this was so... stale? is that the right word? idon't know, it was just very hard for me to invest in the lead characters let alone actively want the main female character to end up with anyone because i just didn't care. after i finished reading it, i honestly had a hard time recalling what exactly i just read which is really never a good sign.

I really love Meg Cabot, so I was really disappointed with this. All the characters were annoying. And it was riddled with cliches. I really wanted to like this book but sadly I did not.

I loved this book! It has been a long time that I've had a hard time putting a book down.

Look, it's a Meg Cabot book. Either you like her style or you don't. Was I in the mood for a lighthearted and steamy vampire romance that wasn't about teens when I picked this book up? Yes, yes I was. And I got what I wanted from it.

Insatiable by Meg Cabot
William Morrow, 2010
451 pages
Paranormal
3/5 stars
First in series

Source: Library

Thoughts: I used to adore Meg Cabot but the conclusions to the Princess Diaries series and the Queen of Babble trilogy deeply disappointed me so I took her off my auto-buy list. But I thought this looked good-a vampire story featuring a main character who hates vampires-so I checked it out of the library. Unfortunately I was disappointed.

The main source of disappointment was Meena, who rants against vampires and the stupid girls who fall for them. Then she sleeps with a vampire and becomes one of those stupid girls who wants to protect her vampire lover. She was so interesting at first. She can see how people will die, she works as a dialogue writer for her favorite soap, and she tries to be a good person. But after he bites her during sex, she falls under his sway and pissed me off. Admittedly I'm pretty anti-vampire to start but I hoped that something would make me love the story. However Cabot's style is still breezy and readable which is how I was able to finish this book despite my outrage.

Despite my loathing of the main character, there were some secondary characters I didn't hate. Meena's unemployed brother is living with her and he is psyched about the idea of killing some vampire butt; his enthusiasm is catching. Her neighbors turn out to be vampires and they are enjoyable fun. Then there is Alaric, a vampire killer and more than worthy mate for Meena; I wonder if Cabot plans to move in that direction. The vampire Lucien was unimpressive to me. He has to fight a vampire war while in New York City. I didn't like him.

Overall: Bleh-cannot in good conscience recommend.

Cover: Eh, ugly tattoo but striking red.

Apart from the cliché character names, and apart from the characters annoying me. it was an ok book. might read the next one to see if things improve.

I want to give this 3.5 stars, but since GoodReads doesn't allow that...

This was my first exposure to Meg Cabot's writing. I love her style. It's fast-paced, witty, and easy to follow. But where she tripped me on this book was how quickly the romance between the two characters played out. Meena and Lucien seem perfect for each other, and I read in eager anticipation, hoping I could see the two of them find their perfect happy ending.

Boy, was I fooled. Instead, Meena's boyfriend turns into a vicious fire-breathing dragon, and a love triangle is throw into the mix when Alaric--a vampire hunter--comes into the picture, causing Meena to reassess (internally) her love for Lucien.

I think it most bothered me that Meena fell in love so quickly. When you know, you know, but it seemed Meena was sure just a little too fast for my taste. Also, Lucien's perfection irritated me. It seemed he didn't have a single flaw...until the angry fire-breathing dragon part happened at the end.

In the end, I really enjoyed the writing style and the initial pace of the story, and I'm hoping the next book in the series is better. I really want to love these characters, but I found myself wanting to throw the book at a wall instead.

Oh I do adore Meg Cabot. I was all set with my skepticism over Insatiable, Meg Cabot's adult book which is the first in a series about vampires. But I don't know why I was doubting, it's Meg Cabot, so I found the story and the characters to be funny and strange and completely unexpected.

There is a lot of people completely tired of vampires. Those people include Meena Harper, dialogue writer for a very popular and ongoing soap opera. Meena Harper has a very special gift, one that allows her to know when other people are going to die. This is a gift she hides from most people because no one ever believes her. Instead, she goes out of her way to help strangers on the subway and gives subtle advice, hoping that the people she comes into contact with listen and are able to save their own lives.

But something Meena has never been able to do is see into her own future. Which is why she isn't prepared at all for Lucien Antonescu, the prince of vampires that Meena quickly falls in love with.

I've always enjoyed Meg Cabot's novels. It took me awhile to get into Insatiable and I found myself frustrated in the beginning with the multiple perspectives because I couldn't quite see how Alaric, the vampire hunter, fit into the storyline. I didn't care for the suddeness of both Meena and Lucien declaring love for each other, though I'm sure that was intentional. I thought the ending went a bit far and I was left open-mouthed in shock. But still, I couldn't put the book down for anything. And despite my misgivings about certain aspects of the book, I'm still determined and intrigued to know where this story will go!

I found Meena's character (as well as several of the other supporting characters) to be really funny, and I loved the inclusion of soap operas into the storyline. I hope that continues, though it seems unlikely. There's some brilliant references to other popular vampires in literature and television that made me smile. I ended up forgiving Alaric for his shaky start into the story and I think Lucien has some hidden depths that I wouldn't mind exploring more in the next book.

Really, I just think that I'd read and love most anything by Meg Cabot! I loved the mixture in this book of romance, humour and plenty of action.

Fun and enjoyable read. Cabot did a good job of infusing both humor and heart into this book.

A slightly new spin on the vampire romance tale--the main character is a young professional living in NYC, with a love life that has stalled, partly because of her peculiar ability to see how and when people will die. Meg Cabot's story is diverting and absorbing, and her sense of humor is as apparent here as in her (many many) other books. The story is self-contained and mostly resolved, although the characters have clearly been set up to enjoy adventures in future books--and the first sequel is out this summer.