The Reformed Vampire Support Group by Catherine Jinks

Title: The Reformed Vampire Support Group
Author: Catherine Jinks
ISBN: 9780152066093
Publisher: Harcourt

Summary:
"Contrary to popular opinion, vampires are not sexy, romantic, or powerful. In case you hadn't noticed, vampires are dead. And the only ones who don't get staked are the ones who avoid attacking people, admit they have a problem, and join a support group.

Just ask Nina Harrison - fanged at fifteen, and still living with her other. She hasn't aged since 1973, and the highlight of her sickly, couch-bound life is probably her Tuesday-night group meeting, which she spends with a miserable bunch of fellow sufferers, being lectured at.

But then one of the group is mysteriously turned to ashes... and suddenly they're all under threat. That's when Nina decides to prove that every vampire on earth isn't a weak, pathetic loser. Along with her friend Dave - a former punk rocker who could be pretty cute, if he weren't such a vampire - she travels way out o her comfort zone to track down the killer.

It could be that there is a lot more to being a vampire than Nina realized."
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Review:

I've really become a big fan of the snarky vampire story. True, I always enjoy the vampire/paranormal romance... with all it's drama, love, hate, and intrigue. But there's something to be said for authors throwing a wrench into the mix of vamp stories.

This book was very clever and took the vampire thing to a whole new level - namely that vampires aren't cool in any way, shape, or form. They're more pathetic than anything else. That makes for a very fun premise when it comes to a vampire story - especially one of a girl trying to figure out her "illness."

There are plenty of plot twists that I wasn't really expecting. They would be questioning something in the story and I'd be thinking, "this is obviously going to end with ____." But never ended up that way! I was always a little more surprised than I expected - which was a great change of pace as well.

I'd definitely recommend this to YA fantasy lovers. It might not be the best book for anyone who is into the intense, drama-filled vampire stories - unless they're looking for a release from that heaviness.

The Author's Website (be sure to look at her YA stuff - apparently she writes for all levels)
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