2 out of 4 stars
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In Chasing the Red Queen, author Karen Glista attempts to take readers to a dark and seductive fantasy. While some of her characters’ interactions seem genuine, the violence is so stark, it takes away from what could have been a very good story.
Donja Bellanger had not had an easy life. Losing her father to an accident during her childhood, Donja shut herself away with goth makeup and a bad attitude. When her mother’s remarriage forced Donja and her brother Frankie to move into a new town, she must open herself up to new possibilities. Luckily for Donja, her new stepsister, a posh, well dressed, and wealthy teen named Makayla, was willing to help her adjust to her new life on the banks of the St. Mary’s River in Sault Saint Marie, Michigan. Together, the girls discover hidden secrets in their new home and frequent exclusive nightclubs. Donja catches the eye of not one, but two Radiant Iridescents, ancient spirits who drink blood and possess unnatural abilities. One of these Iridescents is her true love, while the other is a maniacal entity bent on destruction and determined to acquire Donja forever.
The novel follows the typical pattern evident in most vampire novels. Super young girl meets dangerous, centuries old vampire. They fall deeply and passionately in love. A dangerous adversary threatens the new fated romance. Glista takes it a step further and adds plenty of sex and violence to the story. While vampire fighting is typically gruesome, it was the sometimes violent sex that made me cringe. I do not consider myself squeamish, but even I was wondering at times if the novel shouldn’t come with a trigger warning for victims of sexual assault or rape. Glisa goes out of her way to emphasize how the girls’ outfits, typically miniskirts and six inch heels, provoke the men in their lives, which comes off as both sexist and victim shaming. Torin, Donja’s love interest, uses his bite to literally “mark” Donja as his own and his entire attitude is downright possessive throughout the novel.
One bright spot in the novel is the relationship between Donja and her new stepsister, Makayla. Both girls have faced the death of a parent and bond over their shared losses. Their dialogue becomes a therapy session for teenagers coping with depression and anxiety. Glista’s writing in these paragraphs is sincere and honest and both girls seem better for having found each other.
All in all, I give this novel 2 out of 4 stars. While I typically like this kind of darker supernatural romance, the sex is too violent for my taste and the sadism the bad guy displays is truly disgusting. It’s a shame that the misogyny of the male characters overshadows the beautiful sisterhood of the female characters.
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Chasing The Red Queen
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