needs more demons?

The Reformed Vampire Support Group is maybe the most original vampire novel I’ve ever read that actually uses the word “vampire.” With a few deft twists to the rules of the legend, Jinks inverts the dynamic of the modern sexy, super-strong bloodsucker. Her vamps don’t have super strength or magically accelerated healing. They can’t fly, transform into animals, and they are to all appearances stone dead — and defenseless — when the sun’s up. They’re also prone to episodes of gastric distress. Jinks manages the neat trick of having believable human characters who are much more genuinely scary than the vampires.

The first-person narrator is herself a vampire, and Jinks exploits this to build intrigue and suspense: when Nina wakes up at sundown, she has to figure out what happened during the daylight hours. It was an effective plot device and I’m surprised more authors don’t take advantage of it. Nina’s sardonic narrative voice is also terrific and her wry outlook provided several laugh aloud moments.

On the minus side, the major plot arc plays with some of my less favorite tropes of the modern vampire novels, and it felt just a bit mechanical. For the most part characters act believably as situations evolve, and react as you might expect, so the novel is relatively low on big surprises.

But mostly I found The Reformed Vampire Support Group fresh, funny, and engaging. Also unusual and commendable: it’s a real honest-to-goodness standalone novel that doesn’t demand a sequel. I’ll read more by Jinks for sure.

needs more demons? no.