Fat Vampire by Adam Rex
Hardcover, 336 Pages
2010, Balzer + Bray
ISBN: 0061920908
Synopsis
Doug Lee is undead quite by accident—attacked by a desperate vampire, he finds himself cursed with being fat and fifteen forever. When he has no luck finding some goth chick with a vampire fetish, he resorts to sucking the blood of cows under cover of the night. But it's just not the same.
Then he meets the new Indian exchange student and falls for her—hard. Yeah, he wants to bite her, but he also wants to prove himself to her. But like the laws of life, love, and high school, the laws of vampire existence are complicated—it's not as easy as studying Dracula. Especially when the star of Vampire Hunters is hot on your trail in an attempt to boost ratings. . . .
Searing, hilarious, and always unexpected, Fat Vampire is a satirical tour de force from one of the most original writers of fiction today.
Review
It was refreshing to read about a vampire that wasn't physically perfect. All too often, the people who are turned into vampires already possess unearthly beauty. The only outside flaws they exhibit result from some horrific torture years after becoming vampires. In Fat Vampire, Doug is an outcast, overweight teen. When he is turned, nothing changes. He faces being unattractive forever. Seeing a vampire character deal with this type of reality was definitely intriguing.
Unfortunately, Doug has a very repellent personality. He's extremely hard to care about. At first he seems too nice to be able to survive as a vampire, but slightly farther into the book we see that the niceness is a front for his insecurity. As he becomes more self-confident, he becomes more on an obnoxious, self-important jerk.
Senjal, an exchange student that Doug finds himself attracted to, has the Google - something like an addiction to the internet. A vampire hunter reality TV show starts hunting Doug. He's let into San Diego Comic-Con early because the sunlight is making him sick, which is taken as a normal occurrence because the security people believe anyone who would attend Comic-Con would be sickly and not go out in the daylight much. Many small but wonderfully quirky little ideas helped the book along.
I truly wanted to love Fat Vampire. I love the cover, I love the premise and the writing was very good. The book just didn't work for me. Nothing clicked. I could not care what happened to any of the characters in the book. Doug was so deeply unlikeable that the character himself brought the rest of the book down for me.
Rating
Links
Adam Rex's website
Aw, that makes me kind of sad. I loved the premise of this book but it's hard to keep going when you don't connect with the characters! Thanks for the honest review!
ReplyDelete+JMJ+
ReplyDeleteWhat a bummer that it didn't work for you. =(
The premise is cool, too--especially since it makes such an interesting parallel with Northanger Abbey. One a satire of Gothic novels of the early 1800s; the other a satire of Vampire novels of today.
I also loved the cover art for this book. I seen that you rated it and got excited to see waht you thought. I know I don't always listen to other's reviews, but I think I will listen to yours. What you explain really makes me think I won't love it either. I may read it one day, but I don't think I'll run out and get a copy. Thanks for this honest review! :)
ReplyDeleteAw, sorry the book didn't work out! I have to agree with you - the plot does sound really cool. Too bad about the main character, though... But great review all the same!
ReplyDelete@Mary Brebner - It made me kind of sad too.
ReplyDelete@Enbrethiliel - It does, now that you mention it. The difference being that Catherine is more likable and therefore easier to read.
@Natasha - You're welcome. I am sure some people will love this book, I just wasn't one of them.
@Emidy - I think that was the problem. Plot sounds awesome, cover looks amazing, and I'm expecting something really good. I ended up not liking the main character and felt the book was a huge letdown - more than if I had been ambivalent to the book from the beginning.
It's such a same when you have such hope for a book and it turns out to be a disappointment :( Love the cover too! Seems like it could have been a really fun read - but as a general rule, if the main character is unlikable, chances are the book itself will be too!
ReplyDeleteOh well...
♥Isalys
Bummer! The cover is so fun!
ReplyDeleteI felt the same way. The first 3rd was funny and original. I didn't even mind that he wasn't likeable but the story just drifted to too many POV's that didn't really go together for me. He doesn;t seem to be connected to anyone. Senjal annoyed me too.
ReplyDeleteIt should have stuck to just Doug & his best friend - keeping with the humor in the beginning.
I will probably skip it but I do want the cover as a poster on my wall (if only I was anywhere near a teenager and could make an excuse to do it LOL)
ReplyDeleteI love the idea of a vampire not being unbearably beautiful and sexy -- just an insecure teen who was turned with all his flaws. Too bad this book wasn't better.
ReplyDeletehttp://laughingstars.net
You have an award waiting for you over at my blog. Congrats!!
ReplyDeleteMissy @ Missy's Reads & Reviews
I hate it when. this happens! Thanks for sharing...
ReplyDeleteI love how it looks too and it sounds like it should've been better. I might still give it a try. Great review!
ReplyDelete@Book Soulmates - Exactly!
ReplyDelete@Juju - Bummer is a good word for it.
@Karen - Yes, I agree completely. It was funny and Doug was more likable (if kind of sorry) at the beginning of the book. If the book had continued with the same tone, I'm sure I would have enjoyed it more.
@Felicia - I'm right there with you. Love the cover, but way too old to be putting posters on my wall :)
@Stephanie - It was a good idea. I would love to see more books that took "normal" people and made them vampires.
@Missy - Thanks!
@Julie P - Me too!
@miss cindy - I hope it works better for you!