My Roommate Is a Vampire

“I tried to focus on the more eccentric aspects of his outfit—the frilly blue cravat he wore at his neck; the shiny wing-tipped shoes on his feet—but it didn’t help. Even with those unusual accessories he was still the most gorgeous man I’d ever seen.”

Cassie immediately notices the idiosyncrasies of Frederick’s appearance that seem to be from another time, introducing the theme of The Challenges of Adapting to Different Lifestyles. However, despite these odd details, her attention instead focuses on how attractive he is, immediately hinting at their budding romance.

“I’d studied in London during my junior year of college, and I remembered learning that this style of painting had been very popular in English inns in the eighteenth century. It arguably matched the decor in the room a lot better than my own projects would. But it was also hideous.”

Art plays an important role in Cassie’s life, with much of her arc centered upon The Importance of Art and Pursuing One’s Passions. Her notions of what art should look like are heavily informed by her experience in the contemporary world. The old painting in her bedroom is a hint at Frederick’s real age, since he became a vampire in 1734, and it illustrates further the differences between Cassie and Frederick.

“Do let me know when you have redecorated. I would very much like to see some of your work.”

Frederick’s interest in Cassie’s art is an important aspect of the development of their relationship. Frederick does not understand the modernity of Cassie’s art when he first encounters it, but his desire to see her art illustrates his blossoming feelings for her.

“He was looking at me now, though. And his eyes were everywhere. They trailed slowly down the slope of my neck, lingering at the small, jagged scar beneath my ear I got as a small child before moving on to the gentle curve of my shoulders. I wasn’t wearing anything particularly nice, just a thin T-shirt and an old pair of jeans—but his gaze was heated all the same. It made me feel dizzy and warm in a way I didn’t have words for.”

Cassie often struggles with language to describe her feelings for Frederick. In this scene, while the two of them look at her art, there is romantic tension between them. Cassie has a difficult time verbalizing her feelings for Frederick, though their growing mutual attraction hints at Long-Term Compatibility Despite Surface-Level Differences.

“The drawing was so silly. And Frederick was about the furthest thing from silly a person could be. Or so I’d thought, anyway. Also—the Yours, FJF? Yours. That was new.”

Cassie has a positive impact on Frederick, even before she knows he’s a vampire and consciously tries to help him adjust to modernity. Frederick becomes more carefree in his notes to Cassie, responding to her drawings with silly sketches of his own. Though they are different, they begin to adjust to each other’s lifestyles and personalities.

“I had to laugh over how stupid I’d been. I’d started having feelings for Frederick. Meanwhile, he’d been waiting for the perfect opportunity to bite my neck!”

Cassie admits that she has feelings for Frederick after the reveal of his vampirism, finally finding the words for her emotions. However, her fear pushes her away from Frederick; the differences between them temporarily seem insurmountable before they discuss the truth of their lifestyles.

“I swallowed around the lump in my throat, unsure what to do with the emotion I heard in his voice.”

Cassie feels uncertain about Frederick’s emotions, as she does not know what to make of them. Cassie felt romantic tension with Frederick prior to learning about his vampirism, but she did not truly understand how much Frederick cares for her.

“If he pressed those beautiful lips to my throat, would he be able to feel my heart beating beneath the skin?”

Cassie’s desire for Frederick, despite his vampirism, is apparent in her thoughts about him as they look at Instagram together. The image of a beating heart appears throughout the narrative, as it is emblematic of the differences between Cassie and Frederick: Cassie’s heart beats, and Frederick’s does not.

“‘Thank you,’ he said, his voice strained. His eyes never left my face. ‘Cassie likes this shirt. I will take one in every color.’”

Frederick’s desire to please Cassie illustrates how much he cares about her. The strain in his voice shows how challenging it is for him to keep his romantic feelings for Cassie a secret. His adoption of a new, more modern wardrobe also reflects The Challenges of Adapting to Different Lifestyles.

“Overall, I thought Manor House on a Lake—by marrying traditional paints and modern synthetic materials—was at once classic and postmodern. It was the perfect subversion of the exhibition’s Contemporary Society theme.”

Manor House on a Lake as a project is characteristic of Cassie’s artistic praxis. She wants to mix the traditional and the postmodern ideals of art to create her own unique pieces, reflecting The Importance of Art and Pursuing One’s Passion. Her subversion of the exhibition contest’s theme, however, does not work in her favor.

“But his eyes were so soft, his voice a gentle caress, belying his claim. My heartbeat kicked up and…Frederick’s eyes flicked down to my chest again, the same way they had the last time my heartbeat started racing when I was with him. Maybe he could hear my heart beating.”

Cassie’s attention to the nuances of Frederick’s voice illustrates the intensity of the attention she pays him as they grow closer romantically. The image of the beating heart appears again, as Frederick notices Cassie’s heartbeat, demonstrating that Cassie’s attention towards him is reciprocated.

“I looked at my notebook, which had suddenly become the only safe place in the room for either of us to rest our eyes.”

Art is a medium through which Cassie and Frederick explore their relationship. Cassie and Frederick share about their pasts and share emotional intimacy, but the intensity of the moment scares them, so they look back to the sketchbook—the symbol of Cassie’s art—as a place of security.

“Sam’s party started at seven, and the platform was packed with people—some heading home from work, some on their way to a Cubs game (if the sheer volume of Cubs hats and jerseys people were wearing were any indication), and still others who, like us, were simply going out on a Friday night.”

Chicago as a setting is important to the novel. Levine carefully constructs Chicago in a way that feels authentic: She has her characters take the El public transit, she specifically names the neighborhoods the events of the novel occur in (for example, Lincoln Park, Evanston), and she sprinkles in details about Chicago’s culture (such as the Cubs merchandise).

“The idea I made him nervous was hard to believe, but I decided to let it go.”

Cassie’s insecurity is a large piece of her characterization. At the start of the novel, she is not confident in her financial status, her art, or her personality. As her relationship with Frederick blossoms, so too does her confidence in herself and her art, as Frederick works to validate her.

“And, yes, okay, he was a vampire. That did present some legitimate challenges. But that didn’t change how good he was—or the fact that I wanted him more than I’d ever wanted anyone in my life.”

Cassie does not care about the differences between her and Frederick, instead prioritizing Long-Term Compatibility Despite Surface-Level Differences. She knows that they will have some challenges to overcome as a couple, but she also knows that she and Frederick are compatible and capable of forming a thriving relationship.

“Cars honked, and people carried on, just like it was any other Friday night—even as my life had suddenly and irrevocably changed.”

After being intimate with Frederick, Cassie feels the monumental nature of their decision to fully consummate their relationship. Their physical vulnerability matches the emotional vulnerability they showed each other in sharing the truth of their feelings.

“A pair of elbow-length white satin gloves left behind at one of the centers is being analyzed by the Chicago Police Department’s forensics team for clues.”

Levine utilizes foreshadowing frequently throughout the narrative. In this instance, she foreshadows the arrival of Edwina Fitzwilliam, via historical women’s clothing, and her subsequent role in Frederick’s kidnapping.

“His assurances went a long way towards loosening the knot of pain that had settled in my chest.”

Cassie is shocked by the revelation of Frederick’s arranged marriage, which heightens her insecurity. This insecurity will appear again when Cassie looks at Esmeralda’s Instagram account. Frederick manages to soothe Cassie, but when his physical presence is gone, her insecurity returns.

“But now that I was really looking, there was no question that it was, in fact, the same Frederick I lived with—and had started falling in love with.”

Cassie finally utilizes the word “love” to describe her feelings for Frederick. After struggling to find the words throughout most of the novel, she names her feelings for him, a realization that strikes her after his kidnapping.

“I miss you more than I can adequately express in a letter. I hope that I am somehow able to tell you this in person very soon.”

Frederick, like Cassie, struggles to adequately convey his feelings in words. He misses Cassie, but he misses her with an intensity that he lacks language for, demonstrating the depth of his love for her.

“My concern is what happens if they call my bluff. I have seven followers on TikTok. I use it to watch cat videos. Even if I knew how to post something like this to TikTok—which I only barely do—there’s a roughly zero percent chance anyone would see it.”

Social media plays an important role in the narrative, as Instagram helps introduce Frederick to the internet and how modern people utilize it. Though Frederick dislikes social media and finds it overwhelming, it is the thing that sets him free: Cassie’s TikTok threat forces Edwina to give up the arranged marriage idea.

“While my rejection has stung and offended her, she has enough self-possession and self-worth to not want any man who does not want her.”

Esmeralda never appears in scene in the novel, but Frederick’s impressions of her make her feel three-dimensional despite her absence. She is a confident woman who knows her worth and allies with Frederick to avoid a loveless marriage.

“When he kissed me again, I decided that knowing exactly what came next could wait.”

Cassie decides to stay with Frederick because she’s falling in love with him, but their future is not crystal clear. However, their Long-Term Compatibility Despite Surface-Level Differences will help them thrive.