Jessica's Guide to Dating on the Dark Side (Jessica, #1) by Beth Fantaskey

5 Fanglicious Stars 

Rating: 5 of 5 stars

 

Lil' Lass Muses

Genre: Young Adult, Paranormal Romance, Vampire

Cover: So soft and pretty
Star Status: 5 Fanglicious Stars

My Book Boyfriend: I pick Lucius bet it's more of a love/ hate relationship. I want a strong boyfriend and there were times that he just had a weak personality. But what he lacked he strength he made up for in humor.

Most Like Me or who I want to be: Most definitely Jessica. I'm going to overlook the fact she shares a name with my sister. To be honest the reason I like her so much is she is so different from Bella in Twilight. (Yes I'm reading that now, but the move is better so far!) Jessica is strong both emotionally and mentally and seems much older than her true age (much like me!).

 

Memorable Random Quotes :

 

“Allow me to do at least one common courtesy for you. In spite of what 'women's lib' teaches you, chivalry does not imply that women are powerless. On the contrary, chivalry is an admission of women's superiority. An acknowledgment of your power over us.”

 

“Nuts. Lucius Vladescu is completely nuts. And I'm alone with him, in an empty barn.”

 

“The strange, almost pleasurable, sensation I'd felt when he'd brushed my cheek was forgotten as reality hit me again. Lucius Vladescu was a lunatic.”

 

"Sure. I'll keep it on my shelf right next to The Idiot's Guide to Becoming a Mythical Creature.''

 

“Gentlemen don’t ask women impertinent questions about delicate subjects…… And they never, ever use crude expressions in mixed company. Not unless they’re ready to face the consequences.”

 

Random Thoughts:

 

I had so much fun reading this book. I think I laughed more than any other book so far this year. I loved that Jessica wasn't all- head over heels, I can't live without my vampire Lucius. **dramatic ~ faint** She was very strong will and believed Lucius to be nuts. after all in this day and age, who in their right mind thinks vampire are real? It was just such a believable situations it was a comical, lol moment (I got hushed during class) I haven't had a chance to read all the Vampire books my mom has read. Yet I can see this becoming an instant classic along with Dracula. Not because of it being a great piece of literature but because so many of today's books have the girl swooning over the vampire like a bubbling mindless idiot and Jessica has a brain that she uses."

~Alexandria, 12 1/2

 

Want More? Yes, I plan to read book 2 next month.
Recommend:Yes grades 5 and up.

 
 

Big Lass Reviews:

The book does take a while to get into, mostly because the major flaws are all in the beginning of the novel. The biggest thing that peeved me was that Jessica's love of "rational thinking" was used as a plot device to make her not believe that Lucius was a vampire until the moment Fantaskey needed her to. This could have been done in a much more natural way, because something just doesn't ring true about her parents not telling her about her vampyric past simply because she has a rational mind. It would have been better, perhaps, if they didn't tell her because, in today's society, no one believes in vampires, but instead, the "Jessica has a rational mind" idea is given to the reader over and over to try to write off her disbelief.

I also have reservations about the way female vampires develop their fangs in Fantaskey's world. A female has to be bitten by a male vampire before the fangs will materialize. The "meaning" of fang development is a little vague; it seems like the girl is not through with vampire "puberty" until the teeth have come in, but linking that to a bite from the male and vampire bites are depicted as very sexual makes it seem more like a loss of virginity. This means that the female cannot become Vampire until she offer ups herself to the male and gives her purity to the male.

What I found the most amusing of the story was the letters that Lucius writes to his uncle, showing how he views the world of the Americans from his rather patrician, strict and structured upbringing. Another theme that we deal with in this story is that of love and redemption. Our favorite arrogant vampire has feelings of worthlessness and feels that he is unforgivable. Yet we see glimpses of kindness and love, even when he refuses to acknowledge their existence. It is a powerful, emotionally charged story that takes the reader on Lucius's emotional roller coaster ride with him, and has us sitting in the sidelines, cheering him on and hoping he finds the forgiveness he desperately craves.

All in all, this is not a bad book but it is not wonderful either. It is a bit silly and often too predictable. I finished it in 2 days, as I found myself not wanting to put it down. Fantaskey writes with a breezy, effervescent style that lends itself to the story, keeping the various story lines -- challenges with parents, students, normal friends, the would-be normal boyfriend, and the vampire prince -- spinning. There's more at stake in the betrothal, because it was calculated to cement an alliance between two powerful feuding vampire clans.

I was highly disappointed by the end of this book. After all that happens, all the leading up to the climax, all the chasing, the drama, the surprises, the book ends in a whisper.