Review - The Silver Kiss by Annette Curtis Klause

Published by Delacorte Books for Young Readers
First published in 1992
Paperback, 198 pages

Summary from Goodreads:  Zoe is wary when, in the dead of night, the beautiful yet frightening Simon comes to her house. Simon seems to understand the pain of loneliness and death and Zoe's brooding thoughts of her dying mother.

Simon is one of the undead, a vampire, seeking revenge for the gruesome death of his mother three hundred years before. Does Simon dare ask Zoe to help free him from this lifeless chase and its insufferable loneliness?

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It feels slightly weird reviewing a book that has been in print for eighteen years. So, I’m not really going to do a strict review, for a couple of reasons. The first is that The Silver Kiss is well written and other than a few very minor details that hint at the 1990s, the book is timeless. Secondly, I am just at the end of my tolerance for vampire books. Last year it felt like every other book I read had vampires as main characters. So, I was ready for a break from vampires (I don’t include Cassandra Clare’s The Mortal Instruments series, since vampires are one of several types of supernatural creatures that appear in each book or Hearts at Stake by Alyxandra Harvey, which is more chick lit than vampire tale), but then I saw the January/February issue of The Horn Book (a magazine that reviews and discusses children's and YA literature). It contains an article titled “Bitten: From The Silver Kiss to Twilight,” that sounded interesting. It talks about the renewed attention to the romance between humans and vampires. It compares The Silver Kiss to Twilight, highlighting the differences. After reading the article, I knew that I had to read The Silver Kiss.

The Silver Kiss is ultimately about loneliness and the search for someone who understands your loneliness. Zoe, a sixteen year-old only child, and Simon, an over 300 year old vampire, are both looking for someone or something that validates their existence. Zoe’s mother is dying and her father spends most of his time at the hospital, leaving Zoe to take care of herself. Then she finds out that her best friend, Lorraine, is moving to Oregon in two weeks. Simon was turned into a vampire in the 1600. Everyone he knew is long dead, except for the one he is hunting. He is looking to avenge his mother’s death by destroying the vampire who killed her.

Zoe feels neglected, she wants someone to listen, someone to need her. Simon wants someone to know he exists, he is afraid that he doesn’t exist because no one knows his name. Simon sees Zoe in the park late one night and is instantly drawn to her, but startled by her at the same time. Their romance isn’t conventional. Zoe doesn’t fall head over heels in love with Simon and want to be with him forever. She thinks Simon is beautiful, but is disgusted when she comes across him feeding on a bird. When he shows up at her house, Zoe is hesitant about having him there but ends up listening to his story. Simon is honest with Zoe about what he is and why he is in Oakwood. Zoe realizes that Simon needs her and this is what ultimately draws her to Simon. Once they are together, Zoe keeps their relationship quiet, not telling Lorraine or her parents about Simon. Simon is relieved that someone knows that he exists and what he is.


I like that The Silver Kiss alternates between Zoe’s and Simon’s point of view. It allows the reader to see things from both sides, especially as they draw closer to each other.  Being with Simon and feeling needed gives Zoe confidence and the ability to see beyond her current troubles.  She is more willing to be proactive in her other relationships and ultimately sees that she is worthwhile and loved. Zoe gives Simon the ability to finish what he started so many years before.  Zoe and Simon's relationship is definitely not the usual human/vampire relationship, but I think that makes The Silver Kiss work so much better. 

Overall, The Silver Kiss gives a different spin on romance between humans and vampires.  It shows that just being listened to and understood by someone can change a person's (or vampire's) outlook and can make them value their life (or see the need to move on to the next stage) even more.  The Silver Kiss is a definite must read for fans of vampire books.