Review The Taker by Alma Katsu

Title: The Taker
Author: Alma Katsu
Source: From publisher
Genre: Paranormal
Format Hardcover 352 pgs

True love can last an eternity . . . but immortality comes at a price. . . .

On the midnight shift at a hospital in rural Maine, Dr. Luke Findley is expecting another quiet evening of frostbite and the occasional domestic dispute. But the minute Lanore McIlvrae—Lanny—walks into his ER, she changes his life forever. A mysterious woman with a past and plenty of dark secrets, Lanny is unlike anyone Luke has ever met. He is inexplicably drawn to her . . . despite the fact that she is a murder suspect with a police escort. And as she begins to tell her story, a story of enduring love and consummate betrayal that transcends time and mortality, Luke finds himself utterly captivated.

Her impassioned account begins at the turn of the nineteenth century in the same small town of St. Andrew, Maine, back when it was a Puritan settlement. Consumed as a child by her love for the son of the town’s founder, Lanny will do anything to be with him forever. But the price she pays is steep—an immortal bond that chains her to a terrible fate for all eternity. And now, two centuries later, the key to her healing and her salvation lies with Dr. Luke Findley.

Part historical novel, part supernatural page-turner, The Taker is an unforgettable tale about the power of unrequited love not only to elevate and sustain, but also to blind and ultimately destroy, and how each of us is responsible for finding our own path to redemption.

I have never reviewed a book that I did not finish reading until this one. I feel the need to let everyone know why I couldn’t finish it. I did read a little over 300 pages but I just found I couldn’t take the abuse and the way Lanore was so naive any longer. I have read quite a few books where I’ve stated that they weren’t for the faint of heart but this book was the worse yet. Lanore’s choices in life brings her down a long painful and very sad path in life, one  I just couldn't stomach. 

I do feel that the book is very well written. I did have a hard time getting into the first few chapters but once Lanore got into her story the author keeps you interested. I know a lot of people will like this tale just make sure you read quite few good and not so good review before jumping into this trilogy to make sure it would be for you.


I have seen people compare this to Anne Rice vampires. I myself say there's no way, both are totally different.