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reila's review
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
Intrigued by the contemporary take on vampires, stayed for the exploration of generational trauma.
It takes a bit to get to know Louise because there's a lot to unpack. There were a lot of hurdles that struck me, mirroring personal experiences that amped my emotional investment. Running from your problems, and then suddenly embodying that stagnated state? RIP. I do love the metaphysical side of vampires, and, yeah I've considered how inconvenient it would be in the present day. Mike Chen's take is believable, it's scary. The finale, I thought, was unexpected but satisfying. Really got me rooting for Louise, and Ian too.
(Still waiting to be turned so I can binge read or watch anime in a basement--joking, of course...unless...)
It takes a bit to get to know Louise because there's a lot to unpack. There were a lot of hurdles that struck me, mirroring personal experiences that amped my emotional investment. Running from your problems, and then suddenly embodying that stagnated state? RIP. I do love the metaphysical side of vampires, and, yeah I've considered how inconvenient it would be in the present day. Mike Chen's take is believable, it's scary. The finale, I thought, was unexpected but satisfying. Really got me rooting for Louise, and Ian too.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Abandonment
Minor: Cancer, Homophobia, Medical content, Pandemic/Epidemic, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Chronic illness, Injury/Injury detail, Death, Classism, Cursing, Murder, Terminal illness, Car accident, Death of parent, Grief, and Alcoholism
apoppyinthewind's review
emotional
inspiring
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
I enjoy the sub-genre of vampire books that take a more pragmatic approach to vampirism where the theme is "Vampirism kind of sucks, no pun intended". In Vampire Weekend, vampires are not feral blood seekers or glamourous powerful creatures, they're just folks who have some messed up fatal allergies and need blood to survive but seem to have none of the fun powers promised by pop culture or folklore. The main character is Louise, a first generation Chinese immigrant and punk rock enthusiast who was turned into a vampire after an Iggy Pop concert.
She's lived a fairly quiet vampiric life, scraping out a living working night shifts at hospitals to provide money for bills and steady access to blood. Feeding is more of a challenge in this book compared to other vampire media, one cannot just grab a quick bite and instead most vampires rely on swiping blood bags, drinking animal blood, or sketchy donors. Things go awry in Louise's life when the local blood bank supply is suddenly dwindling and two estranged family members show up at her door.
These issues draw Louise into the vampire community she's been avoiding and back into the family trauma/drama she thought she had walked away from. As Louise bonds with her younger relative Ian over their shared passion for music, she has to confront how she's been living her immortal life.
I won't say more because I don't want to spoil it but it's an interesting take on vampires that I would recommend checking out. If you've ever read & loved Life Sucks by Jessica Abel you will probably like this book.
She's lived a fairly quiet vampiric life, scraping out a living working night shifts at hospitals to provide money for bills and steady access to blood. Feeding is more of a challenge in this book compared to other vampire media, one cannot just grab a quick bite and instead most vampires rely on swiping blood bags, drinking animal blood, or sketchy donors. Things go awry in Louise's life when the local blood bank supply is suddenly dwindling and two estranged family members show up at her door.
These issues draw Louise into the vampire community she's been avoiding and back into the family trauma/drama she thought she had walked away from. As Louise bonds with her younger relative Ian over their shared passion for music, she has to confront how she's been living her immortal life.
I won't say more because I don't want to spoil it but it's an interesting take on vampires that I would recommend checking out. If you've ever read & loved Life Sucks by Jessica Abel you will probably like this book.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood
Moderate: Grief
Minor: Car accident, Death, Alcohol, Cancer, Classism, Death of parent, Homophobia, and Pandemic/Epidemic
jes312's review against another edition
dark
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
I enjoyed the relationships between the characters and Louise's growth and opening up. The ending felt rushed and felt out of place with the rest of the story (maybe I missed some context clues with the audio book) but the vampire council seemed to come out of no where and the very real concerns with tech surveillance were dropped once Eric's reasoning was revealed. Also, is the rest of Louise's family--Ian and AJ--going to turn too ?
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death of parent, Death, and Blood
Moderate: Violence
Minor: Pandemic/Epidemic
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