YALL!!! This book has little bit of everything to make this one stand apart from the crowd. It also was the perfect remedy for my longest reading slump I have had in years!!

[b:Vampire Weekend|60666852|Vampire Weekend|Mike Chen|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1657288342l/60666852._SX50_.jpg|87709546] by[a:Mike Chen|1155463|Mike Chen|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1515027230p2/1155463.jpg] hit all the high notes of how the modern vampire would live in todays “big brother” world!

I loved the development of characters and the plot was spot on. Showcasing music, family, forgiveness, love, hungry new age vampires all mixed up in a hilarious emotional uplifting story!

Do not miss out on this amazing book!!!

Thank you @HTPbooks @Netgalley for my gifted copy in exchange for my honest opinion! ( )

Vampire Weekend by Mike Chen
Paranormal fiction.
Louise Choo was turned into a vampire decades ago. But all the tv shows have it wrong. Sure, they drink blood, but mostly out of a bottle. There is no flying , no extra speed, no super strength. But yes, the daylight sun will cause burns so it’s best to have a night job. Louise works as a night janitor at a local hospital where she’s able to get expired blood bags. One day she gets a visit from long lost family and she finds herself reconnecting with them.

Yes, it’s a story of single vampire living her “life”. It’s also a story of a woman revaluing her existence and realizing the importance of family.
This is my second book by this author and I liked the writing of this much better. It has the character be introspective, but moves along well without any long drags. There are a few time-shifts via memories that are just a bit confusing via audiobook but I had a paperback as well to review where I missed a change.
Overall an entrancing view of a vampire’s un-extraordinary life. That’s not bad.

I received a paperback copy of this book from the publisher. ( )

A love-of-music story about a vampire, alone and adrift in the world, who really prefers her separation from any vampire or familial community but really, really wants to join a band. I was hoping for a bit more humor and action, and while both are definitely there, they're all within a kind of layer of philosophical introspection—highly appropriate for a vampire story so focused on alienation, connection, and memory. I think it's perfect for the kind of vampire fans who loved Only Lovers Left Alive. ( )

I really enjoyed this book as a quick, easy read. Louise is a vampire, but as she is quick to tell us, being a vamp isn't all it's cracked up to be. First off, vamps don't have all of those cool powers we read about, vamps are long-lived beings who eat only blood and are allergic to sunlight, garlic, silver, and wood. Then there is the sad point that blood is hard to come by. Vamps can't glam anyone like in the stories and the truth is, their fangs aren't really very efficient. Being a vampire is pretty depressing.

Louise has been a vampire for about 50 years. Her love is music, all kinds but particularly punk. She works as a janitor in a hospital so she take the expired blood. Fortunately for her, she inherited her house from her aunt so her housing costs are minimal.

One day there is a knock at the door and some relatives show up, clutching an old family address. Yikes, Louise doesn't want these people around but she gets sucked into their lives and thus back into her own history.

Meanwhile there is a distressing blood shortage and some recent "vampire attacks" in the city. Through the local vamp network, Louise gets involved in a blood delivery program and all hell breaks loose.

About 90% of the writing here is good. Mike Chen knows his music. The last few chapters feel a bit rushed and I think that the wrap-up could have been stronger.

Nevertheless, I enjoyed the book and recommend it to you.

I received a review copy of "Vampire Weekend" by Mike Chen from MIRA Press through NetGalley.com. ( )

A vampiric ode to punk rock music and loners.
Louise, a forever-young vampire, lives a routine life, working as a janitor at a hospital to get ready access to blood, with music the only thing connecting her to humankind. But her last few attempts at joining a band and connecting with others have gone badly, so when the family she fled years ago turns up on her doorstep, she's ready to turn them away, until she discovers a kindred spirit in Ian, her loathed brother Stephen's grandson. She delights in teaching him guitar and bringing him to his first concert, welcome distractions from his ill mother.
However, Louise's life is complicated when a blood shortage forces her to join a vampire community app, where a vampire organizer has an uncomfortable focus on her activities. When Ian discovers she's a vampire, both Louise and Ian face dangers from both within and without the vampire world. Meanwhile, Louise fights to reconcile her memories of her family with decades-older versions of them and wonders if there can be space for a homecoming after all.
Louise is delightful as the girl who never grew up, fighting for connections through music, only to have them ripped away. Ian's moody teenage broodiness was a great contrast to Stephen's awkward pain as a grieving grandfather struggling to help him. Also, I loved Louise's relationship with her animal companion.
Above all, this book is a tribute to family and how good it feels to go home, no matter how long it's been.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the advance review copy of this book. ( )