So... I Met a Vampire

by Paul McAvoy

On a foggy morning, thirteen year old Jessica wakes up in a strange forest, not knowing how she got there, but with a feeling she is being watched. Helped to a local police station, memories start to come back, about where she has been the last few days… She remembers a deal she had to make to stay alive… to obtain a small bottle of vampire’s blood. With the use of a magical phone, her journey takes her to the English Lake District, a lonely Scottish village and the bright lights of New York. She meets mysterious men who work for a secret government organisation and a vampire who seems willing to help, but is he and his teenage vampire friends to be trusted? On the run, she must reach a government hide out before her adversaries catch up with her and take her to a realm of darkness and blood…

Genres: Young Adult

180 pages, Paperback

First published July 12, 2015

About the author

Hello and welcome to Paul McAvoy’s Goodreads Page.

Paul is a writer of Horror, Dystopian and Fantasy books, aimed at Adults and Young Adults

‘I like to write the kind of story I would want to read myself. I like to write stuff that hasn’t been done to death, be it Horror or Dystopian and Fantasy.’

Check out his newest So... I Met book: So... I Met a Witch.

More can be found at his blog: http://paulmcavoywriting.blogspot.co.uk/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/paulmcavoywr...

Things nice people have said about Paul’s writings…

So…I Met a Vampire
‘Although there are many books that feature vampires, I felt there was still a bit of an unusual hook in the plot which made this one stand out a little compared to others in the market.’ Amazon Reviewer
‘I thoroughly recommend it!’ GK DeRosa
So… I Met a Demon
‘A quick enjoyable read for me.’ Amazon Reviewer
‘This book keeps you going right until the end.’ Goodreads Reviewer
So… I Met an Alien
‘Well worth a read :)’ Amazon Reviewer
‘It is like a classic kids movie you enjoy to sit and watch all wrapped up for your imagination.’ Goodreads Reviewer
So…I Met a Ghost
‘Couldn’t put the book down once the story unfolded.’ Amazon Reviewer
‘Really liked this, simple yet well thought out plot, with believable characters.’ Goodreads Reviewer.
From Beyond The Veil
‘I really liked reading this book but eating rats no thanks glad it wasn't me.’ Amazon Reviewer’
Cold Skies
‘I love this collection, as McAvoy is a writer of great imagination and no small skill. Like Fowler, he is a master at painting a picture of a scenario which seems familiar, then injecting the unfamiliar into it in a way that seems horribly real.’ Goodreads Reviewer
"Paul McAvoy writes nice clean... readable prose, and offers some interesting variations on standard genre situations. In short, he spins a good yarn..." Gary McMahon (Author of The Concrete Grove Trilogy, Pretty Little Dead Things).

Reviews

[C.P. Cabaniss · Rating 3 out of 5]

*I received a copy of this novel from the author in exchange for an honest review.*

This is a young adult novel based around a girl, Jess, who dies and must complete three tasks to live again. One of those tasks involves vampires and throughout the novel Jess recaps her journey. Will she succeed? Will she fail?

The novel read more like a children's/middle grade novel aside from some language and a few scenes that I wouldn't expect for that age group. Jess herself was very young and at times didn't seem a particularly consistent character.

It felt like the Reaper was a more important portion than the vampire, in a lot of ways, but both were rather interesting and the portion of the story involving each of them was important to the whole.

Overall I thought it was a fun, fast read. I didn't think it was brilliant, and it could use a few more edits, but it was definitely worth the time I put into it. The style is kind of dream or fairy tale like, which I think added to the fun factor. Definitely enjoyable.

*I will be posting discussions regarding this novel on my blog.*

[Edward Davies · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is the fourth book in a loosely linked series, but works as a standalone novel as well. The story is an interesting one, though I would have liked for the main character to be a little less accepting of her situation. It reminded me of a supernatural version of Alfonso Bonzo, with us the readers doubting at times the truth of the main characters story. This feeling could have been explored further if not for the quick revelation that her story must be the truth as backed up by others (I won't spoil things by going into too much detail). There is a very light hearted humour to the story which I liked, but it is too simple a story to cross into that murky world of YA fiction accepted and loved by adults. Children who love the supernatural will enjoy the story, but don't be fooled by the title; the vampires aren't really in the story that much, and this could just as easily have been entitled "So... I Met Death".

Structurally speaking, this could have done with a thorough read through before going to print, as there are a few 'missing words' and typos here and there.

[Mehsi · Rating 2 out of 5]

I received this book from the author in exchange of an honest review.

Those on Goodreads will have seen my updates while I was reading this book, it was a bumpy road, and I have to say that while the idea, and the ending were pretty great, I didn't like how it was executed and there were several things that were just odd and weird. Not only in regards of the characters, but also in regards to how the story jumped around.

One of the problems was the main character and her supposed vegan diet. The book starts off in the future (after the accident), and she is clearly stating that she is trying to be a vegan. However, she doesn't mind eating eggs. This is not being a vegan, if you eat eggs you are just some type of vegetarian, I believe the name is ovo-vegetarian.
However, in the past it is quite confusing. On the one hand you have the before the accident past, where she is eating eggs and stating she is trying to be vegan. However, after the accident and during that challenge part, when asked by Devon, she states she is vegan, nothing about trying, and she even knows she shouldn't eat eggs, or milk or anything like that. And she clearly refuses it.
So girl, could you please decide? You can't be trying to be a vegan, then you are vegan, then trying to be vegan. And you should not eat eggs if you are trying to go vegan.

Next is her amnesia, which was so highly unbelievable, because immediately when she gets to the police, she starts remembering everything, and yes, everything, without any stimulants or prodding. Just like that, she remembers everything. While it helped getting us to the parts of the story, it was a bit too convenient for my liking. I don't mind amnesia, but make it a bit more realistic.

She is also contradicting herself. She is telling someone that she died, found herself in an office with the reaper. However... in the beginning part of the story we see her dying, she sees a figure, someone who urges her to come along and only after a few pages of that, are we in an office. :|

I also didn't like the character that much. At times I really liked her, but I was really confused by how she reacted. At times she was really shy and timid, at other times she would suddenly curse and talk like a teenager with a big attitude and a need for trouble.
At times she is really smart, but at other times she does the stupidest things ever. Like making a deal with that person? Why?

The story itself, and how Jesse found herself alive again, was pretty short. It only took about ~40% of the book. The rest is how it started, and what happens after all that. While it was nice, it was a bit meh, it also felt off. I was like yay, we are finished with the story, now Jess can continue to live her life. Though I had the feeling there was a catch, and yes there was. The rest of the story was even more unbelievable than the first part (which is kind of magical), though it was a lot more exciting. And yes, I know, I know, this is a book about magic, about reapers, vampires, but it just felt odd how we went from point A to point Q in an instant.

And that is also a problem I had, the story jumps around a lot. Mostly it follows a straight line, but often it would just jump off that line and bound to other things.

I also wish that the whole reaper thing was explained more. Seymour is a really interesting character, and I wonder why he had 2 easy challenges and a third that was totally screwed up. I also want to know about his penance and what he did to become a reaper. He was by far the most interesting character of the whole book.

The ending was pretty good, and it was really interesting, though also a bit weird, I know that she has a gift, but this is quite magical. She just got better, she is still having trouble with stuff, and then she can do all that? Wow.

I did like the idea of vampires, reapers giving every millionth death a chance to live again, I liked the idea of a paranormal office, but I feel it could have been executed a bit better.

Oh and I definitely have to give credit to finally having a vampire story without any romance. Yes, you heard me right, this is a vampire book, without a hint of romance. Thank Lord for that. I could use one. Most of the vampire books these days have romance, either small or huge, and I could use a break from those.

Review first posted at http://twirlingbookprincess.com/

[Garrison Kelly · Rating 2 out of 5]

A young lady named Jessie James started off by going on a school field trip and ended up in the spirit world after dying in a drowning accident. And now in order to get a second chance at life, she must extract a vampire’s blood and bring it to the grim reaper within a limited time frame. Once the time limit is over, if she has not completed her task, she will be stuck in the spiritual realm forever. With the help of vampire expert Charles Devon, it appears as though a return to the mortal realm is at hand. But even with all the expertise in the world, this won’t be an easy task for someone as young and naïve as Jessie.

On the surface, this race-against-time plot seems like it could work in just about any scenario. We like the feeling of adrenaline rushes, especially when combined with supernatural elements. But it’s hard to be excited about the plot when the awkward writing style gets in the way of what would have otherwise been an enjoyable story. Unrealistic dialogue, obvious statements, a robotic narrator, and excessively short sentences are the best ways to describe the overall writing style Mr. McAvoy has employed with this novel. I know this book is geared toward a younger audience and younger readers aren’t as nitpicky as adults. But I can’t help but feel they too would be uncomfortable with the way this book is written.

The name of the main character also needs some analysis: Jessie James. The last time we heard about someone with this name, it was to describe a dangerous outlaw from wild west narratives. Ever since then, we’ve heard about other characters and celebrities with that name as well. We’ve heard about Sandra Bullock’s ex-boyfriend being named Jesse James as well as a female country singer with that name too. Hell, there was a WWE wrestler in the 1990’s named “Road Dogg” Jesse James. The name has been used so many times that it’s been beaten to death. The main protagonist of this story is just one more club to the dead horse’s body. Plus, it feels too obvious to name somebody that.

One more gripe about this story and then I’ll be finished with this review. The characters in this story seem too accepting towards supernatural elements. What’s that? A vampire? Meh. A ghost? Please. The grim reaper? Oh, that’s cool. These normally dangerous and imposing figures are just brushed off like nobody cares. In a dystopian society, this would be believable. But this just seems like an everyday modern community. Easily giving into supernatural phenomenon sounds too convenient, as if the author was trying to bypass the problem of having a protagonist whom nobody believes.

When Mr. McAvoy reads this review, I don’t want him to feel badly about what he’s produced. I want him to learn things and develop. That is my ultimate goal as a reviewer: to praise the author when necessary and hold him or her accountable when it matters most. This book may receive a failing grade (two stars) from little old me, but I assure you this is not Paul McAvoy’s last dance. The race-against-time plot is one that has a lot of truth to it. If it was better executed, then the complaints would be minimal. I hope Mr. McAvoy does learn something from this experience and I hope his next project will give him a chance to rise from the ashes like the phoenix he was meant to be.

[G.K. DeRosa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Please note, I was given this book by the author in exchange for an honest review.

This was a fun YA read that follows the strange course of events that befall 13 year old Jess James. A normal teenager, she finds herself thrown into a paranormal world after an ordinary school field trip. Without giving too much away, she encounters a reaper who gives her three tasks to accomplish thus introducing her to a string of interesting characters including sneaky vampires and a pretty awesome vampire hunter. The author has a very vivid writing style and a fun “British” humor. My only criticism would be the occasional grammatical error or missing word. Overall, this is a great story for young teens, and I thoroughly recommend it!

[Victoria Scott · Rating 2 out of 5]

I got this book free for review, so thank you!
Unfortunately, I just couldn't enjoy it. It was a short book, so easy to read, which was nice. And don't get me wrong, there were parts of this I enjoyed. Only, not enough to give this book a very high rating. We start off in a mysterious setting, with our protagonist knowing nothing about where or who she is. Straight away, I was hooked. I love books where we find things out as the main character does.
Then, all of a sudden, she remembers a whole lot of stuff. There's no reason for it, nothing that sparks it. It just happens, very conveniently. So that was unexpected, and absolutely not where I expected the book to go. Also, it meant we didn't get to know Jessica. If McAvoy had played on the amnesia, we could have gotten to know her as she got to know herself. Instead, we were thrown into the story. But, it meant that she remembered she'd died. Which is exciting, right?
Only, then that part was skimmed over too. We don't get a huge explanation of how exactly she died. Then, the next cool idea is also skipped over. She has to complete challenges for the Reaper - two are completely useless, and one involves a challenge. The first two could have also been exciting and difficult, which would have made the book more thrilling. That, or the third one should have been explored more. The Reaper even said to her she completed it in an unexpectedly short time. Which is impressive, but as a reader, not what we want. We want to be on the edge of our seats, worrying about whether or not she's going to get to live. And if we'd got to know her better at the beginning of the book, instead of her having memory loss. That would have made us understand why she wanted to live. Her only reason was simply so she could be alive. Doesn't exactly make you feel for her, does it?
Even the title of the book, the bit about the vampires, was rushed. You'd expect huge fight scenes, especially when we're introduced to vampire-hunter Charles. Except, it turned out the Reaper was a much more important part of the book. The vampires took up a couple of chapters. Like I said, she got in and out in an impressively fast time. With a title like this one, I'd expect the vampires to play a much bigger role.
I gave this book a two-star rating, mostly because it has so much wasted potential. All of these plot points could have made the book amazing; instead, they were rushed

[Charlotte · Rating 3 out of 5]

A copy of this book was provided by the author in exchange for an honest review

2.5 stars

From the start, things looked interesting and promised to be good. The tone of the story was set early on, as was the scene. I instantly got a sense of foreboding and air of creepiness, with the narrator struggling to remember things and talking of drowning. However, I do think there was an overkill of ellipses in the initial setup. They’re good for creating suspense and uncertainty… when they’re used sparingly.

I’ll admit that I was surprised to discover that the narrator was female as she didn’t read as female at all to me. It wasn’t something I minded; in fact it was quite refreshing to read a character like that. She came across as quite smart and I liked the way she kept calm, despite what had happened to her.

The writing style was easy and pretty fast to read, with good variation in regards to sentence length and structure. Nothing was jarring or choppy, yet nothing dragged on and on either. I did, however, notice a few more poetic and metaphorical lines had been included every now and again, and these felt a bit off to me. It wasn’t that they were bad, they just didn’t fit the tone and overall style, in my opinion.

The dialogue could be a bit more refine, and it was here that my biggest problem emerged. Adults didn’t read as adults; they came across as childish and trying too hard to be funny. There were also times when I found it difficult to follow conversations (but that may just have been me and nothing to do with the dialogue). Contractions needed to be used more often to make some sentences less formal and stilted, especially when the young narrator spoke.

I’m not entirely sure of the intended age range of this book, but to me it came across as children’s or young teen paranormal fiction. I don’t have a problem with that, but it was a bit of a surprise after the initial setup, as things did seem to take a bit of an odd turn, most notably when Jessie gets set her three tasks.

Overall, this had its ups and its downs. There were moments I thought could have been better and moments that were action-packed. Some of the more action-packed scenes did feel a little out of place next to the more subdued parts, but in the end it wasn’t a bad read. That being said, I did prefer So... I Met a Demon.

[Jocelyn Khor · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received this book from the author in exchange of an honest review.

Before this, I have read the previous book titled So... I Met a Demon. And so I gladly accepted when the author reached me out to give me the opportunity to review this book.

In my opinion, this book was better than the previous one. The pacing was fast and the story was action packed. The main character was likeable as well. I quite enjoyed this book despite I'm not a huge fan of vampire books.

Any kid who loves paranormal would probably love this book so I do reccomend this if you're looking for something easy and supernatural to read.