Changeling Paperback – Import, 30 Jun 2011

I've read a lot of books, I've read a lot of vampire books, but none like this.I found Morgan's book sucked me into the world Dreyfuss created around his victim. I felt for her, I bled for her, I cried for her (I stayed up all night and read about her!)As another author has said about this book - "it isn't splatterpunk". This is not gratuitous and self indulgent horror. It's believable terror. Well crafted and intriguing. Well worth reading!

Okay, I have a hard time saying that i liked this because I just feel wrong enjoying such awful horrors but i can not tell a lie, i liked it. The writer was so violently, disturbingly and dreadfully descriptive of so many horrible and awful events in through out this story. The scenes obtaining the darkness of this story was just so horrid that it made me feel sick and just trying to read it so fast to get through it and get to the less evil bits of the book.Minus the vile horrifying abuse, I did like the book. As much as I don't want to read the next one, the way this one finished, I need to know what happens. I have to find out if things work out or go wrongly. So continuing to the next book is a strong possibility but I'm not positive.It also made me worry about just who this author is to be able to write in such disturbing accuracy to make it feel so real, like she is recalling her own memories or pulling from her own awful fantasies to create these awful scenes. I worry about anyone that can so easily imagine such violence.As much as I didn't want to put anyone's image to any of these characters, just because I wouldn't want to imagine anyone as such a monster or victim, I couldn't help it that every time I had to imagine Dreyfuss I automatically saw Gavin Rossdale.update: I have reccomended this book to everyone of my friends and that a couple have read it. One has shared her reactions with me and she too is amazed but liked it and is looking forward to the next one.I am looking forward to the next one as well seeing that I notice myself thinking about this book from time to time wondering about the direction it may go. Marks of a great book.

The first vampire book I ever read was Dracula by Bram Stoker. Yes, the classic vampire tale. I found it thrilling and mesmerizing. Since then, I've managed to read a few other vampire tales, from Anne Rice's Louis and Lestat and Stephenie Meyer's Twilight to the monstrous creatures hiding among us in Jim Butcher's Dresden Files... none of them prepared me adequately for Morgan Gallagher's Changeling.Morgan takes us to a place where vampires are cruel and sadistic. They have lost their humanity, even though they still retain their human features and social skills. In fact, one can easily see how anyone could be taken in by their charm...at first. Dreyfuss, the vamp in this book, is rich, good-looking and sophisticated. He is also a sadistic monster who really gets off on beating his victims. Just ask Joanne. She was an average woman, working at an average job, until fate paired her up with Dreyfuss. At first, she's just another meal to him. When she actually dares to fight back, he is intrigued. Who will win? Even Dreyfuss is intrigued. He begins to play with her as a cat does with a mouse. How much can she take?The author takes you into this bizarre, horrific world as Joanne is reduced to the basics of survival. Could you survive it? She is beaten, starved, punished and trained to Dreyfuss' exact specifications. The psychological horror she endures is almost worse than the physical horror.When she is designated as his Changeling, it gets worse. It is difficult for me not to give any spoilers, but I will resist. If you like vampire books or horror novels, give this book a try. While Dracula may be the quintessential literary vampire, he's going to have to move over for Dreyfuss. And I have a feeling the rest of the trilogy that will be forthcoming will only introduce us to more vampiric characters that will go down in literary history.Read Changeling.In the interests of disclosure... I did edit this book. My review has nothing to do with the editing, and everything to do with recommending a very talented writer. I do not get a percentage of her sales. I posted a review because I truly think this is a wonderful, well-written book.

I don't particularly like vampire stories but I loved this book. In the end, all that matters is whether and to what extent a book gives you that "can't put it down" feeling. I love when a book gets grabs me by the brain and won't let me go and this book succeeded mightily at this. About 1/4 of the way through I started to get the itch to put reading it above pretty much all other activities.This book contains brutal violence which could be triggering for some readers, but it is never exploitative. There is so much more going on here than just the surface. I'm itching for more!