Reardon Publishing, 2012
ISBN: 13 9781874192626
Available: Paperback
Amy Mah’s first book, Fangs Rule: A Girls Guide to Being a Vampire, was a charming, beautifully illustrated work with an adolescent viewpoint that was clever and light. But her new work, Amy Mah: Vampire, is a departure in the wrong direction. The diction and voice are very young, appealing at best to pre-teen readers, but Mah’s constant referrals to nudity, losing virginity, being spanked by numerous adults, and lesbian sex are disturbing and should be left to older audiences. This creates an unsettling and unsuccessful conflict between voice and audience.
Although Mah’s plot is original and could make a good vampire series, other than Amy herself, the characters are standard and underdeveloped. The voice changes erratically, alerting the reader to new point of view by italics and sub-heading, and these devices make the story amateurish and difficult to follow. There are also several errors in grammar, as well as dropped words. The book needs a thorough editor with a better eye for continuity.
The most disturbing aspect of the book, and the basis of my recommendation rating, is that there is a blatant misogyny that is fundamental to the plot. Though Amy’s attitude is rebellious and proud, Mah’s nonchalant, often violent subjugation of females in her work is inappropriate and offensive. Not recommended.
Contains: moderate violence and sexual references.
Reviewed by: Sheila Shedd