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Buffyverse Novels #10
Buffy the Vampire Slayer: How I Survived My Summer Vacation
A collection of short stories set during the summer after sophomore year at Sunnydale High.
When sophomore year ended with Buffy's defeat -- just barely -- of the Master, she headed off to spend the summer with her father in L.A. The theme was R&R, parties, and an occasional shopping spree. But things that go bump in the night don't take vacation. So Buffy's trying desperately to keep a lid on things in L.A. -- and to keep her secret identity from her father.
Meanwhile, back in Sunnydale, trouble keeps popping up in the darnedest places. Giles wants Willow and Xander to have a "normal" summer, so he and Jenny Calendar, whose budding romance is progressing to full bloom, attempt to stave off the forces of darkness sans Slayer and Slayerettes. And Angel, grappling with Buffy's brush with death, must decide: Does he want to be a more permanent member of the Scooby Gang?
Concerts. Picnics. The resurrection of an ancient monster or two. Just your typical fun in the sun.
When sophomore year ended with Buffy's defeat -- just barely -- of the Master, she headed off to spend the summer with her father in L.A. The theme was R&R, parties, and an occasional shopping spree. But things that go bump in the night don't take vacation. So Buffy's trying desperately to keep a lid on things in L.A. -- and to keep her secret identity from her father.
Meanwhile, back in Sunnydale, trouble keeps popping up in the darnedest places. Giles wants Willow and Xander to have a "normal" summer, so he and Jenny Calendar, whose budding romance is progressing to full bloom, attempt to stave off the forces of darkness sans Slayer and Slayerettes. And Angel, grappling with Buffy's brush with death, must decide: Does he want to be a more permanent member of the Scooby Gang?
Concerts. Picnics. The resurrection of an ancient monster or two. Just your typical fun in the sun.
273 pages, Library Binding
First published August 1, 2000
9 people are currently reading
649 people want to read
About the author
Nancy Holder
352 books2,407 followersNancy Holder, New York Times Bestselling author of the WICKED Series, has just published CRUSADE - the first book in a new vampire series cowritten with Debbie Viguie. The last book her her Possession series is set to release in March 2011.
Nancy was born in Los Altos, California, and her family settled for a time in Walnut Creek. Her father, who taught at Stanford, joined the navy and the family traveled throughout California and lived in Japan for three years. When she was sixteen, she dropped out of high school to become a ballet dancer in Cologne, Germany, and later relocated to Frankfurt Am Main.
Eventually she returned to California and graduated summa cum laude from the University of California at San Diego with a degree in Communications. Soon after, she began to write; her first sale was a young adult romance novel titled Teach Me to Love.
Nancy’s work has appeared on the New York Times, USA Today, LA Times, amazon.com, LOCUS, and other bestseller lists. A four-time winner of the Bram Stoker Award from the Horror Writers Association, she has also received accolades from the American Library Association, the American Reading Association, the New York Public Library, and Romantic Times.
She and Debbie Viguié co-authored the New York Times bestselling series Wicked for Simon and Schuster. They have continued their collaboration with the Crusade series, also for Simon and Schuster, and the Wolf Springs Chronicles for Delacorte (2011.) She is also the author of the young adult horror series Possessions for Razorbill. She has sold many novels and book projects set in the Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Angel, Saving Grace, Hellboy, and Smallville universes.
She has sold approximately two hundred short stories and essays on writing and popular culture. Her anthology, Outsiders, co-edited with Nancy Kilpatrick, was nominated for the Bram Stoker Award in 2005.
She teaches in the Stonecoast MFA in Creative Writing Program, offered through the University of Southern Maine. She has previously taught at UCSD and has served on the Clarion Board of Directors.
She lives in San Diego, California, with her daughter Belle, their two Corgis, Panda and Tater; and their cats, David and Kittnen Snow. She and Belle are active in Girl Scouts and dog obedience training.
Nancy was born in Los Altos, California, and her family settled for a time in Walnut Creek. Her father, who taught at Stanford, joined the navy and the family traveled throughout California and lived in Japan for three years. When she was sixteen, she dropped out of high school to become a ballet dancer in Cologne, Germany, and later relocated to Frankfurt Am Main.
Eventually she returned to California and graduated summa cum laude from the University of California at San Diego with a degree in Communications. Soon after, she began to write; her first sale was a young adult romance novel titled Teach Me to Love.
Nancy’s work has appeared on the New York Times, USA Today, LA Times, amazon.com, LOCUS, and other bestseller lists. A four-time winner of the Bram Stoker Award from the Horror Writers Association, she has also received accolades from the American Library Association, the American Reading Association, the New York Public Library, and Romantic Times.
She and Debbie Viguié co-authored the New York Times bestselling series Wicked for Simon and Schuster. They have continued their collaboration with the Crusade series, also for Simon and Schuster, and the Wolf Springs Chronicles for Delacorte (2011.) She is also the author of the young adult horror series Possessions for Razorbill. She has sold many novels and book projects set in the Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Angel, Saving Grace, Hellboy, and Smallville universes.
She has sold approximately two hundred short stories and essays on writing and popular culture. Her anthology, Outsiders, co-edited with Nancy Kilpatrick, was nominated for the Bram Stoker Award in 2005.
She teaches in the Stonecoast MFA in Creative Writing Program, offered through the University of Southern Maine. She has previously taught at UCSD and has served on the Clarion Board of Directors.
She lives in San Diego, California, with her daughter Belle, their two Corgis, Panda and Tater; and their cats, David and Kittnen Snow. She and Belle are active in Girl Scouts and dog obedience training.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 35 reviews
March 24, 2023
This is an unusual anthology of six Buffy the Vampire Slayer stories, as it attempts to fill in what the Scoobies were up to in between television seasons. It's prominently labeled "Vol. 1" but it's the only one they published so it must not have been too successful. I believe the first story was the best, Dust by Michelle West, which shows Buffy in Los Angeles with her father for the summer. I also liked some of the team-ups that were forced by Buffy's absence, particularly Angel-Giles-&-Jenny in tales by Cameron Dokey, Yvonne Navarro, and Nancy Holder. The concluding story is another good one, The Show Must Go On by Paul Ruditis, as Willow and Xander reach for theatrical stardom. Cordelia is pictured with the group on the cover, but never shows up for action. Pocket doesn't credit an editor anywhere on the book. It was a good idea for auxiliary adventures for the show, and it's a shame they didn't pursue it.
April 17, 2016
Note, April 16, 2016: I've just edited this review to correct a factual error which I discovered had crept in due to my relative unfamiliarity with the series.
I saw and liked the movie Buffy the Vampire Slayer, which inspired the TV series of the same name; and while I was never a hardcore fan of the series (I don't watch enough TV to be a hardcore fan of anything!), when it was syndicated in this area several years ago I used to watch scattered episodes whenever I could, and mostly liked what I saw. So when I had a chance to pick up this spin-off collection of short stories at a yard sale some years ago, I did. Finding myself between novels recently, I picked it up as a fill-in read, frankly not expecting a lot from it. The quality of the stories was a pleasant surprise (though more in the four and 1/2 star range --but I rounded up).
My theory of the life cycle of TV programs, based on several examples, runs like this: show starts with a good premise and good execution and gets loyal fans; a few seasons in (usually), the producers decide to forestall possible fan boredom by introducing increasingly far-out over-arching plot arcs that take the series away from its original basic concept; as fan loyalty slips (because they're no longer getting what originally attracted them), the producers apply more and more of the supposed corrective course; and finally the series expires. From what I could see, this happened with Buffy. Fortunately for my reading enjoyment, these stories are set in the summer between the show's first and second seasons, picking up immediately after the finale (which I actually never saw) of Season 1, in which Buffy defeated and destroyed the Master Vampire, Johann Heinrich Nest (but not before being herself clinically dead for a couple of minutes after he tried to drown her). The five authors of the six stories (Cameron Dokey contributed two) are all series fans and all professional writers of genre, YA and spin-off fiction. (Paul Ruditis, at the time, had the least writing experience, though his first novel was awaiting publication.) They were aware of each others' work, and the stories fit into a framework, but are also basically self-contained.
The tone and content of the stories reflects that of the early series episodes, as I remember them, and the characters incarnate their TV counterparts very faithfully. Two stories follow Buffy, spending the summer with her dad in L.A. (her parents are divorcing); the other four follow Buffy's Watcher, Rupert Giles, his romantic interest Jenny Calendar, Angel, Willow and Xander as they hold the fort in Sunnydale. Like the series, some of these stories have certain internal credibility problems: a 16-year-old Slayer mixing secret vampire fighting with high school is probably not a situation a real Watcher's Council fighting real vampires, if they existed, would accept; Sunnydale has inconsistent characteristics of both a small town and a large metropolis, which sit uneasily with each other and don't make for the greatest verisimilitude; and there are aspects of the plotting, especially in the last two stories, that don't stand examination very well. But the stories all feature supernatural challenges and jeopardies with meaningful consequences, affecting characters that you care about and who have to reach inside themselves for the courage and strength to overcome in the situations; their interpersonal dynamics are affecting; and the evocative prose in some stories, notably Michelle West's "Dust," can have unexpected emotional depth. The book also offers at least one jaw-dropping surprise, and some moments of real tension (as well as a leaven of humor in places).
"Dust" is probably my favorite of the stories (even though the dynamics of exactly how the underlying supernatural situation works are never really explained); beyond its effectiveness as supernatural fiction, it gives a poignant look at the pains a culture of divorce can inflict on today's families. A close second is "No Place Like..." with its masterful use of actual Mexican folklore surrounding the Day of the Dead. Nancy Holder's "Absalom Rising" evokes the darkest feeling of supernatural menace of any of the stories.
In terms of texture --explaining the web of relationships, describing the settings, and delineating the characters-- the writers here largely presuppose that the readers have watched Season 1 of the series and are fans; they clearly assume the familiarity this group would already have. However, those who just enjoy good supernatural short fiction, without really being familiar with the series, could still enjoy the collection on those terms. But a knowledge of the series enhances the read. (It can also impart a bittersweet quality in places, knowing what became of certain characters and relationships.) For me as a librarian, I'd have to say that seeing Giles front and center for a change in several stories was satisfying; it's nice to see the inherently heroic qualities of librarians save the day!
I saw and liked the movie Buffy the Vampire Slayer, which inspired the TV series of the same name; and while I was never a hardcore fan of the series (I don't watch enough TV to be a hardcore fan of anything!), when it was syndicated in this area several years ago I used to watch scattered episodes whenever I could, and mostly liked what I saw. So when I had a chance to pick up this spin-off collection of short stories at a yard sale some years ago, I did. Finding myself between novels recently, I picked it up as a fill-in read, frankly not expecting a lot from it. The quality of the stories was a pleasant surprise (though more in the four and 1/2 star range --but I rounded up).
My theory of the life cycle of TV programs, based on several examples, runs like this: show starts with a good premise and good execution and gets loyal fans; a few seasons in (usually), the producers decide to forestall possible fan boredom by introducing increasingly far-out over-arching plot arcs that take the series away from its original basic concept; as fan loyalty slips (because they're no longer getting what originally attracted them), the producers apply more and more of the supposed corrective course; and finally the series expires. From what I could see, this happened with Buffy. Fortunately for my reading enjoyment, these stories are set in the summer between the show's first and second seasons, picking up immediately after the finale (which I actually never saw) of Season 1, in which Buffy defeated and destroyed the Master Vampire, Johann Heinrich Nest (but not before being herself clinically dead for a couple of minutes after he tried to drown her). The five authors of the six stories (Cameron Dokey contributed two) are all series fans and all professional writers of genre, YA and spin-off fiction. (Paul Ruditis, at the time, had the least writing experience, though his first novel was awaiting publication.) They were aware of each others' work, and the stories fit into a framework, but are also basically self-contained.
The tone and content of the stories reflects that of the early series episodes, as I remember them, and the characters incarnate their TV counterparts very faithfully. Two stories follow Buffy, spending the summer with her dad in L.A. (her parents are divorcing); the other four follow Buffy's Watcher, Rupert Giles, his romantic interest Jenny Calendar, Angel, Willow and Xander as they hold the fort in Sunnydale. Like the series, some of these stories have certain internal credibility problems: a 16-year-old Slayer mixing secret vampire fighting with high school is probably not a situation a real Watcher's Council fighting real vampires, if they existed, would accept; Sunnydale has inconsistent characteristics of both a small town and a large metropolis, which sit uneasily with each other and don't make for the greatest verisimilitude; and there are aspects of the plotting, especially in the last two stories, that don't stand examination very well. But the stories all feature supernatural challenges and jeopardies with meaningful consequences, affecting characters that you care about and who have to reach inside themselves for the courage and strength to overcome in the situations; their interpersonal dynamics are affecting; and the evocative prose in some stories, notably Michelle West's "Dust," can have unexpected emotional depth. The book also offers at least one jaw-dropping surprise, and some moments of real tension (as well as a leaven of humor in places).
"Dust" is probably my favorite of the stories (even though the dynamics of exactly how the underlying supernatural situation works are never really explained); beyond its effectiveness as supernatural fiction, it gives a poignant look at the pains a culture of divorce can inflict on today's families. A close second is "No Place Like..." with its masterful use of actual Mexican folklore surrounding the Day of the Dead. Nancy Holder's "Absalom Rising" evokes the darkest feeling of supernatural menace of any of the stories.
In terms of texture --explaining the web of relationships, describing the settings, and delineating the characters-- the writers here largely presuppose that the readers have watched Season 1 of the series and are fans; they clearly assume the familiarity this group would already have. However, those who just enjoy good supernatural short fiction, without really being familiar with the series, could still enjoy the collection on those terms. But a knowledge of the series enhances the read. (It can also impart a bittersweet quality in places, knowing what became of certain characters and relationships.) For me as a librarian, I'd have to say that seeing Giles front and center for a change in several stories was satisfying; it's nice to see the inherently heroic qualities of librarians save the day!
March 14, 2018
Two of these were terrible, two were ok, and the first one was good.
Oh wait there were six.
Three of these were terrible.
Anyway, the title of this says "Volume 1" but they never made a Volume 2 so I guess that's all you need to know.
Oh wait there were six.
Three of these were terrible.
Anyway, the title of this says "Volume 1" but they never made a Volume 2 so I guess that's all you need to know.
April 1, 2019
Review to come.
May 3, 2019
DNF at around 75%
This is a collection of short stories with chapters alternating between Buffy's POV and the POV of Giles/Jenny/Angel/Willow and/or Xander. It is set straight after season 1 ends - so where Buffy dies at the hands of the master and the book touches on her dealing with her (short) death while on holiday in LA with her Dad and the rest of the gang dealing with the shapeshifters and ghouls wrecking havoc in her absence back in Sunnydale.
I have tried desperately to get into these books as I adore the series and I thought these would be a nice way to reminiscence. Maybe it was because this book read (in part) like really bad fan fic (no Whedon magic here) or whether it was because it was a collection of 6 different short stories so no real time to go into character/storyline development or maybe it was because there were several different authors involved and some of the writing I liked (the Giles-Jenny one), but some of the other writing was (to me) pretty poor/boring with the characters barely resembling their online persona.
All I know is I got to about 75% and thought I can not read another page of this as I have too many other books that I want to read. For some-one who is OCD about finishing every book she starts...that is saying a lot.....
This is a collection of short stories with chapters alternating between Buffy's POV and the POV of Giles/Jenny/Angel/Willow and/or Xander. It is set straight after season 1 ends - so where Buffy dies at the hands of the master and the book touches on her dealing with her (short) death while on holiday in LA with her Dad and the rest of the gang dealing with the shapeshifters and ghouls wrecking havoc in her absence back in Sunnydale.
I have tried desperately to get into these books as I adore the series and I thought these would be a nice way to reminiscence. Maybe it was because this book read (in part) like really bad fan fic (no Whedon magic here) or whether it was because it was a collection of 6 different short stories so no real time to go into character/storyline development or maybe it was because there were several different authors involved and some of the writing I liked (the Giles-Jenny one), but some of the other writing was (to me) pretty poor/boring with the characters barely resembling their online persona.
All I know is I got to about 75% and thought I can not read another page of this as I have too many other books that I want to read. For some-one who is OCD about finishing every book she starts...that is saying a lot.....
January 4, 2026
This selection of short stories have been the better of the few Buffy novels I have read thus far.
The final story really brought the rating down, Giles stabbing a vampire with a prop knife, surely he would know it would be rubber, our Giles is smarter than that.
I loved the lack of Buffy, it filled in a few gaps for me between S1 and S2.
The final story really brought the rating down, Giles stabbing a vampire with a prop knife, surely he would know it would be rubber, our Giles is smarter than that.
I loved the lack of Buffy, it filled in a few gaps for me between S1 and S2.
September 19, 2011
I have to say this is one of my more favorite novels of the Buffyverse. It's set in the time frame between season one and two, when all the characters are on summer vacation. Buffy is in L.A. with her dad throughout the story. Then it also switches back to Sunnydale and deals with the Scoobies side of their summer, including Angel too.
It's defiantly a book for those that want those gaps filled in that wasn't fully explained in the show about what really happened to everyone once the Master was killed and how everyone handled it thereafter.
A real treat for a true Buffy fan!
It's defiantly a book for those that want those gaps filled in that wasn't fully explained in the show about what really happened to everyone once the Master was killed and how everyone handled it thereafter.
A real treat for a true Buffy fan!
April 23, 2020
In terms of plot, I enjoyed all of these immensely. The writers graced us with two stories set in L.A. with Buffy as she visits her dad for the summer, and we get 4 stories about what is going on in Sunnydale. Buffy knows nothing of what the Sunnydale group is doing while she's away, and only Giles knows what she is facing in L.A.
It must be mentioned that when I say the Sunnydale Gang, what I really mean is Giles, Jenny, and Angel. The short story set did a good job of having those three intentionally leave Xander and Willow out of the loop on the monster happenings in town so that they could enjoy their summer, which means they were not really lying to Buffy in 2x01 "When She Was Bad" when they said the summer had been quiet when it came to monster activity. As far as those two knew, it was.
The reasons I gave the book only three stars are the following:
1) Angel's voice was missing completely from these stories. Half of the time, they made it seem as though Angel had no idea how demons apart from vampires operate. While I doubt he knows about all of them, they had him asking questions that a 242 year old vampire should have little need to ask. I mean, he has seriously never come across zombies before? I don't buy that for a second. I realize that you need characters to ask questions to help drive exposition, but having Angel be the one to ask certain questions in these stories just made him sound rather dumb.
2) In order to build drama, they make it so that Angel and Giles don't really get along or trust each other. They seemed to have no problem talking alone in a room multiple times in s01, but after Angel saves Giles' life numerous times over the last few episodes of s01, Angel is somehow untrustworthy because Buffy is out of town?... It felt like they needed a way to build character for the two of them, and so they shoe horned in a conflict that never existed in the visual canon. A+ on the contentious relationship between Angel and Xander though.
3) I feel like the final story character-assassinated Xander for no reason. They made him seem like a total fuddy duddy who needs help doing basic tasks. By the time this book was written, Xander was already established as a construction worker on the show, and not only that, but he was a damn good one. Having it be that only three years earlier he apparently dropped anything people put in his hands just didn't seem accurate to me. I get that he was not supposed to be the smartest or strongest in the gang, but the way they wrote all the other characters aside from Willow as basically thinking of him as disposable really pissed me off. Cos while Giles found his inappropriately timed jokes annoying, the show never left me feeling as though Giles saw the boy as an afterthought. These stories did made me feel that way though.
P.S. This book was originally entitled How I Survived My Summer Vacation, Vol. 1 and I thought for years they were going to release at least a second volume. After ten years, I removed my clown costume and moved on with my life.
It must be mentioned that when I say the Sunnydale Gang, what I really mean is Giles, Jenny, and Angel. The short story set did a good job of having those three intentionally leave Xander and Willow out of the loop on the monster happenings in town so that they could enjoy their summer, which means they were not really lying to Buffy in 2x01 "When She Was Bad" when they said the summer had been quiet when it came to monster activity. As far as those two knew, it was.
The reasons I gave the book only three stars are the following:
1) Angel's voice was missing completely from these stories. Half of the time, they made it seem as though Angel had no idea how demons apart from vampires operate. While I doubt he knows about all of them, they had him asking questions that a 242 year old vampire should have little need to ask. I mean, he has seriously never come across zombies before? I don't buy that for a second. I realize that you need characters to ask questions to help drive exposition, but having Angel be the one to ask certain questions in these stories just made him sound rather dumb.
2) In order to build drama, they make it so that Angel and Giles don't really get along or trust each other. They seemed to have no problem talking alone in a room multiple times in s01, but after Angel saves Giles' life numerous times over the last few episodes of s01, Angel is somehow untrustworthy because Buffy is out of town?... It felt like they needed a way to build character for the two of them, and so they shoe horned in a conflict that never existed in the visual canon. A+ on the contentious relationship between Angel and Xander though.
3) I feel like the final story character-assassinated Xander for no reason. They made him seem like a total fuddy duddy who needs help doing basic tasks. By the time this book was written, Xander was already established as a construction worker on the show, and not only that, but he was a damn good one. Having it be that only three years earlier he apparently dropped anything people put in his hands just didn't seem accurate to me. I get that he was not supposed to be the smartest or strongest in the gang, but the way they wrote all the other characters aside from Willow as basically thinking of him as disposable really pissed me off. Cos while Giles found his inappropriately timed jokes annoying, the show never left me feeling as though Giles saw the boy as an afterthought. These stories did made me feel that way though.
P.S. This book was originally entitled How I Survived My Summer Vacation, Vol. 1 and I thought for years they were going to release at least a second volume. After ten years, I removed my clown costume and moved on with my life.
February 1, 2024
This book started off strong - honestly probably one of the strongest, if not THE strongest, Buffy novel I've read so far.
The first story was a really lovely and touching rumination on grief and processing trauma, and honestly did perfectly what the show manages to do, which is to combine fun supernatural with real-life issues.
Following this story, it seemed like we were headed for almost a mini 6-part season of Buffy; there was a recurring villain, but each story was also self-contained. There was also quite a nice split between having stories focused on the recurring villain in Sunnydale, and Buffy dealing with her own drama in LA. Unfortunately then the last two stories were set in Sunnydale but seemed to forget about the idea of the recurring villain, and instead were just two incredibly mediocre stories about Giles, Jenny and Angel forming some bizarre vigilante team.
So honestly, 5 stars for the first story, 4-and-a-bit stars for stories 2-4, and then 3 stars for the last two.
The first story was a really lovely and touching rumination on grief and processing trauma, and honestly did perfectly what the show manages to do, which is to combine fun supernatural with real-life issues.
Following this story, it seemed like we were headed for almost a mini 6-part season of Buffy; there was a recurring villain, but each story was also self-contained. There was also quite a nice split between having stories focused on the recurring villain in Sunnydale, and Buffy dealing with her own drama in LA. Unfortunately then the last two stories were set in Sunnydale but seemed to forget about the idea of the recurring villain, and instead were just two incredibly mediocre stories about Giles, Jenny and Angel forming some bizarre vigilante team.
So honestly, 5 stars for the first story, 4-and-a-bit stars for stories 2-4, and then 3 stars for the last two.
July 4, 2017
This is an entertaining collection of short stories that, as the title suggests, was supposed to show us what the Buffy/Scooby Gang did during the Summer after the Master was eliminated. There are six stories,and as the cover shows six characters, I assumed that each person would get one story.Not so. In fact Cordelia gets nothing. After Buffy goes to LA to stay with her Dad, a couple of the stories tied together, and than that stopped. I think that this collection could have been handled in a better manner. My two favorites involved Giles and Jenny, and were on the humorous side. All in all, the stories were enjoyable, but the authors should have been better directed in the purpose of the total collection. This explains why no editor is credited.
February 22, 2024
You can’t forget that Buffy has the whole Scooby gang, so it was interesting to see what they got up to when the story didn’t revolve around Buffy.
I appreciated the fact that four stories, despite being written by different people, came together to create a full story of Buffy being away for the summer. I enjoyed every story, I’d say the final one was my least favourite, but I really enjoyed seeing what Xander, Willow, Giles, Angel and Jenny got up to and how they navigated Sunnydale without the Slayer.
I don’t understand why Cordelia’s picture is on the front though but she’s mentioned once in the books (and not an action party either). Despite this, great book, would highly recommend as a filler between Seasons 1 and 2.
I appreciated the fact that four stories, despite being written by different people, came together to create a full story of Buffy being away for the summer. I enjoyed every story, I’d say the final one was my least favourite, but I really enjoyed seeing what Xander, Willow, Giles, Angel and Jenny got up to and how they navigated Sunnydale without the Slayer.
I don’t understand why Cordelia’s picture is on the front though but she’s mentioned once in the books (and not an action party either). Despite this, great book, would highly recommend as a filler between Seasons 1 and 2.
June 30, 2021
Mixed bag is probably the most fitting analogy in describing this series of Buffy the Vampire Slayer stories; two that were good, three that were OK and one that was just absolutely abysmal!
Dust by Michelle West. GRADE: B+
Absalom Rising by Nancy Holder. GRADE: C+
Looks Can Kill by Cameron Dokey. GRADE: C
No Place Like Home by C. Dokey. GRADE: C+
Uncle Dead and the 4th July
by Yvonne Navarro GRADE: D-
The Show Must Go On by Paul Ruditis.
GRADE B+
Sidenote: not entirely sure why Cordelia Chase was placed on the book cover as she is not featured in any of the stories. Jenny Calendar is featured prominently though and receives no cover pic.
Dust by Michelle West. GRADE: B+
Absalom Rising by Nancy Holder. GRADE: C+
Looks Can Kill by Cameron Dokey. GRADE: C
No Place Like Home by C. Dokey. GRADE: C+
Uncle Dead and the 4th July
by Yvonne Navarro GRADE: D-
The Show Must Go On by Paul Ruditis.
GRADE B+
Sidenote: not entirely sure why Cordelia Chase was placed on the book cover as she is not featured in any of the stories. Jenny Calendar is featured prominently though and receives no cover pic.
November 21, 2023
This short story collection takes place after Buffer gets better from being dead and goes to stay with her dad during the summer. Life goes on in Sunnydale, particularly the undead life, so the scooby gang do what they must to survive. Buffy also has to keep up her day job where she's staying.
I nice collection of stories that follows most of the main characters from season 1. A nice read, if not particularly meaty.
I nice collection of stories that follows most of the main characters from season 1. A nice read, if not particularly meaty.
March 7, 2021
It was good to find out what Buffy and the gang were doing during the summer break between seasons one and two. I'd like more focus on the Buffy side of things in LA instead of all that stuff about Giles and Jenny, but overall a fun read. I especially liked the early story about the fight for the Master's bones - a nice callback to When She Was Bad. Dem bones, dem bones...
August 4, 2021
This was a collection of five short stories taking place during the summer after Buffy season one, and I think only two of the stories even had Buffy in them? The rest were about Giles, Jenny, Angel, Willow, and Xander. The stories were just okay and didn't really hold my attention, so I don't think I'll be reading more of these books.
June 28, 2023
Great collection of short stories of what could've happened between season 1 and 2.
The best ones are the Buffy ones, because they deal with her trauma of dying. But pairing up Angel and Giles is really fun as well. And for those who like Giles and Jenny this is a bit extra material for that ship.
Fun and easy summer read.
The best ones are the Buffy ones, because they deal with her trauma of dying. But pairing up Angel and Giles is really fun as well. And for those who like Giles and Jenny this is a bit extra material for that ship.
Fun and easy summer read.
November 21, 2023
Very enjoyable! Ever wonder what was going on with our beloved Buffy characters in between seasons? This collection of short stories takes place the summer between sophomore and junior year. We follow Buffy’s adventures as she spends the summer in LA with her dad and learn what’s happening in Sunnydale while the scooby gang guards the Hellmouth. Easy read and fun stories.
August 29, 2023
Something about Xander being so incompetent as a spotlight operator that he accidentally kills a vampire is so chef’s kiss.
Minus one star for not enough Cordy. Show me what my girl was doing on her luxurious vacay.
Minus one star for not enough Cordy. Show me what my girl was doing on her luxurious vacay.
January 30, 2018
fail on all fronts.
August 29, 2020
Dust by Michelle West 4 stars
Absalom Rising by Nancy Holder 3 stars
Looks Can Kill by Cameron Dokey 2 stars
No Place Like Home... by Cameron Dokey 3 stars
Uncle Dead and the Fourth of July by Yvonne Navarro 3 stars
The Show Must Go On by Paul Ruditis 3 stars
Absalom Rising by Nancy Holder 3 stars
Looks Can Kill by Cameron Dokey 2 stars
No Place Like Home... by Cameron Dokey 3 stars
Uncle Dead and the Fourth of July by Yvonne Navarro 3 stars
The Show Must Go On by Paul Ruditis 3 stars
September 25, 2020
Great stories about the adventures of the Slayerettes while Buffy is in LA
November 5, 2020
The shapeshifter story would have made a good episode!
April 3, 2024
I enjoyed these short stories set between seasons 1 and 2. I'm glad that this collection got published later on so that the authors could make their stories as accurate as possible.
September 23, 2024
I wanted to like them, but found them all pretty disappointing :(
November 21, 2024
giles and jenny were everything to me in this
December 12, 2024
Not amazing. A bunch of short stories that got progressively worse. Too much Jenny and Giles and not enough Buffy, for me!
September 26, 2016
This is a short story collection about the summer in between seasons 1 and 2 of Buffy. During this summer (according to the book) Buffy went to Los Angeles with her dad for a few months while Angel, Jenny, Giles, Xander and Willow are left behind to keep Sunnydale safe. The book benefits from having the framing device and all the stories take place in chronological order, although compared to the Tales of the Slayer short story collections, this book lacks a real stand out great story. Here's what I thought of the individual stories:
Dust by Michelle West - A story about Buffy spending the summer in LA with her dad and the aftermath of her own death and battle with the master; Buffy also has visions of death for whomever she touches. Not much holds up here continuity wise with the series (relationship with dad, Master's resurrection, Joyce's future death) and all the dream sequences sapped any urgency or threat of danger. 2 out of 5.
Absalom Rising by Nancy Holder - Angel, Giles, Willow, Xander and Jenny Calendar try to figure out what to do with the Master's bones while the anointed one and new vampire Absalom try to recover them. The bones story line ended up being resolved better in the show, and this installment at worst contradicts and at best doesn't really add anything to what's canon. 3.5/5
Looks Can Kill by Cameron Dokey - Giles, Angel and Ms. Calendar team up to thwart a shapeshifter. This felt like a nice season one bad guy of the week episode. 4 out of 5
No Place Like... By Cameron Dokey - Buffy helps a fortune teller reunite with her dead daughter while setting a spirit to rest. Definitely not as good as the ghost episode of Buffy and felt rushed in the final confrontation. 3 out of 5
Uncle Dead and the Fourth of July by Yvonne Navarro - Giles, Jenny and Angel must deal with an army of zombies resurrected during a 4th of July parade. With one episode of Buffy devoted to Zombies, plus another whole novelization this felt very unnecessary. 2 out of 5
The Show Must Go On by Paul Ruditis - Xander and Willow are working on a traveling theater production when a series of theatrical themed murders occur. Coincidence? I think not. Still this was the most fun entry in the book as the backstage murdering requires last minute improvisations by the stage crew. 4.5/5
Dust by Michelle West - A story about Buffy spending the summer in LA with her dad and the aftermath of her own death and battle with the master; Buffy also has visions of death for whomever she touches. Not much holds up here continuity wise with the series (relationship with dad, Master's resurrection, Joyce's future death) and all the dream sequences sapped any urgency or threat of danger. 2 out of 5.
Absalom Rising by Nancy Holder - Angel, Giles, Willow, Xander and Jenny Calendar try to figure out what to do with the Master's bones while the anointed one and new vampire Absalom try to recover them. The bones story line ended up being resolved better in the show, and this installment at worst contradicts and at best doesn't really add anything to what's canon. 3.5/5
Looks Can Kill by Cameron Dokey - Giles, Angel and Ms. Calendar team up to thwart a shapeshifter. This felt like a nice season one bad guy of the week episode. 4 out of 5
No Place Like... By Cameron Dokey - Buffy helps a fortune teller reunite with her dead daughter while setting a spirit to rest. Definitely not as good as the ghost episode of Buffy and felt rushed in the final confrontation. 3 out of 5
Uncle Dead and the Fourth of July by Yvonne Navarro - Giles, Jenny and Angel must deal with an army of zombies resurrected during a 4th of July parade. With one episode of Buffy devoted to Zombies, plus another whole novelization this felt very unnecessary. 2 out of 5
The Show Must Go On by Paul Ruditis - Xander and Willow are working on a traveling theater production when a series of theatrical themed murders occur. Coincidence? I think not. Still this was the most fun entry in the book as the backstage murdering requires last minute improvisations by the stage crew. 4.5/5
May 13, 2015
How I survived My Summer Vacation by Nancy Holder takes the reader into depth of every hard core Buffy Fan. This story was based off of the imagination of this amazing author on what happens between season 1 and 2 of the hit TV series. Buffy Summers is taking a break from all of the walking demons and vamps' for a while to enjoy some sunny days with her father in LA. But duty always calls for the scooby gang. After the recent death of "The Master", his followers and the anointed one have to figure out how to revive him with his bones. The team must get to the bones first and bury it in sacred ground that burn the touch of a Vampire. The vampire Angel is also trying to figure out if he should join the scoobies and decipher his feelings for the Slayer. This story was immensely amazing and soothes any fans' curiosity. I wish however, that we got to see more into Willow's perspective on the "battle for bones" and how it is dealing with spending summer without her best friend. I think I enjoyed the part where Angel and Giles have an argument on whereabouts with Willow explaining both of their wrongness. I suggest this to any Buffy Fan who wants to know more about the fandom.
January 28, 2016
A nice collection of short stories inspired by the TV Series and set between the 1st and 2nd season.
Since I don't normally write reviews unless I have something specific to say, here's the break down of how I rate my books...
1 star... This book was bad, so bad I may have given up and skipped to the end. I will avoid this author like the plague in the future.
2 stars... This book was not very good, and I won't be reading any more from the author.
3 stars... This book was ok, but I won't go out of my way to read more, But if I find another book by the author for under a dollar I'd pick it up.
4 stars... I really enjoyed this book and will definitely be on the look out to pick up more from the series/author.
5 stars... I loved this book! It has earned a permanent home in my collection and I'll be picking up the rest of the series and other books from the author ASAP.
Since I don't normally write reviews unless I have something specific to say, here's the break down of how I rate my books...
1 star... This book was bad, so bad I may have given up and skipped to the end. I will avoid this author like the plague in the future.
2 stars... This book was not very good, and I won't be reading any more from the author.
3 stars... This book was ok, but I won't go out of my way to read more, But if I find another book by the author for under a dollar I'd pick it up.
4 stars... I really enjoyed this book and will definitely be on the look out to pick up more from the series/author.
5 stars... I loved this book! It has earned a permanent home in my collection and I'll be picking up the rest of the series and other books from the author ASAP.
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