Review of Fang Girl by Helen Keeble

I didn't pick this one up for a while, because the title and cover screamed "cheesy", and I wasn't in the mood for cheesy.

978-006-208-2251

review copy from HarperCollinsPublishers

After Girl of Nightmares, however, cheesy seemed like a nice change, and I was right - unapologetically cheesy, but also darn near hysterical. I mean, let's face it; if vampires were real, and I were to become one, this is the kind of vampire I would be:

 

(upon discovering that she has vampiric superspeed) "...I was having too much fun running to stop now. I quickened my pace, and it was as easy as shifting gears on a bicycle. When I looked down at my feet, they were flickering over the ground almost too fast to see, and -

I ran straight into the wooden fence at the end of the field.

 There were many, many bits I had to read out loud to M., and several snorts of laughter that I tried to explain and failed (mild spoiler alert):

 

Me: "Her goldfish just ate a bird."

M: "What? How does...what...wait, she turned her fish into a vampire...fish?"

Me: "No, her mother did."

M: "Her mother is a vampire, too?"

Me: "Nope."

M: "?????"

 

The basic plotline: Jane (please don't use her first name) knew a lot about vampires - read all the books, wrote some fanfic herself, was even a star blogger on fanggirl.com. She's not an idiot, though - she didn't believe vampires were actually real. Until she woke up in a coffin.

Now she has to find her sire - which may or may not be a good idea - and ditch the studly vampire hunter - which also may or may not be a good idea - and convince her family to chill out (what? of course she went home, that's where her clothes are) - probably not possible - and sort out the good and bad guys in the crazy world of vampire politics. Oh, and then there's the evil undead goldfish.

 

We end just right for a series (I do hope this is a series), with some things neatly wrapped up, and some problems still to solve. Plenty of laughs, enjoyable characters, fun plot twists (did not see the father reveal coming!) Perfect fun read, can't wait to see the next one!