Hi all! Here today with a quick review and list of tv/film recs for Vampires Never Get Old! Thank you to the publisher for sharing a review copy & to Hear Our Voices for having me on this tour! The BookIn this delicious new collection, you’ll find stories about lurking vampires of social media, rebellious vampires hungry for more than just blood, eager vampires coming out―and going out for their first kill―and other bold, breathtaking, dangerous, dreamy, eerie, iconic, powerful creatures of the night. Welcome to the evolution of the vampire―and a revolution on the page. Vampires Never Get Old includes stories by authors both bestselling and acclaimed, including Samira Ahmed, Dhonielle Clayton, Zoraida Córdova and Natalie C. Parker, Tessa Gratton, Heidi Heilig, Julie Murphy, Mark Oshiro, Rebecca Roanhorse, Laura Ruby, Victoria “V. E.” Schwab, and Kayla Whaley. Review This anthology full of superstar writers is a powerful reminder that vampires aren’t over! We’re swept away in tales from all over the globe and all walks of life, to remind readers that vampire media can be incredibly white and heteronormative, but doesn’t have to be that way! Typically for anthologies, I’ll give one to two line reviews of each story and bold my favorites, without assigning star ratings. To be upfront, Vampires Never Get Old earned a 4/5 star rating from me. Some stories I really enjoyed, but others didn’t quite hit their mark. Seven Nights for Dying by Tessa Gratton I loved the agency given to our main character in her choice of whether or not to become a vampire! Gratton delays the transformation process in an interesting way, letting the MC take her time and think about the decision. Does this allow more room for regret, uncertainty? I’m not sure! But I really enjoyed this one. Mirrors, Windows & Selfies by Mark Oshiro This was cute, but I wish I had more information! Told through the blog posts of a young vampire who’s not supposed to exist and therefore must move around with his family, the story obsesses over the idea of reflection and what it means to look at oneself. I was left confused at the end… there was some implied consequence for the main group of vampires discovering Cisco’s existence, but we don’t know what it is and the story misses its mark. The House of Black Sapphires by Dhonielle Clayton YES. Yes, yes yes. Give me so much more of this! Dhonielle’s description of New Orleans (a fascinating city by all accounts) and its vampiric underbelly is beautiful, and I loved Bea’s relationship with her family. I just wish it hadn’t ended so abruptly—a common desire with stories in this collection. The Boys From Blood River by Rebecca Roanhorse Cowboy… vampires… ? I really liked the beginning of this story! Set in a diner, and our lead is a Native boy who is bullied for being gay. Then, a creepy jukebox and a gang of vampires show up, and it just gets weirder from there. I wish the folkloric grounding of this story had continued to guide its ending, because I could have gotten into that. Senior Year Sucks by Julie Murphy "Revamped” (haha) Buffy! Slayers and monster-hunters rank pretty high on my list of favorite tropes, so I super enjoyed this sapphic story that shows you don’t need a certain type of body to hunt vampires. I did think it was a little odd that our MC was also a cheerleader named Jolene (was this supposed to be a Dumplin’ reference?) but that’s a minor quibble. The Boy and the Bell by Heidi Heilig What would you do if you were blackmailed for being trans? This historical short story features a boy in medical school seeking cadavers in a local cemetery, when he hears a grave bell ringing—someone’s been buried alive. The atmosphere of this one is completely spooky and fall-appropriate, but it’s a great read all year round! In Kind by Kayla Whaley This is my favorite story of the entire anthology. It’s half epistolary, half narrated, and we see a 17 year old girl killed by her father in a “mercy killing” because she was disabled, and her body is missing. She’s the vampire in this story which doesn’t take away her neuromuscular disorder, only enables her to gain power and survive! I loved the idea that vampirism isn’t a “cure” for earthly diseases and the MC is already who she needs to be. A Guidebook for the Newly Sired Desi Vampire by Samira Ahmed This is easily another one of my favorites. Hilarious, ironic, and sarcastic, this short story is literally a guidebook to being a “Newly Sired Desi Vampire.” The anonymous support system outlined has suggestions for who to eat (colonizers, always!), who might have turned you (a British tourist in all likelihood), and how you can keep living in your culture. I was smiling the whole way through and it was a much-needed light moment in the middle of the anthology. Bestiary by Laura Ruby I’m sorry to say I just couldn’t understand this story. A young vampire lives in a zoo and has a telepathic connection with the animals (I think?). There’s also some sort of water crisis, possibly due to underfunding? Some parts were hard to connect with and the plot bounced all over the place, so I just wasn’t a big fan. If you’re into anti-capitalism messages and animal rights, though, it’s worth a read. Vampires Never Say Die by Zoraida Córdova and Natalie C. Parker I wasn’t quite sure how to feel about this one. On the one hand, the dramatic irony is interesting, but on the other hand… why would a 200 year old vampire think it’s okay to befriend a 15 year old on Instagram? That just rubbed me the wrong way—the story takes place two years after they met, so she’s 17 now, but still. I’d have to reread and see if that still bugged me. First Kill by Victoria “V. E.” Schwab Oooh this one definitely hit me! I can’t say anything because there’s a really awesome plot twist that I’d hate to spoil for you, but it makes such a good ending to this collection! Vampy TV/Movies!
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The BaronessHey, I'm Shreya! I love to read, write, travel, and drink tea. Disclosure: I am an affiliate of bookshop.org and I will earn a small commission if you click the above link and make a purchase.
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