Jessica's Guide to Dating on the Dark Side by Beth Fantaskey

Summary:
The undead can really screw up your senior year . . .

Marrying a vampire definitely doesn’t fit into Jessica Packwood’s senior year “get-a-life” plan. But then a bizarre (and incredibly hot) new exchange student named Lucius Vladescu shows up, claiming that Jessica is a Romanian vampire princess by birth—and he’s her long-lost fiancé. Armed with new-found confidence and a copy of Growing Up Undead: A Teen Vampire’s Guide to Dating, Health, and Emotions, Jessica makes a dramatic transition from average American teenager to glam European vampire princess. But when a devious cheerleader sets her sights on Lucius, Jess finds herself fighting to win back her wayward prince, stop a global vampire war—and save Lucius’s soul from eternal destruction.

Review:
From the description, I thought this would be another Twilight wannabe, but Fantaskey as put her own spin on the vampire trend. In the middle of rural Pennsylvania, Jessica lives with her adoptive parents and is starting out her senior year. The last thing she suspected was for her past to track her down.

Lucius shows up determined to fulfill the pact his and Jessica's real parents signed--their betrothal to one another. But first he has to convince Jessica that vampires are more than just a myth--that they are real. As much as Jessica tries to deny her birthright and her fanged fiancee, she slowly discovers that there is no avoiding the inevitable. But is it too late? Has she lost Lucius to the dark side and the school's head cheerleader?

Jessica remains determined to win him back and stop their families' clans from going to war. She ditches her role as an average high school student and embraces her position as a vampire princess. Overall, this was a nice twist on the vampire legend. Fantaskey dismisses many of the stereotypes associated with the dark ones and develops her own brand of vampire. She also shows it's not easy being a vampire--especially for a teenager.

Reading Rating:
This is another quick-paced book. If you enjoyed Twilight or like paranormal romance, you will devour this one in a couple of hours.

Sunshine by Robin McKinley

Summary:
There hadn't been any trouble out at the lake for years, and Sunshine just needed a spot where she could be alone with her thoughts. Vampires never entered her mind. Until they found her.

Review:
These are not your kinder, gentler brand of vampires. McKinley has woven a dark and twisted novel. There are no barriers between the real world and the Others. Sunshine lives in a world where suckers, demons, and werewolves are commonplace. Spending her days as a baker, her life is uneventful and she appears unremarkable in every way, except for her obsession with the Others. Then one night, she seeks out a quiet place to get away.

It has been years since the Wars, but no one goes to the lake anymore. There are too many bad spots and too many unknowns, but that does not stop Sunshine. She drives to her dad’s old lake house. She never even hears them coming. When they are vampires, you never do. Now Sunshine is in a battle for her life.

McKinley’s story does not romanticize vampires. They are cruel, heartless, and ugly. Nevertheless, she has created a powerful character to carry the story. Sunshine realizes her full potential and it could very well see her to her death. Only through an alliance with a vampire named Con do they both stand a fighting chance against a common enemy.

Sunshine commands the presence of every page. Her untapped abilities and her own conflicts with allying with a vampire create a unique novel that is unlike any others.

Reading Rating:
This was an intense read, and it did take me several days to tackle. Be prepared for a dark, gritty view of vampires. Also, due to mature content, I would recommend this title for older readers. And don't expect a sequel any time soon ;-)