The Taker by Alma Katsu

From Goodreads:
True love can last an eternity . . . but immortality comes at a price. . . . On the midnight shift at a hospital in rural Maine, Dr. Luke Findley is expecting another quiet evening of frostbite and the occasional domestic dispute. But the minute Lanore McIlvrae—Lanny—walks into his ER, she changes his life forever. A mysterious woman with a past and plenty of dark secrets, Lanny is unlike anyone Luke has ever met. He is inexplicably drawn to her . . . despite the fact that she is a murder suspect with a police escort. And as she begins to tell her story, a story of enduring love and consummate betrayal that transcends time and mortality, Luke finds himself utterly captivated.

Her impassioned account begins at the turn of the nineteenth century in the same small town of St. Andrew, Maine, back when it was a Puritan settlement. Consumed as a child by her love for the son of the town’s founder, Lanny will do anything to be with him forever. But the price she pays is steep—an immortal bond that chains her to a terrible fate for all eternity. And now, two centuries later, the key to her healing and her salvation lies with Dr. Luke Findley.

Part historical novel, part supernatural page-turner, The Taker is an unforgettable tale about the power of unrequited love not only to elevate and sustain, but also to blind and ultimately destroy, and how each of us is responsible for finding our own path to redemption.


This book was recommended to me by my sister, and it has been on my to read shelf for about a year.  I kept promising that I would read it when I had more time.  I was able to pass my national exam, and now that I'm not studying 298347892834 hours a week, I have more reading time!! SO, I checked this out on GR. This storyline initially intrigued me.  What kind of immortal bond is this Lanny girl dealing with? What is this about a crazy ER doctor? I read a lot of paranormal, so I was interested to see what supernatural creature Lanny would turn out to be.


Turns out, this book really is a cross between genres. This is the type of "paranormal" book for a person who likes normal fiction (no chick  lit, urban fantasy, etc), because it's kind of diet paranormal...paranormal for beginners.  This book is a cross between historical romance (real life romance, not the fluffy, corny stuff) and mystical arts.  It was refreshing to have a different type of book that I wouldn't normally read. And not to mention, the author has written this book excellently.  It's not often you come across an author who has a writing style like this.  It just pulls you in..... 

  I stayed up late both nights to finish it.  The one thing that I did not like about this book was the sad, depressing tone it took about halfway through the book.   When I turned to the last page, the book left me feeling really unhappy, just because it turned out not to be a happy book, and IMO, did not have a happy ending.  

So, if you want a book that is flawlessly written with a very intriguing historical aspect to it, then please read this book, and let me know what you think.