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The Vampires of Melbourne
The Opposite of Life
‘I remember screaming very loudly. In TV shows that’s where the ad break comes in, while some ninny is screaming her head off. No ad breaks in life, though.’Lissa Wilson has seen more than enough death in her family, so when people start being savagely killed whenever she has a night out in Melbourne with her beautiful new boyfriend, she’s determined to investigate and to make the killing stop. Even when she realises the murders must be the work of a vampire.Things had been looking up for this librarian and 21st century geekgirl, but the murders make her remember why she prefers books to people. People leave you. People can die.She finds herself teaming up with the painfully awkward Gary to get to the undead heart of the matter. But there are more challenges in store than Gary’s appalling fashion sense.The idea of living forever can be a big temptation for someone who has lost so much….“A well made plot with a killer (literally) ending.” Kerry Greenwood
270 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2007
1 person is currently reading
97 people want to read
About the author
Narrelle M. Harris
66 books120 followersI grew up in a home bursting with books. My father was in the Royal Australian Air Force – we moved roughly every three years – and my parents were passionate advocates of reading and the importance of access to a library of ideas, no matter where we lived.
Between a childhood spent on the move yet steeped in literature, and a naturally dramatic personality, it’s no surprise I became a storyteller.
At home, and at libraries all over Australia, I read everything from Little Golden Books to The World Book Encyclopaedia. As my family moved so frequently, my companions wherever I went were the Pevensies of Narnia, a horse named Flicka and the Hardy Boys. I grew up with the characters created by Diana Wynne Jones as they too learned independence and responsibility. Miss Marple and the Dragonriders of Pern were always at my side.
Writers like Eric Frank Russell and Lois McMaster Bujold were as influential on my character and my writing as surely as Shakespeare and the Brontes. I’m still always picking up new influences, from modern writers like Emily Larkin and Neil Gaiman as well as classics by PG Wodehouse and Arthur Conan Doyle.
Before you figure I am always and forever reading, I’m a traveller too. My early years spent moving from state to state led to itchy feet. After moving out of the family home, I lived in Perth, then met Tim Richards and we decided to have adventures of our own. We moved to Egypt to teach English as a Foreign Language, then went on to Poland.
After we finished teaching, we kept travelling: we’ve been to the UK and US, to Thailand, Germany, Hungary, Syria, Jordan, France, Italy, Slovenia, Czech, and Canada – and we’re not done travelling yet.
The places I’ve visited – London, Hungary, Canada – often appear in my work, but the home of my heart is the place I write about most often.
Melbourne, Australia. The town we chose to live in always. The city I love so much she is practically a character in her own right in books like The Opposite of Life and short stories like Near Miss. I even researched the Marvellous Melbourne of the 1890s for my Holmes♥Watson romance, The Adventure of the Colonial Boy.
Given my background and all my literary influences, it’s hardly astonishing that my storytelling is eclectic: crime, adventure, fantasy, horror and romance – separately or combined.
For all the different genres I write in, everything I write generally includes the same tone and the same type of themes. They are full of the families one is born with and the families we make for ourselves. The protagonists all face challenges they’ve made for themselves as well as external threats that test them. They’re full of people who’ve made mistakes who seek to learn and to make better choices.
Whether you’re reading a vampire adventure in modern Melbourne, a Holmesian mystery in London or a racy lesbian romance in the Middle East, you’ll find humour, heart, friendships and love.
Awards
Jane: In 2017, my ghost/crime story Jane won the Athenaeum Library’s Body in the Library prize at the Scarlet Stiletto Awards, hosted by Sisters in Crime Australia.
Other nominations and shortlistings include:
Fly By Night (nominated for a Ned Kelly Award 2004)
Witch Honour (shortlisted for the George Turner Prize as Witching Ways in 1998)
Witch Faith (shortlisted for the George Turner Prize in 1999)
Walking Shadows (Chronos Awards; Davitt Awards in 2012)
__
Narrelle's erotica published as NM Harris is listed on Goodreads here: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show...
Between a childhood spent on the move yet steeped in literature, and a naturally dramatic personality, it’s no surprise I became a storyteller.
At home, and at libraries all over Australia, I read everything from Little Golden Books to The World Book Encyclopaedia. As my family moved so frequently, my companions wherever I went were the Pevensies of Narnia, a horse named Flicka and the Hardy Boys. I grew up with the characters created by Diana Wynne Jones as they too learned independence and responsibility. Miss Marple and the Dragonriders of Pern were always at my side.
Writers like Eric Frank Russell and Lois McMaster Bujold were as influential on my character and my writing as surely as Shakespeare and the Brontes. I’m still always picking up new influences, from modern writers like Emily Larkin and Neil Gaiman as well as classics by PG Wodehouse and Arthur Conan Doyle.
Before you figure I am always and forever reading, I’m a traveller too. My early years spent moving from state to state led to itchy feet. After moving out of the family home, I lived in Perth, then met Tim Richards and we decided to have adventures of our own. We moved to Egypt to teach English as a Foreign Language, then went on to Poland.
After we finished teaching, we kept travelling: we’ve been to the UK and US, to Thailand, Germany, Hungary, Syria, Jordan, France, Italy, Slovenia, Czech, and Canada – and we’re not done travelling yet.
The places I’ve visited – London, Hungary, Canada – often appear in my work, but the home of my heart is the place I write about most often.
Melbourne, Australia. The town we chose to live in always. The city I love so much she is practically a character in her own right in books like The Opposite of Life and short stories like Near Miss. I even researched the Marvellous Melbourne of the 1890s for my Holmes♥Watson romance, The Adventure of the Colonial Boy.
Given my background and all my literary influences, it’s hardly astonishing that my storytelling is eclectic: crime, adventure, fantasy, horror and romance – separately or combined.
For all the different genres I write in, everything I write generally includes the same tone and the same type of themes. They are full of the families one is born with and the families we make for ourselves. The protagonists all face challenges they’ve made for themselves as well as external threats that test them. They’re full of people who’ve made mistakes who seek to learn and to make better choices.
Whether you’re reading a vampire adventure in modern Melbourne, a Holmesian mystery in London or a racy lesbian romance in the Middle East, you’ll find humour, heart, friendships and love.
Awards
Jane: In 2017, my ghost/crime story Jane won the Athenaeum Library’s Body in the Library prize at the Scarlet Stiletto Awards, hosted by Sisters in Crime Australia.
Other nominations and shortlistings include:
Fly By Night (nominated for a Ned Kelly Award 2004)
Witch Honour (shortlisted for the George Turner Prize as Witching Ways in 1998)
Witch Faith (shortlisted for the George Turner Prize in 1999)
Walking Shadows (Chronos Awards; Davitt Awards in 2012)
__
Narrelle's erotica published as NM Harris is listed on Goodreads here: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show...
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 38 reviews
October 20, 2016
Prepare to have all your favourite vampire myths debunked! In The Opposite of Life by Narrelle Harris, you’ll meet a plucky librarian, Lissa, and Gary, a vampire whose fashion sense goes no further than garish Hawaiian shirts.
Harris’s novel is set in Melbourne and it’s lovely to read her depiction of a town she obviously knows so well. The detail she includes about the Melbourne streets will appeal to Australian readers and particularly those from Melbourne, but I wondered if it would hold the same appeal to non-locals – I suspect in the end those details will necessarily be glossed over by them but the settings will still be very effective.
“The night I went dancing with Evie I found two girls on the floor of the ladies’ loos, with their throats ripped out.”
This is a great opening line and what follows will make you laugh as self-absorbed Lissa bemoans how this is just typical of the stuff that happens to her – get dumped, mope, go out and find dead bodies. Harris’s depiction of Lissa and her turn of phrase had me laughing a lot. There is a really appealing dark humour to this novel blended with some lovely poignant moments.
Lissa has the wondrous fortune of getting over being dumped by meeting a young goth guy and the potential is there for “true love” – or at least that's her hope, until he is killed. Determined to find out who is ruining her life (it’s all about her at this stage) and who is killing people around her, Lissa undertakes her own investigations. This is how she meets Gary – the "daggy vamp" with a penchant for Hawaiian shirts. The development of both these characters is excellent.
A vampire in Hawaiian shirts – yep Harris chucks several vampire stereotypes out of the window and I love it. There are no tall dark and handsome, brooding vampires to take your breath away and romance you. They range from creepy stalker types, arrogant toffs, through to your ancient predatory (utterly unappealing) ones.
Occasionally I wanted the pacing of the novel to pick up, but really those moments were few and far between. There are no plot surprises about who is the bad guy or where the plot is heading. However, I found that neither of these mattered, because what I was enjoying was the development of the friendship between Lissa and Gary. Gary's friendship with a human makes him different to other vampires and sparks some fundamental changes within him.
There is an underlying theme with the work about the importance of social connections and what it means to be human - it was this that really carried the story for me.
Four Stars
Harris’s novel is set in Melbourne and it’s lovely to read her depiction of a town she obviously knows so well. The detail she includes about the Melbourne streets will appeal to Australian readers and particularly those from Melbourne, but I wondered if it would hold the same appeal to non-locals – I suspect in the end those details will necessarily be glossed over by them but the settings will still be very effective.
“The night I went dancing with Evie I found two girls on the floor of the ladies’ loos, with their throats ripped out.”
This is a great opening line and what follows will make you laugh as self-absorbed Lissa bemoans how this is just typical of the stuff that happens to her – get dumped, mope, go out and find dead bodies. Harris’s depiction of Lissa and her turn of phrase had me laughing a lot. There is a really appealing dark humour to this novel blended with some lovely poignant moments.
Lissa has the wondrous fortune of getting over being dumped by meeting a young goth guy and the potential is there for “true love” – or at least that's her hope, until he is killed. Determined to find out who is ruining her life (it’s all about her at this stage) and who is killing people around her, Lissa undertakes her own investigations. This is how she meets Gary – the "daggy vamp" with a penchant for Hawaiian shirts. The development of both these characters is excellent.
A vampire in Hawaiian shirts – yep Harris chucks several vampire stereotypes out of the window and I love it. There are no tall dark and handsome, brooding vampires to take your breath away and romance you. They range from creepy stalker types, arrogant toffs, through to your ancient predatory (utterly unappealing) ones.
Occasionally I wanted the pacing of the novel to pick up, but really those moments were few and far between. There are no plot surprises about who is the bad guy or where the plot is heading. However, I found that neither of these mattered, because what I was enjoying was the development of the friendship between Lissa and Gary. Gary's friendship with a human makes him different to other vampires and sparks some fundamental changes within him.
There is an underlying theme with the work about the importance of social connections and what it means to be human - it was this that really carried the story for me.
Four Stars
July 14, 2012
I keep saying, “No more vampire books!” But then I come across something interesting, and my protestations go out the window. And, in all fairness, vampire books seem to be everywhere I look.
I brought home this book and my husband said, “Vampires in Melbourne? Sounds lame.”
My first reaction was to be annoyed. Just because this book is set in Melbourne shouldn’t mean it’s instantly classified as lame! My second reaction was to feel guilty, because I’d thought exactly the same thing. In fact, that’s one of the main reasons I brought the book home with me. (Yes, I’m inspired to read by self-inflicted guilt. Don’t make a big deal of it.)
To be honest, that blurb doesn’t really appeal to me. But the first page did:
Lissa (short for Melissa) is very much a product of the modern-day. She’s fairly self-absorbed, thinks everything is about her, and her mind jumps from cultural reference to cultural reference. But, for all that, she’s really quite likeable. She’s had a tough upbringing, and that’s evident in almost everything she says and does, but she loves her family and friends, and genuinely cares about people.
The book starts with her finding two dead women on the bathroom floor at a club. Their throats have been ripped out, and there’s blood everywhere. To say she’s shocked is something of an understatement. She goes home to recover, and probably would have gone back to her normally scheduled life, but… it keeps happening. She keeps finding dead bodies. Like any vaguely self-absorbed young woman, she immediately assumes it has something to do with her, and sets out to investigate.
And that leads us to the vampires.
These are not sparkly, emo, mary-sue vampires. Nor are they mindless, monster-movie vampires. I’d say they’re a cross between Dracula and World of Darkness. They don’t burst into flames in the sunlight, although it makes them weak (ala Dracula). They’ve got a vague “vampire society” going on (ala WoD). But there’s really nothing sexy, sultry, or appealing about them. They are, in fact, the very personification of “the opposite of life”.
This is a book about an ordinary, people-shy girl investigating a supernatural serial killer. It’s also a book about life, death, and the way people respond to it. I really enjoyed this book.
If you like your vampires red-hot and sexy, this is not a book for you. But if you’d like an entertaining and, at times, philosophical story about death, loss, hope, and revenge, I’d heartily recommend it.
(Oh, and it’s set in Melbourne. If you’ve been, you’ll recognise everything from the late-night Greek takeaway to the tram lines. If you haven’t, you’ll feel like you have. It’s win/win. And not lame in the slightest.)
I brought home this book and my husband said, “Vampires in Melbourne? Sounds lame.”
My first reaction was to be annoyed. Just because this book is set in Melbourne shouldn’t mean it’s instantly classified as lame! My second reaction was to feel guilty, because I’d thought exactly the same thing. In fact, that’s one of the main reasons I brought the book home with me. (Yes, I’m inspired to read by self-inflicted guilt. Don’t make a big deal of it.)
To be honest, that blurb doesn’t really appeal to me. But the first page did:
The night I went dancing with Evie I found two girls on the floor of the ladies’ loos, with their throats ripped out.
At first I figured it was pretty typical, you know? Just the kind of thing that would happen to me on my first night out in eight months. Get dumped, mope a lot, go out to cheer myself up and, of course, dead bodies in the ladies’ loos. Later on I thought it might have been me bringing everyone bad luck, before I found out what was really going on.
But that night it was just my own sheer crappy timing. Yeah, right, like it’s all about me.
Lissa (short for Melissa) is very much a product of the modern-day. She’s fairly self-absorbed, thinks everything is about her, and her mind jumps from cultural reference to cultural reference. But, for all that, she’s really quite likeable. She’s had a tough upbringing, and that’s evident in almost everything she says and does, but she loves her family and friends, and genuinely cares about people.
The book starts with her finding two dead women on the bathroom floor at a club. Their throats have been ripped out, and there’s blood everywhere. To say she’s shocked is something of an understatement. She goes home to recover, and probably would have gone back to her normally scheduled life, but… it keeps happening. She keeps finding dead bodies. Like any vaguely self-absorbed young woman, she immediately assumes it has something to do with her, and sets out to investigate.
And that leads us to the vampires.
These are not sparkly, emo, mary-sue vampires. Nor are they mindless, monster-movie vampires. I’d say they’re a cross between Dracula and World of Darkness. They don’t burst into flames in the sunlight, although it makes them weak (ala Dracula). They’ve got a vague “vampire society” going on (ala WoD). But there’s really nothing sexy, sultry, or appealing about them. They are, in fact, the very personification of “the opposite of life”.
This is a book about an ordinary, people-shy girl investigating a supernatural serial killer. It’s also a book about life, death, and the way people respond to it. I really enjoyed this book.
If you like your vampires red-hot and sexy, this is not a book for you. But if you’d like an entertaining and, at times, philosophical story about death, loss, hope, and revenge, I’d heartily recommend it.
(Oh, and it’s set in Melbourne. If you’ve been, you’ll recognise everything from the late-night Greek takeaway to the tram lines. If you haven’t, you’ll feel like you have. It’s win/win. And not lame in the slightest.)
June 17, 2015
Lissa Martin is an intelligent, sassy librarian living in Melbourne, Australia. After a break up with her boyfriend, her friend Evie takes her out clubbing. Lissa finds two dead women in the toilets, the room awash with their blood. Her nightmare is only just beginning, as it become apparent that there are vampires in Melbourne, and the body count is rising.
"The Opposite of Life" is a fantastic dark urban fantasy/horror novel from talented author Narrelle M. Harris.
The main character of Lissa is sharp tongued, quirky, and genuinely likeable. The other characters are well rounded and believable.
The vampires are not sparkly Twilightesque annoyances. These guys mean business and it's a distinctly unpleasant business at that.
"The Opposite of Life" is loaded with dark humour, but, has moments of genuine horror that leave you wavering between deeply unsettled and totally creeped out.
No longer available new in paperback, "The Opposite of Life" is still available for Kindle via Amazon.
I can't recommend the book highly enough.
"The Opposite of Life" is a fantastic dark urban fantasy/horror novel from talented author Narrelle M. Harris.
The main character of Lissa is sharp tongued, quirky, and genuinely likeable. The other characters are well rounded and believable.
The vampires are not sparkly Twilightesque annoyances. These guys mean business and it's a distinctly unpleasant business at that.
"The Opposite of Life" is loaded with dark humour, but, has moments of genuine horror that leave you wavering between deeply unsettled and totally creeped out.
No longer available new in paperback, "The Opposite of Life" is still available for Kindle via Amazon.
I can't recommend the book highly enough.
January 27, 2025
An intelligent fascinating vampire thriller starring librarian Lissa and Gary who must be the worlds geekiest vampire. I really enjoyed this book and it made me think too.
May 19, 2015
No. Just ... no. Don't walk, run away from this one.
Apart from the author's apparent fascination with comparing vampires to chillies (I kid you not), there is nothing original, nothing even remotely interesting going on here. Socially awkward girl meets gorgeous Goth boy. GGB, against all odds, likes SAG. gets killed. SAG discovers - gasp! - that vampires are real and killing people. SAG meets Social Awkward Vampire Boy. Together, SAG and SAVB fight crime. The end.
Now, this is a debut novel, and I'm always inclined to be a little less critical - but there are limits. There's just no excuse for unreadability. The characters are shallow to the point of being less than one-dimensional, especially SAG. The author probably thought it was awfully daring to have her SAVB wear Hawaiian shirts instead of Goth gear, but it takes more than a sartorial quirk to make up for lack of, well, personality.
As for the plot (such as it is) ... no, sorry, I can't think of anything to say about it that isn't, 'Really? You thought that having the Evil Killer be someone the narrator's known for years wasn't predictable?' Also, way to lay it on thick that Life is Good and Undeath is Boring. We've never read that before.
I'm so tired of heroines who are geeky, slightly awkward, disparage their own fashion sense and grooming and act surprised when gorgeous men fall in love with them at first sight. There are far too many of these stupid heroines who make a point of putting themselves in danger and then flailing helplessly until they get rescued - after which they rant dramatically about the unfairness of the universe and fall apart in a fit of self-loathing that can only be soothed by ice cream and a pyjama day.
Over-used, over-done and overdue for the scrap heap.
Take two stars off this rating. Even Left Behind was better written than this waste of ink.
Apart from the author's apparent fascination with comparing vampires to chillies (I kid you not), there is nothing original, nothing even remotely interesting going on here. Socially awkward girl meets gorgeous Goth boy. GGB, against all odds, likes SAG. gets killed. SAG discovers - gasp! - that vampires are real and killing people. SAG meets Social Awkward Vampire Boy. Together, SAG and SAVB fight crime. The end.
Now, this is a debut novel, and I'm always inclined to be a little less critical - but there are limits. There's just no excuse for unreadability. The characters are shallow to the point of being less than one-dimensional, especially SAG. The author probably thought it was awfully daring to have her SAVB wear Hawaiian shirts instead of Goth gear, but it takes more than a sartorial quirk to make up for lack of, well, personality.
As for the plot (such as it is) ... no, sorry, I can't think of anything to say about it that isn't, 'Really? You thought that having the Evil Killer be someone the narrator's known for years wasn't predictable?' Also, way to lay it on thick that Life is Good and Undeath is Boring. We've never read that before.
I'm so tired of heroines who are geeky, slightly awkward, disparage their own fashion sense and grooming and act surprised when gorgeous men fall in love with them at first sight. There are far too many of these stupid heroines who make a point of putting themselves in danger and then flailing helplessly until they get rescued - after which they rant dramatically about the unfairness of the universe and fall apart in a fit of self-loathing that can only be soothed by ice cream and a pyjama day.
Over-used, over-done and overdue for the scrap heap.
Take two stars off this rating. Even Left Behind was better written than this waste of ink.
April 22, 2008
I was convinced to buy this by a persuasive bookseller at a sci-fi bookstore in Melbourne ("it's by a local author and it's actually good!"). I really enjoyed it - the Melbourne setting is very cool. Harris does good vampires - I really liked that drinking blood keeps their brains more active. I'd never really thought about it before, but duh, unless you're bringing magic into the equation, if your brain is dead how well is that really going to work?
Lissa, the main character, is excellent - I loved the aspect of a character with terrible pain in their life being so attracted to the idea of an eternal, rather numb life. Plus, nerdy librarian heroine - I like.
There were some aspects of the ending which I didn't really like, mostly the part with her mother. Oh, and I had thought it was a stand-alone novel - it certainly reads fine as a stand-alone, but there's sequels! Exciting.
Lissa, the main character, is excellent - I loved the aspect of a character with terrible pain in their life being so attracted to the idea of an eternal, rather numb life. Plus, nerdy librarian heroine - I like.
There were some aspects of the ending which I didn't really like, mostly the part with her mother. Oh, and I had thought it was a stand-alone novel - it certainly reads fine as a stand-alone, but there's sequels! Exciting.
July 18, 2008
I really enjoyed this book. The main character was intelligent, likeable and easy to relate too and the storyline had some interesting twists.
I love the fact that this book was set in Melbourne and how the author captured it so well!
I love the fact that this book was set in Melbourne and how the author captured it so well!
February 10, 2016
Really enjoyed this book set in my hometown of Melbourne.
June 8, 2019
“Why not?” I leaned forward in the chair and he stepped backwards. “Because vampires are killing Goths all over Melbourne, and regular civvies shouldn't know about it? Well guess what, Gazza? There's blood and bodies everywhere, so there are cops everywhere, so it's too late to keep it quiet from the civvies. We're already hip deep in it.”
Lissa Wilson, a librarian in Melbourne city, knows she is close to the edge. The abyss that opened inside her upon the deaths of her sister and brother is never really far from the surface, and being dumped by her boyfriend shortly before the library loses its funding for her position brings it just that much closer. It has happened before and always, she has managed to pull back. But this time, on a night out to forget her troubles, she will discover what is down there, gazing back at her.
At times grotesque, at times genuinely beautiful, this book examines the emotional cost of vampirism in all its forms. The form that classic undeath takes here is uncompromising. Love, compassion and intellectual curiosity all demand a living brain and body. The undead can only experience these things through the medium of fresh, human blood, giving rise to their defining characteristics of hunger and mimicry. The longer they survive, in their animate shells, the less of anything else remains to them. But this is not to say that creatures like Mundy or Magdalene are ciphers! Their vestigial adaptation to circumstances and in some cases, deliberate role-playing of what a vampire is expected to be, make for some truly disturbing characters, that Lissa must find a way to interact with if she is to survive and take down a new predator that is upsetting the old balance of the night. Her one ally is the comparatively young vampire, Gary—a truly intriguing creation. Gary would have been a candidate for Aspergers Syndrome when alive and has paradoxically made the transition to undeath with more of his actual personality intact than is usual.
By contrast, Lissa is intelligent and perceptive, but prone to act on impulse when her passions are roused. She is also highly self-critical and subject to black, depressive dives. She makes for a thoroughly engaging narrator of events that grow steadily more twisted and horrific. There are flashes of humour, when the absurdity of her situation hits home."
“You could have used the intercom,” he said. “We had someone rig it up so we don't have to do the wall-crawler thing any more.”
Not to mention;
“I swore never to look twice at any other so-called deviant sexual practice ever again.”
But the heart of this book is an intense and powerful study of grief and how it can warp lives. The moments when Lissa wonders if all the struggle and pain in her own life is really worth anything, are terrifying. But there are other moments, small kindnesses and pleasures. For Lissa, salvation may come as an iced biscuit or a timely phone call, or yes, even a strange, kind-of relationship with a vampire who refuses, for his own reasons, to feed.
Through Lissa' clear, if sometimes frantic voice, the reader receives a strong sense not just of the people (and creatures) she meets, but of the places her investigation leads her. Melbourne has its art deco mansions and decadent night clubs, to be sure, but it also has late-night supermarkets and suburbs of dingy 70s tract housing. The plot segues from one to the other with impressive logic and considerable irony. This is a very rich text, in its atmosphere, its ingenious recasting of vampire myth, and its social and personal themes. For Harris, the great sin is the selfishness that breeds in solipsism—in living humans as in vampires. The ability to form meaningful connections is salvation, but this can only come when an individual faces the reality of their situation and accepts the consequences, as they affect others. It is refreshing to encounter a book that leavens this truism with the fact it can hurt like hell.
Lissa Wilson, a librarian in Melbourne city, knows she is close to the edge. The abyss that opened inside her upon the deaths of her sister and brother is never really far from the surface, and being dumped by her boyfriend shortly before the library loses its funding for her position brings it just that much closer. It has happened before and always, she has managed to pull back. But this time, on a night out to forget her troubles, she will discover what is down there, gazing back at her.
At times grotesque, at times genuinely beautiful, this book examines the emotional cost of vampirism in all its forms. The form that classic undeath takes here is uncompromising. Love, compassion and intellectual curiosity all demand a living brain and body. The undead can only experience these things through the medium of fresh, human blood, giving rise to their defining characteristics of hunger and mimicry. The longer they survive, in their animate shells, the less of anything else remains to them. But this is not to say that creatures like Mundy or Magdalene are ciphers! Their vestigial adaptation to circumstances and in some cases, deliberate role-playing of what a vampire is expected to be, make for some truly disturbing characters, that Lissa must find a way to interact with if she is to survive and take down a new predator that is upsetting the old balance of the night. Her one ally is the comparatively young vampire, Gary—a truly intriguing creation. Gary would have been a candidate for Aspergers Syndrome when alive and has paradoxically made the transition to undeath with more of his actual personality intact than is usual.
By contrast, Lissa is intelligent and perceptive, but prone to act on impulse when her passions are roused. She is also highly self-critical and subject to black, depressive dives. She makes for a thoroughly engaging narrator of events that grow steadily more twisted and horrific. There are flashes of humour, when the absurdity of her situation hits home."
“You could have used the intercom,” he said. “We had someone rig it up so we don't have to do the wall-crawler thing any more.”
Not to mention;
“I swore never to look twice at any other so-called deviant sexual practice ever again.”
But the heart of this book is an intense and powerful study of grief and how it can warp lives. The moments when Lissa wonders if all the struggle and pain in her own life is really worth anything, are terrifying. But there are other moments, small kindnesses and pleasures. For Lissa, salvation may come as an iced biscuit or a timely phone call, or yes, even a strange, kind-of relationship with a vampire who refuses, for his own reasons, to feed.
Through Lissa' clear, if sometimes frantic voice, the reader receives a strong sense not just of the people (and creatures) she meets, but of the places her investigation leads her. Melbourne has its art deco mansions and decadent night clubs, to be sure, but it also has late-night supermarkets and suburbs of dingy 70s tract housing. The plot segues from one to the other with impressive logic and considerable irony. This is a very rich text, in its atmosphere, its ingenious recasting of vampire myth, and its social and personal themes. For Harris, the great sin is the selfishness that breeds in solipsism—in living humans as in vampires. The ability to form meaningful connections is salvation, but this can only come when an individual faces the reality of their situation and accepts the consequences, as they affect others. It is refreshing to encounter a book that leavens this truism with the fact it can hurt like hell.
April 15, 2023
The night I went dancing with Evie I found two girls in the floor of the ladies' loos, with their throats ripped out.
What a great first line of a novel.
Unfortunately, the rest of the book didn't quite match up.
Don't get me wrong, it's not a bad book. It's a bit of fun, and there's nothing awful here, exactly. It's just nothing special either.
I read it because I wanted to read some urban fantasy set locally, and I guess in that regard it delivered. It was undeniably Melbourne, and as I was roughly Lissa's age back in 2007 the setting resonated nicely. At one point Lissa and Gary walked past my front door, cute.
But even that was overdone. I felt at times like I was participating in a text-based tour of Melbourne, and since I live here, it didn't seem like a great use of my time. And if you don't know Melbourne, do you really want 50% of your latest read to be detailed descriptions of a random city?
Then there were detailed descriptions of everything else in Lissa's life: her job, her appearance, her family situation and so on.
They weren't terrible descriptions; in fact, it was all well written. But it felt like 95% description and 5% plot, and I would have liked it to be a bit more balanced.
The plot itself was fine but light-on. The mystery was solved The plot twist at the end was entirely expected but still fun, and I quite enjoyed how things (essentially Lissa's life going forwards) were wrapped up.
So in short: nothing amazing here, but not terrible either, and I'd be interested to check out the sequel, written by a more experienced author!
April 6, 2023
I came to greatly admire Lissa, the main character in The Opposite of Life. I don’t expect that my life will turn out like hers— that I will discover that vampires are real and both more ordinary and more unsettling than TV led me to expect, or that I will stumble on quite so many dead bodies. (Ok, hopefully I will stumble on no dead bodies.) But Lissa, for all her terror and panic, her messy family interactions and poor decision making, is still someone to emulate. Lissa absolutely does not have her shit together, but she has decided not to give up.
The fantasy plot of The Opposite of Life seems so real when populated with unpolished characters, like a human mother who is more horrifying than any monster, and a vampire in questionable clothes named Gary, who chose to be a vampire because he didn’t want to feel so much. It’s nice to be partly dead, he thinks. But Lissa, who undergoes more trauma than any other character, still manages to conclude that life needs passion, even if it hurts.
It’s a good lesson for all of us— that no matter what mess we find ourselves in, we still have agency. We still have little pieces of joy. And like Lissa, I think we all still have more adventures to come.
The Opposite of Life will take you on an unplanned, unexpected steeplechase through the city at 3 a.m. with people who might want to eat you, drug you, and/or kill you, and maybe bring you back again. With Lissa as your guide, you might just survive it.
The fantasy plot of The Opposite of Life seems so real when populated with unpolished characters, like a human mother who is more horrifying than any monster, and a vampire in questionable clothes named Gary, who chose to be a vampire because he didn’t want to feel so much. It’s nice to be partly dead, he thinks. But Lissa, who undergoes more trauma than any other character, still manages to conclude that life needs passion, even if it hurts.
It’s a good lesson for all of us— that no matter what mess we find ourselves in, we still have agency. We still have little pieces of joy. And like Lissa, I think we all still have more adventures to come.
The Opposite of Life will take you on an unplanned, unexpected steeplechase through the city at 3 a.m. with people who might want to eat you, drug you, and/or kill you, and maybe bring you back again. With Lissa as your guide, you might just survive it.
July 3, 2024
Fast, furious, and fabulous, I binge read this in a day (I am resting at home after surgery, so it was an easy decision!).
I adored this book. The characters were so real, and whilst I don't live in Melbourne, I have family there so the Toorak character in particular was altogether too accurate! I'll admit I laughed at the similarities to someone I know.
Whilst I read this on my kindle, it was definitely a "page turner".
We meet young goths, bar owners, librarians, disfunctional families, as well as disfunctional vampires. Every character was so well written, that when "some" of them die/or don't die, you feel the angst.
Also a great reason not to do drugs!!!
I'm looking forward to reading the next book in the series.
I initially downloaded this book because I read that the film rights have just been optioned. It will be brilliant on screen!
I adored this book. The characters were so real, and whilst I don't live in Melbourne, I have family there so the Toorak character in particular was altogether too accurate! I'll admit I laughed at the similarities to someone I know.
Whilst I read this on my kindle, it was definitely a "page turner".
We meet young goths, bar owners, librarians, disfunctional families, as well as disfunctional vampires. Every character was so well written, that when "some" of them die/or don't die, you feel the angst.
Also a great reason not to do drugs!!!
I'm looking forward to reading the next book in the series.
I initially downloaded this book because I read that the film rights have just been optioned. It will be brilliant on screen!
April 10, 2020
I thoroughly enjoyed this. Lissa and Gary are both likeable characters and I want to watch their friendship develop. The mystery element of the story was a little predictable but it unfolded well enough that I was willing to go along for the ride and to watch the detail of the unfolding.
It was lovely to read something set in Melbourne and to see clearly the location of events.
A couple of paragraphs felt awkward to me (one in particular did not gel with the character that had been built up to that time), almost as if the writer had a great line, observation or description that she wanted to include so she forced them into the story – they were great observations but they were out of place and might have been better saved for another story. I’d definitely read a sequel...
It was lovely to read something set in Melbourne and to see clearly the location of events.
A couple of paragraphs felt awkward to me (one in particular did not gel with the character that had been built up to that time), almost as if the writer had a great line, observation or description that she wanted to include so she forced them into the story – they were great observations but they were out of place and might have been better saved for another story. I’d definitely read a sequel...
April 11, 2023
Confuses me why this book isn't well known. Great fantasy story, set in Melbourne. Love the characters, and Narelle's love for Melbourne comes across.
June 20, 2025
3.5 stars
January 31, 2013
The Opposite of Life is, in many ways, the opposite of modern vampire novels.
I don’t mean that it’s an old-fashioned vampire romp--there is nothing old-fashioned about it--but what I do mean is that this book does everything that that its contemporaries do not.
Narrelle Harris brings a fresh take on what a vampire is and how the 'rules’ to which they are subject work (or do not work)... but it’s really the characters that make this one such a ripper. There’s not a single character or relationship in this book that’s predictable.
Nobody in The Opposite of Life is glamorous. Lissa, the librarian hero, is courageous and moral and smart and curious, but she is also vulnerable and insecure and a little bit on the dowdy side. She is not a character who, thanks to the attentions of an angsty vampire lover, will metamorphose into an Epic Babe; nor is she positioned by some ancient prophecy/wise old white man/screenwriter-with-an-obvious-fetish to become a Spinny Killbot. Gary, the sympathetic vampire, is a socially awkward nerd. The other vampires in the book are neither charming nor attractive--they’re creepy old fuddy-duddies.
It is also a pleasure to read a book so firmly located in Melbourne. Even when Harris doesn’t explicitly name the various pubs, clubs, laneways or alleys, if you live in Melbourne you probably know exactly the places she is talking about. Harris doesn’t try to make it New York, either--the city does not seem any more glamorous or seedy than it really is. This Melbourne is the quirky, pretentious but self-aware place that I know and love.
I wouldn’t go so far as to call The Opposite of Life a satire, but Harris takes obvious pleasure in undercutting the cliched set-pieces that one sees in most vampire stories. When Lissa is attacked by a vampire she doesn’t swoon--she pees herself. Then she has to find a toilet in a pub where she can clean herself up. And then she smells like peach-scented liquid soap for the rest of the book. The climactic confrontation is delayed because none of the conquering heroes can drive and they have to take the tram. There are many of these wonderful moments and observations all through the book.
While providing all the requisite blood and thrills of a vampire novel there is a thematic core to The Opposite of Life that of its peers lacks. The greatest moment of horror is not one in which blood is spilled; it’s the revelation of some selfish choices made by characters that Lissa once trusted.
This book has something to say and sets it all up very convincingly. It’s not just the usual ‘good versus evil’ malarkey or a tacked-on moral ending, either. From page one The Opposite of Life works to show you where it’s coming from and that is something I really admire.
A wonderful book, clever and compelling and suspenseful and wise. I can’t wait to get my teeth into the sequel.
I don’t mean that it’s an old-fashioned vampire romp--there is nothing old-fashioned about it--but what I do mean is that this book does everything that that its contemporaries do not.
Narrelle Harris brings a fresh take on what a vampire is and how the 'rules’ to which they are subject work (or do not work)... but it’s really the characters that make this one such a ripper. There’s not a single character or relationship in this book that’s predictable.
Nobody in The Opposite of Life is glamorous. Lissa, the librarian hero, is courageous and moral and smart and curious, but she is also vulnerable and insecure and a little bit on the dowdy side. She is not a character who, thanks to the attentions of an angsty vampire lover, will metamorphose into an Epic Babe; nor is she positioned by some ancient prophecy/wise old white man/screenwriter-with-an-obvious-fetish to become a Spinny Killbot. Gary, the sympathetic vampire, is a socially awkward nerd. The other vampires in the book are neither charming nor attractive--they’re creepy old fuddy-duddies.
It is also a pleasure to read a book so firmly located in Melbourne. Even when Harris doesn’t explicitly name the various pubs, clubs, laneways or alleys, if you live in Melbourne you probably know exactly the places she is talking about. Harris doesn’t try to make it New York, either--the city does not seem any more glamorous or seedy than it really is. This Melbourne is the quirky, pretentious but self-aware place that I know and love.
I wouldn’t go so far as to call The Opposite of Life a satire, but Harris takes obvious pleasure in undercutting the cliched set-pieces that one sees in most vampire stories. When Lissa is attacked by a vampire she doesn’t swoon--she pees herself. Then she has to find a toilet in a pub where she can clean herself up. And then she smells like peach-scented liquid soap for the rest of the book. The climactic confrontation is delayed because none of the conquering heroes can drive and they have to take the tram. There are many of these wonderful moments and observations all through the book.
While providing all the requisite blood and thrills of a vampire novel there is a thematic core to The Opposite of Life that of its peers lacks. The greatest moment of horror is not one in which blood is spilled; it’s the revelation of some selfish choices made by characters that Lissa once trusted.
This book has something to say and sets it all up very convincingly. It’s not just the usual ‘good versus evil’ malarkey or a tacked-on moral ending, either. From page one The Opposite of Life works to show you where it’s coming from and that is something I really admire.
A wonderful book, clever and compelling and suspenseful and wise. I can’t wait to get my teeth into the sequel.
February 23, 2013
The Opposite of Life by Narrelle M Harris is the author's first published novel starring Lissa and Gary. I recently reviewed its sequel, Walking Shadows. I have to warn you, this review is coming from the position of having read the second book first and I can't avoid comparing the two.
The Opposite of Life introduces Lissa and Gary and the vampires of Melbourne. It's a somewhat darker book than Walking Shadows. There's a lot more death in it — the story centres around a series of murders and Lissa has the poor fortune to discover several of the bodies. The associated trauma, of course, leads her to be somewhat less than chipper and besides that she has a lot of other emotional baggage to come to terms with. And since Lissa meets Gary for the first time part way through the book, there's less opportunity for entertaining interactions between them. I liked that in Walking Shadows they were well established as friends.
The vampire mythos in Harris's world is refreshing in not being overly romanticised. Vampires don't feel much because they're dead. Their brains also don't work as well and they get firmly entrenched in old habits. Modern technology has made it harder for them to not draw attention to themselves and so they're not generally inclined to run around killing people willy-nilly (any more).
Harris juxtaposes the numb emotions of the vampires with humans, mostly various members of Lissa's family, who don't want to feel any more and deal with it using more conventional means (drugs, alcohol, etc). It is the appeal of not feeling which is the lure to vampirism for some of the characters in this story, not just eternal life and youth, but the promise that it will hurt less to live an undead life. An interesting notion and not one that comes up too often in vampire fiction. Not that there aren't a lot of jaded vampires around, but often they're that way thanks to their longevity.
I enjoyed The Opposite of Life quite a bit and I look forward to reading more Lissa and Gary stories in the future. I enjoyed Walking Shadows a bit more, though, mainly because it was cheerier and caused more laughs. I highly recommend this series to anyone looking for less conventional vampire fiction. An excellent panacea for the reader sick of Edward Cullens and (YA-ified) Lestats.
4 / 5 stars
You can read more of my reviews on my blog.
The Opposite of Life introduces Lissa and Gary and the vampires of Melbourne. It's a somewhat darker book than Walking Shadows. There's a lot more death in it — the story centres around a series of murders and Lissa has the poor fortune to discover several of the bodies. The associated trauma, of course, leads her to be somewhat less than chipper and besides that she has a lot of other emotional baggage to come to terms with. And since Lissa meets Gary for the first time part way through the book, there's less opportunity for entertaining interactions between them. I liked that in Walking Shadows they were well established as friends.
The vampire mythos in Harris's world is refreshing in not being overly romanticised. Vampires don't feel much because they're dead. Their brains also don't work as well and they get firmly entrenched in old habits. Modern technology has made it harder for them to not draw attention to themselves and so they're not generally inclined to run around killing people willy-nilly (any more).
Harris juxtaposes the numb emotions of the vampires with humans, mostly various members of Lissa's family, who don't want to feel any more and deal with it using more conventional means (drugs, alcohol, etc). It is the appeal of not feeling which is the lure to vampirism for some of the characters in this story, not just eternal life and youth, but the promise that it will hurt less to live an undead life. An interesting notion and not one that comes up too often in vampire fiction. Not that there aren't a lot of jaded vampires around, but often they're that way thanks to their longevity.
I enjoyed The Opposite of Life quite a bit and I look forward to reading more Lissa and Gary stories in the future. I enjoyed Walking Shadows a bit more, though, mainly because it was cheerier and caused more laughs. I highly recommend this series to anyone looking for less conventional vampire fiction. An excellent panacea for the reader sick of Edward Cullens and (YA-ified) Lestats.
4 / 5 stars
You can read more of my reviews on my blog.
August 26, 2011
For me, there are three kinds of books: books I don’t like, books I like and books I like so much that I can’t wait to push them on my friends saying, “You HAVE to read this!” The Opposite of Life? Well, that goes in the last category. I’ve put off sending an overseas package because one of my friends has to read this book so I'm giving her a print copy.
I’m not usually a vampire novel kind of woman, but when a wonderfully sweet man sitting at the Pulp Fiction Press table at Conflux writers conference talked about Narrelle M. Harris and her book, I couldn’t help but put it on my must read list. And I am so glad I did.
From the very beginning, I was sucked into Lissa’s world and nearly finished the book in one sitting. Her straight-forward – slightly babbling in the beginning – way of talking to the reader amused me and immediately made me feel relaxed with her as the person I’d be spending the next 200+ pages with.
I love that Narrelle explores the temptation of eternal life without making it too sappy or romanticised. Lissa’s temptation is real. Her doubts and back-and-forth mindset were true to life and only made me identify with her more. Her thoughts are gritty, spattered with doubt, a bit sassy a times and utterly the thoughts of someone I feel I could meet in reality. She has done a superb job in not only her creation of Lissa but of Gary and other characters as well.
I have a soft spot for stories set in Melbourne because I’ve been to the suburbs and around the city. However, Narrelle keeps a good setting exactly where it should be – the background. The setting enriches the story but never overwhelms it.
I recommend this book to everyone – even if you’re not a vampire fan. Narrelle’s approach to everything from vampire biology to dispelling common vampire myths is refreshing.
I’m not usually a vampire novel kind of woman, but when a wonderfully sweet man sitting at the Pulp Fiction Press table at Conflux writers conference talked about Narrelle M. Harris and her book, I couldn’t help but put it on my must read list. And I am so glad I did.
From the very beginning, I was sucked into Lissa’s world and nearly finished the book in one sitting. Her straight-forward – slightly babbling in the beginning – way of talking to the reader amused me and immediately made me feel relaxed with her as the person I’d be spending the next 200+ pages with.
I love that Narrelle explores the temptation of eternal life without making it too sappy or romanticised. Lissa’s temptation is real. Her doubts and back-and-forth mindset were true to life and only made me identify with her more. Her thoughts are gritty, spattered with doubt, a bit sassy a times and utterly the thoughts of someone I feel I could meet in reality. She has done a superb job in not only her creation of Lissa but of Gary and other characters as well.
I have a soft spot for stories set in Melbourne because I’ve been to the suburbs and around the city. However, Narrelle keeps a good setting exactly where it should be – the background. The setting enriches the story but never overwhelms it.
I recommend this book to everyone – even if you’re not a vampire fan. Narrelle’s approach to everything from vampire biology to dispelling common vampire myths is refreshing.
December 28, 2017
It took a while for me to settle into reading this - while I can slip into reading about US cities I've never been to easily, and I can buy into why they seem familiar, the familiarity of the Melbourne setting here threw me at first. That's a good thing - it really *feels* like Melbourne and I just wasn't expecting that.
I enjoyed the way in which Lissa and Gary came to hang out - although the whole murder premise didn't quite work for me in the setup, I could ignore that because I liked the working partnership and friendship between Lissa and Gary - and that's really what makes this book. That and the fact that vampires are not nice exactly, but they're not exactly flashy and dramatic either - they seem almost boring here, and I like that touch, having to pay bills, but not eat, and getting bored themselves a lot - but not the romantic melancholy bored that vampire fiction often writes, this is genuine ordinary being bored - and it's hilarious.
This is a crime novel with a great friendship, it touches on horror (at least it was for me with the murders), and Harris brings something novel to the vampire fiction genre by making vampires a bit boring - in a good way, she takes the gloss off them, makes them less cool and it's refreshing to read. This is also a great book if you're missing Melbourne and want to be reminded of this gorgeous city.
I enjoyed the way in which Lissa and Gary came to hang out - although the whole murder premise didn't quite work for me in the setup, I could ignore that because I liked the working partnership and friendship between Lissa and Gary - and that's really what makes this book. That and the fact that vampires are not nice exactly, but they're not exactly flashy and dramatic either - they seem almost boring here, and I like that touch, having to pay bills, but not eat, and getting bored themselves a lot - but not the romantic melancholy bored that vampire fiction often writes, this is genuine ordinary being bored - and it's hilarious.
This is a crime novel with a great friendship, it touches on horror (at least it was for me with the murders), and Harris brings something novel to the vampire fiction genre by making vampires a bit boring - in a good way, she takes the gloss off them, makes them less cool and it's refreshing to read. This is also a great book if you're missing Melbourne and want to be reminded of this gorgeous city.
May 17, 2017
I thoroughly enjoyed this book and wish it were available in the US. I want to share it with all my reader friends but after paying for shipping from Australia, I'm not going to lend out my copy. They have to get their own. ;)
I love Lissa as a character. She reacts to vampy behavior less like the sterotypical vamp book heroine and much more like I could see myself reacting. If you've read it already go ahead and laugh, but yes I probably would do exactly what she did when threatened.
The vampire 'mythology' built into this book is interesting and unique. Narelle definately steers away from romanticizing the concept of eternal life, but still manages to make this book humorous and her vamp characters engaging. Extremely well done.
I'm not sure if it's correct to call the language in this book Australian slang or dialect, but knowing that it was authentic made reading it even more fun. Most of it was easy enough for me to understand based on context. I only had to resort to Google twice. (Who knew that going for a slash meant to go the the restroom?)
I love Lissa as a character. She reacts to vampy behavior less like the sterotypical vamp book heroine and much more like I could see myself reacting. If you've read it already go ahead and laugh, but yes I probably would do exactly what she did when threatened.
The vampire 'mythology' built into this book is interesting and unique. Narelle definately steers away from romanticizing the concept of eternal life, but still manages to make this book humorous and her vamp characters engaging. Extremely well done.
I'm not sure if it's correct to call the language in this book Australian slang or dialect, but knowing that it was authentic made reading it even more fun. Most of it was easy enough for me to understand based on context. I only had to resort to Google twice. (Who knew that going for a slash meant to go the the restroom?)
July 1, 2011
After reading so many vampire novels it's nice to see what an author can do that's new, without completely making them into parodies (yes, Stephenie Meyer I'm looking at you). The vampires in the Opposite of Life are still scary, still supernatural to an extent, but Harris gives a fresh take on *why* vampires need to drink blood.
I know Melbourne as a city very well, and the landmarks scattered throughout the book were a nice touch. I knew where they were but they weren't so specific as to be distracting.
A comfortable writing style made the whole "just one more page" a big temptation, as well as characters who you were keen to discover more about. I think there's aspects of people in here we all know.
Well worth seeking out a copy if you're outside Australia.
(Disclaimer: Yes I know the author personally. Doesn't mean I don't think it's a good book.)
I know Melbourne as a city very well, and the landmarks scattered throughout the book were a nice touch. I knew where they were but they weren't so specific as to be distracting.
A comfortable writing style made the whole "just one more page" a big temptation, as well as characters who you were keen to discover more about. I think there's aspects of people in here we all know.
Well worth seeking out a copy if you're outside Australia.
(Disclaimer: Yes I know the author personally. Doesn't mean I don't think it's a good book.)
September 12, 2013
Lissa is a normal Melbourne sheila. She has family dramas, a dickhead ex boyfriend, a part time job that barely covers the essentials, and hopes of it all improving. I wouldnʻt say that life improves much for her during the novel, but I think it changes and it changes her and her response to being alive. I really enjoyed my journey with her and getting to meet Gary, the shy nerd guy vampire. Great precursor to Walking Shadows, the 2nd title in this Melbourne based modern vampire series. Bring on Book Three, I want more of Lissa and Garyʻs story!
December 22, 2011
I enjoyed "The Opposite of Life" very much. It was a reasonably gentle yet gritty read which was engaging and interesting, with characters I could readily relate too; being set in familiar locations depicted very well appealed to me too. I found it a very satisfying read.
I liked the way the story unfolded, the message in the story and that the ending wasn't predictable. It's a book I recommend to my vampire story loving friends and anyone else who likes a good read.
I liked the way the story unfolded, the message in the story and that the ending wasn't predictable. It's a book I recommend to my vampire story loving friends and anyone else who likes a good read.
December 9, 2012
I don't make a secret of the fact that I'm burned out on urban fantasy/paranormal romance.
This book, quite frankly, was a very pleasant surprise. It has its flaws - I don't completely buy into the protagonist's motivations, for instance, when she keeps flinging herself into trouble, but overall, it's just enjoyable enough that I can deal with that. Some good humour, good characters and a generally atmospheric setting.
This book, quite frankly, was a very pleasant surprise. It has its flaws - I don't completely buy into the protagonist's motivations, for instance, when she keeps flinging herself into trouble, but overall, it's just enjoyable enough that I can deal with that. Some good humour, good characters and a generally atmospheric setting.
March 4, 2008
I have been reading this over a couple of months and probably haven't given it the attention it deserves. That said, I finished the last half, and must say, I really enjoyed it!
Her writing style reminds me faintly of Kerry Greenwood, and I loved all the little Melbourne references.
I look forward to reading the sequel!
Her writing style reminds me faintly of Kerry Greenwood, and I loved all the little Melbourne references.
I look forward to reading the sequel!
November 18, 2012
The heroine is tough, vulnerable, smart and brave. This takes 'dysfunctional family' in a most interesting direction. It is a vampire book, but unlike any other vampire book I've ever read. The most significant vampire character is kind of a nerd, and a nice guy. You might need to get it as a Kindle ebook in the States.
August 6, 2010
I was very much looking forward to this book. A day later I am finished & whilst I enjoyed it, got a few laughs & admire Ms Harris' talent, I don't know why but I feel just slightly let down. Probably because it was so built up in my mind.
Either way, it was a very easy, entertaining read and I would recommend it for people who like vamps but don't necessarily want to read too much gore.
Either way, it was a very easy, entertaining read and I would recommend it for people who like vamps but don't necessarily want to read too much gore.
March 1, 2010
I loved the treatment of the undead in this book. The society was realistic and well thought out. I also loved the tone and the characterization.
I found the ending (the part with her mother) lacked the realistic characterization of the rest of the book and was a little over the top.
I found the ending (the part with her mother) lacked the realistic characterization of the rest of the book and was a little over the top.
August 31, 2014
These vampires are the sort of desperate scary that really, really works for me. I love that it's set in Melbourne. I love that I could picture all these places in my head. I love all the things and I wish this review were more coherent.
March 19, 2015
I received this novel as a birthday present and thoroughly enjoyed it! I hope that there will be more. It reminds me of a mix of Maeve Binchy and Kerry Greenwood with a supernatural twist. I love that the main character reminds me of my best friend, and the sister reminds me of mine.
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