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Demon Underground #1
Bite Me
An edgy book for teens that spans the gap between YA and adult fiction.
Life after high school is tough enough without having to go 15 rounds with your inner demon.
Val Shapiro is just your ordinary, part-demon, teenaged vampire hunter with a Texas drawl. And a pet hellhound named Fang. Soon enough she finds herself deep in the underbelly of the city, discovering the secrets of the Demon Underground and fighting to save those she loves. Whether they love her back or not.
260 pages, Kindle Edition
First published September 30, 2008
175 people are currently reading
4340 people want to read
About the author
Parker Blue
15 books323 followersWho is Parker Blue? Well, I live in Colorado Springs with my dog, who bears an uncanny resemblance to Val's part-hellhound mutt, Fang.
I hate writing bios so that's all you're gonna get. Okay, okay. Instead of more boring bio stuff, how about some of my likes and dislikes?
Stuff I love, in no particular order:
- The color red—a bright, orange-red just makes me happy.
- Shiny things. I must have been a magpie in a previous life.
- Making shiny things. Love to bead!
- Dogs—they love you unconditionally and are great at stress relief.
- Numbers. So sue me—I love math. It always makes sense.
- Chocolate. Come on, that's a no-brainer.
- The mountains of Colorado. Their awe-tastic beauty is good for the soul.
- Diet Coke. What can I say? I'm addicted.
- Reading. Escaping into a cool new world someone created out of their imagination? It doesn't get much better than that.
- Oh, yeah. And writing. Making up my own world out of random bits of my twisted psyche is the best!
Things I'm not so crazy about, besides the obvious things everyone hates (war, pestilence, famine, you know the drill):
- Blogs that dis other people. What's up with that?
- Going to the dentist. Need I say more?
- Politics. Big yawn.
- Television shows that ask people do stupid things for money then make fun of them.
- Seafood. Ick. Just...ick.
- Yard work. I need lawn gnomes!
- Writing bios. Enough already!
As for the drawings...no, they don't really resemble me much, but this is what I figure Parker Blue ought to look like, kind of geek chic. Torie Fox drew them for me—isn't she fabulous?
I hate writing bios so that's all you're gonna get. Okay, okay. Instead of more boring bio stuff, how about some of my likes and dislikes?
Stuff I love, in no particular order:
- The color red—a bright, orange-red just makes me happy.
- Shiny things. I must have been a magpie in a previous life.
- Making shiny things. Love to bead!
- Dogs—they love you unconditionally and are great at stress relief.
- Numbers. So sue me—I love math. It always makes sense.
- Chocolate. Come on, that's a no-brainer.
- The mountains of Colorado. Their awe-tastic beauty is good for the soul.
- Diet Coke. What can I say? I'm addicted.
- Reading. Escaping into a cool new world someone created out of their imagination? It doesn't get much better than that.
- Oh, yeah. And writing. Making up my own world out of random bits of my twisted psyche is the best!
Things I'm not so crazy about, besides the obvious things everyone hates (war, pestilence, famine, you know the drill):
- Blogs that dis other people. What's up with that?
- Going to the dentist. Need I say more?
- Politics. Big yawn.
- Television shows that ask people do stupid things for money then make fun of them.
- Seafood. Ick. Just...ick.
- Yard work. I need lawn gnomes!
- Writing bios. Enough already!
As for the drawings...no, they don't really resemble me much, but this is what I figure Parker Blue ought to look like, kind of geek chic. Torie Fox drew them for me—isn't she fabulous?
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 364 reviews
April 5, 2011
Hi! My name is Val and I'm a kickarse Vampire hunter with a heart of gold. I protect the people I love even though they often hurt me.
[image error]
Excuse the terribly hideous picture, I haven't put my lip gloss on yet!
My nickname against the Vamps is The Slayer. I work for the police. My partner is an honourable, nice guy (kind of like he was corn fed in Iowa or something) who struggles with my supernatural side.
[image error]
He also resembles the only love interest in Buffy that people universally agree should have died a painful, painful death. Also, nobody liked him.
My sister is a real pain in the ass. She wants to get in on the vampire slaying scene but she's just a regular kid who's a bit of a brat and only ends up causing more trouble.
But she has nice boobs so we keep her around...
People and characters have a tendency of showing up out of nowhere, providing me with exactly what I need for no real reason and seem to exist only to further the very manufactured plot of my life.
I hope you'll read my story. It's very interesting and COMPLETELY unpredictable! I bet you've never read anything like it. Ever.
Even though something COMPLETELY amazing and awesome seems to be missing from my life.
[image error]
I can't be certain but I'm pretty sure it looks something like this!
Let me know if you find it.
Love,
Val
[image error]
Excuse the terribly hideous picture, I haven't put my lip gloss on yet!
My nickname against the Vamps is The Slayer. I work for the police. My partner is an honourable, nice guy (kind of like he was corn fed in Iowa or something) who struggles with my supernatural side.
[image error]
He also resembles the only love interest in Buffy that people universally agree should have died a painful, painful death. Also, nobody liked him.
My sister is a real pain in the ass. She wants to get in on the vampire slaying scene but she's just a regular kid who's a bit of a brat and only ends up causing more trouble.
But she has nice boobs so we keep her around...
People and characters have a tendency of showing up out of nowhere, providing me with exactly what I need for no real reason and seem to exist only to further the very manufactured plot of my life.
I hope you'll read my story. It's very interesting and COMPLETELY unpredictable! I bet you've never read anything like it. Ever.
Even though something COMPLETELY amazing and awesome seems to be missing from my life.
[image error]
I can't be certain but I'm pretty sure it looks something like this!
Let me know if you find it.
Love,
Val
March 19, 2018
Val Shapiro is on vampire stake-out. Killing vampires is not only a public service, but the violence gives her temporary respite from her internal sex-demon, Lola. Which is weird, because I call mine 'Lola' too, only my Lola is a sugar-demon. Lola is is the reason Val is strong and super-fast and able to kill vampires. I realized this is what my English teacher termed an ALLEGORY, and now I'm sucked into reading a book about a young woman discovering her sexuality, and I can see we are already off to a banner start.
Despite precautions to remain hidden, a cop witnesses Val saving some chump and killing a vampire. But it's okay that he saw, because he's a member of the area Special Crimes Unit and does the same thing, only without the sex demon. The vampire disposal is also witnessed by Little Sister Stow-away, who is hoping to be just like big (half) sister, only she doesn't have a sex-demon. Unfortunately, Val and Sister's mom is seriously upset when they return home, so mom asks Val to move out, along with firing her from the family bookstore, all under the guise of protecting younger sister.
Because that always works out. [eyeroll]
Val walks around the city, despondent, and meets a special dog THAT TALKS IN HER HEAD. I'm absolutely predisposed to like most dogs, except that not only is this one a terrier mix, but he TALKS ALL CAPS AND IT ISN'T DISTRACTING AT ALL. The cute cop Dan, calls later and encourages Val to meet with the head of Special Crimes Unit. Her interview consists of hand-to-hand combat with various team members, which is completely normal. She kicks their asses with her special sex-related powers (this is a METAPHOR). Voilá! Tough eighteen year-old woman AND HER HALF-DEMON DOG gets a job on police squad with no official training, and they even get paired with Dan.
Special Crimes has been investigating an uptick in vamp crimes. While asking human gangs about local competition, they notice a poster for the New Blood Movement for vampire rights. They sneak into the rally (that's how secret the vampires are--they rent a hall to hold a rally) where the panel is speaking and are surprised when the head vamp has to intervene to protect them from all the other vamps, just because Val is also called The Slayer on the streets. This is news to her, but apparently her sister has been trying to cash in on Val's reputation. Head vampire is super-sincere, charismatic and really sexy, so Val automatically suspects him of being behind all the killings.
In the course of business, they discover an supernatural stripper bar--because that's never been done before--run by a man who seems very familiar to Val. Wait--it's not a love interest--it's a 'cousin.' Maybe. He's an incubus and tells Val she needs to figure out how to feed her succubus Lola, and soon, because he can tell Val and Dan have serious chemistry.
Somewhere in there, she also discovers her kid sister is now working at the vampire blood banks, so of course it becomes her mission to change the kid's mind, or failing that, get her fired. They go to a couple of blood donation centers and Val discovers that some people really like donating blood to vamps because it is super-sexually satisfying. This will not encourage Val to accept Lola (the METAPHOR).
At some point, Val and Dan kiss and Dan gets seriously freaked out by Val being half-succubus. I, on the other hand, was seriously freaked out that Mr. Professional Police Officer somehow thought it was okay to make out with his recently homeless, eighteen year-old partner whose only work experience is in her family's bookstore. Somehow, this allows Dan to be mad at Val and Val to become despondent over Lola.
Val and Dan stalk Head Vampire at the vampire compound, and are helped by a new guy Shade. Shade will be important in the future, because he is a super-sexy half-demon as well. Val does the traditionally stupid thing by ditching her team to go combat evil all by herself, at which point she learns that her team cares for her and that by embracing her sex powers, she can win.
SIGH.
I always feel like I have to explain when I read a book and give it less than four stars. Which is ridiculous, really, as I generally go into books expecting to enjoy them, not to write rage reviews. But here we are again, a mismatch between book and reader. I had picked it up as an e-book bargain, noting one of my friends had really liked it. And, while I've gotten a bit bored with parts of the urban fantasy world, I thought a story about a woman who was half-demon sounded intriguing. There I go again--hope for the genre that often disappoints. A half-demon has interesting potential; warring with the urge to do bad, or perhaps to encourage chaos, or even coping with a bit of self-satisfied sadistic glee. As I said, potential about women embracing the bad within. Then I open the book as see the character is actually half-succubus, which usually means an excuse to write sex scenes.
Bite Me isn't bad, but it isn't great either. The promising beginning of a young woman finding her place in the world becomes seriously trope-ridden as the story progresses, and Blue's world-building leaves a lot to be desired. Fans of paranormal urban fantasy will likely enjoy the book, although the mental barriers Val currently has about sex mean it'll be awhile before readers--and Val--enjoy some satisfying action.
TWO AND A HALF STARS
Despite precautions to remain hidden, a cop witnesses Val saving some chump and killing a vampire. But it's okay that he saw, because he's a member of the area Special Crimes Unit and does the same thing, only without the sex demon. The vampire disposal is also witnessed by Little Sister Stow-away, who is hoping to be just like big (half) sister, only she doesn't have a sex-demon. Unfortunately, Val and Sister's mom is seriously upset when they return home, so mom asks Val to move out, along with firing her from the family bookstore, all under the guise of protecting younger sister.
Because that always works out. [eyeroll]
Val walks around the city, despondent, and meets a special dog THAT TALKS IN HER HEAD. I'm absolutely predisposed to like most dogs, except that not only is this one a terrier mix, but he TALKS ALL CAPS AND IT ISN'T DISTRACTING AT ALL. The cute cop Dan, calls later and encourages Val to meet with the head of Special Crimes Unit. Her interview consists of hand-to-hand combat with various team members, which is completely normal. She kicks their asses with her special sex-related powers (this is a METAPHOR). Voilá! Tough eighteen year-old woman AND HER HALF-DEMON DOG gets a job on police squad with no official training, and they even get paired with Dan.
Special Crimes has been investigating an uptick in vamp crimes. While asking human gangs about local competition, they notice a poster for the New Blood Movement for vampire rights. They sneak into the rally (that's how secret the vampires are--they rent a hall to hold a rally) where the panel is speaking and are surprised when the head vamp has to intervene to protect them from all the other vamps, just because Val is also called The Slayer on the streets. This is news to her, but apparently her sister has been trying to cash in on Val's reputation. Head vampire is super-sincere, charismatic and really sexy, so Val automatically suspects him of being behind all the killings.
In the course of business, they discover an supernatural stripper bar--because that's never been done before--run by a man who seems very familiar to Val. Wait--it's not a love interest--it's a 'cousin.' Maybe. He's an incubus and tells Val she needs to figure out how to feed her succubus Lola, and soon, because he can tell Val and Dan have serious chemistry.
Somewhere in there, she also discovers her kid sister is now working at the vampire blood banks, so of course it becomes her mission to change the kid's mind, or failing that, get her fired. They go to a couple of blood donation centers and Val discovers that some people really like donating blood to vamps because it is super-sexually satisfying. This will not encourage Val to accept Lola (the METAPHOR).
At some point, Val and Dan kiss and Dan gets seriously freaked out by Val being half-succubus. I, on the other hand, was seriously freaked out that Mr. Professional Police Officer somehow thought it was okay to make out with his recently homeless, eighteen year-old partner whose only work experience is in her family's bookstore. Somehow, this allows Dan to be mad at Val and Val to become despondent over Lola.
Val and Dan stalk Head Vampire at the vampire compound, and are helped by a new guy Shade. Shade will be important in the future, because he is a super-sexy half-demon as well. Val does the traditionally stupid thing by ditching her team to go combat evil all by herself, at which point she learns that her team cares for her and that by embracing her sex powers, she can win.
SIGH.
I always feel like I have to explain when I read a book and give it less than four stars. Which is ridiculous, really, as I generally go into books expecting to enjoy them, not to write rage reviews. But here we are again, a mismatch between book and reader. I had picked it up as an e-book bargain, noting one of my friends had really liked it. And, while I've gotten a bit bored with parts of the urban fantasy world, I thought a story about a woman who was half-demon sounded intriguing. There I go again--hope for the genre that often disappoints. A half-demon has interesting potential; warring with the urge to do bad, or perhaps to encourage chaos, or even coping with a bit of self-satisfied sadistic glee. As I said, potential about women embracing the bad within. Then I open the book as see the character is actually half-succubus, which usually means an excuse to write sex scenes.
Bite Me isn't bad, but it isn't great either. The promising beginning of a young woman finding her place in the world becomes seriously trope-ridden as the story progresses, and Blue's world-building leaves a lot to be desired. Fans of paranormal urban fantasy will likely enjoy the book, although the mental barriers Val currently has about sex mean it'll be awhile before readers--and Val--enjoy some satisfying action.
TWO AND A HALF STARS
March 26, 2011
3.5 stars Val Shapiro is a part-demon vampire slayer. And she has a snarky dog named Fang who thinks at her in all caps.
Bite Me, the first book in the Underground series, surprised me with its butt-kicking heroine, deadpan humor, and an interesting set-up. I really liked Val and Fang, whose relationship is the most compelling one in the book. There are also some great fight scenes and some intriguing secondary characters, including Shade, Micah, Ramirez, and Tessa, and the whole thing is well-written and moves along at a fast pace.
The book could have used some fleshing out, however, in the conflicts with her family. Val handles it maturely (so refreshing for YA), but there's not much insight into her mother's or her stepfather's or her sister's characters. They only make themselves known in the context of the main character, so it's hard to get to know them--and therefore it's hard to get a good feel for emotional tension. Some of the plotting in the middle and latter parts of the book could have used some streamlining as well, as there are a LOT of visits to go see this person and that person and a LOT of talking at all those locations. Plus the whole set-up might've been a little more convincing if Val were simply helping out an underground task force rather than an official police department--I mean, the girl is only 18. Most of all though, Val needs a better love interest than the good-hearted but supremely uninteresting Dan.
I thought the scene where Val lends her strength to Dan by using Shade as a conduit was very strong, though, and I'd love to see more of that type of thing in future books. I'm intrigued enough to keep reading the series (the next two books arealready out), as I think the author shows a lot of promise. But please--let's get this succubus a sexier boyfriend!
Bite Me, the first book in the Underground series, surprised me with its butt-kicking heroine, deadpan humor, and an interesting set-up. I really liked Val and Fang, whose relationship is the most compelling one in the book. There are also some great fight scenes and some intriguing secondary characters, including Shade, Micah, Ramirez, and Tessa, and the whole thing is well-written and moves along at a fast pace.
The book could have used some fleshing out, however, in the conflicts with her family. Val handles it maturely (so refreshing for YA), but there's not much insight into her mother's or her stepfather's or her sister's characters. They only make themselves known in the context of the main character, so it's hard to get to know them--and therefore it's hard to get a good feel for emotional tension. Some of the plotting in the middle and latter parts of the book could have used some streamlining as well, as there are a LOT of visits to go see this person and that person and a LOT of talking at all those locations. Plus the whole set-up might've been a little more convincing if Val were simply helping out an underground task force rather than an official police department--I mean, the girl is only 18. Most of all though, Val needs a better love interest than the good-hearted but supremely uninteresting Dan.
I thought the scene where Val lends her strength to Dan by using Shade as a conduit was very strong, though, and I'd love to see more of that type of thing in future books. I'm intrigued enough to keep reading the series (the next two books arealready out), as I think the author shows a lot of promise. But please--let's get this succubus a sexier boyfriend!
August 12, 2012
The book starts out with Val's sneaky ass little sister stowing away in her car while she goes out to hunt some vamps. She is approached by an officer of the SCU (special crimes unit) and he, Dan, lets her know that they know about the vamps and that he had been watching her. He gives her his card and tells her to give him a call if she ever wants to share her secrets on fighting vamps. When Val and her sister Jennifer get home Val gets in trouble from her mom and step-dad for it. What is her punishment? The kick her ass out of the house and fire her from her job at the family book store. Totally fair, right?
She drives off pissed and stops by the river to do some thinking and that is where she hooks up with a cute little terrier. But it's not just a terrier. He's also part hellhound. Val feels a rapport with the dog, Fang. She herself is part demon. Part Succubus from her fathers side. That's why she hunts vamps. To try and appease her lust demon with the hunt. She is able to communicate with Fang by way of mind and that is one smart ass dog, let me tell you! They decide to "hang' together. Now Val has to find a place to live and a job.
She calls Dan and gets a job through him and by the next day she has a place to stay, rooming with Dan's sister Gwen. Things are looking up for her and Fang. And then things veer off course again. She finds out that her sister is becoming a part of a vampire movement to find Val. However, Jennifer gets in over her head. And Dan finds out that she, Val, is part succubus. Does she save her sister? Does she lose her job? Is she able to keep Dan as a friend? Read it and find out my friend...
I liked it...
She drives off pissed and stops by the river to do some thinking and that is where she hooks up with a cute little terrier. But it's not just a terrier. He's also part hellhound. Val feels a rapport with the dog, Fang. She herself is part demon. Part Succubus from her fathers side. That's why she hunts vamps. To try and appease her lust demon with the hunt. She is able to communicate with Fang by way of mind and that is one smart ass dog, let me tell you! They decide to "hang' together. Now Val has to find a place to live and a job.
She calls Dan and gets a job through him and by the next day she has a place to stay, rooming with Dan's sister Gwen. Things are looking up for her and Fang. And then things veer off course again. She finds out that her sister is becoming a part of a vampire movement to find Val. However, Jennifer gets in over her head. And Dan finds out that she, Val, is part succubus. Does she save her sister? Does she lose her job? Is she able to keep Dan as a friend? Read it and find out my friend...
I liked it...
October 20, 2011
Read This Review & More Like It On My Blog!
Straight off the top, I have to disagree with my little blurb copy and pasted above. I don't agree that this is a novel that "spans the gap between young-adult and adult fiction" - I think this is a solid but not spectacular series opener for a definitely young-adult series. Bite Me more than delivers on the rest of the promise hinted at above: it is edgy, it is fun, and Val and Fang are a comedic duo with flair and timing. I can understand the appeal for older readers - at almost 24 I'm probably at the outset of the target demographic - but this is definitely a young-adult vampire/supernatural novel. Not the most original or ground-breaking, but full of enough verve and unique mythology/lore to keep me more than interested.
Set in San Antonio, Texas (hey, is there anywhere near Morganville, TX? Texas definitely has a bad infestation of vampires...) Bite Me is vampire-slayer Val(entine) Shapiro's starring show. Eighteen years old, part succubus lust demon and a vampire slayer, Val is far from normal but completely real and grounded. Echoing her split nature, Val is a half-Jewish and half-Catholic tumult of drama, danger and humor ("The name's Val, not Buffy. Do I look like a blonde cheerleader with questionable taste in men?") She might come across as trying too hard on occasion, but Val amused me by and large and I definitely bought her persona of tough, funny capable vampirehunter.The lust-demon/part succubus thing is a huge problem in Val's life (even though she's technically only 1/8 succubus): she doesn't feel human, that she belongs or is even loved by her family - common teen issues that make Val intensely relatable for younger audiences. While "Lola" (what Val calls her demon) doubtless gives Val boons (extra speed and strength, accelerated healing) she doesn't come without a hefty price. Val's personal issues with herself and her nature are another strong point for the novel: she consistently struggles to distinguish "demon-Val" and "human-Val" while almost resenting a key part of who she is. The truth about Val she refuses to acknowledge is that she is much more powerful of she works with the Lola part of herself instead of denying her nature and being ashamed by it. She can be either immature or mature (her handling of her mother's rejection was surprisingly mature for YA), but she always presents herself as a real person.
The supporting cast is not as rounded out as it would need to be for a higher rating - and one of the main ones this is only a three star review, instead of a four. Val's younger sister Jen is an important part of the events of Bite Me, so it's too bad she lacks any real characterization. Like her daughter Jen, Val's mom Sharon is also drawn in broad, undetailed strokes. Her substantial (and somewhat overwrought) issues with Val are left clouded and unexplained - making Sharon appear as a cookie-cutter villain rather than a conflicted woman with a uneasy relationship with her daughter. The only really fleshed out supporting characters were that of Val's snarky hellhound/terrier Fang and love-interest/partner Dan. Fang is practically human in personality and actions, but the hellhound with humor and heart nearly stole the show several times. The only one that unequivocally loves Val, Fang is one of the most likeable demons in the book. Dan, Val's partner in SCU, plays a good straight man to Val's loose cannon antics. He's stoic and reserved - almost the archetype for a detective but emerges as a sweet and kind companion to balance Val's more dangerous nature. Lieutenant Ramirez of the SCU also has potential for a character - I can see him easily as a father-figure for the vampire hunter - but he as mostly relegated to the background for much of the novel.
I liked the variety the reader experiences during Val's excursions. Not just vampire hunting, or demon powers, Val has to contend with more mundane issues as well. The style of the novel is definitely geared more towards action than dialog, but I thoroughly enjoyed the well-described fight/sparring scenes. Val believable holds her own, but definitely isn't impervious to a few punches herself. Parker Blue also went and created her own lore/mythology for demons and vampires - and I definitely like the individual flair she placed on the creatures, i.e. "vein of vampires", the shadow demons, etc. The New Blood Movement for vampires (people donate blood, these vamps don't attack and take blood) isn't the most revolutionary idea for supernatural fiction (hello Twilight, and Eat, Slay, Love) but it allows for some interesting power struggles amongst the nightwalkers. Slowly, deliberately parsing out information about Val's world and creatures as the novel progresses provided an excellent way for me to slowly submerse myself in Parker Blue's Bite Me, and leave me clamoring for the next in the series Try Me.
Straight off the top, I have to disagree with my little blurb copy and pasted above. I don't agree that this is a novel that "spans the gap between young-adult and adult fiction" - I think this is a solid but not spectacular series opener for a definitely young-adult series. Bite Me more than delivers on the rest of the promise hinted at above: it is edgy, it is fun, and Val and Fang are a comedic duo with flair and timing. I can understand the appeal for older readers - at almost 24 I'm probably at the outset of the target demographic - but this is definitely a young-adult vampire/supernatural novel. Not the most original or ground-breaking, but full of enough verve and unique mythology/lore to keep me more than interested.
Set in San Antonio, Texas (hey, is there anywhere near Morganville, TX? Texas definitely has a bad infestation of vampires...) Bite Me is vampire-slayer Val(entine) Shapiro's starring show. Eighteen years old, part succubus lust demon and a vampire slayer, Val is far from normal but completely real and grounded. Echoing her split nature, Val is a half-Jewish and half-Catholic tumult of drama, danger and humor ("The name's Val, not Buffy. Do I look like a blonde cheerleader with questionable taste in men?") She might come across as trying too hard on occasion, but Val amused me by and large and I definitely bought her persona of tough, funny capable vampirehunter.The lust-demon/part succubus thing is a huge problem in Val's life (even though she's technically only 1/8 succubus): she doesn't feel human, that she belongs or is even loved by her family - common teen issues that make Val intensely relatable for younger audiences. While "Lola" (what Val calls her demon) doubtless gives Val boons (extra speed and strength, accelerated healing) she doesn't come without a hefty price. Val's personal issues with herself and her nature are another strong point for the novel: she consistently struggles to distinguish "demon-Val" and "human-Val" while almost resenting a key part of who she is. The truth about Val she refuses to acknowledge is that she is much more powerful of she works with the Lola part of herself instead of denying her nature and being ashamed by it. She can be either immature or mature (her handling of her mother's rejection was surprisingly mature for YA), but she always presents herself as a real person.
The supporting cast is not as rounded out as it would need to be for a higher rating - and one of the main ones this is only a three star review, instead of a four. Val's younger sister Jen is an important part of the events of Bite Me, so it's too bad she lacks any real characterization. Like her daughter Jen, Val's mom Sharon is also drawn in broad, undetailed strokes. Her substantial (and somewhat overwrought) issues with Val are left clouded and unexplained - making Sharon appear as a cookie-cutter villain rather than a conflicted woman with a uneasy relationship with her daughter. The only really fleshed out supporting characters were that of Val's snarky hellhound/terrier Fang and love-interest/partner Dan. Fang is practically human in personality and actions, but the hellhound with humor and heart nearly stole the show several times. The only one that unequivocally loves Val, Fang is one of the most likeable demons in the book. Dan, Val's partner in SCU, plays a good straight man to Val's loose cannon antics. He's stoic and reserved - almost the archetype for a detective but emerges as a sweet and kind companion to balance Val's more dangerous nature. Lieutenant Ramirez of the SCU also has potential for a character - I can see him easily as a father-figure for the vampire hunter - but he as mostly relegated to the background for much of the novel.
I liked the variety the reader experiences during Val's excursions. Not just vampire hunting, or demon powers, Val has to contend with more mundane issues as well. The style of the novel is definitely geared more towards action than dialog, but I thoroughly enjoyed the well-described fight/sparring scenes. Val believable holds her own, but definitely isn't impervious to a few punches herself. Parker Blue also went and created her own lore/mythology for demons and vampires - and I definitely like the individual flair she placed on the creatures, i.e. "vein of vampires", the shadow demons, etc. The New Blood Movement for vampires (people donate blood, these vamps don't attack and take blood) isn't the most revolutionary idea for supernatural fiction (hello Twilight, and Eat, Slay, Love) but it allows for some interesting power struggles amongst the nightwalkers. Slowly, deliberately parsing out information about Val's world and creatures as the novel progresses provided an excellent way for me to slowly submerse myself in Parker Blue's Bite Me, and leave me clamoring for the next in the series Try Me.
March 31, 2011
Although it was an overall enjoyable, quick read, I had a couple issues with this book. Why do recent strong evil fighting girls feel the need to reference Buffy? It wouldn't be a crime to mention the connection only once and leave it at that, but we keep hearing the title Slayer and really 40 isn't high enough to justify continued harping on it. Also, how old is Dan supposed to be again? Is he a detective or a beat cop? Maybe he should feel uncomfortable with his feelings for Val, who just turned eighteen and got kicked out of her house at the same time. It's a big difference in maturity between someone used to living on his own and some one used to the comforts of having parents around to take care of things. The author does get points for avoiding vilifying the step family in order to create conflict, but then loses them with the younger sister being too dumb to survive without nearly ruining her sister's life along with being a sheep to the slaughter. I'll give the second book a try, but I'm not expecting great things from this series. The dog tries too hard, Ramirez is weird (and shady to me) and everything is slightly too sexual for my tastes.
There's some language, but I don't remember the f-bomb being thrown. The violence is fairly typical of a girl fighting vampires type book, there's stabbing, blood drinking, decapitation, and martial arts fighting. As for sex, there's making out, and the clear desire for more on the part of both characters as well as Micah working at a strip club and being part incubus with Val being part succubus.
There's some language, but I don't remember the f-bomb being thrown. The violence is fairly typical of a girl fighting vampires type book, there's stabbing, blood drinking, decapitation, and martial arts fighting. As for sex, there's making out, and the clear desire for more on the part of both characters as well as Micah working at a strip club and being part incubus with Val being part succubus.
August 18, 2011
This was a brilliant book! Full of action, humour and love. I absolutely LOVE Fang - I want a dog like him! Val is a great character and I can't wait to read the next 2 books in this series.
January 23, 2016
Bite Me was free on Kindle so not expecting too much I downloaded it about lunchtime onto my Kindle and before 9 pm that night had read this quirky tale!
I thought that I would like the book from the synopsis and since it was set in Texas it was doubly intriguing to me as I live 2 hours from the location of San Antonio!
I could not put it down, loved the fact that the main character Val Shapiro was a half human/half lust demon or since a female half succubus! Val is not beautiful, not the most popular girl of her age group and is probably one of the more realistic female heroines in this kind of story that I have found in a long while... She is a refreshing change of pace in fact as a character!
Eighteen years old and all attitude Val is a kick ass vampire slayer who puts poor Buffy to shame! Thanks to the stepfather who helped raise her from age five on Val has taken all kinds of martial arts training in order to channel the energy needed to keep her demon half under control... That same training has come in handy time and again as she started killing Vampires at a young age and being able to use her fight training has kept her from serious injury, along with her demon strength and speed!
On her 18th birthday Val's younger sister Jen tags along without her knowledge and witnesses her taking down and dispatching of a vampire. Also a witness to the slaying of the vamp is Special Crimes Unit Officer Dan Sullivan, he briefly talks to Val and Jen explaining who he is and gives Val his card in case she needs to reach him...
Unfortunately upon arriving home her Mother and Stepfather see that Jen is with Val and they then and there make the decision that for her younger sisters welfare the two need to be separated and banish Val from seeing Jen and at the same time throw her out of the house!
Val takes off on her motorcycle and ends up at the San Antonio River Walk where she finds a little shaggy mutt who comes up to her and allows her to pet him. Not surprising to me a Vampire shows up and Val is astonished to see the dog leap up and attach himself to the Vamps genital area and hang on for dear life!
Val dispatches the vamp and hears a voice in her mind that turns out to be the dog who is in reality part Hellhound and goes by the name of "Fang"...
Not since reading Lizzie Brown's talking sidekick the Jack Russell Terrier "Pirate" in author
Demon Slayer series have I laughed as much as I did with the comments and observations of "Fang" , he is truly the best part of the story at times!
My second love is for the character of Dan Sullivan... He is a "Mr Clean" and All American nice guy cop who becomes Val's partner when she is recruited into the Special Crimes Unit that Dan works for... They are the division of the San Antonio police that is unknown to most of the cities population, the ones responsible for policing the paranormal bad guys who hurt or even kill humans!
To say that this is a good read is an understatement, it was fun and it was fast and it was also a realistic look through the eyes of a young woman who is still figuring out how to make the best life for herself she can given the circumstances she is faced with... That is all the information you will get out of me on this one, the story has to be read to be appreciated and it is well worth the time you spend as very enjoyable!
I can say that the story can be read as a stand alone as pretty much has the loose ends tied up by the end but since books #2Try Me (released in March of 2010) and #3 Fang Me released this month of March 2011 are available I will be reading them soon!
I thought that I would like the book from the synopsis and since it was set in Texas it was doubly intriguing to me as I live 2 hours from the location of San Antonio!
I could not put it down, loved the fact that the main character Val Shapiro was a half human/half lust demon or since a female half succubus! Val is not beautiful, not the most popular girl of her age group and is probably one of the more realistic female heroines in this kind of story that I have found in a long while... She is a refreshing change of pace in fact as a character!
Eighteen years old and all attitude Val is a kick ass vampire slayer who puts poor Buffy to shame! Thanks to the stepfather who helped raise her from age five on Val has taken all kinds of martial arts training in order to channel the energy needed to keep her demon half under control... That same training has come in handy time and again as she started killing Vampires at a young age and being able to use her fight training has kept her from serious injury, along with her demon strength and speed!
On her 18th birthday Val's younger sister Jen tags along without her knowledge and witnesses her taking down and dispatching of a vampire. Also a witness to the slaying of the vamp is Special Crimes Unit Officer Dan Sullivan, he briefly talks to Val and Jen explaining who he is and gives Val his card in case she needs to reach him...
Unfortunately upon arriving home her Mother and Stepfather see that Jen is with Val and they then and there make the decision that for her younger sisters welfare the two need to be separated and banish Val from seeing Jen and at the same time throw her out of the house!
Val takes off on her motorcycle and ends up at the San Antonio River Walk where she finds a little shaggy mutt who comes up to her and allows her to pet him. Not surprising to me a Vampire shows up and Val is astonished to see the dog leap up and attach himself to the Vamps genital area and hang on for dear life!
Val dispatches the vamp and hears a voice in her mind that turns out to be the dog who is in reality part Hellhound and goes by the name of "Fang"...
Not since reading Lizzie Brown's talking sidekick the Jack Russell Terrier "Pirate" in author
Demon Slayer series have I laughed as much as I did with the comments and observations of "Fang" , he is truly the best part of the story at times!My second love is for the character of Dan Sullivan... He is a "Mr Clean" and All American nice guy cop who becomes Val's partner when she is recruited into the Special Crimes Unit that Dan works for... They are the division of the San Antonio police that is unknown to most of the cities population, the ones responsible for policing the paranormal bad guys who hurt or even kill humans!
To say that this is a good read is an understatement, it was fun and it was fast and it was also a realistic look through the eyes of a young woman who is still figuring out how to make the best life for herself she can given the circumstances she is faced with... That is all the information you will get out of me on this one, the story has to be read to be appreciated and it is well worth the time you spend as very enjoyable!
I can say that the story can be read as a stand alone as pretty much has the loose ends tied up by the end but since books #2Try Me (released in March of 2010) and #3 Fang Me released this month of March 2011 are available I will be reading them soon!
April 11, 2011
Bite Me, is the first release in the Demon Underground series featuring 18 year old Val (Valetine) Shapiro. This is a crossover between being a Young Adult and Adult Urban Fantasy. Set in the city of San Antonio, Texas, Val is a part succubus (lust demon) vampire slayer. Only, don't call her Buffy, she's a different breed all her own. Val's alter ego is fittingly named Lola. When Lola comes out to play, Val's eyes turn purple, like black light. Val also has a human half sister (they only share a mother) Jenifer who is always getting herself into trouble following Val around.
In this book, Val has some decisions to make after being thrown out of her own house, and then fired by her "rents" from her job at the bookstore after Jenn follows her into a dangerous situation. Val makes, in my opinion, the correct choice by choosing to leave and putting distance between herself and her "rents" and half sister who is the most troubling and irksome character you will find.
Val also has a motorcyle that she uses to troll for vampires; a Honda Valkyrie. Fitting if you catch the name of the book and what she does for a living. Val's own father died when she was 5 years old. We later find out that he took is own life because Val rejected him. Val has the strength, speed, agility, rapid healing, and the ability to read vampires minds when they try to control her.
Val is a awesome character who is besmirked by her own mother time and time again. Her mother has issues with her other half, and goes as far as distancing herself from Val. The only thing this does is cause Jenn to run out and get herself into trouble. Val is far from the perfect character. She's been isolated all her life away from humans for the sake that she can hurt them by draining their energies. The only thing she's really good at is slaying vampires. There are those who will relate this to Buffy, but please, don't.
Her stepfather Rick, has actually been helpful, more than I can say for her own mother. Rick encouraged and trained her in martial arts, and the hunting of vampires to release and control her innter Lola. Later he makes a stupid decision that nearly costs him and Jenn their lives and turns them into the undead.
My favorite character of this book? Fang. Fang is part hellhound and can sniff out vampires like nobody's business. Val and Fang's partnership is what makes this book fun to read. Fang and Val can communicate as though he is talking, which is also very cool. Fang's protectiveness of Val was inspiring.
Detective Dan Sullivan ends up becoming Val's partner at San Antonio Police Department's Special Crimes Unit. His only failure as a character, is not understanding the Demon underground, and that there are those around him that have difference's that he can't understand. Yes, they have a good partnership and relationship, but it takes him way too long to realize how strong and useful Val can be to him, and the department. Good points: 1. Having Val rent space from his sister Gwen. 2. Finally, at the end, accepting Val for who she is.
Micah Blackburn comes into the picture a bit later, and tells Val about her other half, and the fact that he is the leader of the Demon Underground, and has been watching over her and her family. Micah, himself, is an incubus, so he understands the cravings his other half demands. Micah and Val's relationship should be interesting to read as this series grows and they dynamics change as well.
Recommended to YA readers, Urban Fantasy lovers, and those who enjoy the mystery of finding out who the real villian is.
In this book, Val has some decisions to make after being thrown out of her own house, and then fired by her "rents" from her job at the bookstore after Jenn follows her into a dangerous situation. Val makes, in my opinion, the correct choice by choosing to leave and putting distance between herself and her "rents" and half sister who is the most troubling and irksome character you will find.
Val also has a motorcyle that she uses to troll for vampires; a Honda Valkyrie. Fitting if you catch the name of the book and what she does for a living. Val's own father died when she was 5 years old. We later find out that he took is own life because Val rejected him. Val has the strength, speed, agility, rapid healing, and the ability to read vampires minds when they try to control her.
Val is a awesome character who is besmirked by her own mother time and time again. Her mother has issues with her other half, and goes as far as distancing herself from Val. The only thing this does is cause Jenn to run out and get herself into trouble. Val is far from the perfect character. She's been isolated all her life away from humans for the sake that she can hurt them by draining their energies. The only thing she's really good at is slaying vampires. There are those who will relate this to Buffy, but please, don't.
Her stepfather Rick, has actually been helpful, more than I can say for her own mother. Rick encouraged and trained her in martial arts, and the hunting of vampires to release and control her innter Lola. Later he makes a stupid decision that nearly costs him and Jenn their lives and turns them into the undead.
My favorite character of this book? Fang. Fang is part hellhound and can sniff out vampires like nobody's business. Val and Fang's partnership is what makes this book fun to read. Fang and Val can communicate as though he is talking, which is also very cool. Fang's protectiveness of Val was inspiring.
Detective Dan Sullivan ends up becoming Val's partner at San Antonio Police Department's Special Crimes Unit. His only failure as a character, is not understanding the Demon underground, and that there are those around him that have difference's that he can't understand. Yes, they have a good partnership and relationship, but it takes him way too long to realize how strong and useful Val can be to him, and the department. Good points: 1. Having Val rent space from his sister Gwen. 2. Finally, at the end, accepting Val for who she is.
Micah Blackburn comes into the picture a bit later, and tells Val about her other half, and the fact that he is the leader of the Demon Underground, and has been watching over her and her family. Micah, himself, is an incubus, so he understands the cravings his other half demands. Micah and Val's relationship should be interesting to read as this series grows and they dynamics change as well.
Recommended to YA readers, Urban Fantasy lovers, and those who enjoy the mystery of finding out who the real villian is.
September 27, 2011
Val Shapiro is a vampire slayer with a unique gift in the form of Lola. Lola being what Val likes to use to refer to her demon side. Val Shapiro is teenager trying to learn to deal with her inner succubus, making it hard to connect with anyone. The opening of the books jumps right into the action with Val fighting with a vampire. Val uses the hunting and killing of vampires to quench the thirst of the lust demon part of her. This avoids the need to use her powers to seduce men and have Lola feed on the lust energy.
My favorite part of this book is the relationship between Val, and her hellhound Fang. The relationship between the two has a way to lightening the mood, in certain situations. Even though Fang is a dog, he is holds his own, and he almost feels like a human character. Besides who does not want a vampire hunting hellhound at their side.
Val Shapiro as a character that is immediately fascinating, and the author, Parker Blue, creates a character that draws a reader in almost immediately. The setting for the book is also intriguing, because San Antonio is not a common city featured in supernatural, vampire novels. The change made the book even more fun to read. This book held my interest, and I could not put it down. I loved this book, the characters featured, and it ended with me wanted to know more. I cannot wait to start reading the second book in the Demon Underground series by Parker Blue.
**Unabridged Bookshelf received this book from netGalley in exchange for an honest review**
My favorite part of this book is the relationship between Val, and her hellhound Fang. The relationship between the two has a way to lightening the mood, in certain situations. Even though Fang is a dog, he is holds his own, and he almost feels like a human character. Besides who does not want a vampire hunting hellhound at their side.
Val Shapiro as a character that is immediately fascinating, and the author, Parker Blue, creates a character that draws a reader in almost immediately. The setting for the book is also intriguing, because San Antonio is not a common city featured in supernatural, vampire novels. The change made the book even more fun to read. This book held my interest, and I could not put it down. I loved this book, the characters featured, and it ended with me wanted to know more. I cannot wait to start reading the second book in the Demon Underground series by Parker Blue.
**Unabridged Bookshelf received this book from netGalley in exchange for an honest review**
October 22, 2011
Bite Me was an engaging, tough not very original, read. I have to admit that after the first quarter of the book, which was pretty rushed and introduced me to the witty (and big-headed) half-demoness Val, I was hooked to the point I finished the book in one day and immediately attacked the second installment in the Demon Underground series.
Although Val's family situation seemed absurd to me, I enjoyed following her first steps in her "adult life" and I really like both her involvement with the SCU and her almost-relationship with Dan.
The vampire part was also unoriginal and unreal - I mean, vampires reveal their existence andkindly request demand that humans provide blood for them, and nobody is suspicious, asks anything, wonders what the heck is going on?
The true reason I enjoyed this book so much?
Fang. That dog was a total laugh, I fell right away for him an he was just sooo cute and irresistible, nobody could possibly not like him.
Overall, Bite Me was a quick read that lacked a bit in realism (and substance) but was enjoyable all the same.
Although Val's family situation seemed absurd to me, I enjoyed following her first steps in her "adult life" and I really like both her involvement with the SCU and her almost-relationship with Dan.
The vampire part was also unoriginal and unreal - I mean, vampires reveal their existence and
The true reason I enjoyed this book so much?
Fang. That dog was a total laugh, I fell right away for him an he was just sooo cute and irresistible, nobody could possibly not like him.
Overall, Bite Me was a quick read that lacked a bit in realism (and substance) but was enjoyable all the same.
April 2, 2011
This book was a great start to a series. People are right to say that it's reminiscent of Buffy. She's actually name checked a few times. But it was all in good fun. Besides, who says there can only be one 'slayer'? It's not too similar though, so no need to fear a cheap rip off version of an old favorite.
It was a fun and quick read, and one that I had trouble putting down. It even made me tear up a bit during some of the more emotional family scenes (don't worry- I'm a notorious crier). But mostly I smirked along with Fang and Val as they went around town beating up vampires. Or saving them, depending on the vampire.
It was a fun and quick read, and one that I had trouble putting down. It even made me tear up a bit during some of the more emotional family scenes (don't worry- I'm a notorious crier). But mostly I smirked along with Fang and Val as they went around town beating up vampires. Or saving them, depending on the vampire.
February 26, 2012
Val has a not so great 18th birthday that leads to a new life. I might check out the next book, but if so mostly for Fang.
What I enjoyed:
* Fang. Love the part hell-hound in a terrier body.
* The idea of a demon underground was interesting.
What could have been better:
* The romance was unrealistic.
* Her mother was a horror. I have a hard time believing she was able to live there all that time.
* Alejandro seemed a bit too accommodating.
* The mystery kind of had a cop out, easy way to find out with no real reason for what was done.
What I enjoyed:
* Fang. Love the part hell-hound in a terrier body.
* The idea of a demon underground was interesting.
What could have been better:
* The romance was unrealistic.
* Her mother was a horror. I have a hard time believing she was able to live there all that time.
* Alejandro seemed a bit too accommodating.
* The mystery kind of had a cop out, easy way to find out with no real reason for what was done.
October 26, 2013
Ho… this book. Thoughts. Let’s just…
First off, what was the author THINKING? With the title? I mean, yeah. It’s a good title for a vampire book, I guess… if you’re in MIDDLE SCHOOL. It’s so juvenile. Ugh.
Plot: 3.5
There was a good plot here. There was suspense and action and a central motive and all good things plot’s require. Unfortunately… other factors clouded these elements and sort of took over. Bad characterization. Stiff writing. And also, though the BASIC plot was good, the way the author executed parts of it was just… it fell short of the mark.
Characters: 2.5
Val Shapiro: I actually liked her as a character. But things happened. Like the big reveal. That… that was not done well. Also, I did not appreciate how much time she spent refuting Buffy*.
Dan Sullivan: I hate him. I still hate him. I know the author spent the last half of the book pulling a lot a little gimmicks to try and make me forgive him, but it didn’t work. I said that he would have to do some F****** Amazing to make me forgive him, and he didn’t. He didn’t do anything. There was that weird vulcn-mind-meld-thing, which was totally not initiated by him, so that didn’t count for anything. And then he told off her mom, which COULD have qualified as that amazing thing, except it was not well-said at all. And then there was that scene after the big battle at the end. Again, in which he DIDN’T DO ANYTHING. So no. I don’t forgive him. I still hate his guts. (IT may also be in part because I am very stubborn)
Jen: Is the little sister who ineveitably gets kidnapped/in trouble. Although they never really MENTIONED Buffy around Jen, so much of the book was spent refuting Buffy, I feel entitled to make this point: Jen is Dawn. That is it. Period. There is NO difference WHATSOEVER between Jen and Dawn.
Rick: I liked him. I liked the new take on the step dad. Cuz they’re always mean/abusive/evil/etc. but Rick was nice.
Fang: I feel like the dog was probably my favorite character in the whole book.
Romance: 2/5
SO, I mentioned the Big Reveal when I was talking about Val. The Big Reveal is what happens when the Main character has been keeping a secret from the other characters, in this case, the main love interest, Dan. It was AFTER the Big Reveal that this book just tanked. It was, for the most part, all right (or at least forgivable). But then… oh man, so many things went wrong. I’ll just talk about two things that went wrong, though:
1) HOW VAL HANDLED THE BIG REVEAL: She gave away, not just her own secret, but also EVERY OTHER SECCRET WE HAD LEARNE DOVER THE COURSE OF BOOK. Meaning she told Dan about Fang, all the things that Ramirez knew, AND the secrets of the other part-demons in the story.
2) Dan’s reaction: Actually, nothing was really wrong here, it was completely reasonable and everything (My brother actually agrees Dan on this point, and I happen to place a lot of trust in my brother’s decisions/feelings about things). But THIS is the part that made me hate him… so. Yeah. There’s that.
Overall Grade: 8/15. D.
I would just like to put in a not here though: I am judging this book by the standards of traditionally published books, which makes up the large percentage of what I read. But those standards, this book is really lousy.
If I were judging by the standards of indie books, though, the grade would be higher.
*More on Buffy: Buffy is my favorite fandom, of all time. It’s fine to reference it in a book, that’ll make me like it better. But spending half your book explaining all the reasons why this world is NOT like Buffy and why Buffy is NOT respected in this world… doesn’t really fly. Moreover, why would you spend half your book refuting Buffy, when your book IS EXACTL like Buffy? I am not convinced that the author (Or anyone in this world) has even seen Buffy for that matter. They just Siad. “Buffy. We’re not it.” Though they totally were. The author OBVIOUSLY had no idea what she was talking about when it came to Buffy. (And if you don’t really know what you’re talking about, than a fine suggestion is to NOT TALK ABOUT IT A LOT.) Just my opinion, folks.
Also, to answer the all-important question: will I or will not read the next one?
Since I can get the next one from the library… Yes. Most likely.
“But, Monica, you just said that this entire was shit. Why would you even want to read the next one?”
Because I’m a masochist?
No. I’m going to compare this book to substitute potato chips. They taste bad, they’re not even good for you, but you eat them anyway, especially when there’s no real potato chips around.
*For the record, in this analogy, real potato chips are other books, of which I do have quite a few laying around*
But I’ve already opened the bag of substitute potato chips, and my mom says I’m only supposed to have one bag of potato chips open at a time, so I’ll finish this bag. And then I’ll go get the real ones.
Also, I’m very forgiving, and I hope this series improves as the author’s writing style evolves.
First off, what was the author THINKING? With the title? I mean, yeah. It’s a good title for a vampire book, I guess… if you’re in MIDDLE SCHOOL. It’s so juvenile. Ugh.
Plot: 3.5
There was a good plot here. There was suspense and action and a central motive and all good things plot’s require. Unfortunately… other factors clouded these elements and sort of took over. Bad characterization. Stiff writing. And also, though the BASIC plot was good, the way the author executed parts of it was just… it fell short of the mark.
Characters: 2.5
Val Shapiro: I actually liked her as a character. But things happened. Like the big reveal. That… that was not done well. Also, I did not appreciate how much time she spent refuting Buffy*.
Dan Sullivan: I hate him. I still hate him. I know the author spent the last half of the book pulling a lot a little gimmicks to try and make me forgive him, but it didn’t work. I said that he would have to do some F****** Amazing to make me forgive him, and he didn’t. He didn’t do anything. There was that weird vulcn-mind-meld-thing, which was totally not initiated by him, so that didn’t count for anything. And then he told off her mom, which COULD have qualified as that amazing thing, except it was not well-said at all. And then there was that scene after the big battle at the end. Again, in which he DIDN’T DO ANYTHING. So no. I don’t forgive him. I still hate his guts. (IT may also be in part because I am very stubborn)
Jen: Is the little sister who ineveitably gets kidnapped/in trouble. Although they never really MENTIONED Buffy around Jen, so much of the book was spent refuting Buffy, I feel entitled to make this point: Jen is Dawn. That is it. Period. There is NO difference WHATSOEVER between Jen and Dawn.
Rick: I liked him. I liked the new take on the step dad. Cuz they’re always mean/abusive/evil/etc. but Rick was nice.
Fang: I feel like the dog was probably my favorite character in the whole book.
Romance: 2/5
SO, I mentioned the Big Reveal when I was talking about Val. The Big Reveal is what happens when the Main character has been keeping a secret from the other characters, in this case, the main love interest, Dan. It was AFTER the Big Reveal that this book just tanked. It was, for the most part, all right (or at least forgivable). But then… oh man, so many things went wrong. I’ll just talk about two things that went wrong, though:
1) HOW VAL HANDLED THE BIG REVEAL: She gave away, not just her own secret, but also EVERY OTHER SECCRET WE HAD LEARNE DOVER THE COURSE OF BOOK. Meaning she told Dan about Fang, all the things that Ramirez knew, AND the secrets of the other part-demons in the story.
2) Dan’s reaction: Actually, nothing was really wrong here, it was completely reasonable and everything (My brother actually agrees Dan on this point, and I happen to place a lot of trust in my brother’s decisions/feelings about things). But THIS is the part that made me hate him… so. Yeah. There’s that.
Overall Grade: 8/15. D.
I would just like to put in a not here though: I am judging this book by the standards of traditionally published books, which makes up the large percentage of what I read. But those standards, this book is really lousy.
If I were judging by the standards of indie books, though, the grade would be higher.
*More on Buffy: Buffy is my favorite fandom, of all time. It’s fine to reference it in a book, that’ll make me like it better. But spending half your book explaining all the reasons why this world is NOT like Buffy and why Buffy is NOT respected in this world… doesn’t really fly. Moreover, why would you spend half your book refuting Buffy, when your book IS EXACTL like Buffy? I am not convinced that the author (Or anyone in this world) has even seen Buffy for that matter. They just Siad. “Buffy. We’re not it.” Though they totally were. The author OBVIOUSLY had no idea what she was talking about when it came to Buffy. (And if you don’t really know what you’re talking about, than a fine suggestion is to NOT TALK ABOUT IT A LOT.) Just my opinion, folks.
Also, to answer the all-important question: will I or will not read the next one?
Since I can get the next one from the library… Yes. Most likely.
“But, Monica, you just said that this entire was shit. Why would you even want to read the next one?”
Because I’m a masochist?
No. I’m going to compare this book to substitute potato chips. They taste bad, they’re not even good for you, but you eat them anyway, especially when there’s no real potato chips around.
*For the record, in this analogy, real potato chips are other books, of which I do have quite a few laying around*
But I’ve already opened the bag of substitute potato chips, and my mom says I’m only supposed to have one bag of potato chips open at a time, so I’ll finish this bag. And then I’ll go get the real ones.
Also, I’m very forgiving, and I hope this series improves as the author’s writing style evolves.
March 30, 2013
I'm trying the sequel to this now, because I really, really WANT to like this series. I just...don't, quite.
Val gets kicked out of her house on her 18th birthday (for being 1/8 succubus, which is 100% her crazy mother's fault because she's the one who fucked a demon, but I think there may be more going on with her mom than we've been told so far) and immediately walks into a job as a San Antonio police officer. So that's problem number one. She did not have to attend cop school. She did not, apparently, receive a badge or weapon. She is being unleashed on the Texas streets, as a detective, apparently, because she is part demon and good at killing vampires. Hoo boy. So she and her Boy Wonder partner, Dan (don't get me started on this guy), are basically the worst cops ever. They show up to question people and don't identify themselves as police officers first. The attack AND KILL vampires without identifying themselves as police officers. They sneak onto private property without probable cause or search warrants, and then when they DO have a good reason to go somewhere they're not allowed (an informant tells them a missing child is on the property), they ask for a search warrant and are turned down--and when Val goes anyway, there are ZERO consequences. She doesn't even get reprimanded. She breaks into a private citizen's house and kills a person and NOTHING HAPPENS TO HER.
This is really annoying throughout the novel, and it's so easily remedied--just make Val work for a PRIVATE organization, like, say, the Demon Underground--you know, the organization the series is NAMED FOR. Grrr.
And the Buffy thing. Yikes. Don't have everyone call your character The Slayer. Don't invite that comparison. And early in the book, Val quips(?), "The name's Val, not Buffy. Do I look like a blond cheerleader with questionable taste in men?"
Hmmmm. Ok. So. Let's be clear: this novel, and the characters contained therein, is/are nowhere near as empathetic, interesting, nuanced, or witty as Buffy the Vampire Slayer, a property that has impacted EVERY aspect of pop culture because it was so incredibly brilliant, and even the tiniest of throwaway side characters are nuanced and fresh-feeling. Furthermore, don't talk to me about questionable taste in men. Dan makes Riley, Buffy's did of a Season Four love interest, look like Rhett Fucking Butler. Dan pouts like a motherfucker when he finds out Val is part demon. He's a judgmental tool belt.
Which leads me to my bigger issue, which is maybe just as much on the editors (and beta readers, I guess) as the author: everyone is either really good or really evil. Blue spends A LOT of time explaining everyone's feelings and how everyone means well and they're all doing their best, and a person has to be EVIL for anyone to get mad at them and it's just exhausting. It made me dislike every single character. Had Val stood up to Dan when he was a jerk and admitted--even to herself in her first person narrating head--that he was being uncool, I'd have liked him as a love interest. Look, my husband is a kind, handsome, very intelligent man who makes a shitton of money, and that means that he is also an obnoxious, judgmental pain in the ass. He drives me fucking crazy. And I love him. And I love arguing with him. It's all wonderful. Relationships NEED that, and fictional relationships need it especially. Conflict makes things interesting and REAL.
Natural conflict and gray areas also set up better mysteries--the bad guy here is super-obvious almost the instant he/she is introduced, even before we know there is going to be a big bad guy--because it allows for the idea that seemingly good people can do bad things. If only bad people do bad things, you have no mystery, and also that's why I'm suspicious of Val's mom's meanness--homegirl's blood relations can't be terrible in this series (Val also has a real Dawn of an annoying little sister).
Oh, and there's a really cute dog, but the way he speaks is a pet peeve for me: all caps directly into people's minds, Terry Pratchett's Death-style. But this dog isn't as funny or lovable as Pratchett's character(s? I guess the Death from Good Omens is different from that of Discworkd, since Good Omens occurs on Earth?), so it's just kind of a bummer. Jay Kristoff does this in Stormdancer, too, and it's why I haven't been able to finish that book.
I don't know whether I'd recommend this. I guess if you read as much as I do. And maybe for middle grade kids (I read Gone with the Wind for the first time when I was nine; kids can handle a lot--and anyway, this thing is pretty PG). But I'm gonna read the sequel, so.
Val gets kicked out of her house on her 18th birthday (for being 1/8 succubus, which is 100% her crazy mother's fault because she's the one who fucked a demon, but I think there may be more going on with her mom than we've been told so far) and immediately walks into a job as a San Antonio police officer. So that's problem number one. She did not have to attend cop school. She did not, apparently, receive a badge or weapon. She is being unleashed on the Texas streets, as a detective, apparently, because she is part demon and good at killing vampires. Hoo boy. So she and her Boy Wonder partner, Dan (don't get me started on this guy), are basically the worst cops ever. They show up to question people and don't identify themselves as police officers first. The attack AND KILL vampires without identifying themselves as police officers. They sneak onto private property without probable cause or search warrants, and then when they DO have a good reason to go somewhere they're not allowed (an informant tells them a missing child is on the property), they ask for a search warrant and are turned down--and when Val goes anyway, there are ZERO consequences. She doesn't even get reprimanded. She breaks into a private citizen's house and kills a person and NOTHING HAPPENS TO HER.
This is really annoying throughout the novel, and it's so easily remedied--just make Val work for a PRIVATE organization, like, say, the Demon Underground--you know, the organization the series is NAMED FOR. Grrr.
And the Buffy thing. Yikes. Don't have everyone call your character The Slayer. Don't invite that comparison. And early in the book, Val quips(?), "The name's Val, not Buffy. Do I look like a blond cheerleader with questionable taste in men?"
Hmmmm. Ok. So. Let's be clear: this novel, and the characters contained therein, is/are nowhere near as empathetic, interesting, nuanced, or witty as Buffy the Vampire Slayer, a property that has impacted EVERY aspect of pop culture because it was so incredibly brilliant, and even the tiniest of throwaway side characters are nuanced and fresh-feeling. Furthermore, don't talk to me about questionable taste in men. Dan makes Riley, Buffy's did of a Season Four love interest, look like Rhett Fucking Butler. Dan pouts like a motherfucker when he finds out Val is part demon. He's a judgmental tool belt.
Which leads me to my bigger issue, which is maybe just as much on the editors (and beta readers, I guess) as the author: everyone is either really good or really evil. Blue spends A LOT of time explaining everyone's feelings and how everyone means well and they're all doing their best, and a person has to be EVIL for anyone to get mad at them and it's just exhausting. It made me dislike every single character. Had Val stood up to Dan when he was a jerk and admitted--even to herself in her first person narrating head--that he was being uncool, I'd have liked him as a love interest. Look, my husband is a kind, handsome, very intelligent man who makes a shitton of money, and that means that he is also an obnoxious, judgmental pain in the ass. He drives me fucking crazy. And I love him. And I love arguing with him. It's all wonderful. Relationships NEED that, and fictional relationships need it especially. Conflict makes things interesting and REAL.
Natural conflict and gray areas also set up better mysteries--the bad guy here is super-obvious almost the instant he/she is introduced, even before we know there is going to be a big bad guy--because it allows for the idea that seemingly good people can do bad things. If only bad people do bad things, you have no mystery, and also that's why I'm suspicious of Val's mom's meanness--homegirl's blood relations can't be terrible in this series (Val also has a real Dawn of an annoying little sister).
Oh, and there's a really cute dog, but the way he speaks is a pet peeve for me: all caps directly into people's minds, Terry Pratchett's Death-style. But this dog isn't as funny or lovable as Pratchett's character(s? I guess the Death from Good Omens is different from that of Discworkd, since Good Omens occurs on Earth?), so it's just kind of a bummer. Jay Kristoff does this in Stormdancer, too, and it's why I haven't been able to finish that book.
I don't know whether I'd recommend this. I guess if you read as much as I do. And maybe for middle grade kids (I read Gone with the Wind for the first time when I was nine; kids can handle a lot--and anyway, this thing is pretty PG). But I'm gonna read the sequel, so.
January 20, 2012
Everything about Bite Me was honestly just great and while I came across it by accident, it's actually one of my favorite ebooks to date. In short it's about a teenage vampire hunter/ half- demoness named Val. What's not to love? While I did think that the start felt a bit rushed into introducing all of the great and original characters (and the wise-cracking hell hound Fang), the rest of the novel kept up at a mysterious and great pace. I was constantly trying to figure out what happens next, even if my predictions (that were a bit wild) were wrong- I would be gaven something better than I expected. I could even almost feel like author Parker Blue had a writing style that made me think of one of my favorite authors Richelle Mead.
One of the many great things about Bite Me was the way Val acted, she was honestly more mature than most characters in YA and considering her home situation and fighting her inner demon Lola her maturity made the novel both relaxing and all the more realistic (despite the fact that she ends up working for the police at the age of eighteen).
I wish I could say that I was in love with Dan who is Val's partner and love interest, there was just something about him that made him come off as a jerk. I couldn't help but dislike him, even though he did help Val a lot in the story and was described as a nice and handsome guy. And the brother of Val's roommate.
I did love Val when she was in her demon persona that she named Lola (though I did feel at times like she thought of herself as somebody with multiple personalities) because all of her abilities were very original and still stayed in line with the traditional abilities that the Succubus are known for. Plus her being a vampire hunter had me comparing her to Buffy the Vampire Slayer (true story). With her butt-kicking skills, personality and her adorable hell hound I couldn't find anything wrong with Val. Well maybe one thing... The only issue I had with Bite Me was that there were hardly any descriptions towards any characters except for most of the secondary ones (like Shade, Micah, Gwen, etc.). Though when it came down to Val's family members, some of the other cops and even the main character herself I had to stretch my imagination and put faces on characters that I couldn't exactly see.
But still with an original plot like this, the conflict between vampires and the demon world being clearly and easily expressed, I did feel like I was learning about Lola (or Val's demon side) as the story continued and progressed. Learning about the demon side of Val was also one of the fun and more well described parts of the story, especially when she learns from Micah via the Demon Underground.
I would recommend this to people who want a YA novel with a strong female character in a supernatural novel that will leave you both guessing and intrigued long after the novel is done. You'll be begging for the sequel (I know I was).
One of the many great things about Bite Me was the way Val acted, she was honestly more mature than most characters in YA and considering her home situation and fighting her inner demon Lola her maturity made the novel both relaxing and all the more realistic (despite the fact that she ends up working for the police at the age of eighteen).
I wish I could say that I was in love with Dan who is Val's partner and love interest, there was just something about him that made him come off as a jerk. I couldn't help but dislike him, even though he did help Val a lot in the story and was described as a nice and handsome guy. And the brother of Val's roommate.
I did love Val when she was in her demon persona that she named Lola (though I did feel at times like she thought of herself as somebody with multiple personalities) because all of her abilities were very original and still stayed in line with the traditional abilities that the Succubus are known for. Plus her being a vampire hunter had me comparing her to Buffy the Vampire Slayer (true story). With her butt-kicking skills, personality and her adorable hell hound I couldn't find anything wrong with Val. Well maybe one thing... The only issue I had with Bite Me was that there were hardly any descriptions towards any characters except for most of the secondary ones (like Shade, Micah, Gwen, etc.). Though when it came down to Val's family members, some of the other cops and even the main character herself I had to stretch my imagination and put faces on characters that I couldn't exactly see.
But still with an original plot like this, the conflict between vampires and the demon world being clearly and easily expressed, I did feel like I was learning about Lola (or Val's demon side) as the story continued and progressed. Learning about the demon side of Val was also one of the fun and more well described parts of the story, especially when she learns from Micah via the Demon Underground.
I would recommend this to people who want a YA novel with a strong female character in a supernatural novel that will leave you both guessing and intrigued long after the novel is done. You'll be begging for the sequel (I know I was).
May 2, 2010
This is one of those kick-ass vampire slaying heroine books, and I honestly wasn't expecting to like it much. Most books in this genre have protagonists that don't make sense to me, and I always end up not really liking the heroine much because the motivations seem forced and her personality unrealistic; she tends to be super attractive to everyone around her, even though she gives everyone such a bad attitude. I never get that.
But I ended up really liking the heroine in this novel. The circumstances that lead to her fighting vampires make the most sense that I've ever seen in the genre. She's part demon and so has to feed its cravings—if not sexually, then physically by doing some vampire slaying. She's not out to wreak revenge or carry out some vendetta; she's just letting off some steam so she doesn't end up sucking the life out of some poor innocent.
And she has a family—so unlike other heroines in the genre; she's not a total loner. Her being part demon isolates her somewhat because it can be hard for her to relate to others, but she has people who care about her and about whom she cares.
Granted, they end up causing her to move out because she has a younger half-sister determined to get herself into trouble trying to be like Val (the heroine), but it provides a good back story, a good reason for her to be alone. So already, as she moves into the stereotype of a vampire slayer—loner, kick ass, etc.—her reasons make so much more sense and are just better than in other books.
Anyway, she somehow finds her way to becoming part of a special police force that fights vampires, and she ends up living with her police partner's sister. There's a big conflict to do with a nest of bad vampires that they need to identify, find, and deal with, but throughout it all I just really got to like the characters. I even like Val's hellhound Fang.
And while I got the impression that this is only the very start of a series, with there being great potential in the tension between her and her partner and further troubles with the vampire community, I didn't feel like I was left hanging at the end of the book. It was a pretty good arc with a nice resolution to a conflict—just with plenty of small open-ended things to entice you to read the next books.
I did end up wanting to read more about the characters and seeing where they'd end up, so I probably will.
Downloaded April 14, 2010. Finished reading April 18, 2010.
But I ended up really liking the heroine in this novel. The circumstances that lead to her fighting vampires make the most sense that I've ever seen in the genre. She's part demon and so has to feed its cravings—if not sexually, then physically by doing some vampire slaying. She's not out to wreak revenge or carry out some vendetta; she's just letting off some steam so she doesn't end up sucking the life out of some poor innocent.
And she has a family—so unlike other heroines in the genre; she's not a total loner. Her being part demon isolates her somewhat because it can be hard for her to relate to others, but she has people who care about her and about whom she cares.
Granted, they end up causing her to move out because she has a younger half-sister determined to get herself into trouble trying to be like Val (the heroine), but it provides a good back story, a good reason for her to be alone. So already, as she moves into the stereotype of a vampire slayer—loner, kick ass, etc.—her reasons make so much more sense and are just better than in other books.
Anyway, she somehow finds her way to becoming part of a special police force that fights vampires, and she ends up living with her police partner's sister. There's a big conflict to do with a nest of bad vampires that they need to identify, find, and deal with, but throughout it all I just really got to like the characters. I even like Val's hellhound Fang.
And while I got the impression that this is only the very start of a series, with there being great potential in the tension between her and her partner and further troubles with the vampire community, I didn't feel like I was left hanging at the end of the book. It was a pretty good arc with a nice resolution to a conflict—just with plenty of small open-ended things to entice you to read the next books.
I did end up wanting to read more about the characters and seeing where they'd end up, so I probably will.
Downloaded April 14, 2010. Finished reading April 18, 2010.
May 16, 2011
Bite Me is one of those books I feel kind of bad bashing on. It has a good concept, a promising world, and characters that could be awesome. You can see what the author was going for, and there's a good book in here, somewhere. Unfortunately, Bite Me also turned out to be one of those novels that is done in by bad writing.
To be fair, it's not, say, rage-inducing, how-did-this-shit-get-published, Once in a Full Moon-bad writing. It's better than that. But Parker Blue suffers badly from an inability to - all together no-oh, fuck it, you know what's coming, and we've been able to use that joke too many times. Show, not tell: writing rule number one and Blue fails miserably, especially in communicating her character's feelings, backgrounds, and defining issues.
We get a huge info dump in the first chapter, maybe two pages in, that includes a lot of important character-building information. What ever happened to letting your character's actions, words, and interactions give the reader insight into their innermost feelings? Isn't that how it's supposed to work?
But this is Bite Me's biggest problem - no single emotion, nuance, or character trait goes (loudly) unannounced, the moment it becomes relevant. I don't know if it's because Blue doesn't trust her readers to catch on, or because she doesn't realize that this is bad writing, but seriously, somebody needs to introduce her to the concept of subtlety. Oh, and emotional range - literally the only time I felt any sort of emotional anything towards Val was when someone was being cruel to her, and I can't help but wonder if Blue wasn't victimizing Val to compensate for her lack of depth.
Not only is the writing sketchy, but, well, a book about a small, wise-cracking, super-strong, super-fast, super-powerful vampire slayer whose only desire is to be normal, with a younger sister who envies her abilities and uniqueness? Where have we heard that before?
Blue realizes it, too, though, and tries to lampshade the Buffy-similarities with Buffy-based jokes. They're not really that funny, but at least she acknowledges it, right? And it's not like we haven't seen a million other Buffy-inspired heroines before, and it's not even that they can't be done well. The trouble is that while yes, Val is very obviously a Buffy knock-off, all Blue does with this similarity is make a running, unfunny joke of it...
Read more at You're Killing.Us.
To be fair, it's not, say, rage-inducing, how-did-this-shit-get-published, Once in a Full Moon-bad writing. It's better than that. But Parker Blue suffers badly from an inability to - all together no-oh, fuck it, you know what's coming, and we've been able to use that joke too many times. Show, not tell: writing rule number one and Blue fails miserably, especially in communicating her character's feelings, backgrounds, and defining issues.
We get a huge info dump in the first chapter, maybe two pages in, that includes a lot of important character-building information. What ever happened to letting your character's actions, words, and interactions give the reader insight into their innermost feelings? Isn't that how it's supposed to work?
But this is Bite Me's biggest problem - no single emotion, nuance, or character trait goes (loudly) unannounced, the moment it becomes relevant. I don't know if it's because Blue doesn't trust her readers to catch on, or because she doesn't realize that this is bad writing, but seriously, somebody needs to introduce her to the concept of subtlety. Oh, and emotional range - literally the only time I felt any sort of emotional anything towards Val was when someone was being cruel to her, and I can't help but wonder if Blue wasn't victimizing Val to compensate for her lack of depth.
Not only is the writing sketchy, but, well, a book about a small, wise-cracking, super-strong, super-fast, super-powerful vampire slayer whose only desire is to be normal, with a younger sister who envies her abilities and uniqueness? Where have we heard that before?
Blue realizes it, too, though, and tries to lampshade the Buffy-similarities with Buffy-based jokes. They're not really that funny, but at least she acknowledges it, right? And it's not like we haven't seen a million other Buffy-inspired heroines before, and it's not even that they can't be done well. The trouble is that while yes, Val is very obviously a Buffy knock-off, all Blue does with this similarity is make a running, unfunny joke of it...
Read more at You're Killing.Us.
November 11, 2009
Valentine Shapiro is no ordinary 18 year old. She is half-succubus and a vampire slayer, yes like Buffy but minus the friends and school part. The eve of her 18th birthday her mother and step dad, somewhat kicked her out of the house, not only that they fired her at the bookstore (which they owned). They think her kid sister Jennifer is obsessed on what she can do and therefore branded as a bad influence so they ordered her to keep a distance for her safety. Hurt and feeling betrayed she decided to drive around in her Honda Valkyrie, she then met this cute little dog, he is half-hellhound, I'm telling you a Terrier that is half hell hound. Funny. And whatdya know they can talk telephatically. Anyway his name is Fang, they became friends right after Fang bit a vampire in his nether regions. In pursuit of job, home and money for everything else, she decided to call police detective Dan, who found her and Jennifer that fateful night with the body of a dead vampire. Apparently San Antonio have a special unit that deals with the paranormal. The chief hired her and knows of her nature. They both agreed that part has to be left as a secret. One night Val and Dan decided to check out this new group that calls themselves New Blood Movement. There they met Alejandro the leader who looks like he wanted peace among men and vampires by introducing the blood bank, voluntary donation and/or compensation by either pleasure or monetary. They also met Dan's ex-fiance. Lily who now turned Vamp. After doing their preliminary investigation on this organization, they did see impressive "intentions and standards" that seems to point that they really do consider human, not only equal but someone that they also need to respect and take care of, but after the meeting Val, Dan and Fang got aatacked by three vampires. Who is the real enemy here? Is the New Blood Movement only fronting?
Fast-paced, with a fair amount of humor, unoriginal yes, but it was still entertaining. I am still willing to check out the sequel.
Fast-paced, with a fair amount of humor, unoriginal yes, but it was still entertaining. I am still willing to check out the sequel.
December 15, 2014
I was debating between 3 and 4 stars. When I think of other books I gave 4 stars to, I feel like a lot of them may have been slightly better written, or had better world-building or character development... but I can't help it, something about this just grabbed me. None of the characters are perfect, they have real faults but work to be good people. And no one was inherently 'evil-villain', which to me always makes a book more realistic and relateable. The real world doesn't tend to be black and white. As much as I wanted to hate her mom, even her I understood her motives and her fear, where she was coming from although I didn't agree with it. Some people commented that all the 'Slayer' comments were cheesy, and they were, but I don't think they went overboard with it and it didn't really bother me. I liked Val and I felt like her emotional responses to things were appropriate yet short-lived enough that she didn't get whiny or too self-pitying. She was a strong lead and while mature for age, there is a lot of room left for her to grow, which I am eager to see. I'm excited to see relationships develop: Val and Dan, Val and her family, Val and Micah, and well as meeting new characters like Ramirez's wife. Oh and p.s. Fang is awesome!
ARC received from Harlequin on NetGalley
ARC received from Harlequin on NetGalley
January 30, 2012
Review for Bite me by Parker Blue
I was so excited to get this book to read. I mean come on the tittle was Bite Me you knew it would be good. I started this book and automatically fell in love with it. It only took me 3 days to read this book, thats how much I loved it.
Val Sharpio is only 18 year old half human half demon who hunts vampires. On her birthday, her 18th birthday her parents kicked her out for being a bad influence on her younger half sister as well as putting her family in danger according to her parents.So after her parents kick her out she has to find a job and an apartment all on her own. Thats when she meets Fang her hellhound dog who she can talk telepathy. As well as she gets a job for a special department in her local police department and that department hunts supernatural beings. Her demon part of her makes her a great hunter but also a great predator.What will she do when her sister and her step father are kidnap by a bunch of vampires? Will she do what is necessary to save her family?
This book was amazing!! I cant believe it took me so long to finish this book,Im so mad for taking so long. I would highly recommend this book to anyone. I already started the second one and I cant put it down. Will have that review up later this week. This book gets 5 out of 5 stars!
I was so excited to get this book to read. I mean come on the tittle was Bite Me you knew it would be good. I started this book and automatically fell in love with it. It only took me 3 days to read this book, thats how much I loved it.
Val Sharpio is only 18 year old half human half demon who hunts vampires. On her birthday, her 18th birthday her parents kicked her out for being a bad influence on her younger half sister as well as putting her family in danger according to her parents.So after her parents kick her out she has to find a job and an apartment all on her own. Thats when she meets Fang her hellhound dog who she can talk telepathy. As well as she gets a job for a special department in her local police department and that department hunts supernatural beings. Her demon part of her makes her a great hunter but also a great predator.What will she do when her sister and her step father are kidnap by a bunch of vampires? Will she do what is necessary to save her family?
This book was amazing!! I cant believe it took me so long to finish this book,Im so mad for taking so long. I would highly recommend this book to anyone. I already started the second one and I cant put it down. Will have that review up later this week. This book gets 5 out of 5 stars!
March 30, 2011
An edgy book for teens that spans the gap between YA and adult fiction. Life after high school is tough enough without having to go 15 rounds with your inner demon. Val Shapiro is just your ordinary, part-demon, teenaged vampire hunter with a Texas drawl. And a pet hellhound named Fang. Soon enough she finds herself deep in the underbelly of the city, discovering the secrets of the Demon Underground and fighting to save those she loves. Whether they love her back or not.
I've had this book on my TBR shelf, I was really excited when I got a chance to read this via netgalley. I have to say what a wait I absolutely enjoyed this book, it was action from begining to end. We meet Val immediately doing what she does best. Val has a strong side but she also has a vulnerable side, strong side Demon, vulnerable side Family, Val had to come to terms with her demon side in this story and I think she did, on her way to coming to terms with herself she meets a few frieds on the way, Dan her partner and maybe a little more... and Fang her half demon half dog sidekick, with them together this made for an interesting, fast paced story. I could not put this book down once I started to read it. I think it's a must read!
I've had this book on my TBR shelf, I was really excited when I got a chance to read this via netgalley. I have to say what a wait I absolutely enjoyed this book, it was action from begining to end. We meet Val immediately doing what she does best. Val has a strong side but she also has a vulnerable side, strong side Demon, vulnerable side Family, Val had to come to terms with her demon side in this story and I think she did, on her way to coming to terms with herself she meets a few frieds on the way, Dan her partner and maybe a little more... and Fang her half demon half dog sidekick, with them together this made for an interesting, fast paced story. I could not put this book down once I started to read it. I think it's a must read!
April 12, 2011
This was part of a Free Advanced Copy from Net Galley.
This will be a short review as I just didn't get into the book, this is mainly due to the writing style. For me the story was predictable. The protagonist Val Shapiro is typical teen nothing about her stood as memorable. This is o.k. for a childrens book. I found problems with the text and writing style, mainly I felt it was a bit jumpy, sentences could have been shortened or unnecessary words taken out. It needs punch at times and for me it didn't hold it.
Characters came across a bit flat, lacking in character growth, they needed more substance and depth to them. I felt that it was trying to edge for that but for some reason the writer didn't go that way. Characters also seemed to only show up to further the plot, to provide no real depth to their existence within the plot. At times it also read like fan fiction.
The positives are that it will be entertaining to a young reading audience, the book series is a very easy read. Though many of it reminded me of Buffy the Vampire Slayer, the characterisations were reminiscent of characters from the show. Obviously a good point but for those who have seen it, it might come off as a rip off.
It just wasn't for me.
This will be a short review as I just didn't get into the book, this is mainly due to the writing style. For me the story was predictable. The protagonist Val Shapiro is typical teen nothing about her stood as memorable. This is o.k. for a childrens book. I found problems with the text and writing style, mainly I felt it was a bit jumpy, sentences could have been shortened or unnecessary words taken out. It needs punch at times and for me it didn't hold it.
Characters came across a bit flat, lacking in character growth, they needed more substance and depth to them. I felt that it was trying to edge for that but for some reason the writer didn't go that way. Characters also seemed to only show up to further the plot, to provide no real depth to their existence within the plot. At times it also read like fan fiction.
The positives are that it will be entertaining to a young reading audience, the book series is a very easy read. Though many of it reminded me of Buffy the Vampire Slayer, the characterisations were reminiscent of characters from the show. Obviously a good point but for those who have seen it, it might come off as a rip off.
It just wasn't for me.
May 12, 2010
Got about two chapters into Parker Blue's "Bite Me," got bored, wandered away, came back to scroll through it, decided it wasn't worth it, got rid of it, the end.
Longcat version: I picked this book up because it was free for the Kindle app I had just installed on my netbook. I am happy about the ease of scrolling through the book to decide if it was worth the time I'd invest in reading it; after the first two chapters I was wondering if it would get better. I voted "no" after the scroll-through -- for vampire fluff I prefer the Stackhouse novels.
If there weren't a huuuge run on supernatural stuff these days it might have grabbed my attention more, but Blue's writing sounded like she was trying too hard for a Buffy feel, even though she specifically has the main character state that she's NOT Buffy-ish. Semi-interesting concept but not enough to keep me reading.
I went for two stars because the writing wasn't bad-fanfic horrible and it wasn't a book that I wanted to throw at a wall; please read these two stars as a resounding "meh."
Longcat version: I picked this book up because it was free for the Kindle app I had just installed on my netbook. I am happy about the ease of scrolling through the book to decide if it was worth the time I'd invest in reading it; after the first two chapters I was wondering if it would get better. I voted "no" after the scroll-through -- for vampire fluff I prefer the Stackhouse novels.
If there weren't a huuuge run on supernatural stuff these days it might have grabbed my attention more, but Blue's writing sounded like she was trying too hard for a Buffy feel, even though she specifically has the main character state that she's NOT Buffy-ish. Semi-interesting concept but not enough to keep me reading.
I went for two stars because the writing wasn't bad-fanfic horrible and it wasn't a book that I wanted to throw at a wall; please read these two stars as a resounding "meh."
August 22, 2013
I loved this book! It had a wonderful story, fabulous characters, and proved nearly impossible to put down! I started it the morning of August 20th, but then had to stop reading about 20% into it to take care of family concerns. :( It was so hard waiting for bedtime and my quiet reading time! Once I got back to it, I finished it in one sitting!
Val is an incredibly likable protagonist. I hated how her mother treated her. Val deserved better! She loved her family despite their treatment of her, though, and the lengths she went to to protect them were extraordinary! They made for a wonderfully compelling read. :)
And I adored Fang! I love dogs, and Fang was my favorite character. He made for a wonderful hellhound, despite being a terrier. :)
I will definitely be continuing the Demon Underground series. Now that Val understands and accepts her demon side, I can't wait to see what she gets up to next! :)
Val is an incredibly likable protagonist. I hated how her mother treated her. Val deserved better! She loved her family despite their treatment of her, though, and the lengths she went to to protect them were extraordinary! They made for a wonderfully compelling read. :)
And I adored Fang! I love dogs, and Fang was my favorite character. He made for a wonderful hellhound, despite being a terrier. :)
I will definitely be continuing the Demon Underground series. Now that Val understands and accepts her demon side, I can't wait to see what she gets up to next! :)
March 28, 2011
Week 16
This was the first book I read on my brand new Kindle. I have to admit that one of the main reasons I decided to read it was because I could get it for free. Yep, I didn't want to pull the trigger and buy something for my first book. On to my review of the book.
How are cotton candy and Bite Me the same? They are both addictive and devoid of any real nutrients. The story was predictable, the characters were flat, and there were a lot of typos. But what would you expect from a free book in the vampire/supernatural hunter genre? I admire that Ms. Blue wrote a story and was able to get it published, and it was fun enough to keep me entertained for a weekend. I doubt that I'll be going back for any other titles in the series...but I reserve the right to change my mind some late evening when I just want to eat cotton candy.
This was the first book I read on my brand new Kindle. I have to admit that one of the main reasons I decided to read it was because I could get it for free. Yep, I didn't want to pull the trigger and buy something for my first book. On to my review of the book.
How are cotton candy and Bite Me the same? They are both addictive and devoid of any real nutrients. The story was predictable, the characters were flat, and there were a lot of typos. But what would you expect from a free book in the vampire/supernatural hunter genre? I admire that Ms. Blue wrote a story and was able to get it published, and it was fun enough to keep me entertained for a weekend. I doubt that I'll be going back for any other titles in the series...but I reserve the right to change my mind some late evening when I just want to eat cotton candy.
April 4, 2011
This is the first book in a series by Parker Blue. I wasn’t sure what to expect since I had never read anything by this author, but I wasn’t disappointed.
I felt that the characters were extremely likeable. My favorite has to be Fang, Val’s half-hellhound terrier. There was a great bond between them due to their telepathic communication.
There was quite a bit of action in this book. And I was extremely surprised by the ending. I really didn’t see it coming. Overall, this is definitely a series that you don’t want to miss.
In conjunction with the Wakela's World Disclosure Statement, I received a product in order to enable my review. No other compensation has been received. My statements are an honest account of my experience with the brand. The opinions stated here are mine alone.
I felt that the characters were extremely likeable. My favorite has to be Fang, Val’s half-hellhound terrier. There was a great bond between them due to their telepathic communication.
There was quite a bit of action in this book. And I was extremely surprised by the ending. I really didn’t see it coming. Overall, this is definitely a series that you don’t want to miss.
In conjunction with the Wakela's World Disclosure Statement, I received a product in order to enable my review. No other compensation has been received. My statements are an honest account of my experience with the brand. The opinions stated here are mine alone.
April 20, 2010
I understand this book to be for young adults so I can half-heartedly forgive the author for all the atrocities. Wait! No! Young adults deserve better than this. I guess it was a nice attempt to ride on the vampire party train using a demon twist, but I found the lust aspect uncomfortable coming from an 18 year old narrator. It felt like the author blindly wrote the story and never went back through with an editing eye. The "mystery" was incredibly boring and the investigative skills of the main characters played out like children in make believe land. 'Let's check out the park...let's check out the mansion...let's check the club...let's check the park again...'. Argh. Despite my criticisms, I'm sure the target audience will enjoy this piece of air.
May 20, 2011
The first book was explosive. It was jammed packed with fighting, drama, and a girl who was trying to find herself. The reader got put immediately in her shoes and you felt her anger, well at least I did. Val never got a break. She was blamed for everything and told to stay away from her family. It was harsh. The way that she found herself I liked. She put her powers to use in a good way helping keeping the city safe. I adored her strength to keep her head on straight and do what needed to be done regardless of her feelings.
The love interest was good. Although, I am a bit miffed at the way Dan treated her. Dan, you are a Class A jerkwad. That is all.
The love interest was good. Although, I am a bit miffed at the way Dan treated her. Dan, you are a Class A jerkwad. That is all.
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