A review by historyofjess
Vampires Never Get Old: Tales with Fresh Bite by Natalie C. Parker, Zoraida Córdova

adventurous lighthearted mysterious medium-paced

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

3.0

As with most anthologies, this is a bit of a mixed bag. None of these stories were bad, but some were definitely far better and a lot more fun. The best and most interesting stories broadened vampire stories by adding more marginalized representation in their characters (e.g., a fat, bisexual slayer; a Desi guide to using newfound vampirism to combat colonization; a disabled vampire whose disability is not cured by immortality, but who can still utilize her new abilities to get revenge on the father that "mercy" killed her). The big distinction in this collection, for me, was the editors' need to add a little commentary after each story. It felt fairly superfluous and, over time, just kind of annoying...especially given that each of them seemed to conclude with a weak discussion-style question. I just didn't get it and it or find it additive. The stories spoke for themselves and did not require anything additional.

My favorites were definitely Senior Year Sucks by Julie Murphy and A Guidebook for the Newly Sired Desi Vampire by Samira Ahmed. Honorable mention to In Kind by Kayla Whaley.