Title: The Taste of Blood: ReVAMPed EditionAuthor: Jon Athan
First Published: February 26, 2026
Publisher: Independently Published
Pages: 176
Genre: Coming of Age, Extreme Horror, Horror
Format: Ebook
Source: Kindle Unlimited
Rating:
Synopsis:
After an encounter with her nineteen-year-old boyfriend at an underground party, Genesis Hudson—a naive thirteen-year-old girl—believes she has become a vampire. A thirst for human blood quickly manifests within her, intensifying with each passing day. She feels sick without it, nauseated and starved. Aubrey Horne, Genesis’ best friend, knows she is mentally unwell, but she needs time to find a way to save her from herself. So, with an abundance of reluctance, she agrees to help her find blood.
But during their search, she discovers a side of Genesis she had never seen before...
How far can two girls go to find blood? Can Aubrey save Genesis before it’s too late? Or has Genesis really become a vampire?
Jon Athan, the author of Our Dead Girlfriend: Author’s Enhanced Edition and Are Your Parents Home?, presents a tense, disturbing coming-of-age novel about friendship, obsession, and identity.
This 2026 ReVAMPed Edition has been re-written, re-edited, and extended. It is the definitive ‘The Taste of Blood’ experience.
WARNING: This novel contains graphic content. Reader discretion is advised.
Get the Book: AmazonReview
The Taste of Blood is a coming of age horror story about the monstrous violence of girlhood. The story centers on a thirteen year old girl named Genesis who believes she is a vampire, and starts acting out in unusual and grotesque ways. I was excited to pick up this book because there is so much potential in the premise. The idea of puberty bringing about a bloody transformation into a monster has become an interesting horror trope.
Genesis is a troubled teen and the victim of grooming, though she doesn’t know it; she believes that she’s mature for her age, having an older boyfriend validates that belief. Of course this isn’t the case, like many naive teen girls the desire to fit in is a normal part of adolescence. I appreciated how Athan chose to portray Genesis’ character not as a simpering victim, but instead as a foul-mouthed girl on a path to self destruction, because I knew girls like this. I was reminded instantly of one of my best friends when I was 13-14, along with the Jessi Slaughter saga from the MySpace era (quite the deep cut, I know).
With that in mind, the set up for this story was amazing, and there are some genuinely ghastly moments throughout the book. Unfortunately for me though, I found the later parts of the story to be contrived as the story strays away from its initial premise. The story tries to do too much and it makes the second half of the novel feel messy, and the ending left much to be desired. The book is not bad by any means, it’s still an entertaining book despite the lost potential.
Quote
“For a moment, just a few seconds, she believed there was a real vampire in her brother’s room. She was confused, terrified, and emotionally devastated. She could only sit there by herself and listen to the growling, hissing, and slurping in the room behind her.”
Content Warnings
View Spoiler »About the Author
About Jon Athan
Jon Athan is an author from California. Jon was born on September 12, 1992 during a stormy night. As a child, he enjoyed writing and telling scary short stories. Some of these stories got him into some serious trouble with his teachers, but he persevered through the detentions and therapy sessions.
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