† Slayer † Kiersten White †

Into every generation a Slayer is born…

Nina and her twin sister, Artemis, are far from normal. It’s hard to be when you grow up at the Watcher’s Academy, which is a bit different from your average boarding school. Here teens are trained as guides for Slayers—girls gifted with supernatural strength to fight the forces of darkness. But while Nina’s mother is a prominent member of the Watcher’s Council, Nina has never embraced the violent Watcher lifestyle. Instead she follows her instincts to heal, carving out a place for herself as the school medic.

Until the day Nina’s life changes forever.

Thanks to Buffy, the famous (and infamous) Slayer that Nina’s father died protecting, Nina is not only the newest Chosen One—she’s the last Slayer, ever. Period.

As Nina hones her skills with her Watcher-in-training, Leo, there’s plenty to keep her occupied: a monster fighting ring, a demon who eats happiness, a shadowy figure that keeps popping up in Nina’s dreams…

But it’s not until bodies start turning up that Nina’s new powers will truly be tested—because someone she loves might be next.

One thing is clear: Being Chosen is easy. Making choices is hard.

Copy received from Simon anh Schuster Australia for an honest review

I am a huuuuuuge Buffy fan. I could recite every episode backwards in Swahili I have watched the show that many times.

So it was a no brainer to read Slayer and get back into the Buffyverse in any kind of way.

I went into Slayer with no expectations - whether good or bad - I just wanted to dive in an let it be.

I loved the referenced to Buffy and Giles. I laughed at references to other characters in the TV series.

Nina.  I think we can all feel like her, that we don't fit in at times.  Her sister Artermis?  Well, the jury is still out on her at the moment.  She is kind of the Dawn to Buffy.

However, Nina did come across as a whiney 5 year old rather than a 16 year old.  And maaaaan can she hold a sill grudge. At times I wanted to hit her over the head with my book and tell her to build a bridge and get the heck over it.

I (mostly) liked the characters in Slayer.  I did feel that the so-called Watchers had been neutered, and that the teenagers were doing their jobs for them, which was disappointing.

I did like the witty banter between the characters, though some of it would fall flat if you didn't know the Buffy series.

So whilst I didn't love Slayer, I didn't hate it either.  I liked it enough to see where this series goes in the future.

 

Kiersten White is the New York Times bestselling author of many books for teens and young readers, including And I Darken, Now I Rise, Bright We Burn, The Dark Descent of Elizabeth Frankenstein and Slayer. 

She lives with her family near the ocean in San Diego, where she perpetually lurks in the shadows.

Visit Kiersten online at KierstenWhite.com