What do readers think of The God of Endings by Jacqueline Holland? Write your own review.

Vampires have a variety of personalities, just like mortal humans do. In this dark and somewhat realistic novel, perfect for Halloween, immortal vampire Anna is a conscientious female who fears many things, especially being a vampire forever. She is the director and teacher at a preschool specializing in Art, located in New York. She is also compassionate and gullible, even with her students and their families.

However, Anna has a terrifying side to her personality, quite fittingly her earlier life in France during World War II. Occasionally, there is subtle humor, but mostly there is blood, and lots of it. This is a slightly realistic fantasy, but not for the faint of heart. As her first novel, I think the author tried to put too many details in the long, extended life of her main character.

A pinch of Anne Rice with a peck of Elizabeth Kostova's "The Historian".
Great suggestion for a book club.

I am trying to find a good synonym for the word "lush", because that word seems overused, but actually that is the best word I can find to describe the writing in this book. A vampire story, but terribly human as well, in that the author touches so deeply on the pain and grief of all beings. I, like others, am reminded of Anne Rice, but I felt that the heroine, Collette, was much more captivating, though never in a light-hearted manner, than any of Rice's troubled characters. Collette's capacity for love and acceptance of anguish and torment was beautifully portrayed. I won't forget this book easily.

The subject matter was not particularly appealing to me. However, Jacqueline Holland
wrote a noteworthy first novel and that's why I gave it 4 stars. I'd be very careful in
recommending it. Book Groups may find it an interesting book to discuss.

"Is life in this world a gift or a curse?"

This is the question readers explore through the character who we first meet as Anya. As a young girl she is being taught by her father the art of stone carving. When he dies, leaving her orphaned, she is rescued by her grandfather who "gifts" her with eternity—the life of an immortal.

Vampires? I haven't read a book like this in ages but I was hooked on Collette's story and her growing unease along with the abiding loneliness defining her life. This beautifully written debut novel had just the right amount of creepiness for fall reading and for me had definite shades of Ann Rice.

The narrator of The God of Endings is a vampire whose immortality is bestowed on her at age 10 by her grandfather. Anna is never comfortable in the role and uses her superhuman powers only reluctantly and to benefit the humans who befriend and help her. To the author's credit, gory description of vampiring is kept to a minimum and nothing is lost there. (At times I almost forgot that Anna is a vampire.) More important and beautifully described are Anna's agonizing interactions with humans of all ages, over centuries, whom she longs to love and connect with but will not allow herself to.

Jacqueline Holland's debut novel is 464 pages of beautiful prose, a compelling story of longing for the unattainable, and a shocking but satisfying ending. Throughout the story, the author demonstrates a deep knowledge of art and uses it to great effect with Anna and especially with her 6 year old student Leo, a gifted but troubled child who changes the course of Anna's existence. I will look forward to Holland's future work as her talents are remarkable.

Jacqueline Holland has crafted a unique book that has an interesting premise with one important codicil: NOT FOR THE FAINT-HEARTED. Richly stated world wisdom (biggest doesn't always win) and deeply felt truths are interwoven with paganism. Definitely not a book I could easily recommend.

That aside, I was impressed with the author's knowledge of the transitory nature of life, how young children's minds work, and her acquaintance with art and the materials with which to create it. I particularly was drawn to the main character's discovery of joy in nature's beauty and painting and the all-importance of love.

I usually don't have any problems racing through hefty novels. However, this particular tome left me rather blah. I didn't realize it was about a vampire when I initially requested it as I'm not a fan of that genre.
In order for a book of this length to truly succeed it has to capture and keep the reader's interest throughout so that when you put it down at night you can't wait to pick it up again the next day. I found my mind wandering a lot during this book. It definitely needed some serious culling ... was surprised that so much repetition wasn't edited out.
I got the feeling that this was the author's inaugural debut as it read like a freshman effort. I wondered if the author kept adding to her original outline thinking that more is more. I'm also unclear of what type of categorization or audience for which this book was intended? Meaning was it originally leaning more toward YA? Or maybe fantasy? There is almost a contradiction of sorts going on here ... to be this lengthy big ideas, big quandaries, big themes and big ideals are needed, but that said, these things need to be balanced with a careful distribution of details. Some passages are so long and overly detailed as to cause the reader to skim through while others are overly weighty yet unresolved. At times I almost felt like I was reading the first draft of a screenplay as if the author was envisioning the book as a mini-series or movie. Overall I thought the book started fairly strong but then took too many detours, some circuitous, before bringing the story and characters back around again. I wanted to like The God of Endings but never feel like I really connected with it.