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A review by katharine_opal
Vampire Weekend by Mike Chen
3.0
Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for an advanced copy in exchange for my honest review!
The plot premise of the story was so very interesting to me. A middle-aged vampire (I did the math, I think Louise would be considered an older GenX) who wants nothing more than to join a band, while keeping her vampirism a secret from her teenage relative. So interesting! But something about this story just fell a bit flat to me. The first half of the story is just weighed down by so many introspective moments and constant flashbacks of Louise's past. I know this is to try and explain who Louise is a person, but there's is barely any plot happening. The story doesn't get interesting until the second half of the story, but even then, it scoots by the juicy parts way too fast. I really wanted to know more about the other vampires, but it flew right past those plot points, much to my disappointment. I found Louise as a character to be interesting only at times. Her memory flashbacks highlight her struggles with her family's refusal to accept her genuine self, her rift with her brother, and finding her estranged Aunt, who was disowned for being a lesbian. The brief mention of Covid was an interesting choice. Did not expect to see Covid mentioned in a book about a punk middle-aged vampire. I have many mixed feelings about this book. I want to like it more, but I find myself feeling neutral about it. I don't love it, but I don't hate it.
The plot premise of the story was so very interesting to me. A middle-aged vampire (I did the math, I think Louise would be considered an older GenX) who wants nothing more than to join a band, while keeping her vampirism a secret from her teenage relative. So interesting! But something about this story just fell a bit flat to me. The first half of the story is just weighed down by so many introspective moments and constant flashbacks of Louise's past. I know this is to try and explain who Louise is a person, but there's is barely any plot happening. The story doesn't get interesting until the second half of the story, but even then, it scoots by the juicy parts way too fast. I really wanted to know more about the other vampires, but it flew right past those plot points, much to my disappointment. I found Louise as a character to be interesting only at times. Her memory flashbacks highlight her struggles with her family's refusal to accept her genuine self, her rift with her brother, and finding her estranged Aunt, who was disowned for being a lesbian. The brief mention of Covid was an interesting choice. Did not expect to see Covid mentioned in a book about a punk middle-aged vampire. I have many mixed feelings about this book. I want to like it more, but I find myself feeling neutral about it. I don't love it, but I don't hate it.