Night’s Edge

For years, it’s been just Mia and her mother Izzy, whose disease means avoiding both sunlight and regular food. Adult Mia still lives with her mother and even lets Izzy feed from her. Mia still loves her mother, but she starts to want more out of life. Mia also knows what her mother could do if she were angry or hungry. Like many modern takes on vampires, Kerin’s novel depicts vampirism as a medical disease, and the dynamic between Izzy and Mia powers the book’s tension and tenderness. The novel cleverly jumps back and forth between Izzy first becoming infected while Mia is a child and the modern day, where an adult Mia must keep her mother’s condition hidden from those who’d lock her away. Izzy’s moments of love for her daughter are beautifully juxtaposed with behavior that terrifies Mia, particularly as both mother and daughter start keeping secrets from one another. Devising an emotional trap forged with equal parts love and fear, Kerin finely plays with readers’ expectations.