Reviews with content warning for Murder - Vampires Never Get Old: Tales with Fresh Bite

Fun book! I don’t think short stories are particularly for me, but it was still enjoyable. Personally, I prefer my vampire stories a little more gory and gothic than most of these, which is why it isn’t higher. My personal fave was ‘The boy and the bell,’ but I also really liked ‘Bestiary,’ ‘The house of the black sapphires,’ and ‘First kill.’ Would recommend to people who enjoy pop culture vampires more so than horror vampires (which is not a dig, I’m a Buffy stan through and through!)

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jenny_librarian's review

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adventurous dark emotional informative mysterious reflective medium-paced

4.0

Like all anthologies, it has its ups and downs.

I really liked the stories by Kayla Whaley (In Kind) and Mark Oshiro (Mirrors, Windows & Selfies). It was also really cool to read the origin of the show First Kill and see how the original material held compared to the show (much better!)

On the other hand, some of the stories were either plain boring or not clear enough. Dhonielle Clayton’s The House of Black Sapphire had too many characters and didn’t not feel that connected to its specific sub theme.

I don’t feel like the notes at the end of each chapter added much (except for the stories where the relation to the sub theme was nebulous), but they could be a good addition to those who don’t know much about vampire lore in general.

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emily_mh's review against another edition

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3.25

This anthology was a bit average for me. There weren’t any outstanding reads, but neither were there many terrible ones. My favourite was Senior Year Sucks. I will review each story individually:

Seven Nights for Dying by Tessa Gratton: This is one of two problematic stories in this anthology. It featured a romance between a teenager and a vampire who was hundreds of years old and looked like they were 30. This story says it’s all about the right to choose to become a vampire, yet how could the teenage MC be in control of her choices if she was being groomed?

The Boys from Blood River by Rebecca Roanhorse: An atmospheric and compelling story ruined by its ending when the MC romanticises a murderer.

Senior Year Sucks by Julie Murphy: The MC of this story had great narrative voice, and the plot developed a philosophical question well. The romance was also cute.

The Boy and the Bell by Heidi Heilig: This was spooky and atmospheric and worked really well as a short story.

A Guidebook for the Newly Sired Desi Vampire by Samira Ahmed: The format of this story gave both a fun and unique approach to the subject material, and had a great take on vampires and colonisation.

In Kind by Kayla Whaley: This was a really confronting story with a powerful resolution, defying “mercy” killings and the ableist “magical cure” trope. The mixed media format also worked well.

Vampires Never Say Die by Zoraida Córdova and Natalie C. Parker: This was the second problematic story of the anthology. This is due to more grooming. Why on earth is it considered okay for a 200 year adult to be seeking friendship with a teenager?

Bestiary by Laura Ruby: In my opinion, this is the worst story of the non-problematic entries in this anthology. I simply didn’t understand the point of it. It was supposed to be related to animal companionship, but there was no plot or development generally, let alone one involving that concept.

Mirrors, Windows, and Selfies by Mark Oshiro: The blog format elevated the narrative, which was otherwise average.

The House of Black Sapphires by Dhonielle Clayton: This was incredibly atmospheric, but too much time was spent on the (albeit fantastic) worldbuilding, so that the plot felt squished in at the end as an afterthought. I think this concept would have worked better in a longer format.

First Kill by V.E. Schwab: I think this was a good story, but it was nearly identical to Senior Year Sucks which I found to be stronger.

Some final general notes. The first is that I am sick of YA modern vampire stories containing the immortal/mortal romance/friendship trope. This anthology even states it will be seeking to rectify the more problematic traditions in the vampire genre, yet it still includes this! Secondly, the editor’s notes at the end of each story were frustrating. Not only did it take you out of the fictional zone, but they should have been unnecessary, i.e., the story should have done a good enough job of showing its relevance to an aspect of the vampire tradition - and this often wasn’t the case. Finally, I listened to the audiobook for this one and it was also average. Some narrators were good; some, not so much.

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lynxpardinus's review against another edition

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adventurous dark funny

2.75

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atlas_shruggs's review against another edition

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adventurous dark emotional funny informative lighthearted mysterious sad fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? N/A
Strong character development? N/A
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

This is one of the few short story collections I have ever read, and I enjoyed it thoroughly throughout. The collection covers different aspects of the myth of the vampire, told both through short stories and short essays by the editors, Zoraida Córdova and Natalie C. Parker. The essays were hilarious but also good addons to the stories, and give you better insight into the history of the vampire. The stories themselves are excellently written, and the characters in them often break the vampire stereotype, with one of the vampires being in a wheelchair and one of the vampire slayers being a fat girl. The view they gave of the vampire myths were refreshing, and I loved how good the representation in the stories was. I highly recommend this collection whether you're a fan of vampires or not, as it is highly entertaining and also wonderfully educational.
Average Rating: 3.75
Seven Nights For Dying: 3 stars
The Boys from Blood River: 3.75
Senior Year Sucks: 4
The Boy and the Bell: 3
A Guidebook for the Newly Sired Desi Vampire: 4.75
In Kind: 4.5
Vampires Never Say Die: 3
Bestiary: 2.75
Mirrors, Windows and Selfies: 3.5
The House of Black Sapphires: 4
First Kill: 4.5

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inkdrinkers's review

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adventurous lighthearted tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? N/A
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A

4.0

I. Love. Vampires.

If you know me, you know I devour vampire media like a blood-starved monster. I will read just about anything to do with them, or variations of the myth. I've owned this collection for a while and wanted to pick it up finally because of the First Kill adaption!

Since this is a collection, I have a breakdown below of my thoughts on each short story! Overall though, I really enjoyed each story for what they offered and the different angles they approached vampirism. To be fair, I wanted to give this a five star for the four stories I love, but I can't justify it since I really didn't like a couple.

Seven Nights For Dying by Tessa Gratton: 3 stars

This story had an interesting approach on the turning myth! It takes place over seven days and the two vampires luring the main character to immortality are sexy and interesting. I was annoyed by the main character's slightly childish approach to everything, which docked a couple stars.

The Boys from Blood River by Rebecca Roanhorse: 5 stars

Oh. My. God. I love the Lost Boys and this story is inspired by it! I really loved the legend and folklore aspect woven into the Boys' backstory. Without giving too much away, it was chilling and the perfect promise of more at the end.

Senior Year Sucks by Julie Murphy: 5 stars

I didn't expect to like this one as much as I did! It gave me serious Buffy vibes, with a touch of something forbidden and dangerous. I would read a whole novel about the two main characters and the town Julie Murphy created, she always nails the southern atmosphere.

The Boy and the Bell by Heidi Heilig: 2 stars

I wish I liked this one more. With it being set historically and on a main character who is trans, it sounded really promising. I thought the plot was flimsy for my tastes and the characters were a little wooden.

A Guidebook for the Newly Sired Desi Vampire by Samira Ahmed: 3 stars

This one had a more light hearted and funny approach. I liked the tongue in cheek writing and the cultural approach to vampirism! It was a really nice "revenge is okay sometimes" and accept yourself message.

In Kind by Kayla Whaley: 2 stars

I'll admit, I keep forgetting what this one is about and having to look back at my copy. It's like The Boy and the Bell - the premise is good and I wanted to like it more, but the characters fell flat. I will say, the newspaper articles were really well done and my favorite parts.

Vampires Never Say Die by Zoraida Córdova and Natalie C. Parker: 4 stars

I really liked this one by the editors! The two characters were interesting, the premise was funny but entertaining, and the end promised happiness eventually for everyone involved.

Bestiary by Laura Ruby: 2 stars

I struggled with this one. The main character was a little too early 2000s emo for me and the zoo aspect was bizarre. It was an interesting setting for a vampire to work but more information needed to be fleshed out. It almost felt post-apocalyptic, but there was no concrete way for me to tell. (Other than the environmentalism aspect)

Mirrors, Windows, and Selfies by Mark Oshiro: 3 stars

I opened this one really expecting to dislike it because of the formatting. As I got into it, the blog posts grew on me, but it still really detracted from the story. I liked the end and the premise, but I know I would have loved the story more had it not been told like tumblr posts.

The House of the Black Sapphires by Dhonielle Clayton: 5 stars

This blew me out of the water. I'm a HUGE fan of Kalynn Bayron's "This Poison Heart" and this was like a condensed short story version. I loved the magical world, the building of tension, and the end right on the breathless climax. I'll be rereading this one.

First Kill by V.E. Schwab: 5 stars

This wholeheartedly deserved its own TV Show and they better not screw it up. I LOVED this, Schwab never misses. I don't think it's possible for her to ever misstep. The backstory of Calliope and her family is fascinating, it was the Vampire Diaries meets Supernatural and wonderful in every way.

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caitlin_doggos's review

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adventurous dark emotional mysterious tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.0

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