A review by frankenlvr
Eighth Grade Bites by Z Brewer

emotional lighthearted mysterious fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No

3.0

'Morning, sunshine.'
Vlad blinked at her. 'Morning, sulfuric acid.'

Get it... because he's a vampire? 🤣

Honestly, this book was genuinely entertaining. I laughed a good amount throughout the story, and I even teared up in some parts:

Nelly had such a sweet way of making him feel completely normal. Not that being a vampire was bizarre or anything, certainly not abnormal. But sometimes, when he was putting on his sunblock in the morning or when Henry would describe the incredible lasagna his mom made, he felt a pang of jealousy for humans.

Of course, there were a lot of moments where the story tried to take itself seriously, and it was not successful in its attempt. I just felt so bad for Vlad while reading. My heart broke a little every time he would describe wanting to feel like he belonged somewhere. :( I definitely related to him in some ways as a queer WOC, which makes sense considering stories about vampires tend to be relatable to us. </3

I am planning on reading the rest of the series, and I'm excited to see if the writing and characters improved... The build up to the climax was decent, in my humble opinion, but there were some plot holes, especially in the beginning, that were never resolved. I'm hoping their contents will be addressed in the following installments.

I also want to mention that I read this book with a friend of mine after I asked her if she knew any books that would be considered emo. And, I can safely say that her judgement was accurate; Eighth Grade Bites is peak emo, next to The Catcher in the Rye of course. Don't worry, the masterdoc of emo literature is coming in the near future...