Review
Kalla Harris delivers an action-packed dystopian YA novel that balances tension, banter, and a slow burn that will drive readers crazy (in a good way) with The Ground that Devours Us. She sets the tone right from the beginning. We meet our FMC on a mission and gradually get to know the world as she knows it, and the implicated risks. Picture a zombie apocalypse but with vampires. And some of them are hot. And witty. And too powerful for the humans to stand a chance.
For a YA novel, The Ground that Devours Us was very entertaining and well-paced. I got sucked in to the world of 2048 Charlotte, NC and how a world with humans vs. vampires would play out. Even though we’ve seen this story before – the plot centers around an FMC who is forced to work with the enemy to protect her loved ones and eventually learns the truth that contradicts everything she was raised to believe – the characters and storytelling offered a fresh take. Despite the dark subject matter and dystopian setting, I had fun reading it.
One factor that the story could have improved on was the world-building. We don’t get much background on vampires vs. blood walkers – the people who were bitten but don’t become vampires and just walk around in search of human blood. There’s just one brief moment explaining that the person’s immune system determines the likelihood of turning into a mindless blood drinker vs human-adjacent undead being. Maybe it’s the nature of the intended audience but this could have been fleshed out more. Nevertheless, the character growth, humor, and love story are worth it in The Ground that Devours Us.
Kalla Harris joins the Cantina Book Club Podcast to talk about writing for YA audiences and plans for the future. Keep an ear out for the episode and pick up The Ground that Devours Us, available now.
Book
The world ended ten years ago.
Vampires showed up, took over, and turned the whole planet into their personal all-you-can-drink buffet. The president? Bloodsucker. The government? Bloodsuckers. My social life? Absolutely nonexistent.
But hey, at least I had one thing going for me—slayer training. My twin sister, Ripley, and I were about to go pro, officially joining the ranks of the last people on earth who actually do something about the whole “undead overlords” situation.
And then X had to show up. The vampire boogeyman. The worst of the worst. And instead of killing Ripley, like any decent monster would, he turned her. Now she’s technically a vamp, but something tells me my sister is still in there. Which means I can’t slay her.
What can I do? Break every rule. Lie to my friends. Strike a deal with the most dangerous vampire on the planet: X will protect Ripley from everyone else who wants her dead—like, really dead—until I can snag the cure for vampirism. The catch? Risking my own head to help him free his good-for-nothing BFF from the very slayers who taught me everything.
If I want Ripley back, I’m going to have to play nice with the thing that ruined my life. And the worst part?
I think he’s enjoying this.
