Still Sucks to Be Me: More All-True Confessions of Mina Hamilton Smith, Teen Vampire

Sucks to Be Me #2

by Kimberly Pauley

With vampire boyfriend George and best friend Serena by her side, Mina thought she had her whole life—or rather afterlife—ahead of her. But then Mina’s parents drop a bomb. They’re moving. To Louisiana. And not somewhere cool like New Orleans, but some teeny, tiny town where cheerleaders and jocks rule the school. Mina has to fake her death, change her name, and leave everything behind, including George and Serena. Not even the Vampire Council’s shape-shifting classes can cheer her up. Then Serena shows up on Mina’s doorstep with some news that sends Mina reeling. Mina may look a lot better with fangs, but her afterlife isn’t any less complicated!
 
In this eagerly awaited sequel to the popular Sucks to Be Me, Kimberly Pauley addresses many of her fans’ most pressing questions (Will Serena become a vampire? What happened to Raven? What’s next for Mina and George?) with signature humor and breezy bloodsucking style.

Genres: Vampires, Young Adult, Fantasy, Paranormal, Romance, Fiction, Teen

374 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2010

About the author

KIMBERLY PAULEY is the author of the award-winning Sucks to Be Me, which was honored on the YALSA Quick Picks for Reluctant Readers list. The sequel, Still Sucks to Be Me, was listed on the VOYA Best Science Fiction Fantasy List of 2010. Born in California, she has lived everywhere from Florida to Chicago and has now gone international to live in the UK with her husband (a numbers man) and the cutest little boy on any continent (The Max). She wrote Cat Girl’s Day Off because she wanted to share what cats really think with the world. ASK Me, is something different: darker, paranormal YA fantasy. The Accidental Wizard is her first middle grade book and is illustrated by Jason Cockcroft. Visit her online at kimberlypauley.com.

Reviews

[Melliane · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5/5

Mon avis en Français

My English review

I had had a good time with the first volume even though it did not necessarily leave me a big impact … Yet I was curious to see how the second volume was going to be. It must be said that I had volumes 1 and 2, so why not try them both, right?

I admit that I really had a good time with this second book, even better than with the first one and I am all the more curious to read more!

Having agreed to become a vampire, Mina suspected she should give up her friends one day or the other, and that day finally came. Simulating her own death and being forced to move to the other side of the country with her parents, our young heroine will have to adapt to a new life. George no longer gives any news, Serena seems taken by her family problems and Mina finds herself left to herself. But luckily for her, other vampires are in town and especially Cameron, this very enigmatic boy.

I confess that I was really wondering what this boy really wanted. He seemed perfect at first but the more we advance in the story and the more we think that he finally hides something. But is he bad? And ladies and gentlemen, that’s a good question! On top of that, it would seem that a clan of terrible vampires is in town, as does Raven. Mina can not be bored.

It was a nice novel, the intrigued is more mastered compared to the first novel. However, I have just seen that there was no sequel and for the moment, the story then remains without a proper ending.

[Jenny Zimmerman · Rating 5 out of 5]

I gave this book 5* because I thought that it is an excellent book!!! Full of suspence, tean romance, action, love and loss, heart break, and comedy with a vampire twist!!! Thanks to Mera Sampson for suggesting this series to me!!

[Carolina · Rating 3 out of 5]

First half was kind of boring, but the plot got interesting in the second half. Fully acknowledging I’ve completely outgrown this series from my childhood though

[Jennifer Wardrip · Rating 3 out of 5]

Reviewed by Karin Librarian for TeensReadToo.com

Life as a vampire isn't working out so great for Mina. The Vampire Relocation Agency is forcing her and her parents to move to a podunk town in Louisiana. Adding to the anxiety of moving, the family can't take anything with them. No clothes, photos, or keepsakes from their old lives are allowed. The VRA can't take a chance on someone recognizing them since the Hamilton's have been pronounced dead. They can't even have access to their money until some time has passed. Mina is miserable, but not having her best friend, Serena, to talk to is like pouring salt in the wound.

Even though Mina has been through some major life changes, her parents still insist she start school right away. Being a senior, Mina expects to be left out of everything, since cliques and friendships have already been established, but in Cartville, LA, Mina is the coolest thing since sliced bread. Mina immediately finds a nosy, talkative wanna-be friend, a boy who desperately wants to go out with her, and a girl who hates her guts simply because she exists. Oh! There is a handsome, mysterious guy named Cameron, too. This is definitely not a good time for Mina's boyfriend, George, to run off to Brazil to bond with his parents.

Mina takes it all in stride - even takes some vampire continuing education classes with her mom and learns to do a little shape-shifting. Cameron also starts to teach her how to use mind control. Mina is becoming a better vampire every day.

Then, Serena shows up on her doorstep and crazy, Goth-Girl Raven arrives in town. Even talk of the human-hating Black Talon group is rumored to be in Cartville. Mina discovers that even though she decided to become a vampire - her life still sucks!

STILL SUCKS TO BE ME is a cute story. If you liked the first book in the series you definitely need to pick up a copy. There were only three things that knocked it down to 4 stars:

1. The journal entries started to get a little redundant.
2. I would have liked more drama between Cameron and Mina.
3. The excitement needed to start sooner. Mina's crumbling, while warranted, took up too much of the beginning.

You'll enjoy STILL SUCKS TO BE ME much more if you read SUCKS TO BE ME first.

This is a great vampire novel for the younger crowd. Mina and the boys in her life are well-behaved teenagers. Mina even maintains a great relationship with her parents! The Hamiltons - oops, Smiths! - are a great vampire family.

[Amy]

At the end of the last book, Mina and her boyfriend, George, had both turned and become members of the vampire society. This installment picks up pretty much where the previous one ended, with Mina still trying to get a handle on being a vampire. There are a surprising amount of rules to obey, and the Vampire Council calls all of the shots. Mina’s family is treading on thin ice because her parents kept Mina’s existence a secret, and now the Council is in a tizzy because Mina turned without the proper paperwork being filed before hand. Ugh, there’s even red tape when you are undead!Mina’s life gets turned upside down again because the Vampire Relocation Agency decides that her family has outstayed its welcome in their current town, and abruptly moves them. This involves faking their deaths and giving them shiny new identities. Mina is not so thrilled to be yanked away from every thing and every one she loves, and when she learns that LA doesn’t stand for Los Angeles – it stands for the Louisiana – she is even less happy. Her family is going to be resettled in a tiny Podunk town with plenty of cow pastures and corn fields, and not much else. Talk about a teen’s worst nightmare! The nearest mall is even a long, long drive away!Kimberly Pauley infuses into the sequel the same light tone and sense of humor that made the first book so enjoyable. Mina’s inquiring mind keeps getting her into hot water, and with George AWOL, she’s less than enthusiastic about the family’s new digs. She misses her old home, she misses George, and most of all, she misses her best friend, Serena. Being the new girl in a tiny little high school isn’t much fun, either, because everyone scrutinizes everything she does.Still Sucks To Be Me wraps up some of the lingering story lines from the first book, and the ending was much more satisfying. There’s lot of action and danger, and even a hot new guy to drool over

Chracters:

[Arminzerella · Rating 3 out of 5]

Mina Hamilton, now Mina Smith after she and her parents were forced to fake their own deaths and move to Cartville, Louisiana, is having trouble adjusting to her new life as a small-town vampire. Although she and her best friend, Serena, are still secretly in touch, her boyfriend George seems to have disappeared off the face of the earth (he’s visiting his parents in a remote locale), and there’s trouble brewing in Cartville as her father and renowned vampire historian, Dr. Jonas, investigate possible connections between an organization known as the Black Talons and the Carters (an old, well-known family of vampires).

When Serena arrives in Cartville and announces that she’s fed up with her family and her life and wants to join the ranks of the undead, Mina is over the moon. But her enthusiasm is somewhat dimmed when she learns that Serena’s been marked for death. Will Mina be able to protect her friend from Raven – a Black Talon wannabee – until Dr. Jonas’ plan to unmask the Carters comes to fruition? And what should she do about Cameron, the smoking-hot vampire guy who is providing a not-so-unwelcome distraction from thoughts of Very Distant George?

Still Sucks is still funny, but Mina spends a bit too much time feeling sorry for herself. Her voice gets a little annoying at times, too – she interjects with her inner commentary everywhere and there were a few too many “totally”s for my taste. And, I know she’s a teenager, but she doesn’t seem to have much imagination. I mean, she’s running through the town and watching YouTube videos to fill her empty hours (since she no longer has to sleep), but there are so many other things she could be doing if she never gets tired. Doesn’t she have hobbies or interests that carried over from her pre-undead days? I’m with her mom – vampire classes are a good idea, especially if she’s that bored! Hope she starts to see some of the positively awesome things about being a vampire.

[Andrea · Rating 4 out of 5]

Okay, before I start my review, I just want to say that I was sent the book directly from Kimberly Pauley for the book tour and on the package she wrote Go Gators! (If you know anything about me, you know I'm a HUGE Gator fan) That totally made my day and she rocks!

This was a cute sequel to Sucks to be Me. I read the first book back in 2008 and enjoyed it. This book was no different! I love how every chapter starts off with a cute Myth and Truth about Vampires and that some chapters had lists of things that suck (and sometimes rock). I also enjoyed a lot of the pop culture that was in the story: 80's movies, you tube, The Princess Bride, Twilight, and my favorite one: Lolcats.

I love all of the characters in the story. You just have to like Mina. She's funny and witty and just seems like a real teenager. And the mystery vampire, Cameron...I want to know more about him. And of course we have Mina's BFF Serena and her boyfriend, George who I loved in the first story and loved in this one again.

The plot was pretty good too. But I want to know more! I want to know more about the Black Talons and the Carter family. And I want to know what happens with Cameron!

(Another side note...I'm not sure if the cover that I have on my ARC is the same one that will on the finished book, but for some reason, the color blue used really jumps out at me--I love it!)

This was a cute, fun, read and I can't wait to see what Kimberly Pauley writes next!

[Countrygirl_TN · Rating 4 out of 5]

Now that Mina is a vampire, she has to relocate with her family to the south while her vampire boyfriend George visits his newly found vampire parents in Brazil. She also has to leave her BFF Serena behind in CA but soon finds out that being a vampire may have perks like great looks and strength, but there are still cons like her having to start in a new school and not knowing anyone. But with George not answering emails, texts or phone calls, Mina starts to think he has lost interest and her eyes fall to another sexy vampire, Cameron Carter, who teaches her what it can be like to be a vampire by showing her around and telling her how to use mind control. But there may be something not right about Cameron and Mina ,along with her family and friends, may be in danger if they don't figure out what's going on and who can be trusted and who can't.

In reading the first of the series, I automatically knew that this was gonna be great book but it was over my expectations. I love the humor that Kimberly Pauley adds to the story. I ,seriously, will be reading this and then out of the blue start laughing at something she writes. This one introduced new characters and also remained with the older characters and that brought more life to the book. I enjoyed the book very much and would recommend it to any person who loves to read about vampires. It has romance, suspense, humor, and drama so what more could a girl ask for?

[Nina · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sucks to be Me, the previous book, was hilarious and had such a unique twist to it that I was looking forward to this book.

Mina is still as hilarious ever. Her comments are so funny, that sometimes I couldn’t hold it in me and just laughed out loud. I do apologize for all the people who where sitting next to me when it happened in the train. It won’t happen again, right. The characters are great and I loved the relationship that Mina has with her parents. It felt warm and very real. Finally some parents that care for their child and where present. Yay parents! I also really loved the friendship between Mina and Serena. That’s something we don’t see a lot in YA books. A good solid friendship.

The plot was great, even though it did lacked in the romance department. I hope the third book is going to be more about the relationship Mina has with George. The last couple of pages I read while I was sitting at the edge of my seat. The action was over too quick. There could have been more fighting scenes, but that's only because I'm an action addict. But overall very good.

Still Sucks to be Me is a hilarious read that everyone with a passion for vampires should read.

[Mary BookHounds · Rating 4 out of 5]

First off, you best read the first one in the series first: Sucks To Be Me. This one, Still Sucks To Be Me builds upon the first one and continues the story of Mina who is now a fledgling vampire. The story is just adorable and told with a lot of wit and snarky comments from Mina in the form of To Do lists and journal entries as well as normal chapters. I found the posts at the top of each chapter just hilarious and filled with "true facts" about vampires as Mina knows them.

This story can be enjoyed by younger teens since there is just a few kisses and a few cuss words. Nothing in my opinion younger kids haven't seen or heard. There is enough romance and adventure to keep the pages turning. I know a lot of "older" teens that will love this story as well. I sure did!

If you enjoy Marlene Perez and her Dead Is series (Disney has optioned it) and Kelly McClymber's Salem Witch series (another good pick for a TV show), this is a great series to get started on. I hope there are lots more in the works for Mina!

[Myhotstylist · Rating 5 out of 5]

I absolutely LOVED this book.

Mina has now relocated to Cartville Louisiana, just on the outskirts of New Orleans. Now trapped in a very small town with nothing to do, Mina soon becomes the center of attention at her new highschool. Her boyfriend, George, is AWOL in Brazil, and Mina catches the eye of the only other resident teen vamp in town, Cameron.

We get a few suprises in this installment, including the return of Raven and Serena. Mina finds herself in a whole heap of trouble when her dad's boss (an old historian vamp) trys to prove wether or not the Black Talon clan really do exist in Cartville.

This is such a sweet story, im not sure if there is a moral to it or not, but its complete bubblegum coated paranormal read. Perfect for teens and adults alike. Best to read the first book before this one. I certainly hope there will be more books in this series.

[Isabel Beard · Rating 5 out of 5]

I REALLLLYYYYY like it! Girls: Read this! :)

[Rose Cooper]

This was a totally fun book! I didn't want to stop reading about Mina and all her dramarama. The voice was hilarious and the plot had a few unexpected twists that were really great!

[Lee · Rating 5 out of 5]

Read this book awhile ago. It left me wanting a third Mina book. Hear me Ms. Pauley....?

[Lindsey Gingerich · Rating 3 out of 5]

Note to self: Not nearly as fun as the first. George ends up saying a very vague goodbye to Mina in California and then goes off to live in the jungle with no way to even reach him, so my favorite character was hardly in the book. He was sort of replaced (narratively) with Cameron, a vampire connected to a murderous racist(?) cult type deal. They torture, enslave and kill humans for fun because they're a lesser species apparently and Cameron lives with them and identifies as a member of their clan but apparently not as a member of their weird hate group which seems. Just very convenient? Like how are you gonna spend all your time with the same people in the hate group that are in your family and then say you're not a part of what they do? You literally are, you just didn't get a tattoo.

And that whole clan/cult distinction was never cleared up to me. There was a VERY confusing kidnapping plot that Cameron was connected with and never got cleared of but before he went on the lam, he kissed Mina? Apparently he had feelings for her and wished they'd gotten together and she kinda also seemed wistful but like? Dude your real boyfriend who came to visit you all the way from Brazil is waiting at home with the vampire cops who are about to try and arrest the dude you're kissing for kidnapping your dad and boyfriend's boss. What are you doing.

I didn't really follow the other plots either; they were an assortment of boring, convoluted, confusing or contrived. Or worse, all of those.

I did still have fun and had a visceral reaction to several scenes (most if not all were George related) so. I guess it was okay? But if you're just rereading the first book and are wanting to spend more time with the characters, just write your own wattpad fanfic. It'll probably be the same quality and it'll definitely be more entertaining. Skip this one.

[Jennifer · Rating 3 out of 5]

It's been a long time since I read the first book, and I had trouble remembering the characters and the plot of the first book. I struggled with this one, which is unfortunate because it was funny and fast paced. I put to down and then had no real desire to pick it back up. That being said, I did enjoy it once I finished it. I could not stand Kacie and even though it was extremely juvenile I really enjoyed her comeuppance; a cow patty on the head in a homecoming dress! I was upset that Raven was back; she was irritating in the first book and downright pathetic in this one, but at least they actually wiped he memory this time. I liked the idea of Serena becoming a vampire, but it was not the right choice for her. I was so mad and George and frankly Mina deserves better than him. I really liked Cameron, and was sad when he ran away. He was innocent and could have easily cleared his name.

[P.M. · Rating 4 out of 5]

Newly turned vampire Mina Hamilton is about to be re-located after her "death" and funeral by the Vampire Relocation Agency. When Mina and her parents end up in the boondocks of Louisiana, she feels devastated because her best friend Serena must not be contacted and her boyfriend George is re-connecting with his absent parents in Brazil. To combat boredom, Mina enrolls in vampire continuing education classes in shape-shifting and receives private lessons in mind control from felllow high school student vampire Cameron Carter. Serena arrives unexpectedly because of her sorrow over her parents' pending divorce and asks to become a vampire. Suddenly, Raven, a vampire-wannabe and Mina's enemy from the previous book, shows up to kill Serena as part of her initiation into the Black Talons. Mina must rally family and friends to foil the plans of the Carter Clan and save Serena.

[Jazz Feylynn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Continuing where Sucks to Be Me: The All True Confessions of Mina Hamilton, Teen Vampire (maybe) by Kimberly Pauley left off as Mina becomes a vampire. The humor continues as the Council has decided that her family needs to move from California to the small town of Cartville, Louisiana after staging the car accident that supposedly kills her whole family.

Mina doesn’t take to small town USA very well (and I don't blame her one bit) and with George (her boyfriend) off in the jungles of South America. In addition, not suppose to get in touch with anyone from her old life, including her BFF, Serena, before vampirism, she gets into situations that gets harder to keep the Council from finding out.

[Sydney · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5

[Calista · Rating 3 out of 5]

Written ok but with a very odd plot.

[Veranica Mitchell · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really waiting for book three! it took me years to remember/find this series.

[Danielle · Rating 4 out of 5]

More action than the first novel, and it was just as cute.

[Mrs.]

My book is called still sucks to be me by Kimberly Pauley. My book starts out with a dead girl. Her name is Mina Hamilton she’s also a vampire. She lives in a small town not very many people live in it. She says her life sucks cause of what happened in that small town. She says she gets pushed around and people don’t treat her right. They treat her like she was a nobody. Yes she did have a couple of friends but not a lot of them. They like her, but still thought of her as a freak. She didn’t care what people thought of her because she’s dead now.
Her parents missed her a lot, but she didn’t miss them at all. Her parents didn’t know that though. They thought she wants to be alive, but she never wanted to live again!!!!! For some reason she doesn’t want to be alive? Know one knows why though??? She wants to get her revenge so people will suffer just like she did. Some people say that they can hear her walking down the halls looking for people that treated her bad. Witch would be most of the people in the school of course. Thats what a lot of people say. Her friends are the ones who had her back, but she’s dead and they got nothing now to back up.
So she goes to go get her revenge. before she does she likes this guy named George. The only problem is that he doesn’t like her at all. she gets really sad when he just looks at her like if she was a piece of trash and sometimes she would cry. She still likes him even if she’s dead. Dead people still has feelings. After all this happened she did get her revenge. she’s happy now and if anyone is willing to make fun of her they are in for a big surprise




This book is fit for most teens like fun teens ones that like to read books interesting books. This book will blow your mind of just like it blow my mind up. It talks about a girl that is dead and its when she try’s to get her revenge she does. I cant tell you more than the whole book because you have to read the book your self and find out what happens next. This is no joke you have to read this book because it is the best book that i have read in school hahahaha lol. So you have to read it find anywhere in book stores in if you already have and don’t want to read well read the book its the best Im not kidding. GET READING PEOPLE IT HELPS YOU READ BETTER AND YOU LAERN ALOT FROM IT HURRY!!!!!!!




This book compares to my life because its just like my to get the revenge i want and need so i cant get even with a lot of people at this school that i go to. This school never has anything special it only has boring this. at some point this school will turn out way better that it is now. Well its just like me going to a boring school this dead girls name is Mina Hamilton and she also went to a boring school. Everyone says that school is fun and all that but we say it the most boring thing in the whole wide world!!!!! We also say that we’re vampires haha not really though she is not me only in my own world i am a vampire. A lot of people call me espy and her two friends called her Mina. Her regular name cause they don’t have a nick name for her.This whole book almost compares to my whole life and thats the good thing.=]

[Gecky Boz · Rating 4 out of 5]

Vernal Vampire

This book gets a very non sucking 4 gnomes and a gnome hat out of 5 gnomes for more great humor and a new setting that's just as fun as the original.

I like the formatting of these books like how you see Mina's emails, text messages and journal entries throughout both of these books and the truth and myths about vampires at the start of chapters. I think seeing this makes you picture the character even better.

This book continues Mina's story after she becomes a vampire and goes through the whole Vampire Relocation Agency process. Officially she is now dead and has to move to a very small town. She has to pretend her Dad is her brother and her Mom is her sister-in-law. That itself would be pretty weird not getting to refer to your parents as Mom and Dad in public.

Another great bit of information given is why the last name Smith, which is now Mina's last name, is so popular. Lots of vampires are given this name when they have to relocate.

The small town vampires and people you meet are very interesting. Some of the vampires of the Carter clan seem a bit hillbillyish (if that's a word). The people are also almost aggressively friendly like Eugenie and Grady her son who takes an immediate interest in Mina. Mina is popular in town because she's new and Grady takes an interest in her. Even the new vampire council they have to deal with is more easy going then the previous one.

There's another trio of love interests in this book. There's Grady who likes Mina a lot but has a psycho named Kacie who is obsessed with him and doesn't like other girls to talk to him. George is kind of flaky in this book, he goes to Brazil and doesn't contact Mina for quite a while. Cameron is the new love interest who "smells" very good to Mina but also happens to be a part of the Carter clan. Cameron is someone who I really want to know the whole story about. Not sure that Cameron is really a bad vampire or not because he does end up helping Mina so much. I have a feeling that he's pretty old in vampire years because he seems pretty powerful.

Mina picks up some cool vampire skills too. She's very good at shape shifting into other people and she has a knack for mesmerizing people. This learning how to mesmerize people leads her to get close to Cameron. Mesmerizing is also vital in this book and has possible implications for the future of the series.

The Carter Clan of vampires are up to bad stuff usually according to Dr. Jonas, the historian Mina's Dad works for. Jonas has a theory that the Carters and the Black Talon (a group of really bad vampires who kill humans for initiation into their group). Cameron was turned by the Carter clan so it is hard to know if he should be trusted. Mina still has an enemy out there, some craziness when Serena shows up and of course high school to deal with.

The conclusion has hard decisions being made and it looks like a new direction will be part of the future.

[Diana Dang · Rating 5 out of 5]

Mina Ham---, wait no, Smith, is now officially living in the middle of nowhere. Oh how exciting her new vampire life will be...not.

Missing both her boyfriend, George, and BFF, Serena, Mina tries to adapt to her new home. At school, she has this cute guy named Grady who is persistently going after her and mean girl Kacie who simply dislikes her. All is not so bad when vampire dud Cameron is helping her around town! Can things get any more complicated with her social life here? What is worse is that Raven may be stalking Serena! Should she be worried about this vampire-wannabe?

As Mina tries to adjust to her new environment, she learns how to use her new power and the history of vampires (where the bad ones might be back in town, ready to strike again!).

I loved Sucks to Be Me and Still Sucks to Be Me is definitely a great sequel! I love the light and fun atmosphere of this novel along with the cute vampire drawings in the beginning of every chapter. Mina is still the awesome protagonist that I remembered from the first novel. I feel sorry for her because as a vampire, things for her should be more cool. Instead, she is completely removed from society and is allowed no contact with her friends since she is presumably "dead". That definitely sucks. However, I found it really wicked how she is able to change her appearances to whoever she chooses to. I don't think I have read about any vampires that could change their face so that's a plus.

A couple of side characters were not exactly fleshed out (Kacie and Grady to be more specific). Even though they did their part in the story, I wished there were more to them. I tried to understand why Grady likes Mina so much but could not. He sort of stuck himself to her like an octopus pretty much near the beginning when they met. There weren't really any relationship between them for him to like her so much beyond being neighbours/classmates. She tried avoiding him as much as she could so I didn't see why he still hung on. Kacie is your usual mean girl, being mean for no reason. I wish she isn't that typical throw-in character, you know? But I had to love what had happened to her later on in the book.

I took quite a bit of liking towards Cameron. I rooted for George and Mina in the last novel but after this one, I decided to switch. Did anything happen to the two? Well that you have to read and find out yourself!

I hope there is a third novel in the series because I feel that Mina should definitely come back! If you haven't read Sucks to Be Me yet, go check it out now! (Review in tags). And if you did, go get the sequel this coming May 11th!

Fun Fact: In the process of creating Still Sucks to Be Me, Kimberly asked her readers to suggest a name for her mean girl. And guess who suggested Kacie? Yep, I was the only one who did!

[Syki · Rating 3 out of 5]

První díl série se mi velice líbil. Sice šlo spíše o takovou legračné upířinu zaměřenou spíše na mladší publikum, ale mě prupovídky hlavní postavy přišly hodněkrát velice vtipné a prostě trefné. Stejně tak i způsob, jakým se snažila vypořádat se situací, v níž se ocitla. Pojetí upírů a upírského společenství je odlišné od toho, s nímž se obvykle setkáváme. Což je jenom dobře. Mít kopírák kopíráku už začíná být docela otrava.

Zkuste si představit, jaké to je být teenager, který si musí vybrat mezi nesmrtelným životem s rodiči a smrtelným životem bez nich. Není to nic lehkého, obzvlášť pokud zvolíte možnost číslo jedna a ztratíte tak život, jaký jste měli. Mina si zvolila nesmrtelnost a s tím přichází také její fingovaná smrt a stěhování se do úplně jiného místa. Přece jenom by sousedům mohlo být po X letech divné, že nikdo z jejich rodiny nestárne. Mohli by se tak začít pídit po tom, co jsou vůbec zač. A to Upírská rada rozhodně nechce.

Tak se Mina ocitne na místě, kde byste žádného upírá nečekali. Snaží se zapadnout mezi ostatní, přitom se nenechat strhnout na tu špatnou stranu Síly... tedy upírů. Nepomáhá ji ani odloučení od přítele Georga, který se zrovna v Brazílii sbližuje se svou rodinou.

Kniha je přeložena svižně, vtipně, hrdinčiny prupovídky dokonale sednou do běžné mluvy dospívajících. Kolikrát jsem se u některých výrazů i zakřenila, protože mi přišly naprosto trefné.

Obě knihy série jsou primárně určené spíše mladšímu publiku, tedy alespoň já mám z nich takový pocit. Starší čtenáři by možná při některých scénách jen nevěřícně kroutili hlavou a brali celý příběh až příliš vážně.

První díl se mi ohromně líbil a přestože jsem starší, parádně jsem si hrdinčiny lapálie užila. S pokračováním to ovšem bylo o něco těžší. Pořád jsem měla pocit, že mi tam prostě něco nesedí, Mina sem tam řeší docela pitomosti a hlavně mi hodně chyběl George, na kterého jsem si prostě zvykla. No a když se z něj stal pořádný hezounek, doufala jsem v něco víc. Škoda.

Tuto knihu bych doporučila spíše mladším čtenářům, kteří nebudou hloubat nad nějakou strašně důležitou zápletkou a prostě si užijí to, co před sebou mají. Mina je stále stejně vtipná, přátelská a ztřeštěná, jen se do všeho více zamotává. Knize dávám 3 hvězdičky, protože jde o příjemné počtení, u kterého nemusíte zase tolik zapojovat mozkové závity.


-------------------Reakce po dočtení-------------------
Bože, už dlouho se mi nějaká kniha nezdála tak nekonečná... bude to tím, že mi tam chyběl Georg.

[Karin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Life as a vampire isn’t working out so great for Mina. The Vampire Relocation Agency is forcing her and her parents to move to a podunk town in Louisiana. Adding to the anxiety of moving, the family can’t take anything with them. No clothes, photos, or keepsakes from their old lives are allowed. The VRA can’t take a chance on someone recognizing them since the Hamilton’s have been pronounced dead. They can’t even have access to their money until some time has passed. Mina is miserable, but not having her best friend Serena to talk to is like pouring salt in the wound.

Even though Mina has been through some major life changes, her parents still insist she start school right away. Being a Senior, Mina expects to be left out of everything since cliques and friendships have already been established, but in Cartville, LA, Mina is the coolest thing since sliced bread. Mina immediately finds a nosy, talkative wanna-be friend, a boy that desperately wants to go out with her, and a girl who hates her guts simply because she exists. Oh! There is a handsome, mysterious guy named Cameron, too. This is definitely not a good time for Mina’s boyfriend, George, to run off to Brazil to bond with his parents.

Mina takes it all in stride – even takes some vampire continuing education classes with her mom and learns to do a little shape-shifting. Cameron also starts to teach her how to use mind control. Mina is becoming a better vampire everyday.

Then, Serena shows up on her doorstep and crazy, Goth-Girl Raven arrives in town. Even talk of the human-hating Black Talon group is rumored to be in Cartville. Mina discovers that even though she decided to become a vampire – her life still sucks!

STILL SUCKS TO BE ME is a cute story. If you liked the first book in the series you definitely need to pick up a copy. There were only three things that knocked it down to 4 glasses.

1. The journal entries started to get a little redundant.
2. I would have liked more drama between Cameron and Mina.
3. The excitement needed to start sooner. Mina’s crumbling, while warranted, took up too much of the beginning.

You’ll enjoy STILL SUCKS TO BE ME much more if you read SUCKS TO BE ME first.

This is a great vampire novel for the younger crowd. Mina and the boys in her life are well-behaved teenagers. Mina even maintains a great relationship with her parents! The Hamiltons oops, Smiths are a great vampire family.

[Cindy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I know what everyone is thinking, "Oh no not another teen vampire book". This is far from the typical teen vampire book that seems to be hitting the shelf recently. This book is filled with humor, great characters, and a fast moving plot that doesn't revolve around teens falling in love and having forbidden love.

The thing that stands out about Still Sucks To Be Me is the humor. Kimberly Pauley knows how to balance the jokes and side comments with the plot. It's not overly filled with forced humor, instead it comes across as natural. There were plenty of times that I found myself laughing. This is a really light hearted vampire novel.

The characters are great. Mina is the main character and the story is told from the first person point of view. She acts like a typical 17 year old with humor, concerns about friends, and school but not over reacting and believing that the world is coming to an end. There is just something about Mina that really attracts the reader to her and will cause for a great read. The supporting characters are all very strongly portrayed throughout the novel and really realist in their conversations, expressions, and actions.

The fact that it contains vampires in a non-sparkly, non-violent way is really something that is rather unique to YA books lately. There is teen romance but nothing that resembles Twilight or other vampire books. This book is really about the humor and just having a fun, great read.

Still Sucks To Be Me is a sequel and while the first book would make sense to read before this one, it isn't necessary. I didn't read the first book and had no problems with understanding previous plots and characters. Though there is a referral to the character Raven that would be best understood if the first book was read.

The only weakness of the book for myself was the small sections of text messages or emails. This makes up less then 2% of the book but I detest reading online chat conversations that have "whre r u". As a YA book this can be expected and I'm glad that it wasn't overdone, but I still cringed a little when it did come up.

In the end, I loved Still Sucks To Be Me, I was surprised at how much I enjoyed this book. It was a real surprise for myself. Every page was a delight to read and I'd really recommend giving this a try to any lover of YA novels that enjoys a bit of humor and a decent plot.

[Willinda · Rating 3 out of 5]

V druhém díle knihy Pijou mi krev aneb upírkou na vlastní nebezpečí se znovu setkáváme s Minou, jejíž stav se změnil z živé na neživou.
Tentokrát se na Minu hrne více problému naráz. Musí se se svými rodiči přestěhovat a předstírat vlastní smrt a stát se někým jiným. Musí začít chodit do nové školy, její rodiče už nejsou oficiálně jejími rodiči, ale bratr se švagrovou, musí opustit všechno i nejlepší kamarádku.
Serena se jí ale jen tak nevzdá, a když se jí zhroutí rodina, rozhodne se za Minou vydat a být s ní. Jenže vůbec netuší, že jí hrozí obrovské nebezpečí, protože se chce šílená Raven pomstít Mině a jako svůj cíl si vybere čirou náhodou právě nic netušící Serenu.

Tahle kniha je spíše určená o trochu mladšímu publiku, které je poblázněné upířím šílenstvím a hledá další knihu s touto tématikou. Těmto čtenářům by tato kniha mohla splnit jejich očekávání. Upíři? Samozřejmě ano. Milostné pletky? Ano. Akce? Ne sice moc, ale taky se tam tu a tam objeví. Humor? Rozhodně!
Ti z nás, kteří si potrpí spíše na drsnější nebo naopak jemněji založené příběhy, by na téhle knize mohli ocenit humornou stránku celého příběhu. Není stránka, na které by se nenašel jediný vtipný moment, který na tváři vykouzlí alespoň malý úsměv, nebo úsměv od ucha k uchu. K tomu se ještě přidá ztřeštěná hlavní hrdinka, která se nebojí utrousit všelijaké poznámky, a budete se smát téměř nepřetržitě.

Kniha není vůbec složitá, jde pouze o to si ji přečíst, uvolnit se, pobavit se nad Mininými problémy, a pak ji zase odložit. Zbytečné myšlení v průběhu čtení může mít své následky.
Pořád mi pijou krev je kniha, která se musí číst s jistým nadhledem (možná ale je to spíše podhled). Není to žádný zázrak, ale když si chcete nebo potřebujete přečíst něco, u čeho nemusíte zapojovat mozek, ale potřebujete opravdu vypnout a chcete se jenom trochu pobavit, zasmát a odreagovat, je tahle kniha to pravé ořechové.

[Victoria704 · Rating 5 out of 5]

In this book im up to chapter nineteen and the book is very good it is about Mina and how she is getting used to all for these new changes in her life. Like moving cause she is "dead" and also how her best friend came to visit her and now Serena wants to be a vampire too! omg what are the Smiths going to do about i dont know i guess i will just have to keep reading the book and let you know as i go long so i would just like to say thank you for now and i will hopefully be abel to fill you in on this book tomorrow or on sunday but for noe you will have to wait. Im so very sorry to say that today I just finished the book still sucks to be me ok Mina Smith is still a vampire but she thinks that her life rocks and sucks and she has her reasons why because she is a vampire and her friend Serena will problay never be a vampire and oh by the way mina was elected as home coming queen and everyone at her school was so happy for her. Also Mina went through some pretty hard times like how they said in the news paper that she and her family died that is so nto true it is just that she had to change her name and some other things like highschool and move to a different house. It is a crazy life but I think that Mina Smith loved it and i absouely loved it even though she cant tell anyone that she is a vampire i think that if we all created to be a werewolves or vampires like in Twilight I would want to be a vampire so I at least would look like a human being and not change into a werewolf. So that is why im ALWAYS reading books with vampires and werewolves because it is so good and never gets old. Just like when you start a new book or movie you never want it to end so bye for now.