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The Morganville Vampires: Extras #6

The First Day of the Rest of Your Life

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Eve Rosser is turning eighteen. Does she accept the Protection or go without?

This novella is found in the anthology Many Bloody Returns.

This was my very first Morganville short story, published in Charlaine Harris and Toni L. P. Kelner’s fantastic collection Many Bloody Returns. Because when Charlaine Harris asks you if you’d like to contribute a story to an anthology that has the theme of ‘vampires and birthdays,’ you definitely say yes to that.
I realised that I had the perfect birthday to discuss: Eve’s eighteenth, on which she had to make the choice to either be a good little Morganville resident, sign her Protection agreement, and fit in … or be Eve. I think you already know the answer, but it’s fun getting there.
A little factoid – the Glass House address is a combination of the numbers of my first dorm flat in college and a book by Stephen King: 716 Lot Street (as in ‘Salem’s Lot).

25 pages, ebook

First published September 4, 2007

15 people are currently reading
3410 people want to read

About the author

Rachel Caine

215 books19.2k followers

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5 stars
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 89 reviews
Profile Image for Jo ★The Book Sloth★.
486 reviews438 followers
October 4, 2014
3 Stars

This is a short story of how Eve came to leave in the Glass House with Michael after she declined to sign a contract with the family protector. It has the usual almost dark vibe of the series but for such a story 3 deaths seem too much.

Possibly the worst birthday ever...

Profile Image for Marsha.
3,053 reviews56 followers
May 29, 2012
I've always wondered how Eve, Shane and Michael became roommates. "The First Day of the Rest of Your Life" is the prequel to "Glass House" book one of the Morganville Vampires. This is Eve's 18th birthday, a time in which teens must decide to swear their fealty to a master vampire or go solo and risk death.

While celebrating her birthday with a few friends, Jane, Miranda, Trent and Guy, Eve has too many beers. Then, Miranda, Jane's younger sister has a vision that someone will die this night. They all believe she is a couple of fries short of a happy meal; but, her vision comes true shortly after they decide to head home and are involved in a fatal car crash. Everyone is killed except for Miranda and Eve. To make matters worse, no one shows up from Eve's family to pick her up from the police station. So, Officer Richard Morrell drives Eve home. When she arrives, she realizes that her parents have company, Brandon, master vampire and he has come to get Eve to sign her contract.

Eve refuses and her parents kick her out of the house. At first Eve is unsure where she will go; but, then she thinks of Michael Glass and heads over to his house. Soon, Eve realizes she is being followed and just barely makes it to Glass House before being attacked by Brandon and his gang of fang boys. This is the start of a new beginning for Eve as well as for Michael. This prequel sets admirably sets the stage for the first book in the series. I loved it! My only complaint is that it did not tell me how Shane came to live with Michael and Eve.
Profile Image for Siobhan.
4,987 reviews596 followers
May 24, 2015
Ah, this is a great little prequel.

I would have loved if it was longer, yet it was still a great short snippet. It tells us more about Eve, giving us the story of how she came to be in the Glass House along with giving us the grizzly details behind her choice to live without protection.

A great short story, easily one of the better ones we’re given.
Profile Image for Jassicca.
805 reviews3 followers
December 17, 2018
Story about Eve's 18th birthday. A day when she lost her friends, disowned by her parents and also a new beginning for her.
Profile Image for Louisa.
8,692 reviews98 followers
December 24, 2021
Oh, this was a fantastic story, of the night that Eve turned 18, and had to decide whether she wanted to accept Protection, and yeah, loved reading it, though wow, did she have it rough!
Profile Image for Demoness Tenebrae.
262 reviews37 followers
July 31, 2014

Interesting episode from Eve's past...


"Eighteenth birthdays in Morganville are usually celebrated one of two ways: getting totally wasted with your friends or making a terrifying life-or-death decision about your continued survival."

Eve is turning eighteen. She will have to choose whether she will accept Protection from Brandon, long time family protector or will she go without and risk her life in the process.


She is celebrating her birthday with her good friend Jane, Jane's sister Miranda and the only known gay couple Trent and Guy. They are drinking beers, having fun and contemplating their future. Eve knows that those might be her last hours of freedom so she is trying to be cheerful. But the mood suddenly dropped when Miranda started having a seizure which was similar to a trans. Apparently, she had visions.

And her vision now only sent shivers down Eve's spine. Despite the serious mood, Jayne assured Eve that Miranda is just looking for attention and none of it is real. It was late and they were all going home, some drunk, some high. Eve didn't think much of it when Miranda insisted that she sits next to her in a van and said goodbye to her sister. What happened next will be a trauma that Eve will never forget.

Adding to that horrible event more salt to the wound when she got home and refused Brandon and was consequently kicked out of the house. Talking about a worse day ever. Not to mention that it is night time, Eve has no protection and nowhere to go...



Review :

It was good to learn more about Eve and how she became the person she is today. We knew bits and pieces that were scattered throughout the first and the second book but noting really detailed.

Learning of Eve's refusal of Protection, her life before living in the Glass house and her worst traumas that made her into who she is today is well worth of read.

She seemed to be much more relaxed than she is today. Though, her sense of humor and of right/wrong is absolutely the same.

"Guy and Trent were the only gay couple I actually knew, gaydom being sort of frowned upon in the Heartland of Texas that was Morganville.
We were all about the ironic family values."



Concerning Michael Glass... let's just say they go way back.

"He smiled. He had one of those smiles. You know the ones—the kind that unleashes lethal force on girls in the vicinity. I couldn't remember him smiling in high school. He was probably aware that it might cause girls to faint or unbutton clothes or something."


"I must have dozed off a little, because when I woke up, he was kneeling next to my chair, and he had a chocolate brownie on a plate. With a semimelted pink candle sputtering away on top.
  ―It‘s a leftover, he warned me. ―It was crap in the first place, so I don‘t know how good it is. But happy birthday, anyway. I promise you, things will get better.
  I had news for him. They just had."


Profile Image for Trisha.
5,823 reviews229 followers
September 5, 2013
"So. You look like a nice, nonpsycho kind of guy. Need an unstable roommate with lots of enemies?"

OMG this was wonderful! I know this book says it's .5, but I wouldn't read it first.
I'm just 4 or 5 books into the series, but I appreciate this so much more knowing the story and then going back.

and seeing how Eve left, how her family was. Seeing how she first went to Michael's house and their first few conversations.

just sheer bliss. and OMG the brownie. My heart melted right along with that candle.

I absolutely loved it! what a treat!
Profile Image for Page.
310 reviews11 followers
November 10, 2024
***TEENSY SPOILERS***

I needed this book. I've read the entire series to date, and I've come to the conclusion that I kinda hate Eve. A lot. This helped me understand her a bit more. I wouldn't go so far as to say I like her or get her... because I don't. I guess I just dislike her and not hate.

I am hoping... HOPING... there's one about Michael's "ghosting" and Shane's adventures in the big, bad world.
Profile Image for Becky.
190 reviews15 followers
September 5, 2013
I don't think it's really fair to give this "book" a rating since it's only 25 pages. But it was good, had a lot of info and was to the point.

If you are a Morganville Vampire Fan, it's worth checking out! My friend found it for me in a collection of Short Stories called :Many Bloody Returns with a ton of other authors and "birthday" stories.

Enjoy!
Profile Image for Jamie.
1,562 reviews1,239 followers
July 15, 2020
I love This series so it is great to get more of the stories. I liked that Eve barely knew Michael here! Her parents are awful but I liked getting to see a younger Miranda. I wonder why Miranda made the choice she did though... As always Eve is quite rebellious. I found it very strange how detached everyone was from what happens. "Welcome to Morganville, friends and family will die often" I suppose.
Profile Image for Cassie.
142 reviews17 followers
July 31, 2011
I had never read any of the series, but when I picked up this novella I got my first glimps into the Morganville world, and liked what I saw. This story is told from Eve's pov and really offers a good background for the series. After reading it I went out and bought the first few books! Love them :)
Profile Image for Shannon .
2,346 reviews158 followers
February 27, 2015
Read on June 17, 2011 as a part of Many Bloody Returns

The First Day of the Rest of Your Life - Rachel Caine - 3.5 Stars - My goodness Michael is sweet. There's nothing like a guy who knows how to cheer you up after a beyond crap day.
Profile Image for Nícky.
931 reviews26 followers
April 23, 2015
El principio de los principios!! Eve siendo Eve, con ese carácter que enamora y esa forma de plantarle cara al mundo. Michael siendo Michael, dulce, atento y pendiente de los demás. Es la historia de su unión en la casa de cristal, de cómo se volvieron compañeros y de como, con un brownie, empezó su relación. Me encanta como escribe esta mujer....
Profile Image for Wendi.
315 reviews25 followers
February 20, 2013
An entertaining and interesting glimpse into the life of Eve before Claire arrived. It's always great to get a little extra back story on some of the side characters from your favorite books. I'd love to get to see a little more of Miranda and get a better understanding of her inner workings.
Profile Image for Kathy.
593 reviews39 followers
November 19, 2013
I really liked it even though it was only 25 pages. I loved finding out how Eve found her way to living with her high school crush, Michael. And how she told Brandon to shove it! I think that was the best part of this short story!
Profile Image for Amanda Weidensjö.
104 reviews4 followers
July 19, 2024
I am impressed with how much Caine was able to include in a short story. Eve had to endure more than anyone should have to, especially, on their birthday.

This was a great short story that adds context to one of the most horrible nights that Eve had to endure. We also get to see just how Eve moved into Michael's house and gave us a better perspective on Eve


full review: https://amandaweidensjo.blogspot.com/...
Profile Image for Darinda.
9,011 reviews157 followers
April 7, 2019
Read in Many Bloody Returns.

A short story from The Morganville Vampires series by Rachel Caine. Eve turns eighteen and must decide if she will sign a Protection agreement.

A quick and entertaining read that gives a little history about Eve. Good for fans of the series.
Profile Image for Devanshi Mehta.
233 reviews1 follower
November 15, 2022
Written very badly. It was tiring to understand which one was dialogue and which sentence was not. The writing was very childish and unrefined. I would call it a first shitty draft and not the final one.
Profile Image for Bailey.
538 reviews
September 8, 2022
Now see, THIS one added context and added something to Eve’s character.
Profile Image for Henni (hshouldbereading).
371 reviews26 followers
Read
September 24, 2015
The Goth population was even smaller than the few gays, given the town’s prominent undead demographic. They have no sense of humor.
Oh, I forgot to mention: vampires. Town’s run by them. Full of them. Humans live here on sufferance, heavy on the “suffer.”


Oh how I love Rachel Caine's writing style! Full of dark humour and sarcasm. Brilliant.
Besides that Eve Rosser is one of my favourite characters of the Morganville Series, I really enjoyed this little novella. It tells the story of Eve's eighteenth birthday in the back of a party van with a handful of selected people - a friend named Jane with her little sister Miranda and a gay couple, Guy and Trent.

The importance of this day is:
Was I signing? That was the Big Question, the one all of us faced at eighteen.


Until someone turns eighteen in Morganville, they stand under the protection of the Protector (a vampire) of the familiy. For Eve that is Brandon (a total ass). Now she has to decide, if she will pick a Protector or not. If not she is like open prey for all vampires.

I would no longer have any kind of deal or protection from any vampire in Morganville.


Usually they pick the family's patron, but Eve would never let Brandon have power over her. But living without a Protector is risky.

They were all looking at me now. Jane, Miranda, Guy and Trent, all waiting to hear what Eve Rosser, Professional Rebel, was going to do.
I didn’t disappoint them. I tipped back the beer, belched, and said, “Hell no, I’m not signing. Bareback all the way, baby! Let’s live fast and die young!


Miranda is like the "Town Cassandra". She has visions and . Then she has a kind of vision, saying (only to Eve) that it all doesn't matter who she picks as a Protector because they will all die tonight, then she collapses.

Jane hadn’t moved at all. She looked more annoyed than concerned. “It’s okay,” she said. “She had some kind of vision. It happens. She’ll come out of it.” [...] “I told you, this happens all the time. She’ll be okay in a couple of minutes. It’s like an epileptic seizure or something.” Jane looked at me curiously. “What did she say to you?”


Eve doesn't say anything. They drive back at 3 a.m. and Miranda insists that Eve sits right next to her. Miranda, crying and holding Eve's hand, then whispers to her, that she doesn't want them to die.

“Here it comes,” she said, and transferred the stare to her sister. “I’m sorry. I love you.”

And then there something bad happened, and the world ended.


And then the real story begins. I thought this was going to be a light-hearted, funny novella about Eve's birthday. Oh, no way, not when Rachel Caine is writing the story.
I really enjoyed this novella and the ending was just perfect ♥ It basically tells the story how Eve got to live in Michael Glass's house.
Profile Image for Rose.
146 reviews16 followers
September 3, 2016
A short story from Eve's POV...She turns 18 and has a decision to make: To sign a contract to stay under the protection on Vampire Brandon, find a different protector, or stay band free and free-game to all vampires to snack on. She decides to be free of contracts and move-in with Michael Glass.

Here are a couple parts of story I liked..big spoiler alert..
Profile Image for Joanne.
1,026 reviews170 followers
November 10, 2012
Actually read in 2012, but I don't want it to count towards my Goodreads Reading Challenge.

The First Day of the Rest of Your Life is a prequel short story to Glass Houses. It covers the day that Eve moves in to the Glass House. It's Eve's 18th Birthday and she's celebrating. Only she lives in Morganville, and things don't always go to plan. Bad things happen, choices need to be made, and Eve's life is about to change.

This short story was just awesome! It's great insight into the events that lead to the first room mate moving into the Glass House, one of the first steps that lead to the jumbled little group of teens that we meet in the first book. We also get to meet Eve's parents, who are right in the lead in the running for Worst Parents in Morganville Ever Award. We also get to see Miranda, why Eve is any kind of friend of hers, and why she's likely to believe her in the future.

Its a great little story, shining a light of a few things that just add a little more to the Morganville story, and help you understand things a little more. It's a great story, and I'm looking forward to reading the others!
Profile Image for Asheley T..
1,559 reviews122 followers
October 23, 2019
I read this 25-ish page story immediately after finishing Glass Houses and I'm so glad about this decision! In just a few pages, I learned more about:

-why and how Eve knows Brandon and Michael as well as she does
-how Eve came to live at Michael's house
-why she does not interact or communicate with her family
-more about her choice not to have Protection

So much about Eve makes more sense after reading these few short pages.

Miranda is also present in this story. She does show up for a time in Glass Houses and to be honest I thought she was the most odd part about the book! BUT: Like with Eve, her personality and characteristics make much more sense after reading her part in this story.

Great addition to the series, fun story, quick read. I'm sure that this would be fine to read before any of the novel-length stories, but I loved having some of the story and world in my head before this.
Profile Image for Myndi .
1,510 reviews51 followers
January 19, 2016
This is a novella/short story in the Morganville Vampires world. I haven't read any of the other books in the series, as I prefer to read things in chronological order as opposed to publication order. That being said, I think this story did a great job of stoking my interest in the series and making me want more. I can't wait to read more in this world and find out what happens to Eve and what's different about this Michael character, and even how vampires in this world differ from other series with vampires that I've read. Great job by the author getting that much information and creating that much of a desire for more in just 20 short pages.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 89 reviews

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