The Art of Being a Vampire

Thank you to the publisher for this E-ARC of “The art of being a vampire” by Kate Karyus Quinn
This book was not what I expected, but it was a fun short read for someone who is after a quick and easy vampire fix! :)

This is a really creative short book told in poetry about a teen who comes from a tragic life and ends up falling for a bad boy who makes her a vampire. It’s all quite obviously metaphorical for drug addiction like what killed her mother but it’s well done. The vampire rules aren’t the same as usual but I didn’t mind that, especially since first of all they’re fictional anyway and second of all they work for the addiction metaphor. It’s easily read in one sitting and can make for some good discussion.

I read a temporary digital review copy of this book via NetGalley.

I love the quirky cover which comes across quite comedic for a book that in my opinion does contain an important message of overcoming g addiction. It was the cover that first attracted me to the book and the upon reading the book description encouraged me to read the book.

Great short story told in verse. Definitely gives off a message of 'be careful what you wish for'.
The main character is Shelby Ann, the result of an unplanned, unwanted pregnancy. Her parents got together and basically weren't very good for each other with her daddy introducing her mama to drugs and getting her hooked on them. Shelby Ann doesn't have a lot of possessions or money. Shelby's dad abandons them and it's just her mama and Grams in her life. Her mama is heavily addicted to the drugs so its Grams that keeps Shelby on the straight and narrow attending school regularly. It's at school Shelby discovers her love of photography. I guess you could say she is somewhat addicted to taking photographs. Even without a camera she constantly views life as if through a lens , seeing everything as a snap shot photograph.
Grams moves on in her life and moves away with a new partner leaving Shelby alone with her mama until one day Shelby comes home to find her mama dead. Grams can't take Shelby in as her new partner is ill and she needs to care for him so it's an Aunt Clara that Shelby has never met that takes her in. Aunt Clara is more well off, has a decent job and home so she buys her nice new clothes, even a camera but Shelby is not used to kindness and still grieving for her mother so Shelby rebels. When she meets another 'loner', a boy called Brandt she is attracted to him. In Brandt she has found a friend and he is someone she skips school with and literally becomes obsessed with. She becomes addicted to him, to being around him, craving his acceptance and love. However Brandt isn't human he is a vampire addicted to drinking blood, though he isn't totally up front and honest with Shelby she soon finds herself agreeing to anything to be with Brandy forever. Shelby soon realises being with Brandt all the time and doing whatever they want is not what she wants.

I really enjoyed reading this short book told in verse. I aren't a big poetry reader but i have found that I really enjoy this type book. The books theme is addiction, Shelbys mama's to drugs, then Brandts and her own to blood. However, Shelby Ann discovers she is stronger than her mama and she can overcome addiction and with some help from Aunt Clara have a future beyond addiction.

Summing up, perfect short, thought provoking read!

The Art of Being a Vampire by Kate Karyus Quinn
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***I rec'd a free E-arc from #netgalley in exchange for an honest review***
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Okay, so as an English gal, I feel like I can't let this one go without a cheeky vampire pun ... Because, lemme tell ya, this book was BLOODY good! 😉
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But, in all seriousness, I really enjoyed this story! I'm away from home at the moment, and I just wanted something to satisfy that quick read CRAVING, y'know? 🧛🏻‍♀️ Hehe
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The story was well-paced, exciting, and perfectly balanced the supernatural elements with the real life horrors in the main character's life.
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🩸🩸🩸🩸🩸/5 - #wouldrecommend
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This was a short, quick read told in-verse about a girl with a drug addict mom trying to find her place in the world when a boy she felt attracted to got her turned into a vampire. It wasn't bad, and I liked how the vampire hunger was treated as a drug. I liked how Shelby became better than the others. There wasn't a whole lot to it, and I think if you're looking for a quick read, this can be a good choice.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and the publisher for granting me an advance copy of this book in return for my honest opinions.

Vampires!!! Where can you go wrong?
A great read, great story line and great cast of characters.

Wonderfully written.

Thank you!

Recommend!

This novel in verse is an allegory for overcoming addiction. This is the dark tale of a girl with an addict mother and little hope for her own future who unwittingly befriends a vampire boy at school and follows him down a twisted path.. Unlike the usual cliche vampire stories, this one claims redemption in the end for the undead.

I was charmed by this unusual and unexpected book. It’s an easy, short read, which will be popular with its intended readers. I’m not sure that the typical middle schooler will be able to understand the deeper meanings of the book.

First of all, the cover. It intrigued me because it reminded me of those old school movies on Disney chancel with vampires at its supernatural focus.
The way the book was written for sure threw me off cause at first I thought it was a poem book.
But it captivated me from the point of you of the narrator. A teenage girl, Shelvy,with a pretty crappy life. A druggy mom who dies over an overdose and an absentee father who isn’t worth the time of day to know.
Here comes the vampire, Brandt, Which for sure reminds me of Edward Cullen. A dark brooding guy who comes into her life at a turning corner of her life.
This for sure is a deep dive into the young teenage psyche of self discovery and love. Dark, poetic and kind of a whiplash of emotions.
Short read, lasting impression that I’m still thinking about after I finished it.
Thank you NetGalley & Rosen Publishing for the opportunity to read a ARC of this book in exchange for a honesty review.

A fun story with fun characters! I enjoyed the writing, the only thing is I think I am becoming burnt out on vampires... but the story was still very enjoyable!

Well this was... honestly not what I expected when I requested an eGalley to review (thank you, NetGalley and West 44 Books).

This story is formatted in verse and it makes for a quick read because of it. I liked it. It's also in first person and the main character's diction is on prominent display (Brandt later calls her accent a "hillbilly" one), which made it interesting to read.

The real point of the story is drug addiction and rehabilitation. The main character's mother was a drug addict and she died from it, leaving Shelby, our main character, frustrated and angry. This causes her to lash out and ultimately fall into the hands of Brandt, who for all intents and purposes is our antagonist. He's a vampire and he turns her into one, promising forever (but not love, as Shelby realizes later). The vampirism is quite obviously a vehicle for the main message of the story and the mechanics of this particular depiction of vampirism reflects that of an actual drug addict's disposition up to and including recovery. While this is a wonderful analogy, the push for that recovery inspiration ultimately made for a more flimsy story structure, with some pacing issues and questionable implications for the lore. But it was interesting enough that I read the entirety of the second half in one sitting to see where it was going.

I think this story had really great talking points and ideas. I would have liked to have seen them fleshed out a bit more, but given that it's clearly meant to help destigmatize drug addiction and recovery, I'm satisfied with what we got and I think it did it really well. It even has fairly good commentary on relationship abuse.

So if you're looking for a quick read and want to feel uplifted by the end, I'd go ahead and recommend it.

Kate Karyus Quinn crafts a fun and fearful book in the world of vampires. An enjoyable supernatural tale that does not retread what's been done in the genre, and a wonderful time in reading.

The Art Of Being A Vampire by Kate Karyus Quinn.. It is about a young teen named Shelby whose life is not the greatest. Her mother is a drug addict that doesn't seems to care about her and her dad is a deadbeat. Shelby has one thing going for her is being a photographer. When her mother dies of an overdose, Shelby goes to live with her grandmother who really doesn't care about her. She always tells Shelby that she will end up like her mother.. Shelby gets in a fight at school and grandmother sends her to live with her aunt Clara because grandmother has a new man and doesn't want Shelby around.. Shelby doesn't like Clara even though Clara is trying to help her. Aunt Clara is gay and Shelby finds out that Clara was kicked out of grandmother's house because she was gay. .Shelby goes to a new school where she meets Brandt. She knows that he is weird but she really likes him.. Brandt tells her that she is pretty and would she like to live forever .Brandt invites her to meet some of his friends in a rundown house .She sees a lot of drug addicts who are giving their blood to Brandt friends Sid and Tallie.. Tallie grabs Shelby's face and tells Brandt this is the one that wants to be like them. Sid bites her in the neck and turns her into a vampire.. Later she finds out who really turn her and she find out about a secret that will also change her life again.

This is the first time I’ve ever read a YA verse book, and I thoroughly enjoyed it. It was a fast read and a vampire book I actually enjoyed. This is definitely a journey of self discovery for the main character and I felt it was done well. Only thing was I felt that the book ended just a little too quick and had me wanting more ( in relation to Brandt and what happened after). Overall 4/5 stars

Although vampirism as drug addiction metaphors have been used in numerous stories, putting the whole thing in verse gives it a new spin. A quick read, pretty well done.

Thank you to NetGalley for sending me an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

While written in verse, this book is not profoundly deep. Vampirism is used as a very clear metaphor for drug use.

Shelby's mother was a drug addict and she died from it. Shelby is angry and alone and meets Brandt, He's a vampire and he turns her into one.

But overall, the story was exciting and the supernatural elements were balanced with the real-life horrors in Shelby's life.

I have not read an in-verse book in many years, so thank you for re-introducing me to them. It is a good book to add to halloween season reads. A bit heavy of a topic, but it is handled well.