Review of 'Vampire Weekend'

Being a vampire is far from glamorous…but it can be pretty punk rock.

Everything you’ve heard about vampires is a lie. They can’t fly. No murders allowed (the community hates that). And turning into a bat? Completely ridiculous. In fact, vampire life is really just a lot of blood bags and night jobs. For Louise Chao, it’s also lonely, since she swore off family ages ago.

At least she’s gone to decades of punk rock shows. And if she can join a band of her own (while keeping her…situation under wraps), maybe she’ll finally feel like she belongs, too.

Then a long-lost teenage relative shows up at her door. Whether it’s Ian’s love of music or his bad attitude, for the first time in ages, Louise feels a connection.

But as Ian uncovers Louise’s true identity, things get dangerous—especially when he asks her for the ultimate favor. One that goes beyond just family…one that might just change everything vampires know about life and death forever.

Review

Vampire Weekend took me by surprise, capturing the vibes I love from vampires while also allowing for some depth and the struggle of connectivity that comes with immortality.

Punk Rock

I love Louise. Being Asian-American, when she was young and mortal, she struggled to live up to her parents’ expectations, losing herself to punk rock music but keeping it hidden from her parents. Just think of Kim from Gilmore Girls.

But her struggle for connection was compounded when she became immortal. How can she form connections with people, knowing they will die while she lives on.

Her punk rock attitude allows her to crawl within herself, keeping herself detached from the human community and the vampire community. The vampire she thinks is responsible for the death of her friend, the person she revealed the truth to.

For Louise, the loss of family due to age and the loss of a friend forced her to close herself off. But when the past comes barging in, Louise has to relearn to open up her home and heart. It is a struggle for her, one that she fights with throughout the novel. Immortality is a lonely and heartbreaking thing, to love and watch those you love pass away. But living alone, surviving, is not really living. Louise has spent so much time moving from one day to another without living.

But all of that changes.

Watching her develop and grow, watching her break the rules for family, is simply heartwarming.

But Chen doesn’t just offer a thoughtful view on immortality. There is also so much humor trickled throughout the story. Her interactions with Eric were fantastic. Eric isn’t so much ha-ha funny, but his stoicism and the way Louise’s mind just doesn’t stop spinning allows her internal dialogue to bring in a laugh.

Then there is Serena. Serena is the cool chick with an attitude that warrants a smile. She’s a minor character, but she steals the show in the few scenes she is in.

Final Thoughts

Vampire Weekend is fantastic. I loved Being Human, the US series, and this novel captured what I loved about it while presenting a cohesive and unique story about forming connections and truly living and being punk rock.

• Writing Quality : 9/10
• Character Development : 9/10
• "Couldn't Put It Down"-ness : 10/10
• Intellectual Depth: 9/10
• Originality: 9/10
• Overall Rating: 4.5 out of 5.

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About the Author

Cynthia Bujnicki graduated from Emerson College with a BA in Writing, Literature and Publishing. She has always loved to read since she was a child. A contributing writer for YA Fantasy Addicts, she is also the Editor-in-Chief for Cyn's Workshop. She lives in sunny South Florida with her husband, son and daughter and their two cats.