Thirsty by Tracey Bateman
October 2009 by WaterBrook Press

Paperback, 384 pages
Purchased

Book Synopsis

"Hello, I'm Nina Parker…and I'm an alcoholic."

For Nina, it's not the weighty admission but the first steps toward recovery that prove most difficult. She must face her ex-husband, Hunt, with little hope of making amends, and try to rebuild a relationship with her angry teenage daughter, Meagan. Hardest of all, she is forced to return to Abbey Hills, Missouri, the hometown she abruptly abandoned nearly two decades earlier – and her unexpected arrival in the sleepy Ozark town catches the attention of someone – or something – igniting a two-hundred-fifty-year-old desire that rages like a wildfire. Unaware of the darkness stalking her, Nina is confronted with a series of events that threaten to unhinge her sobriety. Her daughter wants to spend time with the parents Nina left behind. A terrifying event that has haunted Nina for almost twenty years begins to surface. And an alluring neighbor initiates an unusual friendship with Nina, but is Markus truly a kindred spirit or a man guarding dangerous secrets? As everything she loves hangs in the balance, will Nina's feeble grasp on her demons be broken, leaving her powerless against the thirst? The battle between redemption and obsession unfold to its startling, unforgettable end. (GoodReads)

I prayed this year would be different…..
My prayer went unheard. After a full day of every grade, including my own, calling me puke and knocking my books out of my hands, I figured if God existed, it wasn’t for kids like me. At home that afternoon, I snuck into dad’s vodka. And I felt better…………………………..
Pg. 152

Nina Parker’s demons live in a bottle of Brandy. Alcohol has taken over her life and the addiction has separated her from everyone and everything she loves. Divorced, on shaky ground with her kids and a Veterinarian career flushed down the drain; Nina finds herself in rehab. After the court ordered stint there, she is leaving sober and moving back to her home town of Abby Hills. In the midst of repairing her relationship with her sixteen year old daughter Meg and her parents (she hasn’t seen in years) a series of grisly animal deaths and murder occur in her peaceful hometown. Slowly but surely Nina begins to suspect that something sinister is lurking in the shadows.

Every hot selling book lately involving vampires or paranormal characters seem to jump off the shelves and it comes as no surprise that the Christian market is becoming more open to the concept. There has always been paranormal and horror Christian fiction but this embrace to vampires and werewolves might make the typical Christian genre reader....cringe.....So to be honest to all my PR lovers out there, those of you who are looking for the next True Blood may not appreciate Thirsty. Yes there are vampires, but they are mild (Carlisle mild) compared to the sexy, violent vamps that are often portrayed in this genre. And while I love a good vampire story, Thirsty was more focused on the entanglement of addiction and not so much the supernatural vampire that was used for metaphoric reasons. My hat off to you Ms. Bateman for taking a chance and going to the dark corners of fiction and being able to still be true to your fans.

That being said, Nina’s journey overcoming her addition to alcohol is enough to read this novel. The core strength of the story is of course Nina’s character, because while she is weak physically she has an amazing mental superpower- and that is determination. Her fight to win back her ex-husband and kids is encouraging for anyone who has ever fought to win back the trust of a loved one.

Markus, the good looking next door neighbor who longingly desires Nina’s neck is not so shabby himself. He portrays of course the metaphoric side to sin/addiction. While Markus struggles with his own thirst he does have many redeeming qualities. Markus truly does want to be good (-the tortured vamp-we’ve all read about him-) and he cares about Nina and goes to lengths to protect her. Along with Nina he feels ensnared by his nature. I liked the concept of Batemans vampires- in which they are born into vampirism- passed down as a sin from the father just like Nina inherited her father’s alcoholism, but at some point Nina had to stop blaming her father for her choices just as Markus had to stop blaming his killing on being a vampire. I thought the parallels between them were written superbly and showcased a supernatural element that can appeal to readers who are hesitant of the vampire genre. I would recommend this for anyone who loves vampire tales, drama and seeing characters overcome.

Language is PG, sex scenes are mentioned but nothing graphic, although marketed to adults, teens over 15 can enjoy this story, especially when the perspective shifts to 16-yr old Meg.

4/5 Vampires-Alcoholism