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Monday, June 28, 2010

Still Sucks to Be Me by Kimberly Pauley

Title: Still Sucks to Be Me: More All-True Confessions of Mina Hamilton Smith, Teen Vampire.
Author: Kimberly Pauley
ISBN: 9780786955039
Publisher: Wizards of the Coast
Page #: 374
Source: From my library

Summary:
"Why it still sucks to be me
1. Here I am, some all-powerful (ha), all-knowing (yeah, right), in-control (totally not) vampire, and my parents and the stupid Vampire Council still get to dictate everything I do.

2. Not only did they make me fake my death and funeral (I didn't even get to go!), but I had to leave behind my BFF Serena and move really far away.

3. Meanwhile my boyfriend George is off "reconnecting with his parents" in Brazil. Land of beaches, bikini babes, and the biggest party in the world. He's probably going, "Mina, who?"

4. Grady asked me to Homecoming and won't take no for an answer.

5. Did I mention cute but oh-so-complicated Cameron, the only other bloodsucking teen in town? That's because I'm trying not to think about him, thank you very much.

6. And ugh, Raven. Is she seriously stalking Serena?

7. Vampire superstrength can't fix this trainwreck. But can I?"
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First Lines:

"I, Mina Hamilton, am officially dead. Officially, officially. You name it, I've got it: death certificate (which I'm not allowed to keep in a scrapbook, per the Vampire Relocation Agency rules), obituary in the paper (depressingly short, if I do say so myself, and ditto on the scrapbooking), and a funeral."
Page 1
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Review:

So, I read the first book over a year ago now... and I think the characters have improved with this book. My last review was a little dumb, so I'm just going to ignore everything I said there.

There's a lot to love about this book. One of the things that really gets my attention is the amount of humor used in this story. It's mostly the snarky side comments throughout, but it keeps the book light and funny even during the insanely drama-tastic moments. Of which, there are quite a few.

I think this second book is tons better, but I think that's because there's a lot more going on. In the first book you're dealing with whether Mina wants to become a vampire and what that would mean and who that would effect. Now it's all about the people around her and trying to keep her family's secret. Not to mention the number of romantic encounters she has to diffuse.

I'll continue recommending the first book to anyone looking for a funny and lighthearted take on the vampire story. This one does the trick. And very well, I might add. It's great for just about everyone - including middle grade readers. So yeah, go pick this one up. You won't regret it.

This story is definitely growing with age... into something more fun, interesting, and mature-ish. I had a few actual "laugh out loud" moments while reading this book. That always leaves a good impression on me. I really hope the author writes another book for these characters. The ending is a full ending, but there's more story to come, it seems.

Speaking of the author, check out her website. She's also the founder of Young Adult Books Central. I was a part of that for a while - very cool. So look around, because she's always involved. Hopefully we'll see more books from her. :)
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