Module 8b – The Tear Collector by Patrick Jones

1. Citation - The Tear Collector. Patrick Jones. Sept. 2009. 272p. Walker, (9780802787 101).
   
2. Summary – A different kind of vampire, Cassandra lives off the tears of the human race. High school is a wonderful place for her to find enough drama to sustain her needs. However, after meeting and falling for her first boyfriend, she has to make a choice – as love is forbidden for her kind. Her story is that of a struggle to live a positive and human existence with happiness and love, or be what she is and remain part of her family with a dreary and desolate future.
   
3. Impressions of the Book – As a big vampire fan, I really wanted to like this book. A new take on the idea of vampire would be refreshing. However, what I found was a shallow character who does not deal in real emotion. Therefore, it is difficult to tell whether her feelings for her beau are real or not. As someone who is the "sponge" for many a friend, I wanted to feel like she not only needed the tears, but also was a truly caring individual. However, it just ended up feeling shallow and cold. It was a nice idea, but the character development and the historical background for her family could use some work. It was a good idea gone wrong.
   
4. Reviews- Yusko, S.. (2009, September). The Tear Collector. The Booklist, 106(1), 87.  Retrieved May 3, 2010, from Research Library. (Document ID: 1862277771).
   

 

"I need these human tears in order to survive." Cassandra Gray is descended from a long line of vampirelike creatures that feed on human suffering. It is Cass' job to bring the tears she collects (from those she helps in her work as a volunteer grief counselor or from miserable school friends) to the family matriarch. It is also Cassandra's duty to follow her family's wishes by mating with her evil cousin to produce an heir. But when a friend at school commits suicide, Cass begins to rethink family duty and loyalty. Then she falls in love with Scott and realizes she wants more than anything to be human. Though there is nothing too surprising in this fantasy, set in Michigan, Jones delivers an interesting twist on the popular vampire genre, and readers will be caught up in Cass' difficult dilemma of choosing between love or family. - Shauna Yusko

 

1. Use in a library setting – This book could be used (if necessary) in conjunction with other vampire novels, either on display or in a book talk.