How would you look at life if you were diagnosed with an illness that only two in a million have? Would your outlook be positive or negative? What if it meant that dreams you had were taken away? You hear about people who have chronic illnesses, and then surprisingly, their courageous outlook on life is eye-opening. You read testimonies of how they live every second of every day to its fullest. That makes life precious and makes you look at how you live your own life. Hsu writes a beautiful and riveting romance about a woman who has been through hell and back, with four autoimmune diseases, but she finds a way to fight for life.

Lucia is Italian-born, residing in Atlanta with her dog Bea, where the best treatment center for Lupus is. Oskar is Austrian-born, also living in Atlanta to pursue a career in bioengineering, one of the best schools in the world for the field. When they meet for the first time on a hike, sparks fly. Oskar and Lucia both speak German which intensifies their conversations, but Oskar realizes he has never seen anyone more beautiful in his entire life. He soon comes to find out that she has been sick all of her life, but looks like perfect health for a twenty-year-old woman. The story switches back and forth from present to past, and from Lucia to Oskar, so the reader can understand them both and the trials they've faced. A relationship seems inevitable, even though both talk themselves out of it as much as possible until they are inseparable. Oskar immediately sees the strength, the optimism, the beauty, and the desire for companionship in Lucia, but is he able to be all of those things for her the next time she gets sick. Lucia knows it is only a matter of time before he will see her sickness, but her fear nearly smothers her and this new relationship before it can blossom, leaving her with the burning question as to whether anyone can ever love her for the long haul or will her sickness always scare them away?

Hsu's characters are stunning and well-developed in this beautifully written story. Readers will find it easy to sympathize with Oskar and Lucia as they are taken on a journey of loss, pain, joy, and passion. The name of this story is quite metaphorical, but the symbolism between a vampire and a chronical illness like Lupus or PAH is quite accurate and fitting. Readers lose themselves in emotional, credible stories where the characters are far from perfect, but instill able to show creativity and originality. Having characters struggle to live is painful to read about, but the jubilant personalities and desire for a better life is insatiable. This one is hard to read, but hard to put down. The pace is steady and engulfing, with little to no spelling or grammatical errors which makes it an enjoyable read. For readers who like young adult romance and medical fiction, you'll find this particular story a must-read.

An electronic copy of this book was provided to Turning Another Page by Reedsy Discovery and in no way affects the honesty of this review. We provide a five-star rating to The Vampire Inside Me by Liz Hsu.