As if high school isn’t hard enough, now Mina also has to decide whether she wants to become a vampire. Both of her parents happen to be vampires and they’ve kept Mina a secret from the Vampire Council, until recently. Now that the council knows Mina is in on their secret she has to decide whether she wants to join her parents in immortality. That means leaving behind her best friend Serena and the crush of her life Nathan.What a great debut novel that is sure to stand out amongst the sea of other vampire books! You might think the main premises for this book is vampires, but I found that the story is more about a teenager finding herself than anything else. Even non-vampire fans will like this book. It is a funny and fresh look into the typical vampire myth. Pauley’s vampires aren’t glamorous or irresistible, Mina’s dad is an accountant, you can’t get much more unglamourous! They are just regular “people” and I think that is what gives this book it’s edge. It is also delightfully funny and well written. Mina is a great female protagonist; funny, smart, sarcastic, and insecure. This is a Story Siren recommended book! ( )

This book was absolutely charming. It was a funny and easy read with a definite spin on vampires all its' own. Mina grew up as just the average teenager, except for the little fact that her parents are vampires. Ok, they aren't throat attacking, bat shapeshifting vampires, but they do have a taste for the red stuff. Mina always knew she had to keep it a secret, but she never realized that she herself was kept a secret. Her parents never told the Vampire Council about her and know they've been found out. Now Mina has to go to vampire classes and decide whether she wants to be a vampire and if she doesn't, then she will have to have her memory erased. Add in more than a love interest or two, and a best friend that has no idea about her families bloodthirst and Mina has more on her plate than she can handle. What will Mina decide? Will she spill the beans to her best friend? Will she possibly decide between all her crushes? This book was a fast read. The first few chapters were slow and I was afraid I would be bored...but when things sped up the pages flew along until the book was finished. I was a little let down by the character of Aubrey. I thought that he was going to be some kind of conflict with him but he just sort of fades into the background. The author did an excellent job of keeping Mina's decision whether or not to turn undisclosed until the final pages. This is a book good for anyone 13 or so and up. There are a couple of laugh outloud moments also, which is always a nice suprise. Sex is mentioned in vague references, but there is no kind of detail at all. A few almost curse words are used, but again nothing too bad. Worthy for parents and teens alike. ( )

Seventeen-year-old Mina Hamilton has a seemingly normal life with one small exception--her parents are vampires. Mina's known for years, but when the vampire ruling council discovers this, Mina is enrolled in a crash course about everything it means to be a vampire and given a deadline to make one of the biggest decisions of her life--whether or not to join the ranks of the undead.

With the current crazy of teenager vampire books flooding the market, "Sucks To Be Me" stands out from the crowd for several reasons. One of them is the central narrator and our hero, Mina Hamilton. Told from Mina's point of view, the story allows us to see into Mina's thought process which is, at times hilarious, at times self-pitying and always authentic.

Another stand-out point is the novel's creation of its own vampire mythology. While it's not groundbreaking, the novel does feature several points in which Mina debunks or backs up vampire lore. The fact that Mina's English class is reading "Dracula" as the book unfolds only helps things. First-time author Kimberly Pauley has created a fresh, interesting new potential vampire lore in her book and while this story is complete in and of itself, more entries in this universe and involving Mina would be welcome.

Thirdly, the book is populated by an engaging group of characters. The biggest of these is Mina, but there are a wide array of supporting characters to get to know and love over the course of the story. And these characters behavior make for some genuinely laugh out loud funny moments such as Mina's mom explaining vampire sex to her potential date over the family dinner table.

In a perfect world, a novel as fun, refreshing and as fun as "Sucks To Be Me" would do equal or better numbers as the Twilight saga. With teenage vampire romance novels being the current rage in the bookstore, "Sucks To Be Me" stands out from the field with its good sense of humor, engaging characters and well-crafted romantic tension. ( )

Sucks to Be Me: The All-True Confessions of Mina Hamilton, Teen Vampire (maybe) by Kimberly Pauley (Paperback - Aug 11, 2009

Should Mina Hamilton, or shouldn’t she? No the question isn’t should she dye her hair purple or buy that new pair of shoes. It’s a bit more complicated than what the usual teen has to face. And she only has a few weeks to make a decision that will last a life time; or rather…well, an immortals life time! Oh dear, what‘s a girl to do?

Mina has to make a decision about whether or not to become a vampire just like her parents and her crazy, wacky Uncle Mortie. All this and deal with a crush on that great guy Nathan, get through the rest of senior year, senior exams and find a date to the prom for her best friend Serena. Yikes!

This was a great book that teaches us in the most harmless and irreverent way to be true to ourselves and when you need to make a huge decision, do it for the right reasons. Something even most adults still fail to understand.

If I have one complaint it’s why this is the second vampire novel or series I’ve read lately that make vampires not sleep...ever? I mean yes we suspend disbelief enough to get the whole Vamp thing, but no sleep?

This book has only received on two star review at Amazon and I was amazed at why. But I have to really give the author credit---she faced her critic and did it stylishly! It's so rare to see an author enter into a converstion about her books. ( )

Mina's parents are vampires and the Vampire Council has discovered her and send her to vampire classes to decide if she wants to become a vampire or not. Through the book Mina has to deal with not only the life changing decision to become a vampire or not but also all the drama that comes with being a high schooler, like best friends and hot guys. The story takes place in a nameless northwest place that seems to be the perfect little town. The characters are well developed and Mina and her best friends Serena and George are all people you find yourself attracted to. The major conflicts all deal with decisions Mina has to make and are all resolved, although maybe a bit too easily, in the end. Overall this humorous novel will be one that teens who are into Vampires will enjoy. ( )