Post-Twilight Vampire Love, Or Why I Won't Read Just Anything About Vampires

Okay, okay, I can admit it with little to no embarrassment: I LOVE the Twilight Saga. Is it as timeless or sophisticated as Harry Potter? Hell no. Is it as action packed and snarky as Percy Jackson? Not even close. But it certainly has had much hype surrounding it over the past several years, so I reluctantly took the bait and jumped on the band wagon. And I loved it. LOVED it. While certainly not the best writer I've ever read, Stephenie Meyer is quite the story teller and she has created some pretty memorable characters. Edward or Jacob? I don't really have a preference (it's true!) but I have certainly found myself diving into the entire saga more than once. What can I say? It's delightfully entertaining and I LOVE it!

That being said, when I finished my (second) go round of the series, I was looking for a little more vampire love. (Did I mention that I had no inclination toward vampires pre-Twilight? Not so much my cup of tea, but I am glad I abandoned my comfort zone in this case.) So while perusing the stacks in the teen section at one of my local libraries, I stumbled across Beth Fantaskey's Jessica's Guide to Dating on the Dark Side. Admittedly, the title sucked me in and the idea of a few more vampire lovelies intrigued me, so I promptly checked it out and headed home to start reading. Little did I know, it would become one of my newest favorite reads.

Jessica's Guide is silly, sassy, and a bit ridiculous...and yet I couldn't put it down. Was it as intricate as Twilight? Not really. Did it leave me wanting more? Absolutely. This book is incredibly engaging and will certainly do wonders for both reluctant readers and those Twilighters looking for a bit more vampire love. I attempted to read several other vampire books/series post-Twilight and found them all a bit unbearable. Filled with stereotypical teenage characters and completely eye-roll-worthy scenarios, I just couldn't make it through most of them. Something about Jessica's plight, however - fending off the advances of an arrogant, irritating, and completely sexy teenage vampire - was just light enough, just fun enough, just steamy enough to keep me hooked from the very first page. And after flaky Bella (admit it - the girl's a flake and a bit unbearable herself at times), Jessica is a refreshing, independent, sassy diva who takes care of her own business. The bottom line is this: in the midst of the vampire craze, you really have to create something special if you think you're going to hook in the Twilight crowd. We're a tough bunch to please, and thankfully, Fantaskey has given us something more to swoon over in Jessica and Lucius.

Will Jessica's Guide remain in print after the vampire craze dies down? Maybe. Will it ever be classified as quality teen literature? Probably not. Will I forever be glad that I ran out and bought a copy promptly after my return trip to the library? Absolutely. Will I read future offerings from Beth Fantaskey? Certainly. Will I read Jessica's Guide again? Definitely. That is, of course, after my mom returns it.