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Fang Girl

by Helen Keeble (Goodreads Author)

3.73 of 5 stars 3.73 · rating details · 318 ratings · 99 reviews

Things That Are Destroying Jane Greene’s Undead Social Life Before It Can Even Begin:

1) A twelve-year-old brother who’s convinced she’s a zombie.
2) Parents who are begging her to turn them into vampires.
3) The pet goldfish she accidentally turns instead.
4) Weird superpowers that let her rip the heads off of every other vampire she meets.(Sounds cool, but it doesn’t win you...more

Paperback, 352 pages

Published September 11th 2012 by HarperTeen

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September 2012

31st out of 183 books — 261 voters

HarperCollins YA & MG Books of 2012

59th out of 129 books — 78 voters

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Sep 11, 2012 Giselle rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: arc, own, paranormal

A ridiculously funny vampire comedy, Fang Girl brings us a fun read with a surprising lot to offer - aside from the humor, we've got a witty protagonist and a entertaining plot which has a good amount of substance for such a frivolous novel.

When Jane wakes up and realizes she's in a coffin, has super speeds, and fangs, her mediocre life is no more. 15 year old Jane is a surprisingly compelling character; her charm and wit throughout her ordeal is constantly entertaining, brimming with laugh-out...more A ridiculously funny vampire comedy, Fang Girl brings us a fun read with a surprising lot to offer - aside from the humor, we've got a witty protagonist and a entertaining plot which has a good amount of substance for such a frivolous novel.

When Jane wakes up and realizes she's in a coffin, has super speeds, and fangs, her mediocre life is no more. 15 year old Jane is a surprisingly compelling character; her charm and wit throughout her ordeal is constantly entertaining, brimming with laugh-out-loud quotables, while her innocence and insecurities convey her teenage years perfectly. Additionally, Jane's family has a big role in this story which is much appreciated. Though kookie at times, the parents become instantly likeable if only for their immediately support for Jane's... predicament. Their characters really enrich this novel. They would do anything to help their daughter and I adored the way they handled all the sudden, bizarre situations they're thrown in. Jane also has a brother who is an absolute darling with his enthusiasm for these antique beings. We meet a slew of secondary characters along the way as well who have a satisfying amount of development and great charisma. For a novel that is so humor-based, I wasn't expecting to see such strong character presence.

Ridiculous in an almost vampire parody style, Fang Girl is a perfectly gratifying read that is amusing to no end. This book is never to be taken as a serious vampire novel, it's a comedy through and through. Sure there is an intriguing plot-line with turns that completely caught me off guard, but in the end, it's meant to be comical. Nevertheless, I was quite pleased with how interesting the story itself truly was. Too often in a comedy do we see plots shoved aside, becoming secondary to the humor. In Fang Girl, however, the plot is exciting as well as diverting, with a touch of romance to spice things up. I especially enjoyed how blunt some plot developments were. One page you're all happy and dandy, and the next you have to take a picture of the page to text to your friend who previously read the book because you accidentally mailed it to them *deep breath* to ask if this really just happened. True story! It's not all unpredictable, and some of it may be cheesy, but it's the good kind of cheesy that makes you snort unattractively, which is always cool!

Fang Girl is the perfect book for the beach, a plane ride, to hide behind your math textbook; it's effortless and extremely high in entertainment value. If you're looking for a fun, refreshing novel, I would recommend this one in a heartbeat!

--
An advance copy was provided by the author for review.

For more of my reviews, visit my blog at Xpresso Reads

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May 06, 2013 Christina (A Reader of Fictions) rated it 4 of 5 stars Recommends it for: people who are sick of paranormal books taking themselves so seriously

Recommended to Christina (A Reader of Fictions) by: Jenni Arndt

Shelves: sadie-hawkins

Fang Girl is precisely what I hoped it would be: a light, hilarious read, the perfect snack to break up the depressing fare I generally read.

Vampires have been done to death, in just about every way possible. You would think it wouldn't be possible to put a fun, new spin on them anymore, without totally going insane with the mythology. Well, Keeble shows that there's still room for innovation. Her vampire mythos is definitely my favorite aspect of the novel. They've got some awesome powers, like...more Fang Girl is precisely what I hoped it would be: a light, hilarious read, the perfect snack to break up the depressing fare I generally read.

Vampires have been done to death, in just about every way possible. You would think it wouldn't be possible to put a fun, new spin on them anymore, without totally going insane with the mythology. Well, Keeble shows that there's still room for innovation. Her vampire mythos is definitely my favorite aspect of the novel. They've got some awesome powers, like being able to see through the eyes of other vampires in their bloodline, and some serious flaws, like being incredibly OCD. Keeble does a great job of balancing humor and an actual, convincing plot.

Reading Fang Girl, I couldn't help but think of another parody of vampire fiction I read, The Reformed Vampire Support Group. That one came out first, but unlike Jinks' novel, Keeble's is actually funny. Where TRVSG thought detailed description of guinea pig meals were the height of humor, Keeble leaves the guinea pigs alive and has vampires running around like demented Cinderellas, picking up paper clips from the road instead of lentils from the ashes.

The characters are all properly quirky, and likable, even most of the evil ones. Jane herself is awesome, very smart and always trying to make the best out of every situation. However, I feel like the secondary characters really stole the show. Jane's family are delightful and incredibly supportive (*cough* unlike most YA families *cough*), totally excepting their daughter, vampire or no. Plus, they're all hilarious, especially the mom with a penchant for research and Zack, her brother, and his obsession with all things steampunk. Speaking of the mom's research, there's Jane's childe vampire, Brains, a goldfish turned in one of Mum's experiments. Brains is as awesome as he sounds. I also love Sarah, who's sweet and helpless on the outside, but a badass, evil genius on the inside. If this were a movie, she would be Chloe Moretz, which is just how intense she is.

Just so you know, the stress on romance in the blurb with the sixth point about the ripped vampire hunter? It's seriously exaggerated. While he does exist and does have cheese grater abs, there's really not much romance in this book. Fang Girl has enough hints at it to appease those who like a couple to ship, but little enough actually romantic drama to keep those sick of all the romance in YA very happy. Really, all there is to the romance is a couple of comments on the kids being attracted to one another and some jokes. I'm glad about that, because the book would have needed to be longer to really sell the romance.

Keeble has a real talent for humorous writing, and I'm so excited to see what she'll do as gets even more practiced with it. I'm very excited to check out her second book, No Angel, which comes out later this year.(less)

4 likes · like · see review

Aug 04, 2012 Siina rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: young-adults, fantasy-scifi

Personally I think Keeble is amazing when portraying teenage girl's life and she handles fandom so very well. The book is funny in a satirical way and slaps all vampire lovers in the face - in the best way of course! Keeble is fantastic on giving us insights to vampire related things we hardly ever think of, though she does have some inconsistencies from time to time (how can vampires blush if they do not have blood circulation etc.). Her vampires have a wonderfully odd tendency too (read the bo...more

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Dec 07, 2012 Annejhoyce marked it as to-read

I won an ARC of Fang Girl through First Reads. Thank you to HarperCollins and Goodreads!

Very unrealistic (well, I mean from fictional standards, if that makes any sense) but it is humorous. I like that Jane wasn't the typical whiny 15-year-old who thinks change is the end of the world. Her reaction to her death and vampirism was very.. different. It's a breath of fresh air to me!

Her family reminded me so much of the Addams Family! In a way that they are very eccentric and different but despite...more

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Sep 14, 2012 Sara rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: favorites

How to start reviewing this book?
Easy. By saying it was a great and funny read!
I laughed for most of the time, especially for the first half.
Jane (or Xanthe if you like better) is a huge fan of everything vampire, starting with vampire books and ending with Buffy. Which made me like her immediately.
She's also witty and brave. A real heroine. With that funny side that you can't not like.
This book is simply too hilarious! I couldn't refrain myself from laughing.
The only flaw is that there's not...more

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Aug 13, 2012 Candace rated it 3 of 5 stars

Fang Girl is a book you don't take too seriously. It's quite ridiculous and on the satirical side. But I gotta say that I don't think I have laughed this hard in ages. Seriously, don't drink anything while reading it, it's likely you'll snort it right out.

Jane wakes up buried in a coffin and she immediately knows she's a vampire. Her sire is even digging her up. Unfortunately she's chased off and Jane emerges on her own. But now what? Oh yeah, she calls her mum and dad. And while appropriate be...more

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Oct 23, 2012 Kris rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: humor, ya-books, paranormal, books-reviewed

You know a book is going to be funny when the tagline is, "You know something is seriously wrong when you wake up in a coffin...." I was cracking up over that line for a good hour or so. The rest of the book is even better. I started this book kind of late, thinking to get a head start on it. Bad idea. (I mean, good idea. What better time to read a story about the undead than the time they're awake and out for blood?)

Jane is a surprisingly compelling heroine. I was expecting a fangirling, silly...more You know a book is going to be funny when the tagline is, "You know something is seriously wrong when you wake up in a coffin...." I was cracking up over that line for a good hour or so. The rest of the book is even better. I started this book kind of late, thinking to get a head start on it. Bad idea. (I mean, good idea. What better time to read a story about the undead than the time they're awake and out for blood?)

Jane is a surprisingly compelling heroine. I was expecting a fangirling, silly vampire-obsessed girl, but she's pretty intelligent. Yes, she dissolves into a sobbing mess when she's reunited with her family. Given that she woke up in a coffin and was soon deserted by her sire, I think she has the right to regress into a little kid. She also doesn't blindly trust dashing saviors. She tells them to meet her parents. I love that smartypants. While she may be having some fun with her new vampiric abilities, she also knows how to trust in the wisdom of her elders, but she also doesn't blindly follow them. She knows better than to turn her parents into vampires (I mean, who really wants to have your parents nagging at you for centures, kind and caring as they may be?) She also doesn't fall head-over-heels in love with the ripped vampire hunter (in fact, there isn't really as much going there romance-wise as you'd think from the synopsis.) There's potential for a romantic development, but they recognize each other as enemies and are just beginning to trust in each other towards the end of the book.

I'd also like to give special note of the attentive, supportive family that Jane has. They take their daughter's transformation pretty well given the circumstances. Afterwards, they devote much time to researching vampires and figuring out how to care for Jane's new needs. Rarely is the family given so much focus in YA books nowadays. It's typically all about hiding things to protect them. Here, Jane needs her family--for their emotional support, to protect her, and as mentors. She trusts them enough to know that they'll take care of her and, though she wouldn't want them to do so, she also knows that they'd be willing to sacrifice themselves for her if necessary. Jane has such a wonderful support system within her family, and it was wonderful to see.

There are so many things in here that cracked me up. I haven't been in as much danger of ROFLOLing since The Boy Recession. My absolute favorite? The vampire goldfish. Seriously. Funny. And adorable. Helen Keeble has a gift for delivering seriously true, but seriously funny lines that poke fun at vampires. (And some pretty funny incidents come about through the goldfish.) While I may love me a good vamp book, I do see their inherent flaws as well, and I'm not afraid of laughing at some of these. I am someone who likes to poke fun at things I love, all in good humor, so I appreciate a book that can pull off some good satire.

This is a book that I can safely recommend to middle school students. There is a lot of humor, which will hold the attention of younger readers, and there isn't anything I wouldn't want them seeing. In fact, if they're already vampire-obsessed, bordering on psychotic, this might tune them down a few notches. (Or maybe crank it up if they really swing that way. You never know.) Jane is a smart girl despite being slightly vampire-obsessed. (She does believe in soulmates; she just has a hard time figuring out how to recognize one....) However, she makes the right decisions and doesn't blindly trust anyone, even her own parents, who for all their good intentions do suggest some silly ideas, except under powerful vampiric suggestion. And even then, she'll fight to maintain her free spirit, so it all balances out.

I recommend this to those who love a good satire and humor. I do not recommend this is you are super in love with vampires and would be offended by jokes made at their expense!

--
For more of my reviews, visit my blog Imaginary Reads.

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Sep 08, 2012 Amy (Amy's Book Den) rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: vampires-or-shifters, debuts-2012

Xanthe Jane Greene had always been big vampire fan, writing fan fiction on Fang-Girls.net and reading all the popular fiction about vampires out there. However, she never actually wanted to become one! Especially when becoming a vampire is not as fun as all the books she's read. Now Jane has to deal with parents who want to become vampires too to accompany her for eternity, an Elder vampire intent on killing her and her sire, a Victorian vampire guy who's trying really hard to romance her, and...more Xanthe Jane Greene had always been big vampire fan, writing fan fiction on Fang-Girls.net and reading all the popular fiction about vampires out there. However, she never actually wanted to become one! Especially when becoming a vampire is not as fun as all the books she's read. Now Jane has to deal with parents who want to become vampires too to accompany her for eternity, an Elder vampire intent on killing her and her sire, a Victorian vampire guy who's trying really hard to romance her, and a ripped vampire hunter who is way too much a distraction when he's trying to stake her.

In her YA debut Helen Keeble's use of vampire lore is not only hilarious but genius! She takes the vampire myth to a whole new level of hilarity, especially their desire to clean and organize. Jane gets firsthand experience on how severe OCD can get you killed. I really loved how her whole family took in the fact that their daughter had risen from the dead. Jane's Mom is very proactive about the whole thing, and goes into research mode to help her daughter be a good vampire. Her Dad is very supportive too, cooking a lot of different meals to see what she likes. Her brother Zack is just hilarious, and takes everything in stride.
And their pet goldfish is my hero.

Jane is sure her family is quite crazy. Luckily Ebon de Sanguine comes along. He's a Victorian vampire with a suave attitude who can't quite contain his excitement around modern stuff. Though he seems very interested in helping her, and romancing her, there's just something not right about him. Then Van, the totally ripped vampire hunter, comes along! Just what Jane needed, another distraction. The two will form an unlikely alliance when Jane's family is taken hostage by the Elder vampire who's searching for her.

Fun, witty, and completely hilarious, Fang Girl had me laughing at every turn of Jane's new vampiric life. This is not just a simple satire on popular vampire conventions, but an original and fun take on old vampire lore. It's four months only five days until the release of Fang Girl, and I'm already begging for another Jane adventure!

*I won the ARC from the author*(less)

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Mar 25, 2013 Lettee rated it 4 of 5 stars

I normally do not get books that seem corny. (No offense to anyone.) But I have got to say, this was surprisingly good and not corny at all!! I read it in 2 days and it took that long because I was sick and couldn't stay awake long. And me reading this so fast has nothing to do with it being real short. No, this was an attention getting story. As all who know my reviews, I don't relay a lot of what's said in the book. If so, WHY READ IT??!!! With that said: Jane, Main female Character and "The"...more

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Jan 05, 2013 Claire rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: quick-reads, re-read-worthy

This was a refreshing alternative to the random vampire crud that surfaced after Twilight.

First off, the main character is a vamp. SHE'S ALREADY BEEN TURNED. So that got the Bella syndrome waaaay out of the way.

Next, since she had been such a big vamp fan before said turning, she knows all of the plot twists--
I fidgeted with my lip gloss, looking down. There was no way that I could tell Mum that I already knew exactly who Ebon was. It was obvious.
Three words:
My.
Soul.
Mate.
All the signs pointed to...more

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Nov 20, 2012 Dark Faerie Tales rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: reviewed-by-kayla

Review courtesy of Dark Faerie Tales

Quick & Dirty: This book has all the vampire books you’ve ever read smushed into one very long book. There are vampires, the hunters and Xanthe’s family. Period.

Opening Sentence: Just because I like vampires doesn’t mean I’m stupid.

The Review:

So this starts off in a coffin. Seriously, a coffin.

When I first started reading this book, it moved so fast I got lost. It takes place in a small town where you honestly wouldn’t think that anything wrong could happ...more

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Nov 19, 2012 Once Upon rated it 3 of 5 stars

I was pleasantly surprised by this book. The front cover has some slightly bloody fangs sitting in a glass filled with a clear liquid. It looked kind of gross, but I got passed that when I started reading the book. So funny!! I love Xanthe Jane Greene's sense of humor! This book reminded me of the Vladimir Tod (by Heather Brewer) series, and had me clutching at my sides in fits of laughter at times. I also liked reading Helen's take on vampire mythology.

Fifteen year-old Jane is a huge vampire fa...more

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Oct 22, 2012 Jessa Larsen rated it 5 of 5 stars

As an avid reader of most books having to do with mythology and folklore, I am a sucker for anything new coming out in that genre. Fang Girl was no exception of course and thank goodness there were no sparkling vampires running around. (I’m definitely an old schooler and cannot stand the incorrect sparkliness that is the Twilight series.) I loved the light hearted humor and reliability of each character. Jane, along with the rest of her family, definitely made my day. What family arguing the log...more

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Oct 29, 2012 Bailey (IB Book Blogging) rated it 3 of 5 stars

FANG GIRL is one of those books that has the potential to be hilarious and memorable, but with too many ridiculous scenarios, it falls flat. The beginning starts out quirky and cute, but by the end I was just scratching my head in wonder at what I just read. I really wanted to love FANG GIRL, but I just didn't. If you love novels that poke fun at the vampire books in YA, you may like this one, but be prepared for some pretty crazy scenes.

Jane is a sweet and hilarious heroine who I really liked a...more

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Oct 09, 2012 Jennifer | Nerdhuffing rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: for-review

There is only one ~~word~~ acronym to describe Fang Girl – “LOL.” One needs a fabulous sense of humor to read this one, and if you’re a Twilight-fan - wait no…scratch that - if you’re a YA slash paranormal romance fan, you can’t take yourself too seriously or you will seriously hate this book. Did I hate it? Absolutely not. It cracked me the f up.
Xanthe Jane Greene (Janie) loves all things vampires. She thinks vampires are sexy, has a Dracula ringtone, and spends her time hanging out at Fang-Girls.n...more There is only one ~~word~~ acronym to describe Fang Girl – “LOL.” One needs a fabulous sense of humor to read this one, and if you’re a Twilight-fan - wait no…scratch that - if you’re a YA slash paranormal romance fan, you can’t take yourself too seriously or you will seriously hate this book. Did I hate it? Absolutely not. It cracked me the f up.
Xanthe Jane Greene (Janie) loves all things vampires. She thinks vampires are sexy, has a Dracula ringtone, and spends her time hanging out at Fang-Girls.net (I won’t lie – I actually googled to see if that was real – it wasn’t, ~~unfortunately~~ thankfully). Not to mention her piles and piles of vampire fiction. But she never thought vampires were real. And then she wakes up in a coffin. Dead.
Like I said before, if you take your vampire fiction-love seriously and get offended when people make fun of your reading choices, don’t read this book. Just don’t. Fang Girl pokes fun at every major YA/PNR franchise, like Twilight and Vampire Academy. It is satire to the nth degree. And it was hysterical. I found myself literally LULZing on every page, because Keeble puts Janie in the most asinine situations and really makes them so unbelievable, you can’t help but laugh because you know that’s the entire point of the story. None of it is real, DUH!
Keeble was also incredible in delivering one-liners with a dry sort of sarcasm only found in satire that really just made me laugh. Here are some examples:

“Die, foul fiend,” he snarled, charging once more.
“Foul fiend?” I said, nearly getting clipped by the blade due to disbelief. I rolled to pick up a few more paperclips. “Did you actually just say that, like, non-ironically?”

Anyone looking at my teeth wouldn’t immediately think “vampire,” just “typically awful British dentistry.”
Crap. Three years of braces down the drain.

My stalker didn’t move. He was so utterly still, I would never have seen him if it hadn’t been for that one slight, startled jerk of his head. He stayed motionless as my fingers walked along the line of my books, motionless as I drew one out…
And then he did move, because my hardcover copy of Breaking Dawn whacked him full in the face, with all my vampiric strength propelling it.

The plot in Fang Girl isn’t a superbly strong one but it doesn't really need to be: Janie has been turned by one vampire, but is being chased by another and is also unkillable. Her parents take her vampism rather well, begging to be turned, while her brother would rather be a zombie. Vampires may or may not be OCD, and your best weapon against them may or may not be paperclips and poppy seeds flung everywhere. There may also be a vampire fish involved. No no, you guys, stay with me. None of this matters. Fang Girl isn’t meant to be the next greatest literary novel. Oh no. Fang Girl is meant to bring you laughter, make fun of yourself and give you a nice sense of the ridiculous. It has crossed the WTF line by so much, the line is a speck on the horizon. And I liked that about it.
You could also play a drinking game with Fang Girl: one shot for every time you read the word “vampiric.” I may try it.
Sometimes I need a good belly laugh and Fang Girl gave it to me in spades. I highly recommend you read it for nothing else if not the comedy!
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Jan 02, 2013 Natalie rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: cannot-contain-the-snorting-laughte

This was refreshing. You come into Jane's world ("Your name is Xanthe Jane, and you prefer JANE?") as she wakes up in her coffin. She's obsessed with the angst-filled world of vampire fanfics and brooding bloodsuckers already, so you don't have to deal with the whole "What? A vampire? You're crazy; things like that don't exist!" She knows, and she deals. Jane is funny and original, more attracted to the dorks than the vamps of the world.

The world building could've used some work; we don't know m...more

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Oct 13, 2012 lovetoread rated it 5 of 5 stars

After reading a ridiculous amount of vampire romances this was a refreshing change from all the intense drama going on in other books.helen keeble has created great fun characters without making them too irritating and a surprisingly interesting and original plot considering how much this book sounds like a parody...the main character Jane is a big fan of all things vampire and her reaction to waking up in a coffin and discovering she was undead was "awesome".then starts the story of how her and...more

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Oct 13, 2012 Wendy rated it 4 of 5 stars

This was a great, quick read. Don't be hesitant because this is just another vampire novel. It is hilarious, and honestly puts a satirical spin on the whole vampire genre. Jane is hilarious and witty as the protagonist, and is fun to read. Aside from Jane, the plot is fast-paced, and very enjoyable.

I loved every single character in this book. Each had such a great, distinct personality, and was very well formed. Even though this was relatively short book (325 pages), you could still form a conn...more

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Oct 10, 2012 Andrea rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: young-adult-paranormal, read-in-2012

Why I Chose to Read Fang Girl: I first this book at Book Loving Mom. The author left a comment offering a book for review and I quickly hopped on the chance!

A hilarious and out-of-control story of a newly turned teen vamp, Fang Girl is a story that will keep you laughing from cover to cover.

I must start by saying, Fang Girl will not hit the right notes for all readers. Those who take their vampires absolutely seriously and will not stand for a parody will most likely roll their eyes at Fang Girl...more Why I Chose to Read Fang Girl: I first this book at Book Loving Mom. The author left a comment offering a book for review and I quickly hopped on the chance!

A hilarious and out-of-control story of a newly turned teen vamp, Fang Girl is a story that will keep you laughing from cover to cover.

I must start by saying, Fang Girl will not hit the right notes for all readers. Those who take their vampires absolutely seriously and will not stand for a parody will most likely roll their eyes at Fang Girl. I, however, am not that reader. Sure, I take my favorite vampire stories very seriously, but I can also appreciate a comedic take on the genre as well.

When Xanthe Jane Greene wakes up in a coffin, she's understandably curious as to how this came to be. What helps Jane cope is that she is an avid member of the vampire blogging community. She's watched all the movies, reads the books and the fanfic, participates in forums...Jane knows her vamps well enough to recognize when she becomes one, even if she never believed they were actually real. Jane immediately sets out to reconnect with her family, find her sire and why she was turned, and avoid the vampire hunters who lurk in the night. This sets Jane on a action-packed hilarious adventure that will test her new abilities and her loyalties.

What made Fang Girl fun for me, besides Keeble's hysterical narrative, is that there are a lot of elements from other recognizable vampire series. I loved the dhampir vampire hunter Van Helsing (used two HUGE elements in that one character!). Another is the fact that vampires are obsessive-compulsive (much like the WVMP Radio series). I don't know that this was the intention, but I recognized it, and considered the usage as a shout-out.

I will admit the middle of the story did drag a bit, for me. I was also a bit confused as to who was the good/bad guy, the mystery of the two big power players, and, Jane's "creation" defied all logic, which is weird considering that I'm debating the logic of a vampire story. Oddly enough, it all worked.

Funny, inventive, and surprising, Fang Girl is a great choice if you're reading for a change from the norm.
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May 14, 2013 Nika rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: vampires, funny

My rating: 3.5

A funny, light read. Totally recommend to people who are in between books and want something that won't change their MUST READ shelf order.

Xanthe Jane Greene, who likes to go by Jane (can you blame her?) has been a die-hard vampire lover since forever. She knows pretty much anything someone who's not a vampire nor has seen one can know. So it should be a total dream come true to wake up and find herself a vampire. And not just any vampire. A supervampire. But...it's not. She find...more My rating: 3.5

A funny, light read. Totally recommend to people who are in between books and want something that won't change their MUST READ shelf order.

Xanthe Jane Greene, who likes to go by Jane (can you blame her?) has been a die-hard vampire lover since forever. She knows pretty much anything someone who's not a vampire nor has seen one can know. So it should be a total dream come true to wake up and find herself a vampire. And not just any vampire. A supervampire. But...it's not. She finds herself in the middle of something that she doesn't understand. On one hand is her sire Lily-whom Jane hasn't seen but has talked to-who wants her to be her bodyguard against 1000 year old vampire Hakon. Slight problem that. Then on the other hand is Hakon and his "mafia" called the Blood. Ha, that's original! (Really you'd think someone who's been dead for 1000 would have more imagination.) Hakon wants Jane to work for him and sends a 200 year old vampire, Ebon, to try to persuade Jane to her side. Not going to spoil things, but I will say that a lot of things start happening after that. Cough cough a hot vampire hunter enters the picture, drama occurs cough, cough.

Overall I enjoyed the book. Jane's funny and her family is the kind of weird family that cracks you up. Her parents...I just can't. They were too funny. Her dad tried to find her something to eat and her mom went into research mode, overloading on any book she could find about vampires.

“Dad got me a ... guinea pig?"
"For breakfast," Zack said. "That's why I named her Toast. You aren't going to eat her, are you?"
"No!"
"Woot!" Zack hugged the cage to his chest, carrying it off in the direction of his bedroom. "I hope you don't want to eat Marmalade or Sugar Puff either!"
"Marma-- oh, never mid.”

"When Mum had said she'd gone to work to get research materials, she wasn't kidding. Every surface in the living room was piled high with books. This was not unusual, but the familiar physics journals and academic monographs had vanished. In their place: Interview with the Vampire, Dracula, The Vampire in Romanian Legend, Vampire Nation, The Encyclopedia of the Undead, Love Bites, Fourteen Essays on Vampirism, Twilight, Undead and Unwed, Vampires of Stage and Screen, In Search of Dracula ...everything from huge, leather-bound library reference volumes with cracked spines to shiny new paperbacks with luridly embossed covers. Mum must have checked out every book about vampirism from every library in a thirty-mile radius. I wasn't quite sure what she was expecting to learn from texts like Marxism and the Vampire , but at least it kept her occupied."

And her brother was funny with his Victorian period obsession. Also, I liked that her love with Van (he's the vampire hunter) built up and wasn't insta love.

If there's going to be a sequel, I'll definitely be reading it!(less)

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Jan 21, 2013 Pam rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: paranormal-read-in-2013, read-in-2013, ya-read-in-2013

Jane wakes up in a coffin and realizes she is a vampire. Her sire is chased off before she can answer any questions so now Jane has to figure out where to go and what to do. She decides to call her dad and mum to come get her. The problem with that they think she is dead. When they get passed the fact she is back they do all they can to help her. her little brother thinks she is a zombie instead of a vampire. While trying to figure things out, her sire is making calls to her with not a lot of i...more

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Jun 25, 2012 June rated it 5 of 5 stars

Wonderful amusing book that will be very engaging to lots of teen and young adult readers, I think.

1 like · like · see review

Apr 17, 2013 Kat rated it 4 of 5 stars

I'd heard great things about Helen Keeble's Fang Girl, and when I was looking for a light, fun read, it was exactly the ticket. Plus the synopsis had me very curious - a vampire goldfish and parents that want to be vampires? I was so in.

Jane Green is a girl completely obsessed with vampires, and she knows her stuff. So when she wakes up in a coffin, it's pretty much instantly that she realises she's become her own obsession, and with a few added bonuses - or perhaps complications.

I adored Jane's...more

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Dec 02, 2012 Sara rated it 5 of 5 stars

Fang Girl by Helen Keeble stars Jane who wakes up and finds herself in a coffin. Now just because she was obsessed with vampires didn't mean she wanted to be one. She soon travels home to see her very shocked parents (and brother who is sure she is a zombie) who treat her change like an interesting science experiment.

I could not stop laughing throughout this book. It was a fantastic comedy. From the brother who was sure she was a zombie to her zombie goldfish and her obsession with organization...more

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Dec 09, 2012 Kribu rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: young-adult, vampires, humour

Fang Girl is pretty much like utterly awesome crackfic - even better, in some ways, as it takes a lot to pull off good crackfic with a setting and characters unfamiliar to the reader.

Definitely one of the funniest books I've read this year. It sort of felt like it started to run out of steam towards the end (or perhaps it was just that there was actually a plot, too, and that plot necessitated a few more serious moments, which didn't mesh with the funny quite perfectly), but overall, it was an e...more

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Jun 22, 2012 Jenni Arndt rated it 5 of 5 stars

You can read all of my reviews at Alluring Reads.

Helen Keeble is onto something here, with Fang Girl she has created a hilarious, unique story that put a fresh twist on the old vampire. In Keebles world vampires move at the speed of light, could care less about crucifixes and have strong OCD tendencies. I laughed out loud way too many times to count and I came to care about a lot of the characters. We meet Xanthe Jane Green as she wakes up 6 feet under ground and comes to realise that she is slo...more You can read all of my reviews at Alluring Reads.

Helen Keeble is onto something here, with Fang Girl she has created a hilarious, unique story that put a fresh twist on the old vampire. In Keebles world vampires move at the speed of light, could care less about crucifixes and have strong OCD tendencies. I laughed out loud way too many times to count and I came to care about a lot of the characters. We meet Xanthe Jane Green as she wakes up 6 feet under ground and comes to realise that she is slowly being dug out of her grave by her sire. When her sire is run off by, presumably, a vampire hunter Jane is left to her own devices as a newborn vampire who has absolutely no idea what is going on.

Xanthe (or Jane as she would rather be referred) was a hilarious, relateable character. She was thrust into the life of the undead and abandoned by the one person who was supposed to show her the way. She was the perfect 15 year old, sassy & painfully clumsy girl and I totally got her. Of course a 15 year olds first intuition is to go home and she does just that. Once she is home I fell in love with her family. We have supportive parents (VERY supportive) and a quick witted, steampunk obsessed little brother. There was a very unique family dynamic created as soon as Jane headed home and it was morbid yet so very sweet. There are so many quotable passages in this novel and I would love to throw some in here, but I did read an ARC so I am trying to refrain. All in all I loved her family!

There are a lot of secondary characters thrown into the mix; the godfather of the vampires Hokan, his minion Ebon, Janes sire Lily among others. I thought they were all very well developed in their own way and grew to like/despise them throughout the story. There were so many people in this who could have been the bad guy and my perspective on that changed throughout the novel, mainly because Jane flip flopped quite a bit. I will say that she was a little too quick to trust, but hey, as I stated before she was a 15 year old girl!

This was the perfect mix of paranormal elements and comedy, I went into this one expecting a lot and I was not let down in the slightest. Keeble took a paranormal entity that I have read so much about and spiced it up just enough to make it feel brand new. It was the perfect change of pace for me in a sea of dark paranormal and gritty contemporary novels. I got exactly what I wanted out of this one and it comes highly recommended from me.(less)

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Sep 08, 2012 Jessica Day rated it 4 of 5 stars

In the past three or four years, there has been a surge in the number of vampire-related comedies being written. I’ve seen several vampire parodies and a number of comedies lying on Barnes and Noble’s shelves. Nevertheless, most of them are just as horribly written as the books they poke fun at. The worst part is, the jokes aren’t even funny and the readers are not impressed.
Fang Girl is not like that.
Helen Keeble had me laughing out loud in public, on benches, in my house. There was even this o...more

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Sep 27, 2012 Andrea rated it 3 of 5 stars

Hilarious. I laughed the whole time.

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Apr 27, 2013 Mary rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: fantasy, high-school-books, middle-school-books, vampires

In an amusing adventure-satire of vampire novels, 15-year-old Xanthe Jane Greene is awakened in a coffin by a ringing cell phone. Once risen from her grave, Jane's undead life begins. Can she keep her parents and her younger brother Zack (fan of all things Victorian) safe while she is pursued by her sire Lily, ancient vampire Hakon, and ripped super vampire hunter Van Helsing? Will she discover what makes her unique among vampires? Can she trust her self-proclaimed and less than perfectly honest...more

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Jan 23, 2013 Juliette rated it 4 of 5 stars

Se avete letto la mia recensione di La Corsa delle Onde, ricorderete che ho detto di sapere di amare quel libro ancor prima di iniziarlo. Beh con Fang Girl è successa una cosa simile, ero sicura che questo romanzo non mi avrebbe deluso, e cosi è stato.

Fang Girl è una storia sui vampiri. Lo so, lo so, un’altra?Si un’altra. Ma questa è una storia diversa da qualsiasi altra cosa possiate aver letto finora.
Fang Girl è un libro pieno di ironia e sarcasmo, che vi farà morire dal ridere e che vi conqui...more Se avete letto la mia recensione di La Corsa delle Onde, ricorderete che ho detto di sapere di amare quel libro ancor prima di iniziarlo. Beh con Fang Girl è successa una cosa simile, ero sicura che questo romanzo non mi avrebbe deluso, e cosi è stato.

Fang Girl è una storia sui vampiri. Lo so, lo so, un’altra?Si un’altra. Ma questa è una storia diversa da qualsiasi altra cosa possiate aver letto finora.
Fang Girl è un libro pieno di ironia e sarcasmo, che vi farà morire dal ridere e che vi conquisterà con una storia fresca e originale. So bene che la parola “vampiri” non va molto d’accordo con “originalità”, ma sono sicura che Fang Girl saprà sorprendere anche il lettore più scettico!

Jane si rende conto che sta accadendo qualcosa di profondamente sbagliato quando si risveglia nella sua bara, con delle zanne al posto di normali canini e una forza straordinaria. Dopo aver ricevuto una chiamata dalla vampira che l’ha trasformata, Jane fa ciò che tutte le quindicenni della sua età farebbero in una situazione del genere: telefona mamma e papà.
Tornata a casa, tra l’incredulità della madre, che cerca di capire a tutti i costi come l’essere vampiro sia biologicamente possibile, il padre che compra a Jane animali per colazione, e la grande eccitazione del fratello, che crede sia uno zombie, Jane cerca di riabituarsi alla vita normale. Ma la normalità non è una cosa facile da raggiungere per lei, non quando c’è un’affascinante Vampire Hunter, Van, che le dà la caccia, un potentissimo vampiro che vuole ucciderla, un pesce rosso che ha accidentalmente trasformato e una creatrice di cui non si può fidare. Per non parlare dei suoi genitori, che pregano Jane di morderli.

Ho davvero amato Jane. Non è la classica protagonista che sembra appena caduta dalle nuvole e che non si rende conto di quanto è bella e fantastica e perfetta finché non arriva il solito ragazzo di turno a ricordarglielo. Jane è forte, divertente e sarcastica, riesce a fare un commentino ironico e a strappare dei sorrisi perfino nelle situazioni più tragiche, e soprattutto, non cade in autocommiserazione ogni volta che accade qualcosa di brutto. L’autrice ha voluto creare una protagonista fuori dal comune, strana, goffa, a tratti imbranata, ma che funziona e che riesce comunque a conquistare il lettore!

Ho apprezzato molto anche il fatto il lato amoroso della storia sia ridotto al minimo. Al suo posto c’è tanta tanta azione, e non posso che essere felice di questa boccata d’aria fresca nel panorama Fantasy/YA.
In quasi ogni libro urban fantasy degli ultimi anni, la storia è concentrata sull’amore tra i due protagonisti o sul classico triangolo amoroso. In Fang Girl invece ne vediamo appena un accenno.
Van è semplicemente esilarante, con tutti i suoi stupidi preconcetti sui vampiri che la famiglia gli ha inculcato dalla nascita e con i suoi buffi modi di fare.
La relazione tra Van e Jane è il cliché dei cliché. Il cacciatore che si innamora della preda. Quante volte l’abbiamo visto?Eppure l’autrice è riuscita a rendere il rapporto tra i due qualcosa di nuovo e fresco!
Non c’è l’insta-love, anzi, Jane all’inizio del libro odia Van e viceversa. Solo a metà libro riescono a stare nella stessa stanza senza cercare di aggredirsi a vicenda, e solo alla fine vediamo nascere tra i due una sorta di attrazione che forse si trasformerà in qualcosa di più.

Forse vedremo più romance nel prossimo libro (se e quando verrà pubblicato), ma fortunatamente il finale non lascia praticamente niente in sospeso, anche se sono davvero curiosissima di scoprire cosa succederà a Jane e alla sua famiglia!
L’autrice però pubblicherà l'autunno prossimo un altro libro, sempre come una sorta di parodia YA, questa volta mi sembra sugli angeli!E io ovviamente non vedo l'ora di leggerlo e vedere cosa si è inventata questa volta la Keeble!

4 stelline!Fang Girl è un libro fresco e divertente, consigliatissimo a chi è in cerca di una lettura leggera e un po’ diversa!
(less)

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About Helen Keeble

Helen Keeble is not, and never has been, a vampire. She has however been a teenager. She grew up partly in America and partly in England, which has left her with an unidentifiable accent and a fondness for peanut butter crackers washed down with a nice cup of tea. She now lives in West Sussex, England, with her husband, daughter, two cats, and a variable number of fish. To the best of her knowledg...more

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Quotes from Fang Girl

“Dad got me a ... guinea pig?"
"For breakfast," Zack said. "That's why I named her Toast. You aren't going to eat her, are you?"
"No!"
"Woot!" Zack hugged the cage to his chest, carrying it off in the direction of his bedroom. "I hope you don't want to eat Marmalade or Sugar Puff either!"
"Marma-- oh, never mid.” — 9 people liked it

“I was a vampire, and... someone was trying to call me?
When my parents had said that not even death could pry me from my mobile phone, I'd thought they were joking. I wriggled around in the narrow coffin until I could reach the ringing handset.” — 8 people liked it

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