By Ellen Schreiber
Rating: ☆☆1/2
Reading this book I was baffled that Vampire Kisses was often synopsis with best seller. On Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vampire_Kisses_(series), I found little to say that the book was actually a best seller. If you read the section called "reception" you will find a fairly positive collection of reviews from mulitple people, but nothing to give evidence that it is a best selling series. However in the Manga Adaption section I found the sentence "The series was one of the 2009 New York Times bestselling manga for the week of September 26.[15]", And yes it comes with a reference too! I did some more research and found out it was actually no. 10 in the best seller list for October 16th 2011, two years after Wikipedia says. Proving once again that Wiki lives up to its reputation, which makes me want to create an account and sign in just to correct that fact. I searched the weeks before and after October 16th and there was no more account of the Vampire Kisses manga, which brings me to the conclusion that it seemed like a fantastic idea, but after they read the first volume decided against it.
I am not surprised that the book wasn't popular. It was ok, even entertaining in some parts, but by no way anything special or spectacular. Raven constantly annoyed me as a character. In the first 50 pages I gained respect for her because she actually stood up for herself against the school bully. I lost that respect when she broke down in hystics because she had to get a job to pay her dad back for losing his $200 racket. RAVEN YOU ARE SIXTEEN FOR GOD'S SAKE! I would understand this kind of behaviour in a 12 year old maybe up to a 14 year old depending on their lifestyle, but not a 16 year old. It seems like its supposed to add conflict to her relationship with Trevor,but what is so bad about having a part time job?!
The next issue I have with Raven is how she contradicts herself. All this big talk about loving the dark and not being able to wait to meet vampires is a joke. OK sure, be a night owl, but don't claim to have wanted to meet a vampire for your whole life (16 years...) and then hide in the other room photocopying your hand because their butler looks scary. Seriously. And then afterwards she goes on to say a stupid sentence that her terror wouldn't let her leave the room and then in a few more words say "I loved it." No, just no.
I also have issues with her relationship with Alexander. In their first date they are lying on top of each other and Raven is practically waiting for him to bite her so he can forever be her "Gothic Dream Mate". Raven you are sixteen. You've never dated anyone else before and you are so sure this is what you want? I guess this is also true for Bella in Twilight. However it feels different as Bella is protrayed as much more mature than Raven. She has been in the grown up world taking care of her mum and doing all those grown up things like the washing and cooking and shopping. Not to say that a person's readiness to be committed forever to one person is judged through housewifery. The idea of a sixteen year old being sure she's found her soul mate works better in Twilight despite Bella's youth and small dating experience as she comes across as an older character. Wheras Raven comes across as a whiny twelve year old who would say I love you to any boy who has the slightest similarities to her.
My guess is that Schreiber wanted to create a vampire book situable for middle grade readers ranging from 11-13, but to make the deep relationship between Raven and Alexander believeable she had to pick an older character. Because really what 12 year olds know who their soul mate is, let alone have the capicity to make a life changing decision like becoming a vampire.
From my writer's perspective it is slow to start off with. There is a few chapters dedicated to Raven's childhood only to show us just how goth she really is. I would have cut this. It isn't a very exciting way to start the story off. I would have summarised it briefly and included it after something exciting happened to hook the reader in (the party and leaving Trevor naked). The rest of the book is well paced. It was entertaining, however at the climax of the book where we were supposed to be close to tears and feeling Raven's pain I couldn't help but feel joyous that Raven was finally being punished for her attitude.
Now for the back. "This is where everything begins"... -_- well obviously considering the title of the book The Beginning. That just annoys me. How thick do you think we readers are? Then the review by Morbid Outlook Magazine "Raven is exactly the kind of girl a Goth can look up to". I am in two minds about this. On the one hand I appreciate how strong Raven is as a person. She doesn't let others bug her and holds her own. On the other hand I would not want to encourage someone to break and enter, call their little brother names, sneak out of home and have a general lack of responsibility.
I will read the second book soon, mostly because its one of the next books in my shelves, but I am the kind of person who generally can't stop reading a series until I've finished it. The exception being The Lighthouse Land by Adrian McKinty. Possibly I'll pick it up again one day, but since I gave my copy to a caravan park I doubt I'll buy it again.
I am seriously hoping the Vampire Kisses series picks up as the books go along. Especially considering there is nine in the series even if they are only 200 ish pages.
Would I recommend it to a friend? Yes, but it depends on their age. I'm planning on buying a copy for my soon to be 14 year old sister for her birthday in another attempt to make a book worm out of her. I will be telling my 14 year old cousin about it (hint: they are both younger than 15). She really loved My Love Lies Bleeding by Alyxsandra Harvey. I would place The Beginning in the same catergory. They both seem to me vampire novels born or became widely know because of the post Twilight vampire hype. Slightly entertaining, but there are definitely better books to spend your time on.
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