Sucks to Be Me

When I requested Sucks to be Me through LibraryThing's Early Reviewer's Group, I didn't really think that: A) I would actually get the book or B) Really like the book. I mean, it's about vampires, which I love, hence the reason I requested it (well, okay, I mainly requested it because nothing else really looked good that month...), but I noticed afterwards that it was written for a younger age group-- it recommends the age group of '12 and up'-- and it's not that thick, which is another thing that usually bugs me. Now, I don't mind books written for teens-- more along the lines of 16+ -- but younger than that, and it seems like it'll be.. Oh, I don't know.. Not very interesting? But when I finally got Sucks to be Me in the mail, I was show more excited and, as I started reading it, very surprised: I actually really liked this book!

The first thing that really grabbed my attention in this book was on the first page. And no, it was not the introduction, which is what usually does the trick. No, it was a sentence a few paragraph's down, when Mina is talking about how her father, a vampire, is nothing like the vampires Hollywood and literature has lead us to believe: "He wouldn't know (or care) who Stephenie Meyer was if she came up and bit him." I found this funny, because I am a HUGE Twilight fan, and it kind of reminded me that ever since the Twilight Series made it big, a fair amount of new authors (especially in the teen genre) are writing vampire books. But don't get me wrong, I'm not really complaining, because I have read most of them and loved them also-- and they provide stories to take my mind off of anxiously awaiting Breaking Dawn. Anyway, this was one of the first things that made me start to like the book. Maybe it's an odd reason, but it was one of mine nonetheless.

The book is written almost like a journal of Mina's thoughts and actions. Mina is just about like every other regular teenager in the country: she has parents that she is not always happy with, she has to worry about school work, friends, and her love life (or lack thereof), and, oh yeah, the fact that her parents and uncle are vampires-- and now she has a little over a month to decide if she wishes to become one also! Okay, so maybe she's not so normal.. but she is still human, and she does still have some of the same problems anyone else would!

Mina is always telling the readers just how wrong our views on vampires are: they can go out in sunlight, though they get bad sunburns; they can eat, though they don't have to; they do have a reflection; they don't sleep, and especially not in a coffin; they are not usually bitten, instead it is passed on through a turning ceremony, which only requires the newbie to drink his/her sponsor's blood. She is always very witty and sarcastic through out the book, but never to the point of being annoying or rude. She's shy and bashful around boys, just like many other girls around her age, and, in this case, she can actually say that her parents are freaks.

For her first book, Kimberly Pauley twists together the normal thoughts of an average teenage girl with the slightly abnormal (not to me, of course) plot of living with vampire parents in a world where the humans are not to know that they exist. In fact, Mina's parents were not suppose to have had her. Vampires don't reproduce, but since her mother got pregnant before she was turned, well, her Mina is today! But they hid their existance for years and Mina's up until recently. Now she must take 'classes' to prepare her on whether or not she will become a vampire. But if she chooses not to, her parents will be fined even more, they will be moved again, given a new identity, and her memory will be wiped by the vampire special forces, making her believe, along with the other humans, that her parents have truly died-- and they were only regular humans. So what's a girl to do? Be a bloodsucking vampire who will live for centuries, forcing her to leave behind her best friend (and almost sister) Serena? Or stay human and watch her parents get shipped away, only to forget it afterwards? As if highschool wasn't already hard enough....

Along the way, she meets three guys: two that she places in the 'hot' category, and one who is 'sweet, not too bad looking'. Aubrey is from her vampire prep class, as is George, the sweet one. Nate is the hottest, most popular guy in their school. Translation: He's human. But she spends some time crushing on both Aubrey and Nate. Aubrey is a jerk, though still hot, and doesn't last long (he even decides against becoming a vampire). Nate lasts a little bit longer, but it soons becomes apparent that he's falling for Serena instead. But in the end, she gets George, the caring, funny, and, yes, even fairly good looking boy, in the end.And most importantly, he is a really good kisser! They both become vampires, and, though the story stops after that, will live 'happily ever after'.

Picking it up, I didn't have high hopes for this book. But by a few chapters into it, I knew I was hooked! This was a great first work from new teen author Kimberly Pauley and I only hope that she continues the great work soon!

4.5/5 stars. Don't miss this fun and witty book! show less

I really loved Sucks To Be Me! Mina had such an awesome voice, full of sarcasm, and I laughed at all her random lists of vampire pros and cons! Each chapter opened with a small vampire myth debunked a la Mina - which often made me giggle at what a smart mouth she had!

From page 26
Myth: Vampires are so strong, they could pick up a bus.
Truth: Yeah, but when's the last time you wished you could pick up a bus?

To top it all off, there were the cutest doodles attached to these myths and lists that brought Mina even more to life! Who knew a decision of life and undeath could be so entertaining? :)

The rest of the characters were also great! I loved Mina's parents and uncle who definitely stood outside the usual vampire box of coolness and show more evilness. They were very supportive of Mina, regardless of what she chose, and it was obvious that they certainly cared about her life more than following the Council rules. I could sort of relate to Mina's best friend who pretty much followed whatever her heart desired, whether it be Goth, nerd, popular, etc. but she still ultimately stayed true to her core. Basically, expect a happy Goth who may want to put on a cute red sundress on occasion. The boys who snuck into Mina's life were also great - who to choose, who to not pursue - each had their good points and flaws, and I am glad to see that she ended up with He-Who-Shall-Remain-Nameless-Here.

No major bad guys or action in this book, but seriously I had too much fun with Mina that I did not even notice! Light, but not too fluffy. Dark, but not to the point where your stomach would turn uncomfortably. Cuteness with a humor that may leave teeth marks! Kimberly Pauley really had some clever vampire witticisms and concoctions that makes this book totally worth sinking your teeth into! show less

Author: Kimberly Pauley
Pages: 293
Source: Purchased from Barnes and Noble
Series or Standalone?: 1st of two

Mina Hamilton's parents want her dead. (Or undead to be precise.) They're vampires, and like it or not, Mina must decide whether to become a vampire herself. But Mina's more interested in hanging out with best friend Serena and trying to catch the eye of the too-hot-for-high-school Nathan Able than in the vampire training classes she's being forced to take. How's a girl supposed to find the perfect prom date and pass third-year French when her mom and dad are breathing down her neck--literally?

* * *

In today’s YA fiction, vampires are the current genre royalty. Ever since the dawn of a series which will remain nameless show more *cough*Twilight*cough*, vampires have become this overtly and most times clichéd and smoke and glam act. But not in Pauley’s novel. Nope, these vampires are as normal as one can get for being the blood sucking dead. Hell, Mina’s dad is an accountant. Does that scream sparkling, seductive creature of the night?

But this aspect is what makes this novel so enjoyable. Instead of focusing so much on the OMGOBLINS IT’S A VAMPIRE part of the novel, it’s more focused on Mina trying to find who she really is. Vampires are really second row in this book. I actually really appreciated that.

That being said, this book is hilarious. Funny enough to make me snort out loud in the middle of a dead silent math class. There are just so many pieces of teenage humor, that it’s kind of hard to believe Pauley isn’t a teenager.

Really interesting and entertaining was that each chapter started out with a little tidbit on vampires, either debunking an old myth, or proving one true, or something cute like that. Also, the little bat drawing were totally adorable.

I liked Mina. She was just trying to be a normal teenage girl, with normal teenage crushes, and normal teenage problems…. Except she had to make the choice to become a vampire. But I think she really made her decisions well.

Pauley wrote fantastically and kept the pace going well. I finished this book in just under a day.

I enjoyed this novel very much, and I definitely recommend it if you’re looking for a fun read.

Other books in this series:
Still Sucks to Be Me (Sequel) show less

Sanguine Sucker

This book gets a superb 5 out of 5 gnomes for humor, an original take on vampires and quite a story about what happens when you are choosing whether of not to be a vampire.

I love the myths and truths about vampires that are posted at the beginning of each chapter. Also Mina's lists/diary as she's trying to make her decision.

Mina's parents are vampires and she's known about them for a long time. Then the vampire council finds out that she knows and makes her take classes to choose whether or not she will become a vampire. Apparently becoming a vampire is a very regimented process where you take classes and get as much information as possible.

There are some great characters in this book. Uncle Mortie is my favorite show more character, he's a loud, food loving, balding, traveling salesman vampire. As Mortie says, "I'm both objective and objectionable." His interactions with Mina and well everyone around him really make a contrast to the seriousness of the other vampires that she's learning about.

The teacher of the vampire classes is someone that Mina calls Grandma Wolfington behind her back because she reminds her of the wolf from Little Red Riding Hood. It would be a little disconcerting to be taught about being a vampire by a vampire that looks like a grandmother yet scarier.

Mina's character can best be described by the following quote from page 165,

"Mom says I'm a trouble magnet. If there's some kind of trouble brewing, chances are it will search me out and try to take me down with it. Dad says I just have a steel backbone and never back down. Me, I think it's just I can't stand stupid people. They annoy me."

Dracula is a thread that runs throughout the book. Mina is named after the character from Dracula. Mina has to deal with reading Dracula and coming up with a project while also learning about what it means to be a vampire during her Tuesday lessons.

There are actually three love interests in the book. The field gets narrowed down pretty quick though. Nathan is the boy that Mina's been crushing on for awhile now. Aubrey is a very cute wanna be vampire who wants to ask Mina a lot of questions. George is a friend that helps her out in vampire lessons and becomes friends with Mina and her best friend Serena, though he has the potential to be something more.

One situation with the love interests brings about one of my favorite lines from the book. It happens during a hot tub truth or dare session. Mina is thankful that the guys aren't wearing Speedos because if they were she wouldn't be sure where to look and she thinks, "You just can't help it. It's like their crotches become magnets or something."

Mina's best friend Serena adds a lot of peppiness and fun to the book. She is very comfortable with who she is but does tend to go through clothing phases. Mina's parents are also quite the normal seeming vampire. I so would have done a spit take if I'd been drinking when Mina and her Mom had the sex talk.

Overall this book shows a rather normal teenage girl who has a very supernatural decision to make. The fun is seeing how many rules Mina will break along the way. show less

Mina Hamilton’s parents were turned into vampires around the time of her birth, and since then she’s learned to live with their…unique characteristics. However, the Vampire Council has discovered Mina’s existence, and now they want her to decide whether or not she will become a vampire as well.

To facilitate her decision, Mina is forced to attend local vampire training classes along with a bunch of other weird teens. But how can she make such a life-altering choice at such a young age, when she doesn’t even know how to talk to boys she likes yet and she’d rather just hang out with her best friend Serena?

I don’t know what I was expecting when I started SUCKS TO BE ME, but it sure wasn’t something this funny and fresh! show more SUCKS TO BE ME revives the admittedly somewhat tired vampire subgenre with a lot of humor, spunk, and plain-old teen girl heart.

Kimberly Pauley’s vampires are unlike any any others I’ve read. Forget about the perfect, model-gorgeous, graceful undead: the ones in Mina’s life can be bumbling, overprotective, silly…and just plain normal. The vampires give a cute spin to this book, but SUCKS TO BE ME is really more about typical problems that a high school girl might face: fear of losing her best friend, anxiety over talking to her crushes, worry over her future relationship with her parents. It’s vampire lit with a large dose of what the cold and calculating species often misses: heart.

Mina is a teen chick lit star, constantly running around and on the verge of freaking out, but still endearing. Supporting characters, too, are winners, particularly the way Mina’s various potential crushes get developed.

SUCKS TO BE ME doesn’t take its vampirism too seriously, which is something that I never thought I’d need but found I actually greatly appreciate. I can’t wait to dive into the sequel, STILL SUCKS TO BE ME, the next time I need a lighthearted paranormal laugh and read! show less

Reviewed by Julie M. Prince for TeensReadToo.com

Mina Hamilton has a major life (or death) decision to make, and only a few weeks in which to decide. Should she, or should she not, become a vampire? It seems like a no-brainer. I mean, Buffy would know in, like, a split second. But, having vampire parents sort of complicates matters.

This highly humorous novel puts a new spin on the teen vampire tale. Mina is a typical high school student whose extra-curricular activities are no more exciting than hanging at the mall or pizza place, until her undead parents break the news that she has to start attending vampire information classes twice a week. Apparently, they never told the Regional Vampire Council that they had a child, and the show more situation has caused major drama. Now, Mina must make a decision about her future (and exactly how long that future will last) pronto!

This light read is worth five stars just because it literally made me snort lemonade through my nose. Pauley dares to go there again and again, with topical references and jabs at modern-day vampire lore. Her main character is a self-described closet girly-girl who has kick-butt tendencies and an attitude that readers will love.

Totally entertaining, with a top-of-the-line teen voice! show less

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 show more 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! show less