The Reformed Vampire Support Group (2009) - Plot & Excerpts
Life as a vampire is not all it's reported to be. And that's entirely the problem. Being a vampire means dealing with constant nausea, delicate digestion, extreme sensitivity to bright lights (and don't even think about sunlight), and the fear of being found out. Because when the entire world not only knows how to kill you, but would consider it a public service to do so, sulking in the shadows is the only way to stay alive.For Nina, a fifty-one year old vampire who was fanged at fifteen, life is one unending hassle. Until a member of her support group is found staked and with a bullet through his heart. That act galvanizes the whole support group to find the murderer before he can track down the rest of them, because even a miserable half-life is better than being permanently dead. Maybe if they can explain to the murderer just what life as a reformed vampire is like, he'll leave the rest of them alone. And so begins the adventure. . .The Reformed Vampire Support Group is hysterical. The group works a bit like AA and a bit like an AIDS support group: members who have "fallen off the wagon" can never be trusted not to slip again and infect someone else. The people in the group all drive each other insane, but it's clear they've been together for a long time and are dedicated to keeping each other from falling. And the timidity of all of its members flies nicely in the face of the convention of super-powered bloodsuckers (a convention the members themselves gripe about endlessly).I preferred the prose after it switched to Nina's point of view; the initial part in third person made it harder to connect to Nina herself. Some of the group didn't get much character development, and it would've been interesting to see a little more about them. The romance angle comes in late and trims off fairly abruptly, though some of the resolution is implied in the events of the last meeting.Overall it's a fun take on vampires that's definitely outside the usual trope of super-human bloodsuckers rampaging through the night. The strong support group angle gives the book a unique flavor not soon to be forgotten. I rate this book Recommended. I've been reading a lot of YA lately because I'm trying to understand the genre better, and great books like The Reformed Vampire Support Group make them more palatable to me. I must say, I truly enjoyed this. I'll be honest with you, though. It took me a while to buy into the world set up here. I, like many people, am sick and tired of vampire stories, and this book takes a while to really get you to like the characters. But once you do, you really do, and Catherine Jinks does an excellent job of separating her vampires from others (These vampires are actually very sick most of the time, and are definitely self-aware). I especially like the voice of the story. Even though it's from a teenage girl who is actually in her 60s because of the effects of becoming a vampire, it really works. And what follows is an adventure that doesn't really seem like an adventure until the last 100 pages or so, since a lot of the book is spent getting you involved with the problem at hand. In the end, though, I really liked this book. I would recommend it to anybody who is trying to get a better sense of the "voice" of YA. It's helped me immensely.
What do You think about The Reformed Vampire Support Group (2009)?
It's different compared to other vampire books I have read. It's a good difference though!
—laurie
This book was very good. It's funny, action-packed and unique. Very highly recommended!
—HAI
a fun book to read, i'm looking for the next book
—johnny
