Author: Parker BlueI know the YA blogging community has given up on vampires. And I get why, and normally I'd agree. But there are still the few good vampire books, and those are usually the ones that manage to bring something new to the table. I'm happy to report that Bite Me did just that.
Release Date: September 30, 2008
Pages: 231 (e-galley)
Publisher: Bell Bridge Books
Most Appropriate For Ages: 12+
Where I Got It: For review from Netgalley
An edgy book for teens that spans the gap between YA and adult fiction. Life after high school is tough enough without having to go 15 rounds with your inner demon. Val Shapiro is just your ordinary, part-demon, teenaged vampire hunter with a Texas drawl. And a pet hellhound named Fang. Soon enough she finds herself deep in the underbelly of the city, discovering the secrets of the Demon Underground and fighting to save those she loves. Whether they love her back or not.
Val has a fantastically snarky personality, but it's clear that it's hiding wounds underneath it. Wounds that are clear once you meet her...um, gem of a family. They've blamed her for everything that goes wrong in her life, even though her little sister's as immature and stupid as Dawn from Buffy. She's a flawed, kick-butt heroine and I liked her character a lot.
I had a couple of issues with the book: Fang's one-liners were really cheesy, the ending wrapped everything up too perfectly, and the mystery is a tad too thin. So no, Bite Me was not perfect...but I liked it anyways. It was full of action, some decent enough romance (that I'm hoping will develop a bit more in the next book), and an awesome protagonist.
It was fun. It knew it, I knew it, neither of us was expecting more. I'd recommend this one to people who are sick of your average YA paranormal and are looking for a quick fix. It's actually got some stuff I hadn't read about in the genre before, and I'm looking forward to reading the sequel.
Book Report:
Plot: Grabbed me fast.
Characters: Likable and fun.
Writing: Val's voice was really authentic.
Ending: Eh.
Kid friendly? There's brief mentions of sex, and very mild swearing.
Should I read it? Yeah, I liked it.
Overall:
O I've been wanting to try this one. I'm so glad to hear it's good.
ReplyDelete