''The Silver Kiss'' is a

young adult A young adult is generally a person in the years following adolescence. Definitions and opinions on what qualifies as a young adult vary, with works such as Erik Erikson's stages of human development significantly influencing the definition of ...

romance Romance (from Vulgar Latin , "in the Roman language", i.e., "Latin") may refer to: Common meanings * Romance (love), emotional attraction towards another person and the courtship behaviors undertaken to express the feelings * Romance languages, ...

and horror novel written by

Annette Curtis Klause Annette Curtis Klause (born June 20, 1953) is an English-American writer and librarian, specializing in young adult fiction. She is currently a children's materials selector for Montgomery County Public Libraries in Montgomery County, Maryland ...

; it is printed in hardcover and

paperback A paperback (softcover, softback) book is one with a thick paper or paperboard cover, and often held together with glue rather than stitches or staples. In contrast, hardcover (hardback) books are bound with cardboard covered with cloth, ...

versions. The novel was Klause's first; it was published on September 1, 1990, and was re-issued in 2009 with two bonus short stories by Klause. ''The Silver Kiss'' was inspired by Klause's poems and her teenage fantasy about romancing with a vampire. It is set in a suburban area in

Seattle Seattle ( ) is a seaport city on the West Coast of the United States. It is the seat of King County, Washington. With a 2020 population of 737,015, it is the largest city in both the state of Washington and the Pacific Northwest regio ...

, in the early 1990s and explores themes of belonging, death, and loss through the romance between a young woman—Zoë Sutcliff—and Simon, an

English English usually refers to: * English language * English people English may also refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England ** English national ide ...

vampire who was turned since he was a nineteen-year-old youth. During the story, Zoë's mother is in hospital dying from cancer. Zoë and Simon come to terms with their own mortality and the loss of their loved ones through their growing relationship and their battle with an evil vampire named Christopher. The novel is a coming-of-age drama in which the characters must confront their fear of death and challenge their notions of it. Klause uses the horror genre to examine different types of horror such as terminal illness, spiritual horror in the form of vampires, and personal loss. ''The Silver Kiss'' received numerous accolades; it was selected as ''Best Book of the Year Honor Book'' (1990) by

Michigan Library Association The Michigan Library Association is a United States professional association headquartered in Lansing, Michigan that advocates for libraries in Michigan on behalf of the state's residents. Founded in 1891 its members are more than 2,700 individua ...

, ''Best Books'' by

School Library Journal ''School Library Journal'' (''SLJ'') is an American monthly magazine containing reviews and other articles for school librarians, media specialists, and public librarians who work with young people. Articles cover a wide variety of topics, with ...

(1990), and ''Best Books for Young Adults'' (1991) by

American Library Association The American Library Association (ALA) is a nonprofit organization based in the United States that promotes libraries and library education internationally. It is the oldest and largest library association in the world, with 49,727 members ...

Plot

Zoë Sutcliff is a young woman who experiences the slow death of her mother, Anne Sutcliff, and the dislocation of her father, Harry Sutcliff. She turns to her sole friend Lorraine, who cannot provide emotional support for Zoë. Lorraine moves to

Oregon Oregon () is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the Western United States. The Columbia River delineates much of Oregon's northern boundary with Washington, while the Snake River delineates much of its eastern boundary with Idaho. T ...

with her father and stepmother, leaving Zoë completely alone. On the news, there are reports of women being killed in Zoë's area, whose throats are slashed and drained of blood. While walking in a park, Zoë meets Simon and begins a friendship with him; they eventually develop a mutual romantic attraction until one night she catches him eating a pigeon. He later tells her the truth of his origin, namely that he is a vampire from 17th-century

England England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Wales to its west and Scotland to its north. The Irish Sea lies northwest and the Celtic Sea to the southwest. It is separated from continental Europe b ...

, and he is seeking to kill Christopher—his own brother—who looks like a six-year-old albino but is a sadistic version of what Simon could become. He reveals that Christopher is Zoë's neighborhood's throat-slashing killer, and his brother was also responsible for the murder of their mother and his vampirism; hence, he wants retribution against his brother. Prior to Simon's revelations, Lorraine was almost killed by Christopher when he attempted to lure her into an alley until Zoë reached her in time; Zoë now realizes that she has met the childlike vampire before and inadvertently saved her friend's life by interfering. Skeptical, Zoë allows Simon to feed upon her in a controlled manner to prove his claims. Simon is entranced by the grief-stricken Zoë and must accept his feelings of fondness for her while trying to control his own nature. His growing attachment to Zoë puts them both at risk because of his feud with Christopher. Zoë tells Lorraine about her feelings for Simon, but does not tell her about him being a vampire. Zoë considers asking Simon to turn her mother into a vampire, but he tells her there is no cure for vampirism and that existence as one is unappealing. Despite misgivings, Simon approaches Zoë; she lures Christopher into a

trap A trap is a mechanical device used to capture or restrain an animal for purposes such as hunting, pest control, or ecological research. Trap or TRAP may also refer to: Art and entertainment Films and television * ''Trap'' (2015 film), Fil ...

where Simon has the strategic advantage. In a climactic battle, Simon slays Christopher. After the battle, Zoë offers herself to Simon for him to turn into a vampire for companionship. He refuses and, seeking the peace he has been unable to get since his transformation, decides to end his life now that his revenge is complete. Simon spends his final hours with Zoë; they have sex and he dies after exposing himself to sunlight.

Characters

*Zoë Sutcliff, the main character; a young woman in her late teenage years. *Simon is a 340-year-old vampire from

Bristol Bristol () is a city, ceremonial county and unitary authority in England. Situated on the River Avon, it is bordered by the ceremonial counties of Gloucestershire to the north and Somerset to the south. Bristol is the most populous city in ...

, and Zoë's love interest. *Lorraine, Zoë’s best friend who moves to Oregon with her family. *Anne Sutcliff, Zoë's mother, who is dying of cancer. *Harry Sutcliff, Zoë's argumentative father. *Christopher, Simon's older brother, who is also a vampire.

Bonus stories

The 2009 reissue of ''The Silver Kiss'' contains two bonus short stories written by Klause; "The Summer of Love" and "The Christmas Cat".

Reception

''The Silver Kiss'' has been compared to the successful ''Twilight'' series as a vampire romance. ''The Silver Kiss'' was written several years before ''Twilight'' and has been successful by its own merits. Klause has been said to have successfully integrated "gory details" into a "sensuous and suspenseful story". The novel has been cited in the psychology journal ''Adolescence'' as an example of literature that can help adolescents understand death, "enabling them to understand the impact of trauma and identify corrective responses". According to ''

Publishers Weekly ''Publishers Weekly'' (''PW'') is an American weekly trade news magazine targeted at publishers, librarians, booksellers, and literary agents. Published continuously since 1872, it has carried the tagline, "The International News Magazine of ...

'', Klause's use of themes and genres is "excessively ambitious", making "her suspense ... uneven, her love story inadequately rooted and her resolution just a bit pat". The reviewer, however, said Klause's use of the vampire figure and the quality of her prose points to "an intelligent and original eye". Kathleen Reese of ''

Entertainment Weekly ''Entertainment Weekly'' (sometimes abbreviated as ''EW'') is an American digital-only entertainment magazine based in New York City, published by Dotdash Meredith, that covers film, television, music, Broadway theatre, books, and popular cu ...

'' gave the novel a "B+" on an A+ to F scale, and stated the novel is a "complicated story, but Klause tells it skillfully and simply".

External links

"The Silver Kiss

on SuperSummary

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Silver Kiss, The 1990 American novels 1990s debut novels Albinism in popular culture American fantasy novels American horror novels American romance novels American vampire novels American young adult novels Young adult romance novels Christmas novels Fiction about shapeshifting Novels about telepathy Fratricide in fiction Ghost novels Halloween novels Novels about cancer Novels about death Novels about revenge Novels about serial killers Novels about siblings Novels set in Bristol Novels set in San Francisco Novels set in Seattle Novels set in the 1960s Novels set in the 1990s Paranormal romance novels Novels about suicide Young adult fantasy novels