Book Review - Fat Vampire

By: Adam Rex
Published by Harper Collins
Released July 27, 2010
Source: Publisher
3.5 stars- I liked this book.

Synopsis (from Harper Collins):
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.

I'll be honest, I loved the cover. I craved a cherry ICEE (yes, I realize that's not a cherry flavor pictured) the entire time I read the book. I also laughed, smirked and chuckled way more than I ever thought I would because of the writing style and the predicaments of the main character.

Adam does a fantastic job at capturing outcast Doug's voice and personality. As an overweight, geeky kid who attends Comic-Con with his human best friend, Jay, Doug's character is so very believable that I even relished the moments where he was not always likeable.

I did love how one mishap led to another until Doug was being featured on the cable TV show, "Vampire Hunters". I really don't want to spoil this book for you so I'll refrain from talking about the plot points. But, I will say that if you have a reluctant teen reader, this would be a great book for them. It's also a great book if you're looking for a moment of escape from the endless amount of summer chores. It's a quick read with lots of funny scenes. I will point out a brief warning to some of our Mundie Moms who may be cautious about language. There are curse words throughout the book and they're used casually and conjugated in a witty manner. They didn't bother me at all but if you're looking at it as a possible book for your teen to read, I wanted to issue that caution.

Adam uses multiple POVs which switch from Doug, to the TV show to Sejal, an internet addicted, exchange student from India. I liked seeing the story develop through the different POVs, although at times, I wished there was a marker warning me that the POV had switched.

I encourage you grab a cherry ICEE, pick up Fat Vampire and spend a few hours reading Doug's story. It's an engaging twist on geek life, high school and vampire lore.