Thirsty

"Hello, I'm Nina Parker.and I'm an alcoholic." For Nina, even in recovery, the truth of the declaration has demolished her hopes and condemned her to return to the town she ran away from nearly two decades earlier-Abbey Hills, Missouri. But the place she once called home is no safe haven. A ritualistic-style murder.

Animals disappearing from the Ozark reserve where Nina works, and turning up slaughtered. And someone-or some thing-watching Nina. Wanting her. Stalking her with a 250-year-old desire that burns like a raging wildfire.

Nina's ex-husband Hunt shows up, hoping to protect Nina and Megan, the angry teenage daughter who followed her to Missouri. But another man has entered the picture, testing Nina as she attempts to walk the tightrope of recovery-and the power of thirst. Much more than Nina Parker's love hangs in the balance. The battle between love and obsession is destined to unfold to its startling, unforgettable end.

“Thirsty does exactly what a novel like this should do. It grabs you by the throat and doesn't let go. But it does more than that, deftly delivering truth and beauty in a way that transcends the genre.” — Sigmund Brouwer, author of Broken Angel

“Thirsty is one of those rare treats that not only delves deep into generational issues and addictive behaviors, but also keeps the pages turning. Tracey Bateman writes with a sensitive ear to dialogue and family dynamics, bringing a human, and ultimately redemptive, angle to the vampire story. Well done!” — Eric Wilson, author of Haunt of Jackals, Field of Blood, and NY Times bestselling Fireproof

“Deep, cutting, an intoxicating blend of human and supernatural, of characters scarred by the past, drained by life. This is the book I’ve waited for.” —Tosca Lee, author of Christy Award Finalist Demon: A Memoir

“Thirsty is more than a run-of-the-mill vampire story. I loved the way Tracey Bateman incorporated the struggle against alcoholism into the theme. Great writing and a compelling read!” — Colleen Coble, author of Lonestar Secrets and the Rock Harbor series

The expansion of the Christian horror genre, the proliferation of vampire lit and a couple of vampire precursors aimed at Christian readers make this Christian vampire hybrid inevitable; also inevitable will be comparisons to reigning vamp-lit queen Stephenie Meyer, starting with the book's cover. Nina Parker is a recovering alcoholic trying to put her life back together after an alcohol-fueled divorce and professional negligence as a veterinarian. Nina returns to her hometown to live with her sister, the town police chief, with her alienated teenage daughter, Meagan, in tow; the unfolding backstory of her youth explains her alcoholism. A mysterious and attractive neighbor of Nina's sister complicates the action, as do ritualistic deaths of people and animals. The novel has some technical problems: the narrative shifting of time and viewpoints could be clearer; ex-husband Hunt's point of view on the action is weak. The redemptive arc that evangelical Christian novels require is natural for a story of recovery; its full implications will surprise some readers and leave others unpersuaded. Despite some narrative flaws, Bateman has written a page-turner with a compelling vampire character that will set evangelical Christian readers talking. (Oct.) Copyright 2009 Reed Business Information.

Average Rating:

8 of 16 Reviews Showing:(View All Reviews)

Reviewed by Lisa M (Lancaster, MA), January 03, 2010

Thirsty is a really good read, but I had a hard time believing it was vampire fiction. It’s a great story, and I couldn’t put it down, though that was due to a combination of really good story lines and wondering when it will start reading like vampire fiction. The main character, Nina Parker, does not have a lot going for her. Alcohol destroyed her reputation and veterinary practice as well as her family. Hard times follow this woman where ever she goes, as far back as her childhood. She is a great character, and you get a good glimpse into her life. This book is very well written as a regular work of fiction, but doesn’t really cut it as vampire fiction. The vampire characters were more background characters and were not fleshed out enough to deem this vampire fiction. Instead, the author focused mostly on Nina Parker’s life. The ending was a little disappointing as well. While it was a good ending leaving the reading wanting more, it was wrapped up all too quickly and ended in a way I didn’t expect from a book that is supposed to be vampire fiction. If you read Thirsty knowing it’s not really vampire fiction, it’s a much better read. If you are expecting a good christian vampire novel, you will most likely be disappointed.

Reviewed by blanchemead (south bend,in), December 15, 2009

I do not recommened this book for christian readers. There is too much evil and darkness. The story of a recovering alcholic mother could have been a good story by its self.

Reviewed by Christy Lockstein (Oconto Falls, WIsconsin), November 20, 2009

Thirsty by Tracey Bateman is not exactly Twilight for Christians. Nina Parker is struggling with her newfound sobriety after years of alcohol abuse that has destroyed her family. Divorced and without custody of her two children, she returns to the hometown she abandoned seventeen years ago. Daughter Meaghan is going with her, which doesn't please Meggie one bit, to help repair the damaged mother/daughter relationship. Their recovery is pushed to the back burner when a series of graphically brutal murders terrifies the town. Bateman meticulously renders the battle of an addict; Nina faces constant reminders of her disease, which run parallel to another character's addiction in the novel. I hope that this isn't the only book Bateman writes about Markus and his disease; it deserves a fuller treatment with explanation as to origin and such.

Reviewed by Adrienne Hackman (Overland Park KS), November 20, 2009

I loved this book, I didn't even know it was a Christian novel until the end. It sucked me in and it made me want to meet Nina Parker. Great book.

Reviewed by Terri (Euless, TX), November 20, 2009

Thirsty is a great read! I was so cheering for Nina as she struggled with sobriety on a daily, hourly, even on a minute by minute basis. You really feel her struggles as she is trying to put the past behind her and rebuild the trust she destroyed with her family. As she returned to her home town to rebuild her life, she meets new neighbors that you just know are evil before you really find out the truth. Initially, as I began reading, I questioned that this is suppose to be a book about vampires and I was not making the connection. As I continued to read, I could not put this book down because I wanted to understand the struggle of good and evil and I wanted Nina to stay the course and put her family back together. The vampires do play a part, but you will have to read the book to find out the rest.

Reviewed by Brian Johnson (Intercession City, florida), November 17, 2009

I generally am not a reader of novels, but seeing the popularity of the “Twilight” series (not to mention my daughters numerous readings of the whole series) I thought I would give this book a try. For the most part the book kept my interest, for the fact that I kept expecting something great or unusual or shocking to take place. The book seemed to me to be a reading of a predictable made for TV movie (nothing great, unusual or shocking took place). The characters in the story were pretty much predictable: you have a good person (Nina) struggling with a bad habit (alcoholism). And how that habit has affected those family members around her. You have a evil person trying to be good (Marcus). You have a small town, with its sheriff, trying to unravel the mystery of strange murders. And then you have the happy ending. One area of the dialogue that was very silly was on pg.228. The main character of the story (Nina) and the sheriff of the town (Jill) are awaiting the highway patrol to come and examine a murder. Nina says, “The calvary has arrived.” The sheriff corrects her with, “Cavalry”. …”How can you get a bunch of old horse soldiers mixed up with the place where Jesus died?” I felt that this was some sort of feeling of obligation to say something about Jesus in the story.

Reviewed by Joan Nienhuis (Oak Harbor, WA), November 17, 2009

A vampire novel in the Christian genre? Batemen, in her afterward, says she questioned how she was going to write a vampire novel that glorified God. She came up with the idea of a metaphor, relating the vampire’s thirst to that of an alcoholic’s. I am not so sure the novel glorifies God but the book is a good read. Nina is an alcoholic. She’s lost her marriage, her business and the respect of her daughter. After rehab, she tries to make a new start in her hometown – staying with her sister, the sheriff. The next door neighbor appears to be a nice man but is actually a vampire. Yet he is a vampire with a conscience. He only kills and drinks the blood of “bad” people, unlike the female vampire in town who kills for sport and vengeance. Dead bodies drained of blood, both animals and humans, set the stage for Nina in danger. She faces the demon of alcoholism and the deadly threat of a jealous vampire. Nina is close to middle age so I doubt teens would find this novel of interest. Glorifying to God? I can’t say. But it is a good story and is well written. If you would like an alternative to current vampire novels, this may be the one for you. Discussion questions make this book suitable for a group read. This book was provided for review by the WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group.

Reviewed by CKendall (Burlington, NC), November 16, 2009

If you read my reviews regularly, you probably know already that I rarely read the complete description of a book before deciding I want to read it. I started reading the description for Thirsty and saw that it is about a woman battling alcoholism and I knew I wanted to read it. Now, I have this little ritual when I am getting ready to start a new book. I like to read other reviews of the book to get a feel for how other readers feel about it. When I did that for this book, I kept seeing the word “vampire” and I thought ‘oh no’. I grew out of my vampire phase when I was thirteen. Well, then I read the note to readers at the end, I was touched by the amount of prayer the author put into this book. So, I opened my mind and jumped in. Sometimes a reader needs a gentle shove out his or her comfort zone to be truly inspired by a book in a different way. Thirsty is one of those books. It has a unique premise and an edge to it you don’t see a lot in Christian fiction. I was amazed at how fast this story moved and how the author kept me engrossed throughout. Nina is just an average woman who has to face demons from her past and her present. She is involved in a spiritual battle not unlike the battles we all face every day. Being a “vampire” book, there is some graphic violence. I generally do not like books that have that, but in this book, I did not find it overwhelming or overdone. I am pretty sensitive about things like that and it did not bother me at all. Overall, Tracey Bateman has written a fantastic book. I am so glad I read it and did not let the vampire element keep me from reading it. This is more a book about spiritual battles and redemption than anything else. All the prayers Ms. Bateman prayed before writing this book were answered because it was amazing and surprisingly uplifting. So, would I recommend Thirsty? Absolutely!

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