Zoraida Córdova

Watching the first episode of Interview with the Vampire has re-awoken that teenage obsession with a vengeance, so it's time for vampire fiction. [b:Vampires Never Get Old: Tales with Fresh Bite|61300301|Vampires Never Get Old Tales with Fresh Bite|Zoraida Córdova|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1655393850l/61300301._SY75_.jpg|66287453] is a fun collection of short stories offering new twists on vampire mythology. All have young protagonists so can be considered YA, but otherwise have a delightfully wide range of settings and concepts. In each case, vampirism serves a different sort of narrative purpose or acts as a different metaphor. I was least interested in the two stories centred upon social media as a novel means of connection for young people, as neither really examined this theme as critically as I would have liked. The other stories, however, all did interesting things.

The first two examined the choice to become a vampire, or not, in original ways. Of the others, 'The Boy and the Bell' is an ingenious vignette featuring those bells that Victorians invented for people to ring if accidentally buried alive. My favourite story was 'A Guidebook for the Newly Sired Desi Vampire', which is playful and clever in style, structure, and content. I found 'In Kind' thought-provoking in its treatment of disability. 'Bestiary' has an excellent dystopian near-future setting and 'The House of Black Sapphires' evokes a beguiling fantasy world. The final story, 'First Kill' splits the point of view neatly and considers coming of age as a vampire or hunter symmetrically. The stories are also pleasingly diverse in terms of the race, sexuality, and gender of their protagonists.

After each story, there is a paragraph or two inviting the reader to reflect on the story's themes with prompt questions. I found these mildly irritating as someone who has been reading about vampires for more than twenty years, but would probably have appreciated them in my teens. They did not detract from my overall enjoyment of the collection and I can see why they were included. This is an entertaining, original, and thoughtful collection, a rewarding read for any vampire fan.… (more)

Kiss the Girl
Meant to Be, Book 3

I Picked Up This Book Because: I’ve enjoyed other books in the series.

Media Type: Audiobook
Source: RC Public Library
Dates Read: 7/10/24 - 7/11/24
Stars: 4 Stars
Narrator(s): Inès del Castillo and Anthony Rey Perez

The Characters:

Melody “Ariel” Del Mar:
Eric Reyes:
Melody’s Sisters, Eric’s band mates

The Story:

I haven’t been feeling very verbose, so I only have “I liked it” to say.

Writing: Very good.
Overall Interest: So good. I would have never imagined this twist on The Little Mermaid.
Length of Reading Time: Good. I really got addicted and finished way faster than expected.
Re-read-ability: I probably would not.… (more)