Review : Sucks to be me

Posted by kay on September 2, 2009 12:08 am in 4 stars reads | 10 comments

Sucks to be me by Kimberly Pauley
Pages : 293
Genre : YA, Vampires
My Rating : 

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?

While dark, romantic, dangerous tales of vampires and other supernatural creatures invade the shelves of our favorite bookstores, Sucks to be me offers something slightly different : a light and fun vampire tale that doesn’t take itself too seriously. I do love vampires and their friends (werewolves, zombies, witches, demons, etc.), and I do love a dark and mysterious tale where they are the main focus, but sometimes, I just need to take things more lightly, and that’s exactly what this novel offered!

Mina is a typical teen, dealing with school and friends and first loves, and yet that secret – vampires exist : just look at her parents! – makes her different from her peers. So when she as to decide whether she wants to be one too, you would think she would get completely excited by the idea of eternal life, or grossed out by the idea of drinking blood, but in fact, she’s stuck somewhere in the middle. Despite the book’s tone being humorous, Mina does consider her decision seriously, weighting pros and cons and trying to find what exactly she wants.

I absolutely fell in love with her character! She’s the best friend you would want by your side; loyal, intelligent, loving her family and not whiny (whiny characters really, really annoy me!) I loved to see how she cared about the people around her, but also how she observed things : her sarcasm kept me entertained from beginning to end! Plus, her romantic life, even though predictable for us readers, is absolutely adorable.

My parents are trying to ruin my life. Oh yeah, I know that every teenager says that, but I really mean it. They want me dead. Or, actually, undead.

My parents are vampires. Some people might think that sounds cool, but I’m not talking about those romanticized bloodsuckers, like in novels where everybody walks around in ruffled white shirts and can quote poetry. […] Both my parents have regular jobs and have to pay bills and things like that. They don’t kill people or kidnap frail young maidens to be their slaves. (At least, I’m pretty sure they don’t. I think I’d have noticed if there were a bunch of corpses piled up in the basement.)

If you liked those first sentences from the book, chances are you’ll love the rest of it. Mina’s tone is very conversational and friendly, and the vampires are mostly treated with humor. I think it’s a book that could interest vampire lovers, but also readers that are just looking for something fun to brighten their day.

Another great think about the book : now and then, between the chapters, are “handwritten” lists and notes from what could be Mina’s journal. Also, each chapter has a little “label” where myth and reality face off :

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?

It was a quick read – far too quick in fact, because I absolutely loved it. It was good to see vampires depicted as more normal creatures, and the cast of characters is absolutely entertaining. It’s cute, and fun, and I would absolutely read more. Oh, wait, there will be more… in September 2010!! *Just* one year from now…