What do you think?
Rate this book
Josie Griffin Is Not a Vampire
A hilarious take on the paranormal trend--Twilight meets The Breakfast Club!
When former good girl turned rebel Josie Griffin gets busted for what was in her mind perfectly acceptable revenge on her cheating dog of a boyfriend, she lands herself in anger management therapy. It could be worse: it could be juvvie, or she could be a zombie cheerleader like the rest of her former friends. But there's something strange about therapy--these are not normal kids. There's the wannabe ladies man with a weird accent, Johann; the blindingly gorgeous Helios; Avis with his wild dreads; and Tarren, the sprite of a girl with a wicked temper. And all of them keep talking about "powers." Josie knows that has to be impossible, but strange things start happening, and nothing weird ever happens in Indiana. After all, there're no such things as vampires, werewolves, Greek gods, or fairies . . . right?
When former good girl turned rebel Josie Griffin gets busted for what was in her mind perfectly acceptable revenge on her cheating dog of a boyfriend, she lands herself in anger management therapy. It could be worse: it could be juvvie, or she could be a zombie cheerleader like the rest of her former friends. But there's something strange about therapy--these are not normal kids. There's the wannabe ladies man with a weird accent, Johann; the blindingly gorgeous Helios; Avis with his wild dreads; and Tarren, the sprite of a girl with a wicked temper. And all of them keep talking about "powers." Josie knows that has to be impossible, but strange things start happening, and nothing weird ever happens in Indiana. After all, there're no such things as vampires, werewolves, Greek gods, or fairies . . . right?
265 pages, Kindle Edition
First published September 13, 2012
8 people are currently reading
299 people want to read
About the author
Heather Swain
20 books18 followersHeather Swain lives in a crooked house in Brooklyn, New York with her husband, two children, and a barkless dog. She is the author of novels for adults and young adults, craft books, and numerous short stories, personal essays, and non-fiction articles.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 58 reviews
July 12, 2019
You can also read my review here: https://devouringbooks2017.wordpress....
3.5 Stars
This is a book that I discovered at the Chili Library used book sale earlier this month. I picked it up because it looked like a funny urban fantasy novel, but I had never heard of it, so I was a little skeptical. I am so glad that I went to that book sale because I don't think I would have discovered this book otherwise and it was a quick and entertaining read. If you are looking for a funny paranormal book I would suggest giving Josie Griffin is Not a Vampire a shot.
Josie is an ex-cheerleader who seems to be going through a bit of a goth phase ever since she caught her boyfriend sleeping with her best friend. She winds up assigned anger management and community service for taking a baseball bat to her cheating boyfriend's car. At anger management sh meets some strange kids who think they are paranormal beings and slowly comes to realize that they might not be so crazy after all. While doing community service she realizes that girls are disappearing from the local shelter for runaways, since she wants to be an investigative reporter she is determined to find the truth about what is happening to these girls.
I found this novel to be a quick fluff read, perfect for spring break reading or when you are looking for something light and fast paced. The plot is decent and the characters are alright. Nothing about this novel is really deep, but it is entertaining. The characters are kind of witty and the story moves really fast. I wasn't hooked, but I wasn't bored either. This novel is no great masterpiece, but it would be a great choice after reading something thick or intricate. I found the cheerleader turned rebel story line to be a bit weird and I felt like the romance was really superficial, but at the same time I really enjoyed reading this book.
This is the type of book I would recommend if you are in a slump or if you enjoy superficial young adult books. I thought this was a cute, quick book and I liked the pace and the writing. I am a bit intrigued and would like to see what else Heather Swain has written because there are many times that I have found myself looking for something like this to pull me out of a reading rut.
3.5 Stars
This is a book that I discovered at the Chili Library used book sale earlier this month. I picked it up because it looked like a funny urban fantasy novel, but I had never heard of it, so I was a little skeptical. I am so glad that I went to that book sale because I don't think I would have discovered this book otherwise and it was a quick and entertaining read. If you are looking for a funny paranormal book I would suggest giving Josie Griffin is Not a Vampire a shot.
Josie is an ex-cheerleader who seems to be going through a bit of a goth phase ever since she caught her boyfriend sleeping with her best friend. She winds up assigned anger management and community service for taking a baseball bat to her cheating boyfriend's car. At anger management sh meets some strange kids who think they are paranormal beings and slowly comes to realize that they might not be so crazy after all. While doing community service she realizes that girls are disappearing from the local shelter for runaways, since she wants to be an investigative reporter she is determined to find the truth about what is happening to these girls.
I found this novel to be a quick fluff read, perfect for spring break reading or when you are looking for something light and fast paced. The plot is decent and the characters are alright. Nothing about this novel is really deep, but it is entertaining. The characters are kind of witty and the story moves really fast. I wasn't hooked, but I wasn't bored either. This novel is no great masterpiece, but it would be a great choice after reading something thick or intricate. I found the cheerleader turned rebel story line to be a bit weird and I felt like the romance was really superficial, but at the same time I really enjoyed reading this book.
This is the type of book I would recommend if you are in a slump or if you enjoy superficial young adult books. I thought this was a cute, quick book and I liked the pace and the writing. I am a bit intrigued and would like to see what else Heather Swain has written because there are many times that I have found myself looking for something like this to pull me out of a reading rut.
May 6, 2020
Reread 2020: Meet Josie Griffin, when she in a rage quite mode destroys her boyfriend's fancy smancy car window and she gets sentenced to community service + anger management. And then she discovers that there is a whole world of paranormal beings.
This was one of my favourite reads in 2013 and it was high on my list to be re-read. Now with Corona and having to ration books this one got even higher on the list and now I had to read it. It was just as much fun as the first read was and I am so happy with that. I waited long enough that I don't remember all of the things. Yes, that is a problem and that is why I don't often re-read. I remember A LOT of details even years afterwards.
Meet Josie Griffin, a super sweet, a bit naive girl who is really pissed at her boyfriend, or should I say ex. I could so understand her anger and I would definitely have done the same as her, though maybe I would also have done a repaint of his car with a nice pink colour. :P Sorry, but I hate cheating and I hate cheating when you do it with friends. And then there is the whole no one telling Josie about it... Yep, I was agreeing with Josie. I did feel sorry she got that much of a punishment for it, but if she hadn't she wouldn't have had such a fun adventure and met such wonderful characters and discovered a whole new world that she never knew.
I loved how dedicated she was to help out the girls at HAG and that she did it no matter how much trouble she would get in. I am not sure if the Josie from before would have done it, but this one does. And I love it.
However, I would have liked to see her confess a bit earlier and also not tell the whole world about the paras through her blog. No matter what, no matter if people thought she was just faking, there are always people who know who she means and know the truth.
I wasn't always a fan of all the characters. Johann just has to lay off with the whole disco 1990 Berlin vampire stuff, hello dude, we are another age get with the times. Plus, he was just very creepy. I get that he is a vampire and that stalking young maidens is part of the job description.. but still. No.
Tarren was definitely my least favourite girl and character in the book. Her mixing up words was one thing that annoyed me especially as it seems really random when it happened, but she was also a bitch at times. She had such a mean streak.
But I liked Avis and had a laugh when Josie finds out what he is (which I already had guessed because come on).
I also liked Helios and how despite being who he is he wasn't cocky. He was actually really sweet and I had a big laugh that when emotions went up electricity would react or the weather even.
I wasn't a fan of how the paranormal kids were called, paras. It just sounded very weird to me, and I am not sure what alternative I would have picked.
I would have liked the parents to be a bit kinder to their kid. I get that she did something terrible, but you guys are making a way bigger deal about it than I would have. They are treating her like she killed someone and as if she is on drugs. Hello, whut?
I loved the HAG plotline and I loved seeing it develop more and more as the story continued. I had a couple of suspicions on what was happening and I loved detecting and discovering with the group to see what was going on. The ending to it was fantastically written and I had so much fun reading how it all came together and how it ended.
All in all this book was a wonderful mix of paranormal stuff, romance, action, and tons of humour. I would highly recommend it.
Read: 2013: This book was hilarious!! I loved the story, though I wished our main lead would have confessed sooner to the I am not a monster part. :)
Review first posted at https://twirlingbookprincess.com/
This was one of my favourite reads in 2013 and it was high on my list to be re-read. Now with Corona and having to ration books this one got even higher on the list and now I had to read it. It was just as much fun as the first read was and I am so happy with that. I waited long enough that I don't remember all of the things. Yes, that is a problem and that is why I don't often re-read. I remember A LOT of details even years afterwards.
Meet Josie Griffin, a super sweet, a bit naive girl who is really pissed at her boyfriend, or should I say ex. I could so understand her anger and I would definitely have done the same as her, though maybe I would also have done a repaint of his car with a nice pink colour. :P Sorry, but I hate cheating and I hate cheating when you do it with friends. And then there is the whole no one telling Josie about it... Yep, I was agreeing with Josie. I did feel sorry she got that much of a punishment for it, but if she hadn't she wouldn't have had such a fun adventure and met such wonderful characters and discovered a whole new world that she never knew.
I loved how dedicated she was to help out the girls at HAG and that she did it no matter how much trouble she would get in. I am not sure if the Josie from before would have done it, but this one does. And I love it.
However, I would have liked to see her confess a bit earlier and also not tell the whole world about the paras through her blog. No matter what, no matter if people thought she was just faking, there are always people who know who she means and know the truth.
I wasn't always a fan of all the characters. Johann just has to lay off with the whole disco 1990 Berlin vampire stuff, hello dude, we are another age get with the times. Plus, he was just very creepy. I get that he is a vampire and that stalking young maidens is part of the job description.. but still. No.
Tarren was definitely my least favourite girl and character in the book. Her mixing up words was one thing that annoyed me especially as it seems really random when it happened, but she was also a bitch at times. She had such a mean streak.
But I liked Avis and had a laugh when Josie finds out what he is (which I already had guessed because come on).
I also liked Helios and how despite being who he is he wasn't cocky. He was actually really sweet and I had a big laugh that when emotions went up electricity would react or the weather even.
I wasn't a fan of how the paranormal kids were called, paras. It just sounded very weird to me, and I am not sure what alternative I would have picked.
I would have liked the parents to be a bit kinder to their kid. I get that she did something terrible, but you guys are making a way bigger deal about it than I would have. They are treating her like she killed someone and as if she is on drugs. Hello, whut?
I loved the HAG plotline and I loved seeing it develop more and more as the story continued. I had a couple of suspicions on what was happening and I loved detecting and discovering with the group to see what was going on. The ending to it was fantastically written and I had so much fun reading how it all came together and how it ended.
All in all this book was a wonderful mix of paranormal stuff, romance, action, and tons of humour. I would highly recommend it.
Read: 2013: This book was hilarious!! I loved the story, though I wished our main lead would have confessed sooner to the I am not a monster part. :)
Review first posted at https://twirlingbookprincess.com/
October 1, 2012
The book actually started off interesting, even fun. Unfortunately, after a chapter or two it nosedived. The plot is not very complicated, but it takes forever to resolve because the main character can't put the clues together. She can't, in fact, do anything at all. She's there to observe and get in trouble so her friends can rescue her.
If the book were funny, I'd forgive all that. But there isn't much humor unless you like spoonerisms and badly written slapstick. The writing is clumsy, the characterizations erratic. Josie starts off trying to convince her new friends to help her find a missing girl, then a few pages later has to be convinced by her friends to help. It doesn't make any sense. The plot is predictable too. I nearly put the book down out of boredom several times. Eventually I just skimmed the last few chapters.
The world-building is almost nonexistent. There are vampires and werewolves and fairies and Greek gods etc. all around, constrained by rules handed down by a shadowy organization. The organization is used as a scare tactic but doesn't impact anything the characters do, and the characters' abilities are mostly ignored after being mentioned once or twice.
If the book were funny, I'd forgive all that. But there isn't much humor unless you like spoonerisms and badly written slapstick. The writing is clumsy, the characterizations erratic. Josie starts off trying to convince her new friends to help her find a missing girl, then a few pages later has to be convinced by her friends to help. It doesn't make any sense. The plot is predictable too. I nearly put the book down out of boredom several times. Eventually I just skimmed the last few chapters.
The world-building is almost nonexistent. There are vampires and werewolves and fairies and Greek gods etc. all around, constrained by rules handed down by a shadowy organization. The organization is used as a scare tactic but doesn't impact anything the characters do, and the characters' abilities are mostly ignored after being mentioned once or twice.
September 7, 2012
Check out all my reviews at http://www.flyleafreview.com
Let's face it, many would agree that the vampire genre has been done to death (sorry, couldn't resist!) and I am sort of in agreement with them. But, if it's written well, and doesn't feature the same tired storyline but instead offers something new and inventive, then I am all about THAT kind of vampire book. The premise of Josie Griffin is Not a Vampire, a rebellious but totally human teenage girl who winds up in an anger management support group for paranormal teens ( i.e; vampires, shapeshifters, faeries, and Greek gods), really grabbed my attention. It's inventive and original and sounds awesome, right? I thought so, so I requested it with high hopes. Unfortunately, this book, which had so much potential, fell short for me.
I was looking for something that would read like the tag line above suggested:
A hilarious take on the paranormal trend--Twilight meets The Breakfast Club!
Hey, I'm not ashamed to admit that I loved the Twilight series. I credit that book for inspiring me to start reading again. And The Breakfast Club? Get out! LOVE John Hughes. LOVE. HIM. I'm pretty sure I know most of the lines in that movie and could kick any one's ass in John Hughes film trivia. And for me, any book that adds a healthy dose of humor scores major bonus points. But, other than the fact that there is a vampire in Josie Griffin, and that there is one scene of a circled up group therapy session, and there are a few witty one liners and amusing scenes written in, Josie Griffin has nothing in common with the above statement.
The beginning started strong. Teenage Josie is in court awaiting sentencing for bashing in her ex boyfriend's windshield with a baseball bat when she discovered he was screwing around with her best friend. Ordered to pay damages, court fees, and attend community service as well as an anger management group for teens, Josie knows that she has gotten off easy. She feels bad that she has upset her parents, she's worried how this will affect her chances to get into the University of Chicago where she hopes to study journalism, but she really doesn't feel too bad about what she did to her ex's car. And yeah, he does sound a like a total ass. She's not only lost her boyfriend, but her two best friends as well. As a result Josie has sort of "gone to the dark side." She's ditched her cheerleader look for a more edgy, emo appearance and started up a blog where she vents all her frustration to the world. Her only friends are a collection of angry, broken hearted online acquaintances who comment on her blog posts.
Josie attends her first group therapy session and it immediately becomes clear that this is not your average group of teenage misfits. There is something very strange about Tarren, Avis, Johann, Helios and their counselor. By the end of the session Josie is well and truly freaked out. The entire group thinks they are paranormal creatures and she promptly goes home to blog about about the bizarre encounter.
Up to this point I was really enjoying the book. I liked the character of Josie. I felt sorry for her because I've been burned by boyfriends and friends in the past (although I have never taken it to extremes like she did). Josie's a good girl, but she's hurt and she's pissed. However, as we begin to meet and learn more about the secondary characters in the book, the paranormals, my disappointment begin to grow. The characters were, for lack of a better word, cartoonish. They bordered from outright silly and farcical (Johann the vampire) to bland and blah (Helios the Greek god.) Tarren the faerie and Avis the shapeshifter were probably the most interesting of the bunch, but only because Tarren was a frightening little tyrant and Avis had dreads. In other words, I was not blown away by any of them.
Read the Entire Review
Let's face it, many would agree that the vampire genre has been done to death (sorry, couldn't resist!) and I am sort of in agreement with them. But, if it's written well, and doesn't feature the same tired storyline but instead offers something new and inventive, then I am all about THAT kind of vampire book. The premise of Josie Griffin is Not a Vampire, a rebellious but totally human teenage girl who winds up in an anger management support group for paranormal teens ( i.e; vampires, shapeshifters, faeries, and Greek gods), really grabbed my attention. It's inventive and original and sounds awesome, right? I thought so, so I requested it with high hopes. Unfortunately, this book, which had so much potential, fell short for me.
I was looking for something that would read like the tag line above suggested:
A hilarious take on the paranormal trend--Twilight meets The Breakfast Club!
Hey, I'm not ashamed to admit that I loved the Twilight series. I credit that book for inspiring me to start reading again. And The Breakfast Club? Get out! LOVE John Hughes. LOVE. HIM. I'm pretty sure I know most of the lines in that movie and could kick any one's ass in John Hughes film trivia. And for me, any book that adds a healthy dose of humor scores major bonus points. But, other than the fact that there is a vampire in Josie Griffin, and that there is one scene of a circled up group therapy session, and there are a few witty one liners and amusing scenes written in, Josie Griffin has nothing in common with the above statement.
The beginning started strong. Teenage Josie is in court awaiting sentencing for bashing in her ex boyfriend's windshield with a baseball bat when she discovered he was screwing around with her best friend. Ordered to pay damages, court fees, and attend community service as well as an anger management group for teens, Josie knows that she has gotten off easy. She feels bad that she has upset her parents, she's worried how this will affect her chances to get into the University of Chicago where she hopes to study journalism, but she really doesn't feel too bad about what she did to her ex's car. And yeah, he does sound a like a total ass. She's not only lost her boyfriend, but her two best friends as well. As a result Josie has sort of "gone to the dark side." She's ditched her cheerleader look for a more edgy, emo appearance and started up a blog where she vents all her frustration to the world. Her only friends are a collection of angry, broken hearted online acquaintances who comment on her blog posts.
Josie attends her first group therapy session and it immediately becomes clear that this is not your average group of teenage misfits. There is something very strange about Tarren, Avis, Johann, Helios and their counselor. By the end of the session Josie is well and truly freaked out. The entire group thinks they are paranormal creatures and she promptly goes home to blog about about the bizarre encounter.
Up to this point I was really enjoying the book. I liked the character of Josie. I felt sorry for her because I've been burned by boyfriends and friends in the past (although I have never taken it to extremes like she did). Josie's a good girl, but she's hurt and she's pissed. However, as we begin to meet and learn more about the secondary characters in the book, the paranormals, my disappointment begin to grow. The characters were, for lack of a better word, cartoonish. They bordered from outright silly and farcical (Johann the vampire) to bland and blah (Helios the Greek god.) Tarren the faerie and Avis the shapeshifter were probably the most interesting of the bunch, but only because Tarren was a frightening little tyrant and Avis had dreads. In other words, I was not blown away by any of them.
Read the Entire Review
May 31, 2015
I found that this book had a lot of loose ends. Maybe I just zoned out partway through, but...
1. So what exactly IS Josie?
2. What's with Tarren's speech issues?
3. What exactly is going on between her and Helios?
4. What happened with Graham Goren? They hardly mentioned him. Did that whole thing with him just blow over that quickly?
5. Mostly same as above: What did Ellie have to do with the whole story?
etc.
If you can answer any of these, please do...
The plot was pretty predictable. There were several parts that I found boring and unnecessary- they didn't contribute much to the plot. And it was pretty stupid of Josie to post all that stuff online, not to mention personal information and pictures of herself. I kind of blurred through the entire book. The plot skipped along pretty quickly but was still pretty boring to me. I definitely don't think this is my kind of read. Still, I'd hoped I would like it more than I'd expected. (It didn't happen)
1. So what exactly IS Josie?
2. What's with Tarren's speech issues?
3. What exactly is going on between her and Helios?
4. What happened with Graham Goren? They hardly mentioned him. Did that whole thing with him just blow over that quickly?
5. Mostly same as above: What did Ellie have to do with the whole story?
etc.
If you can answer any of these, please do...
The plot was pretty predictable. There were several parts that I found boring and unnecessary- they didn't contribute much to the plot. And it was pretty stupid of Josie to post all that stuff online, not to mention personal information and pictures of herself. I kind of blurred through the entire book. The plot skipped along pretty quickly but was still pretty boring to me. I definitely don't think this is my kind of read. Still, I'd hoped I would like it more than I'd expected. (It didn't happen)
April 24, 2014
I wanted to like this a lot more than I did. Slut-shaming and the use of ableist terms (spaz) and the predictability of the narrative were reasons I couldn't. Also, the romance occurs at a super fast rate. Meh,
September 26, 2020
This book is so terrible lmfaooo
"Who wouldn't want to read about paranormal teens in an anger management group?"
You know what my guy you're right, I hope someone writes that book! Until then we have Josie Griffin is Not a Vampire, wherein they go to anger management two times and otherwise kick about Indianapolis and discuss their half baked friendships while going through the motions of an incredibly half baked plot.
Now, did I expect this book to be good? No. It is intensely a product of its time, there's a lot of 'bee-atch' and 'whatevs' and 'pix' and the most inexplicable celebrity name drop even for that era, (we all know and love Sharon Osborne, right???) and since I picked it up expecting exactly that I was delighted.
But then I had to read the rest of the book, and I truly believe more effort went into me reading it than the author put into writing it. The paranormal aspect was entirely used to draw in readers, because the paras don't do shit (in the final boss fight, Tarren does literally all of the work while all the boys stand around and stare) and Josie Griffin is not, in fact, a vampire. Maybe it's my fault for thinking the title would be tongue-in-cheek, but it's not. She's just a girl. A kinda shitty girl.
I don't even have anything to say, I did this to myself. 2* because at least I kept reading 🤷♀️
"Who wouldn't want to read about paranormal teens in an anger management group?"
You know what my guy you're right, I hope someone writes that book! Until then we have Josie Griffin is Not a Vampire, wherein they go to anger management two times and otherwise kick about Indianapolis and discuss their half baked friendships while going through the motions of an incredibly half baked plot.
Now, did I expect this book to be good? No. It is intensely a product of its time, there's a lot of 'bee-atch' and 'whatevs' and 'pix' and the most inexplicable celebrity name drop even for that era, (we all know and love Sharon Osborne, right???) and since I picked it up expecting exactly that I was delighted.
But then I had to read the rest of the book, and I truly believe more effort went into me reading it than the author put into writing it. The paranormal aspect was entirely used to draw in readers, because the paras don't do shit (in the final boss fight, Tarren does literally all of the work while all the boys stand around and stare) and Josie Griffin is not, in fact, a vampire. Maybe it's my fault for thinking the title would be tongue-in-cheek, but it's not. She's just a girl. A kinda shitty girl.
I don't even have anything to say, I did this to myself. 2* because at least I kept reading 🤷♀️
September 14, 2012
Josie Griffin is a good kid. She's got straight As and volunteers for Habitat for Humanity. She edits the school newspaper. But she took a bat to her boyfriend's classic car when she caught him cheating on her with her best fried. Now, Josie Griffin is sentenced to anger management and community service.
But there's something strange about her anger management class. All of the kids think they are some sort of magical being. Vampires, werewolves, pixies, Greek gods . . . and there's something weird about Helping American Girls too. Girls keep disappearing from the shelter but leaving all of their stuff - including phones - behind. Josie, who wants to be a reporter, is determined to figure out what's happening and save the remaining girls.
JOSIE GRIFFIN IS NOT A VAMPIRE is cute, funny, and serious when it needs to be. For instance, the pixie Tarren lives on the wrong side of the tracks while Helios is part of the 1%, which causes friction between them. Urban fantasy fans will enjoy how JOSIE GRIFFIN IS NOT A VAMPIRE plays with the tropes of the genre. Nonhuman being living in plain sight is pretty typical, but the heroine stumbling over them on accident isn't. (Josie also, hilariously, pretends to be a werepire.)
I liked the characters too. The members of the group all have trouble keeping their powers under control in public. But their reactions are pretty understandable. Hiding who you are is frustrating, especially when you're a teenager. And, if you could hex the guy trying to convince you to "date" him in an alley, wouldn't you? Plus, they're a refreshingly friendly and goofy bunch. No brooders here, even if the vampire Johann does miss the days of disco.
JOSIE GRIFFIN IS NOT A VAMPIRE is perfect for readers searching for a book on the lighter side of urban fantasy. It has a little mystery, a little action, and lots of personality. Just don't expect any anger management tips.
But there's something strange about her anger management class. All of the kids think they are some sort of magical being. Vampires, werewolves, pixies, Greek gods . . . and there's something weird about Helping American Girls too. Girls keep disappearing from the shelter but leaving all of their stuff - including phones - behind. Josie, who wants to be a reporter, is determined to figure out what's happening and save the remaining girls.
JOSIE GRIFFIN IS NOT A VAMPIRE is cute, funny, and serious when it needs to be. For instance, the pixie Tarren lives on the wrong side of the tracks while Helios is part of the 1%, which causes friction between them. Urban fantasy fans will enjoy how JOSIE GRIFFIN IS NOT A VAMPIRE plays with the tropes of the genre. Nonhuman being living in plain sight is pretty typical, but the heroine stumbling over them on accident isn't. (Josie also, hilariously, pretends to be a werepire.)
I liked the characters too. The members of the group all have trouble keeping their powers under control in public. But their reactions are pretty understandable. Hiding who you are is frustrating, especially when you're a teenager. And, if you could hex the guy trying to convince you to "date" him in an alley, wouldn't you? Plus, they're a refreshingly friendly and goofy bunch. No brooders here, even if the vampire Johann does miss the days of disco.
JOSIE GRIFFIN IS NOT A VAMPIRE is perfect for readers searching for a book on the lighter side of urban fantasy. It has a little mystery, a little action, and lots of personality. Just don't expect any anger management tips.
October 19, 2019
Josie Griffin Is Not A Vampire. I know, she's not. That has been established within the first few pages. The premise of supernatural creatures in an anger management group was very interesting and it reeled me in. But the actual story was so disappointing
The narrator is a rebellious teenager with a frankly atrocious fashion sense. Seriously, this was what wears at one point and actually steps out of house without curling up into a ball of shame.
New Josie marched to her closet, closed her eyes, and pulled out
the first two things she felt—vintage black and green plaid men’s golf shorts and
a pink Hello Kitty tee on which I’d drawn a mustache and a bull’s-eye target.
Perfect.
The narration and dialogue were lame and cringey. It felt as if an old person were trying to impersonate a teenager, trying to sound cool befriending kids. The narrator utters the word Gazoinks. I double checked to see the book wasn't written in the early 20th century. The other characters are no better. A fairie/witch with speech issues and stumbles in spells. Wow, very original. It gets old real fast. There's no mystery.
Oh, a bonus. Every one is clumsy. If this was a movie, I would definitely watch it once, since the scenes will be pure mayhem. But, as a book, it is disappointing.
August 27, 2023
Four stars because I enjoyed it while I was reading (and actually started to like Tarren by mid-book), but I doubt I would reread. The hook is a normal girl with anger issues accidentally joins a group therapy session with a bunch of "paranormals": vampire, faerie, shapeshifter, Greek god... you know, totally normal thing to happen. Star off also because the ending feels somehow unfinished (and is replaced by a preview chapter for Me, My Elf & I).
I did end up looking up where Tarren suggests her Spoonerisms are a symptom of dyslexia, which... okay, that CAN be, but it doesn't mean everyone who mixes up their words has dyslexia, like how a cough or runny nose are symptoms of LOTS of things including NO actual disease/ailments, like swallowing wrong or being tired (a regular thing for me). Even then, what started out as an annoying quirk became the fast identifier, that this was Tarren's character (whereas I had trouble remembering Avis's "thing").
A fun read for cheap (dollar store find), though I'm not sure if I'd recommend it as such, unless you happen to be fans of "secret paranormal beings" stories.
I did end up looking up where Tarren suggests her Spoonerisms are a symptom of dyslexia, which... okay, that CAN be, but it doesn't mean everyone who mixes up their words has dyslexia, like how a cough or runny nose are symptoms of LOTS of things including NO actual disease/ailments, like swallowing wrong or being tired (a regular thing for me). Even then, what started out as an annoying quirk became the fast identifier, that this was Tarren's character (whereas I had trouble remembering Avis's "thing").
A fun read for cheap (dollar store find), though I'm not sure if I'd recommend it as such, unless you happen to be fans of "secret paranormal beings" stories.
December 21, 2022
Okay. This was awesome.. not every book you find at the dollarstore is a winner, but this one was. As YA teenlit goes, it was worth every penny of the full price $8.99USD.. but I spent a buck and a quarter.
Heather Swains ‘Josie Griffin is NOT a Vampire’ was purchased because of the title; it just sang and caught my attention. As such, I had no Idea what it was about, I just threw my money at the cashier and moved on. On starting the book it seemed entirely reasonable to me when Josie was sentenced to an #angermanagement class after smashing her lying and cheating ex-boyfriends car windshield with a baseball bat.
I knew there would be a twist with the class and was not disappointed. When Josie went to class she isn’t sure if she was in the right place; she wasn’t paying much attention, and it was raining, and her case workers handwriting sucked. The class she joined was filled with were folk, vampires, gods, faeries… all of which were paying for their own teen aged anger issues. Josie realizes her mistake and fakes being paranormal, starting a chain of events and friendships that she would soon lose control of.
The writing is clean, characters believable, and editing by Penguin Teen was solid, all of which helped the page turns just flow. The book reads fast.
Heather Swains ‘Josie Griffin is NOT a Vampire’ was purchased because of the title; it just sang and caught my attention. As such, I had no Idea what it was about, I just threw my money at the cashier and moved on. On starting the book it seemed entirely reasonable to me when Josie was sentenced to an #angermanagement class after smashing her lying and cheating ex-boyfriends car windshield with a baseball bat.
I knew there would be a twist with the class and was not disappointed. When Josie went to class she isn’t sure if she was in the right place; she wasn’t paying much attention, and it was raining, and her case workers handwriting sucked. The class she joined was filled with were folk, vampires, gods, faeries… all of which were paying for their own teen aged anger issues. Josie realizes her mistake and fakes being paranormal, starting a chain of events and friendships that she would soon lose control of.
The writing is clean, characters believable, and editing by Penguin Teen was solid, all of which helped the page turns just flow. The book reads fast.
May 4, 2021
This is a super fun and cute read about a girl who finds herself in (what might've been the wrong) anger management group where everyone there seems to be either out of their minds crazy or some sort of supernatural group.
The more time Josie spends with these rather strange individuals the more she realize how small minded she had been and what more has been going on in her lazy Indy town when the lights turn down. She soon finds herself among paranormal laws and a dark force stealing life from innocent runaway girls and uses her only power to stop the evil forces - her voice.
Super fun and easy going read to get you out of a reading slump and make you wish you have some paranormal accomplices.
Favourite quote: " “Yeah, but we’re made to feel guilty because of who we are and how we experience the world. As if there is only one way to be.” "
The more time Josie spends with these rather strange individuals the more she realize how small minded she had been and what more has been going on in her lazy Indy town when the lights turn down. She soon finds herself among paranormal laws and a dark force stealing life from innocent runaway girls and uses her only power to stop the evil forces - her voice.
Super fun and easy going read to get you out of a reading slump and make you wish you have some paranormal accomplices.
Favourite quote: " “Yeah, but we’re made to feel guilty because of who we are and how we experience the world. As if there is only one way to be.” "
September 27, 2023
I bought this book for $1.25, and I honestly wouldn't have paid any more for it. This book is certainly from its time, oddly enough it does read like a wattpad story and not in the good way. Any chance the author can get to comment about how disgustingly thin or fat someone is, except for the other main characters who are perfect, she will. It was really tiring after a while. This book was a really easy read for me, I could have read this in 6th grade (not that any 6th grader really should). This story really had no compelling dialog.
But I would be lying if I didn't enjoy the book. I began enjoying the book more towards the end, and the final chapter fight was well written. I wouldn't really recommend this book to anyone, except if they wanted to read a bad-mid book.
But I would be lying if I didn't enjoy the book. I began enjoying the book more towards the end, and the final chapter fight was well written. I wouldn't really recommend this book to anyone, except if they wanted to read a bad-mid book.
November 11, 2024
the was good about a girl gets in trouble an has to go to a anger managent class makes new friends an she has to help others with there lives an has fun with her new friends hanging out
the book was fun read josie gets in trouble she makes new friends an they aren't what they seem to her the book was a quick read i wanted to find out what happens next till the end.
the book was fun read josie gets in trouble she makes new friends an they aren't what they seem to her the book was a quick read i wanted to find out what happens next till the end.
March 19, 2018
Laughable
Not laughably bad, just laughable. It kept me wanting to read and turning the page just seemed like the obvious thing to do when I hit a chapter break. Not my most favorite book, but by far not the worst thing I've ever read. Shocked to find out it takes place in Indiana though. And beyond that it mentions cities I know of and have actually been to!
Not laughably bad, just laughable. It kept me wanting to read and turning the page just seemed like the obvious thing to do when I hit a chapter break. Not my most favorite book, but by far not the worst thing I've ever read. Shocked to find out it takes place in Indiana though. And beyond that it mentions cities I know of and have actually been to!
December 20, 2019
This book is way too short for what it's trying to do. Oh, and it's terribly written.
January 28, 2023
A good, light read. I enjoyed reading this one. Made me giggle a couple times.
June 21, 2023
Not bad. But lots of unanswered questions.
June 26, 2023
bought this book bc I needed to see what type of books end up at dollar tree. It was a cute YA 3.5 stars
June 29, 2023
A short teen novel about paranormals attending an anger management group with one human in it. Not as much fluff as I thought there’d be and it was an entertaining afternoon read.
July 20, 2023
OMG. So entertaining that I read it in one sitting.
September 14, 2023
Definitely a fast paced book! I really enjoyed it!
January 12, 2025
A favorite book of mine when I was a teen, had a great twist as well as good story-telling.
February 3, 2025
A good quick read I was able to get through in about 2hours. I wish there was more but the characters are fun and engaging. The action is a little unbelievable at the end but it's still a fun ride
September 16, 2025
This was an interesting find, I loved the take on a anger group for paras of different kinds. I wish it didn’t wrap up so quickly and that there was more to Josie and her new friends.
March 13, 2024
Such a quick and fun read for me! I couldn’t put the book down and just read it in one sitting.
September 23, 2012
The review will begin in a few short sentences, but first I wanted to take the time to appropriately appreciate this cover. It is an odd little thing in a sea of covers and I just look at it and laugh. It is absolutely awesome.
Onto the actual book. After reading the synopsis of Josie Griffin Is Not a Vampire and being lured in by the quirky cover I just had to buy the book. Josie is a character I could see myself being friends with. She was spurned by her boyfriend and reacts like many girls would love to do...bashing in his windshield with a bat, dumping her lying friends, and changing her look from cheerleader to bad ass. She is then sentenced to anger management group therapy. The kicker is that the kids in her group all believe they are supernatural creatures. Josie knows this is impossible, but she still feels something strange is going on.
I loved the attitudes/personalities of all of the characters. Readers are really able to feel as if they know the characters. I love when I'm able to read a book and enjoy the characters as people. Tarren and Johann are definitely the two who stand out the most. Tarren's spunk and attitude coupled with her word jumble are absolutely hilarious. Johann is the creepy and lovable vampire who never gives up his 80's swagger. Then there was Helios and Avis. Helios is the love interest in the book, but he is stuck up and selfish for 99% of the book. You really want to see some redemption in him, but it only "sort of" happens and the relationship just sort of splutters along. Then there is Avis. At first he has a pretty good role in the story, but as it goes on he seems to disappear and only shows up every now and then. This is a cute and short book on the surface, but for me something was a little off. In Josie Griffin is Not a Vampire readers are introduced to the supernatural world through Josie's point of view, which is that of a human. She knows absolutely nothing about this world. I am a huge fan of world building and this book just didn't do that for me. There was very little information about this world presented and the book could have used some fleshing out on this point. Several times I found myself feeling something didn't make sense because I didn't have enough background story. Secondly, there is one huge coincidence in the book that just never made sense to me. It was too odd and never really explained. ( I can't tell more without giving away who the "big bad" in the story is) I will say it has something to do with why Josie was placed in the group she was in the first place. Josie Griffin is Not a Vampire was a cute and quick read on the surface, but lacked enough information to be truly awesome. Hopefully there will be a sequel that will add more to it. I would be willing to give it a second try. This book gets a barely there 3 STAR rating.
Onto the actual book. After reading the synopsis of Josie Griffin Is Not a Vampire and being lured in by the quirky cover I just had to buy the book. Josie is a character I could see myself being friends with. She was spurned by her boyfriend and reacts like many girls would love to do...bashing in his windshield with a bat, dumping her lying friends, and changing her look from cheerleader to bad ass. She is then sentenced to anger management group therapy. The kicker is that the kids in her group all believe they are supernatural creatures. Josie knows this is impossible, but she still feels something strange is going on.
I loved the attitudes/personalities of all of the characters. Readers are really able to feel as if they know the characters. I love when I'm able to read a book and enjoy the characters as people. Tarren and Johann are definitely the two who stand out the most. Tarren's spunk and attitude coupled with her word jumble are absolutely hilarious. Johann is the creepy and lovable vampire who never gives up his 80's swagger. Then there was Helios and Avis. Helios is the love interest in the book, but he is stuck up and selfish for 99% of the book. You really want to see some redemption in him, but it only "sort of" happens and the relationship just sort of splutters along. Then there is Avis. At first he has a pretty good role in the story, but as it goes on he seems to disappear and only shows up every now and then. This is a cute and short book on the surface, but for me something was a little off. In Josie Griffin is Not a Vampire readers are introduced to the supernatural world through Josie's point of view, which is that of a human. She knows absolutely nothing about this world. I am a huge fan of world building and this book just didn't do that for me. There was very little information about this world presented and the book could have used some fleshing out on this point. Several times I found myself feeling something didn't make sense because I didn't have enough background story. Secondly, there is one huge coincidence in the book that just never made sense to me. It was too odd and never really explained. ( I can't tell more without giving away who the "big bad" in the story is) I will say it has something to do with why Josie was placed in the group she was in the first place. Josie Griffin is Not a Vampire was a cute and quick read on the surface, but lacked enough information to be truly awesome. Hopefully there will be a sequel that will add more to it. I would be willing to give it a second try. This book gets a barely there 3 STAR rating.
September 16, 2012
Heather Swain's latest novel, Josie Griffin Is Not a Vampire should really be called Josie Griffin Is an Angry, Angry Girl. Coming to terms with her boyfriend and best friend's betrayal (they were hooking up behind her back), the humiliation of everyone else knowing about it before her, and dealing with her anger at the situation and practically the world has been made slightly easier through Josie's favorite outlet: her blog. Sharing her stories and feelings is therapeutic and some of her readers have become her circle of virtual friends.
Bashing in her ex's windshield with a bat also helped, but it landed Josie in a lot of trouble. She's been sentenced to community service at HAG, short for Helping American Girls. HAG houses runaways and helps them move forward with their life. Josie is also required to take anger management classes, which pisses her off even more because she doesn't feel like she needs them. And as she sits in on her first session, she realizes that she fits in even less than she thought she would. Everyone else in the group, including the councilor, are some type of mythical creature. Josie realizes that a story on these crack pots could be good practice for her dream career--investigative journalist--and decides to infiltrate the group and pose as one of them. But as Josie gets to know the members of her group better, her eyes are opened to how unsafe a place her town really is and begins to question what exactly makes someone a monster.
Josie is a pretty bad-ass girl even though she definitely makes some big mistakes. Josie Griffin Is Not a Vampire is a very fun read, and it's mostly because of Josie's attitude, snarky comments, and how much she cares (even though her anger won't let her admit it at first). All of the characters were very well developed and don't necessarily conform to what their mythical creature is supposed to be like. Everyone in Josie's group is pretty bad ass in their own way, and they are all funny. Heather Swain wrote everyone really well and managed to make the story funny and compelling even when parts of it are on the scarier side. (Note: That's scarier. I don't do horror, so don't expect blood and gore here.)
I highly recommend Josie Griffin Is Not a Vampire for anyone looking for a fun, light, paranormal read. (I could also see this novel becoming a great movie, btw.)
Bashing in her ex's windshield with a bat also helped, but it landed Josie in a lot of trouble. She's been sentenced to community service at HAG, short for Helping American Girls. HAG houses runaways and helps them move forward with their life. Josie is also required to take anger management classes, which pisses her off even more because she doesn't feel like she needs them. And as she sits in on her first session, she realizes that she fits in even less than she thought she would. Everyone else in the group, including the councilor, are some type of mythical creature. Josie realizes that a story on these crack pots could be good practice for her dream career--investigative journalist--and decides to infiltrate the group and pose as one of them. But as Josie gets to know the members of her group better, her eyes are opened to how unsafe a place her town really is and begins to question what exactly makes someone a monster.
Josie is a pretty bad-ass girl even though she definitely makes some big mistakes. Josie Griffin Is Not a Vampire is a very fun read, and it's mostly because of Josie's attitude, snarky comments, and how much she cares (even though her anger won't let her admit it at first). All of the characters were very well developed and don't necessarily conform to what their mythical creature is supposed to be like. Everyone in Josie's group is pretty bad ass in their own way, and they are all funny. Heather Swain wrote everyone really well and managed to make the story funny and compelling even when parts of it are on the scarier side. (Note: That's scarier. I don't do horror, so don't expect blood and gore here.)
I highly recommend Josie Griffin Is Not a Vampire for anyone looking for a fun, light, paranormal read. (I could also see this novel becoming a great movie, btw.)
September 20, 2012
Josie Griffin has been sentenced to anger management classes after destroying her cheating boyfriend's car with a baseball bat. Once she gets there, she finds out that the other kids in the group are a bunch of wackos--claiming to be vampires, faeries, and oh yeah, Greek gods. But Josie is determined to get through the course and the laborious community service she has been assigned to.
As Josie gets to know her group mates, she realizes that as far out as it sounds, they were all telling the truth! Not only is she now friends with a pack of supernatural creatures, she's also trying to uncover a mystery in the shelter where she's doing her community service; girls are going missing without a trace. Can Josie and the group of paranormal misfits find out the truth?
This book pulled me in from the very beginning, but as I read on I struggled with knowing what rating I would give it. I couldn't decide if this novel was hilarious or ridiculous (and believe me, it's a fine line), so I ended up rating it right in the middle.
Josie is likable enough--she gets points just for beating up her ex's car with a bat!--but I never really connected with her. The characterization wasn't very deep in this novel, and I think that's why I didn't connect with anyone. The relationship between Josie and Helios was pretty weak. As a matter of fact, it was more interesting to watch Johann the awkward vampire fawn all over Kayla. That, at least, was funny. The group was diverse but not intriguing as a whole.
The writing was trite at times, with Tarren the dyslexic faerie botching her speech, and Josie misunderstanding things often. Though I did enjoy when Tarren mixing up her words resulted in spells which did not work they way they were intended.
I figured out the ending about halfway into the book, so when it turned out as I expected it would, that was a bit of a disappointment for me. In my opinion, this was just a very "meh" book that just left me with a few weak smiles and a lack of any other strong emotion.
As Josie gets to know her group mates, she realizes that as far out as it sounds, they were all telling the truth! Not only is she now friends with a pack of supernatural creatures, she's also trying to uncover a mystery in the shelter where she's doing her community service; girls are going missing without a trace. Can Josie and the group of paranormal misfits find out the truth?
This book pulled me in from the very beginning, but as I read on I struggled with knowing what rating I would give it. I couldn't decide if this novel was hilarious or ridiculous (and believe me, it's a fine line), so I ended up rating it right in the middle.
Josie is likable enough--she gets points just for beating up her ex's car with a bat!--but I never really connected with her. The characterization wasn't very deep in this novel, and I think that's why I didn't connect with anyone. The relationship between Josie and Helios was pretty weak. As a matter of fact, it was more interesting to watch Johann the awkward vampire fawn all over Kayla. That, at least, was funny. The group was diverse but not intriguing as a whole.
The writing was trite at times, with Tarren the dyslexic faerie botching her speech, and Josie misunderstanding things often. Though I did enjoy when Tarren mixing up her words resulted in spells which did not work they way they were intended.
I figured out the ending about halfway into the book, so when it turned out as I expected it would, that was a bit of a disappointment for me. In my opinion, this was just a very "meh" book that just left me with a few weak smiles and a lack of any other strong emotion.
October 8, 2012
Josie Griffin had the perfect boyfriend, great best friends and was living the teenage dream as a popular high school cheerleader. Than she found her boyfriend kissing one of her BFFs - and found out the other supposed best friend knew and didn't say anything. So you can't really blame a girl for busting out his windshield...right? Except now she's court ordered to attend anger management therapy and do community service. Not so bad, except when she lands in a group where everyone believes they're a mythological creature. There's a vampire, a shapeshifter, a fairy, and what might be a Greek God. Then girls from the shelter that Josie is working off her community service at begin to disappear. It's up to Josie and her new friends to figure out what's going on, before it's too late for the girls that are still left. But can Josie fit in with these kids, even though she's just a human? This book started off very promising and I was laughing during the first few chapters, at Josie's fun personality and cheering for her continued strength. It didn't last. Josie stays consistently okay as a lead character, but is very shallow for the entirety of the book. She never undergoes any real character development and neither do any of the others, especially her love interest Helios. I felt like the more interesting characters in this were Tarren (the fairy) and Kayla (one of the girls from the shelter). It was very predictable, in a Saturday night B-movie kind of way. I smiled a few times, but overall I really did not connect with this one at all. The resolution to the mystery was very obvious throughout the whole book and it made me groan at the cliche of it all. A cute read, but nothing deeper below the surface.
VERDICT: 2.75/5 Stars
*I received this book as part of Around the World ARC Tours, run by the lovely Princess Bookie. No favors or money were exchanged for this review. It became available for purchase or at your local library on September 13th, 2012.*
VERDICT: 2.75/5 Stars
*I received this book as part of Around the World ARC Tours, run by the lovely Princess Bookie. No favors or money were exchanged for this review. It became available for purchase or at your local library on September 13th, 2012.*
Displaying 1 - 30 of 58 reviews