DESTINED BY ALLISON KRAFT

BLURB from Goodreads

While flying across the Atlantic on the centennial anniversary of the Titanic's tragic maiden voyage, Apolline Greer, last in a long line of vampire hunters, finds herself suddenly transported from her airliner cabin to an eerily familiar ocean liner cabin—as well as the entirely unfamiliar body of her ancestor, Noelle Greer. Upon learning that she is, in fact, on board the very ship she’s been fascinated with all her life, she knows there's only one thing to do: get off as soon as possible. 

But whether by destiny, freak coincidence or a really vivid dream, Apolline finds that her trip back in time comes with three very good reasons to stay on board: Alexander Walker, a handsome and charming fellow vampire hunter; Cristof, the vampire that has tormented her family for generations and very likely killed her own mother; and Sasha, the vampire Noelle was sent to kill. 

Time, however, is not on Apolline's side. The Titanic is on a collision course with destiny, and she only has four days to complete her quest. What seemed like more than enough time at the start quickly becomes too short as she finds that hunting vampires on a luxury ocean liner is much more difficult than she expected. Sasha and Cristof become more elusive as each day passes, while her feelings for Alexander become increasingly complicated. As that fateful night approaches, will she regret her decision to stay and witness history first-hand?

I really loved this book, a beautifully written mixture of fictional and factual information. I admit I do love most things Titanic related and this book is brilliant. You feel like you are there with Noelle/Apolline, you feel her anxiety s she knows what is going to happen and when. The book begins with Appolline arguing with Vampire Cristoff with him taking the high ground and leaving her feeling frustrated as he usually manages to do.Apolline is from a long line of female vampire slayers, she is used to being alone. most vampire slayers never meet another one of their kind. Allison adds lots of factual characters in this book that are backed up in various factual books that she quotes after the book. As it is revealed in the blurb I will mention the fact that although vampire slayers usually work alone, for some reason Noelle/Appoline and Alex have both been presumably sent to take care of Sasha and Cristoff. Appoline is always anxious about changing events that she may in some way drastically alter the future in some way she shouldn't, though she cannot resist giving the odd little hint of a warning to new friends she has met on the Titanic. The description is so well written that you can visualise the inside of the Titanic as well as the clothes people wore at the time and the traditions and taboos of the of the era. I also enjoyed the fact that Noelle and Alex were second class passengers we were given a rare insight into the world of the second class passenger, usually novels are based in the wealthy sections of the first class part of the Titanic or the poor, more basic sections of the Third class parts of the Titanic. I enjoyed the love story that was portrayed in 1912, that slides over into 2012. I could go on and on and on about this book as I enjoyed it so much. I would recommend it to be read whether you are a Titanic "fan" or not. There are many questions raised within this book, and Allison managed to answer them all truthfully and back up her answers with actual facts. Appolline goes through the book not realising what is really happening,as in what is real, or could she possibly be dreaming it all.

I also enjoyed the section set in 2012 too, the descriptions of the exhibition that Apolline and Logan went to. The ingenious idea that the "tour givers" had of giving each visitor the name of someone who was actually on board, and then giving them random facts about their traveller during the tour and then of course the ultimate at the end when you found out if your traveller survived or died.

Appolline's reactions at reading the list of names of people on the ship and who survived and who had sadly not made it and died. There was also the list of those whose bodies were found and identified and those who were never found. There are some very poignant sections of this book, as well as lighter sections where we find out about Apolline's crush on her neighbour Logan. The most poignant has to be when Appolline realises who Logan is decendant from, and when she reads a journal he has in his possession.

The book comes to an end with an interaction between Appolline and Cristoff once again but lets just say Appolline finally seems to manage to come out on top for a change leaving Cristoff feeling confused and frustrated.

I highly recommend you read this great title, put it on your wish lists!

Available Amazon.com, Amazon.co.uk £2.09 on kindle well worth the price!