Drain You

By M. Beth Bloom

Every night I'd lie there in bed and look out at the hills behind our house, listening. I knew there'd be consequences.

Actions meant reactions. Sunrises meant sunsets. My fear was too permanent, lasting longer than eyeliner, something I wore every day and didn't wash off.

Quinlan Lacey's life is a red carpet of weird fashions, hip bands, random parties, and chilling by the pool with her on-and-off BFF Libby. There's also her boring job (minimum wage), a crushed-out coworker (way too interested), her summer plans (nada), and her parents (totally clueless). Then one night she meets gorgeous James, and Quinn's whole world turns crazy, Technicolor, 3-D, fireworks, whatever.

But with good comes bad and unfortunately, Quinn's new romance brings with it some majorly evil baggage. Now, to make things right, she has to do a lot of things wrong (breaking and entering, kidnapping, lying, you name it).

There's normal, and then there's paranormal, and neither are Quinlan's cup of Diet Coke. Staying sane, cool, in love, and alive isn't so easy breezy.

• Language: English
• Publisher: HarperTeen
• Release date: Jul 24, 2012
• ISBN: 9780062036872

M. Beth Bloom

M. Beth Bloom is a novelist and a screenwriter. Her fiction has appeared in StoryQuarterly and Dave Eggers's Best American Nonrequired Reading series. She is also the author of Drain You. M. Beth lives in Los Angeles.

Reviews for Drain You

[msjessie · Rating: 1 out of 5 stars]

High hopes and huge disappointments - What are my two key emotions for this odd, disjointed and often off-putting supernatural endeavor called Drain You, Alex? It all sounds so good at first glance - a unique, quirky protagonist, evil vampires, a humorous and dry tone - but none, none of that lives up to expectations. The title is the most appropriate thing about the whole book: I felt the will to read drain out of me the more pages I turned. The "humor" here wasn't funny, the main character is one of the most unlikeable people I've ever had the misfortune to have to read about, there was no real presence of any tension in the novel, and the "plot" is MIA for the majority of the novel. It's a mess, and not a fun one. If you don't like main character Quinlan, chances are high you are not going to like the rest of what Drain You has to offer. I hated Quinn. Hated, hated, hated, like I haven't disliked a fictional being in a loooong, long time. She's self-centered, selfish, rude, annoying, stupid, ungrateful, unthinking... I could go on and on with what's wrong with Quinn and her "characterization". Pages of my reading notes for this book are littered with things like: "WHAT did she just say?" "Why does she treat everyone around her like shit?" "Why am I supposed to care for a character that doesn't have the decency to warn other people when she is putting their lives and their entire families' lives!, in mortal danger?"This was my main reaction to almost anything Quinn says or does:[image]And what else do I hate in YA novels besides dumb, superficial female protagonists? Instalove, and with a murderous, mysterious vampire! (How original! I've never read another YA paranormal book/series like that!) Be warned: Drain You has that hackneyed romantic element in spades. Quinn is astonishingly like the hated Bella in regards to her undead lover: they both consider their lives as "meaningless" when separated from their vampire boyfriends (in Quinn's case this is after knowing James less than three weeks' time. And her life is "meaningless" without him? GET A GRIP), they both fail to understand the danger of what they're involved in, they're both flat and dull girls who don't really know what they're getting into. Quinn is Bella - just with a "punk" twist and a much more liberal wardrobe. She even has the normal human boys that just can't help but fall in love with her! (and that she summarily rejects, uses, rejects, and then uses again. It's gross.)Despite the (or maybe as a direct result of) complete lack of tension or suspense in the novel, I was majorly, majorly underwhelmed by both the final conflict and the denouement shown here. Maybe that's a direct result of the lack of plot, or antagonist presence but the end of the novel is flatter than the cardboard Quinn was made from. Either/or, it could go both ways because really neither the plot nor the villains play much into the storyline. The bulk of this disjointed, choppy narrative is devoted purely to all angst and emo and melodrama about how lonely and bored and cool poor little Quinn is, when really all she is is insufferable. Even when she is the direct cause of ALL THE PROBLEMS she faces with Morgan, Naomi. Whit and James, Quinn feels the most for...herself, takes no responsibility or ownership over the danger she puts everyone in. Not once. Fuck, I hated this character. GTFO.Drain You was an entirely underwhelming disappointment, one I wish I had DNF'd halfway through. If I could tell past-Jessie "it doesn't get any better, any funnier, any cleverer" I would've set this down after Quinn decides two stalker-y nightwalks with a creepy, blood-covered boy constitute the beginning of a good relationship. No. Just no. Lots of potential, extremely poor execution is the final verdict on the mess that is Drain You.

[darkfaerietales_1 · Rating: 1 out of 5 stars]

Review courtesy of Dark Faerie TalesQuick & Dirty: This novel fell far below its potential, turning into a Gossip Girl meets the Twilight Saga that relied heavily on YA cliches. The writing, however, was talented. Opening Sentence: The canyons were hot at night, even with the desert winds whipping through the hills. The Review: I want to start out by saying that I am so angry at this book. At Bloom. There was so much potential in this story, in the voice and it not only didn’t deliver, but it ran in the other direction. The writing is gorgeous, Bloom is clearly very talented, but the plot of this story has been done. The characters I couldn’t like, no matter how much I share Quinlan’s love of diet coke or how hard I tried. And I really did try. Let’s start with the plot of the story — which is that a bored Quinlan falls insta-in-love with a vampire, who is all things dangerous and sexy and when James gets complicated she falls into a dark depression, etc. Sound familiar? (Don’t worry, there is way more to the story.) Quinlan has a best guy friend that she completely abuses but who is still in love with her for inexplicable reasons and very quickly the story devolves into a Gossip Girl meets the Twilight Saga. The focus of exposition is on skanky clothes and trying really hard to remind us that Quinlan is cool. In an attempt to save her best friend from being preyed on by vamps, Quinlan puts herself in serious danger — and earned herself a few pages worth of respect from me. Quinlan knows she’s selfish and horrid. She knows and complains about it for ages but never does anything — which turned her swiftly into my least favorite kind of heroine. She’s fickle and doesn’t think about the consequences of anything, but is aware enough to complain about them. James — the vamp — and his brother Whit are very bizarre love-interests in that while reading them I wasn’t at all attracted. I mean, sure they were sexy, but so is every other YA hero. They didn’t have redeeming qualities that I could hold onto and use to even like them. They were just there, and Quinlan wanted them, and all the drama follows. OK, so I hated the characters and the plot is so much like Twilight that you’ve probably already guessed what happens. The writing, as I said, was brilliant. Bloom’s not afraid to go into dark places and the villains brought chills down my spine. (Not an easy thing to do.) I honestly think she overflowed the book with teen angst because that’s what she thought people wanted to read. Next time, I’d rather she pack the book with tension and suspense, instead of melodrama, and build characters I can get behind. I honestly think Bloom is an author to watch out for. I may not have liked this book at all but throughout it her writing wowed me and that’s not an easy thing to do. Notable Scene: “Do you have a roommate or something?” “James leaned up on his side, on his elbow, facing me. “Luke.” “Do you let him have the bed?” “No, he has his own closet to sleep in.” “Right.” I didn’t know if I’d ever know when James was kidding. Never? Always? I realized it was way too hot: My shirt was damp, my skin glistening with sweat. “CAn you turn that fan on?” “It’s broken.” “Great.” I propped my knees up to let them air out. I was dripping. “Hy,” he said. “Give me your arm.” “What arm? I’ve melted into the rug. I’m a puddle resembling a girl.”FTC Advisory: HarperTeen provided me with a copy of Drain You. No goody bags, sponsorships, “material connections,” or bribes were exchanged for my review.

[raelynn_fry · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Drain YouBy M. Beth BloomYA Paranormal Romance (light romance)HarperTeen, July 24th, 2012Rating: Strong PG-13. Open door sex scenes, but no really details givenCoffee Beans: 4/5Favorite Lines: So I loved Libby, but in a vintage way. Like a childhood blanket, or my dad’s mac and cheese. A deep love, but not one you tap into on a daily basis. (Ebook, pg 25)Okay, no big deal, I’d just call Stiles…at his underground lair, where he most likely had Libby chained to a radiator and she was loving it. Stella gave me the number, which contained not even one six, let alone the three in a row I’d expected. (Ebook, pg 76)…I drew on so much eyeliner I looked like a sobbing drunk raccoon on a tequila bender… (Ebook pg 134)Disclaimer: I received a free copy of this book via NetGalley in exchange for my unbiased review.I admit, when I read the first chapter, I wasn’t that impressed. The voice was a little off and the writing didn’t grab me. But I kept reading and figured out that this was pretty much awesomeness. It instantly reminded me of The Lost Boys, but now. It also reminded me of the 90’s (which I loved) and made me want to move back to SoCal and remember the good times I had while growing up. There were multiple things that impressed me with this book:•The dialogue. Snappy, witty, snarky, and funny, Bloom’s dialogue is just downright good. I was there, it was real, and it carried the story much more than just narrative alone•The MC’s voice. Quinn has a dark sense of humor and is so quick with everything, and her attitude of “whatever” is the icing on the cake. There were so many funny lines that were added that perfect certain something, which made the entire reading experience that much better•The MC. Quinn, for me, is very real. She cares deeply about those who mean something to her. She doesn’t know what she wants when it comes to boys. She’s shallow and selfish at times, but she has drive. And I didn’t find that off-putting at any point. Mainly because she gets called on it (several times) and she knows it’s the truth. But we’ve all been there. Admit it. •The relationships. There are several different, unique relationships Quinn is a part of, and they all come to life so realistically. Her absentee parents but their very functional relationship. Her coworker and complicated relationship-er, Morgan. Her casual best friend, Libby. The snobby girl from school, Naomi. James, the hot brother Quinn never knew existed. The equally hot other brother and instant best friend when crush disappears, Whit. And the evil twins, Stiles and Sanders. They all work brilliantly.•The package. I’m assuming this is going to be a series. Depending on how well this one goes. I thought it was a tight, well-written story encapsulated into one book. The ending was finite but there are definitely LOTS of questions that still need answering.There was one thing that didn’t sit well with me, though. •Instalove. I’m not a fan of this. It’s unbelievable and really jars me out of a story. Yeah, we get Quinn thinks James is hot and she’s majorly crushing on him and they have to get together for the sake of plot progression. But getting as close and invested as they did—and in only a week—is a little hard for me to swallow.•The MC sleeps. A lot. Which isn’t bad, I guess. But she’s always tired and sleeping. *Shrugs shoulders* Just thought I’d mention that.If you’re a fan of the 90’s (and if you aren’t, you should be), if you liked The Lost Boys (and if you didn’t, shame on you. Watch it again and change your mind), and if you enjoy dark humor, pick up the book. You’ll probably be pretty entertained. Pick it up and decide for yourself. :)And yes, this is another vampire book. I love them so much

[booktwirps · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

"I don't care what you think unless it is about me. It is now my duty to completely drain you." - NirvanaQuinlan Lacey lives a very ho-hum life, spending her time slacking at her job, sleeping away the summer days, fighting off the advances of Morgan -- a boy who might be good for her, but is just too easily attainable for her to give a damn. Things change the night she sees her prim and proper classmate, Naomi, wandering along the street covered in blood. Naomi's brother, James, appears and Quin is immediately drawn to him. Of course James is all wrong for her (he's a vampire), but having someone that feels so right yet is oh so wrong might give Quin the sense of excitement her life seems to be missing, but is Quin's need for a little excitement worth risking her life?I'd read very mixed reviews of this one, and I was a little hesitant when I started it. I'm happy to say that I didn't find it as awful as a lot of other reviewers, but I still wasn't blown away by it. I found it just okay. The characters are all pretty bland and not very likable. I could see where the author was going with Quin, and her obsession with Kurt Cobain was pretty apparent in a lot of her behavior (bored, put off, rebellious), but it just didn't grab me. I found it difficult to connect with her, which, in turn, hampered my enjoyment of the story. I will say that Quin's voice is very authentic, and bleeds off the page, but that voice started getting on my nerves after a while. The use of "like", while very realistic, begins to grate on my nerves after a while. I felt as if I were reading subtitles on an episode of "Keeping up with the Kardashians".I also felt that the pacing was off. There were times when it dragged and other times when I felt there was a missed opportunity for some really meaty stuff. The ending also left a lot to be desired. I would have liked more of a resolution.In a market that has been bled out by an over-saturation of vampires over the last few years, coming up with something truly original is no easy feat. The story was okay, but I felt as if I'd read it before. At the same time, if you are a fan of Twilight, or you aren't sick of the typical YA vampire, you may want to give this one a try. For me it was just okay.

[woodtop255 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

I feel like I’ve been through an emotional wringer after reading this book. I’ve gone from despising it to getting into it to feeling sort of blase about the whole thing. I think this comes from the book having many highs (the main character’s wicked sense of humor) and many lows (James and Quinn’s relationship). If you do pick up this book, don’t expect your run of the mill YA paranormal romance.What I Liked: I love non-traditional main characters and Quinn certainly fits that bill. She’s snarky, lazy and has intense relationships with her friends. I enjoy humor in novels and many of her inner musings were definitely laugh out loud funny. The 80s and 90s throwback pop culture references were also fun and gave the novel a unique spin. The writing style was conversational which made it a quick and breezy beach read. The characters use cool catch phrases too which makes the novel extremely quotable.What I Didn’t Like: I was very confused over the time frame of the novel. I was certain it took place in the 90s (Quinn wants to marry Leonardo DiCaprio, she listens to a Discman, her friend plays Super Nintendo, etc.), but then she mentions “I was going to rock these super-fitted black matatdor pants with little red pom-pom balls going up the sides that Stella scored from some nineties Madonna video shoot she had styled.” Also, the whole romance thing between her and James was god-awful. She describes him as a “greasy pretty boy” and falls in love with him (spoiler alert although you can guess this in the first couple of chapters) despite him being a vampire that kills innocent girls. At least when Whit was introduced, I could root for him as a potential love interest. Quinn comes off as majorly unlikable at times which may bug readers who are expecting a different sort of heroine.Rating: 2.5/5 Stars (I’m stuck right down the middle on this one)