked the chaos between her classmates. 

I just felt the storyline was rushed, yet the book seemed to go on and on forever. I was ready to finish it about halfway through because I saw the ending coming. 

Overall: After Midnight was an okay read. Will I read the next one? Yes, just to see what happens. I'd like to know more about her brothers and what happens to them as well. I'd like to know more about their abilities and what they choose to do with them. 

Cover: I've seen similar versions of this cover on other books. It's an ok cover.

What I'd Give It: