Flutter (My Blood Approves, #3) Summary & Key Insights

Amanda Hocking's "Flutter," the third installment in the "My Blood Approves" series, continues the story of Candi, a young woman grappling with her vampiric nature and the complex relationships within her unconventional family. The overarching theme revolves around Candi's struggle for self-discovery and acceptance, both of her vampiric heritage and her evolving romantic relationships. This is further complicated by the ever-present threat of the human world and the ongoing conflicts within the vampire community itself.

The main plot focuses on a growing vampire rebellion led by a charismatic but ruthless individual named Silas. Silas, believing humans are inherently inferior and deserve eradication, aims to overthrow the existing vampire council, which strives for a precarious balance of co-existence (or at least non-violent interaction) with humanity. Candi, despite her initial hesitations, finds herself drawn into the conflict, caught between her loyalty to her family and friends and the compelling arguments of Silas's rebellion. This internal conflict is a major driving force of the narrative.

Key characters besides Candi include her complex family – her mother, a powerful and enigmatic vampire with her own secrets; her volatile and unpredictable brother; and her ever-supportive (and often exasperated) best friend, a human named Damien. The series' focus on family dynamics continues, with relationships tested by the looming rebellion and Candi's own evolving understanding of her heritage. Her romantic relationship with a human also becomes increasingly precarious as her vampiric nature becomes harder to conceal and her involvement in the rebellion intensifies.

The storyline unfolds through Candi's first-person perspective, allowing readers intimate access to her internal struggles and emotional turmoil. Her evolving relationship with her vampiric powers is central, as she learns to control her cravings and navigate the ethical dilemmas inherent in her existence. While her earlier books focused on her adaptation to vampirism, "Flutter" sees her directly confronting the larger philosophical and political issues within the vampire world, forcing her to make difficult choices with significant consequences.

The book culminates in a dramatic confrontation between the rebels and the council, with Candi playing a pivotal role in shaping the outcome. The resolution leaves several threads open, hinting at further conflicts and developments in the series' continuation, primarily focusing on the uncertain future of vampire-human relations and the lingering effects of the rebellion on the vampire community's structure and stability. Ultimately, "Flutter" explores the themes of identity, loyalty, and the struggle for power, all set against the backdrop of a world teeming with supernatural beings and their complex relationships.