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Vampire Weekend
Being a vampire is far from glamorous...but it can be pretty punk rock.
Everything you've heard about vampires is a lie. They can't fly. No murders allowed (the community hates that). And turning into a bat? Completely ridiculous. In fact, vampire life is really just a lot of blood bags and night jobs. For Louise Chao, it's also lonely, since she swore off family ages ago.
At least she's gone to decades of punk rock shows. And if she can join a band of her own (while keeping her...situation under wraps), maybe she'll finally feel like she belongs, too.
Then a long-lost teenage relative shows up at her door. Whether it's Ian's love of music or his bad attitude, for the first time in ages, Louise feels a connection.
But as Ian uncovers Louise's true identity, things get dangerous--especially when he asks her for the ultimate favor. One that goes beyond just family...one that might just change everything vampires know about life and death forever.
Everything you've heard about vampires is a lie. They can't fly. No murders allowed (the community hates that). And turning into a bat? Completely ridiculous. In fact, vampire life is really just a lot of blood bags and night jobs. For Louise Chao, it's also lonely, since she swore off family ages ago.
At least she's gone to decades of punk rock shows. And if she can join a band of her own (while keeping her...situation under wraps), maybe she'll finally feel like she belongs, too.
Then a long-lost teenage relative shows up at her door. Whether it's Ian's love of music or his bad attitude, for the first time in ages, Louise feels a connection.
But as Ian uncovers Louise's true identity, things get dangerous--especially when he asks her for the ultimate favor. One that goes beyond just family...one that might just change everything vampires know about life and death forever.
368 pages, Paperback
First published January 31, 2023
143 people are currently reading
9146 people want to read
About the author
Mike Chen
63 books1,041 followersMike Chen is the New York Times bestselling author of Star Wars: Brotherhood, Here and Now and Then, Light Years From Home, and other novels, in addition to Star Trek comics. He has covered geek culture for sites such as Nerdist, Tor.com, and StarTrek.com, and in a different life, covered the NHL. A member of SFWA, Mike lives in the Bay Area with his wife, daughter, and many rescue animals. Follow him on Twitter and Instagram: @mikechenwriter
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 379 reviews
April 14, 2023
Vampire Weekend by Mike Chen
Paranormal fiction.
Louise Choo was turned into a vampire decades ago. But all the tv shows have it wrong. Sure, they drink blood, but mostly out of a bottle. There is no flying , no extra speed, no super strength. But yes, the daylight sun will cause burns so it’s best to have a night job. Louise works as a night janitor at a local hospital where she’s able to get expired blood bags. One day she gets a visit from long lost family and she finds herself reconnecting with them.
Yes, it’s a story of single vampire living her “life”. It’s also a story of a woman revaluing her existence and realizing the importance of family.
This is my second book by this author and I liked the writing of this much better. It has the character be introspective, but moves along well without any long drags. There are a few time-shifts via memories that are just a bit confusing via audiobook but I had a paperback as well to review where I missed a change.
Overall an entrancing view of a vampire’s un-extraordinary life. That’s not bad.
I received a paperback copy of this from the publisher.
Paranormal fiction.
Louise Choo was turned into a vampire decades ago. But all the tv shows have it wrong. Sure, they drink blood, but mostly out of a bottle. There is no flying , no extra speed, no super strength. But yes, the daylight sun will cause burns so it’s best to have a night job. Louise works as a night janitor at a local hospital where she’s able to get expired blood bags. One day she gets a visit from long lost family and she finds herself reconnecting with them.
Yes, it’s a story of single vampire living her “life”. It’s also a story of a woman revaluing her existence and realizing the importance of family.
This is my second book by this author and I liked the writing of this much better. It has the character be introspective, but moves along well without any long drags. There are a few time-shifts via memories that are just a bit confusing via audiobook but I had a paperback as well to review where I missed a change.
Overall an entrancing view of a vampire’s un-extraordinary life. That’s not bad.
I received a paperback copy of this from the publisher.
November 11, 2022
Vampire Weekend is one of those books that you walk into, wanting something grungy, punk, dark, maybe hard-core... and come out feeling Disney-ified.
The pros it has going on for it is the family aspect, that a Vampire who was changed back in the 60's has to face the family that she left behind and that assumed her for dead / missing.
The music scene and how much the author knew about the type of character he wanted to write. I liked the main character and I liked her dog too.
But the story around it? Bland. Just really, really bland. Nothing happens mostly and you honestly wish for more agency or grittiness to the story.
I like Mike Chen's Star Wars books, but for his own story it's cute but maybe not what I was looking for.
The pros it has going on for it is the family aspect, that a Vampire who was changed back in the 60's has to face the family that she left behind and that assumed her for dead / missing.
The music scene and how much the author knew about the type of character he wanted to write. I liked the main character and I liked her dog too.
But the story around it? Bland. Just really, really bland. Nothing happens mostly and you honestly wish for more agency or grittiness to the story.
I like Mike Chen's Star Wars books, but for his own story it's cute but maybe not what I was looking for.
July 20, 2022
I really wanted to love Vampire Weekend. The premise is wonderful: a middle-aged vampire and punk rocker who just wants to join a band. There's a lot of comedy and pathos to be mined in the "normal person vampire" story. And, in the beginning of the novel, Mike Chen does present these very interesting ideas about vampires as a race, and vampirism as a way of dealing with the finality of death (especially in light of COVID, which is mentioned in the novel -- definitely the first time I've seen COVID in a vampire novel!). I also was intrigued by his take on a Chinese-American vampire and excited to see how this might influence the story.
Unfortunately, Vampire Weekend is just boring. There's a lot of exposition, a lot of repetition, and those intriguing themes I mentioned? They never get explored with any depth.
But that's okay, maybe the plot will make up for that? I have bad news on that front. There are hints that there will be a big conspiracy or twist that never materializes.
Ultimately, Vampire Weekend is a story of family and acceptance with a side of comedy, but it takes much too long to get where it's going, and is often hampered by its own mythology.
I feel awful giving this review, both because the premise of Vampire Weekend is excellent, and because in the acknowledgments, Mike Chen seemed so very excited about this book, but in the end, I need to be honest and say that the novel was a disappointing read for me.
Unfortunately, Vampire Weekend is just boring. There's a lot of exposition, a lot of repetition, and those intriguing themes I mentioned? They never get explored with any depth.
But that's okay, maybe the plot will make up for that? I have bad news on that front. There are hints that there will be a big conspiracy or twist that never materializes.
Ultimately, Vampire Weekend is a story of family and acceptance with a side of comedy, but it takes much too long to get where it's going, and is often hampered by its own mythology.
I feel awful giving this review, both because the premise of Vampire Weekend is excellent, and because in the acknowledgments, Mike Chen seemed so very excited about this book, but in the end, I need to be honest and say that the novel was a disappointing read for me.
January 29, 2023
I received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Vampire Weekend by Mike Chen was one of my most anticipated releases of January and I'm so glad I had the opportunity to read it so soon. Mike Chen has quickly become one of my favorite must read authors. It's so cool that he's jumping into fantasy horror with this rather than sci-fi and he does a great job with it. I like that the book takes a bit of a different track for the vampire story and roots it in family, music, and navigating the modern world. Plus, I enjoyed the "vampire power myth" that each chapter kicks off with and breaks down and the fact there is no romance storyline at all. Louise's has a unique voice and the world-building of this standalone novel are both great. My only issue is that the novel doesn't need to be quite as long as it is. There are a few moments where the story kind gets a bit bogged down. Otherwise, I highly recommend Mike Chen's Vampire Weekend. I couldn't resist his take on vampires and I enjoyed getting to know Louise, who in an unexpected way made me think of Drew Hayes, Fred the Vampire Accountant (who is one of my all time favorite vampires, by the way). I can't wait to read whatever Mike Chen decides to write in the future. I hope he'll decide to write more fantasy and horror in the future!
Vampire Weekend by Mike Chen was one of my most anticipated releases of January and I'm so glad I had the opportunity to read it so soon. Mike Chen has quickly become one of my favorite must read authors. It's so cool that he's jumping into fantasy horror with this rather than sci-fi and he does a great job with it. I like that the book takes a bit of a different track for the vampire story and roots it in family, music, and navigating the modern world. Plus, I enjoyed the "vampire power myth" that each chapter kicks off with and breaks down and the fact there is no romance storyline at all. Louise's has a unique voice and the world-building of this standalone novel are both great. My only issue is that the novel doesn't need to be quite as long as it is. There are a few moments where the story kind gets a bit bogged down. Otherwise, I highly recommend Mike Chen's Vampire Weekend. I couldn't resist his take on vampires and I enjoyed getting to know Louise, who in an unexpected way made me think of Drew Hayes, Fred the Vampire Accountant (who is one of my all time favorite vampires, by the way). I can't wait to read whatever Mike Chen decides to write in the future. I hope he'll decide to write more fantasy and horror in the future!
August 11, 2022
A vampiric ode to punk rock music and loners.
Louise, a forever-young vampire, lives a routine life, working as a janitor at a hospital to get ready access to blood, with music the only thing connecting her to humankind. But her last few attempts at joining a band and connecting with others have gone badly, so when the family she fled years ago turns up on her doorstep, she's ready to turn them away, until she discovers a kindred spirit in Ian, her loathed brother Stephen's grandson. She delights in teaching him guitar and bringing him to his first concert, welcome distractions from his ill mother.
However, Louise's life is complicated when a blood shortage forces her to join a vampire community app, where a vampire organizer has an uncomfortable focus on her activities. When Ian discovers she's a vampire, both Louise and Ian face dangers from both within and without the vampire world. Meanwhile, Louise fights to reconcile her memories of her family with decades-older versions of them and wonders if there can be space for a homecoming after all.
Louise is delightful as the girl who never grew up, fighting for connections through music, only to have them ripped away. Ian's moody teenage broodiness was a great contrast to Stephen's awkward pain as a grieving grandfather struggling to help him. Also, I loved Louise's relationship with her animal companion.
Above all, this book is a tribute to family and how good it feels to go home, no matter how long it's been.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the advance review copy of this book.
Louise, a forever-young vampire, lives a routine life, working as a janitor at a hospital to get ready access to blood, with music the only thing connecting her to humankind. But her last few attempts at joining a band and connecting with others have gone badly, so when the family she fled years ago turns up on her doorstep, she's ready to turn them away, until she discovers a kindred spirit in Ian, her loathed brother Stephen's grandson. She delights in teaching him guitar and bringing him to his first concert, welcome distractions from his ill mother.
However, Louise's life is complicated when a blood shortage forces her to join a vampire community app, where a vampire organizer has an uncomfortable focus on her activities. When Ian discovers she's a vampire, both Louise and Ian face dangers from both within and without the vampire world. Meanwhile, Louise fights to reconcile her memories of her family with decades-older versions of them and wonders if there can be space for a homecoming after all.
Louise is delightful as the girl who never grew up, fighting for connections through music, only to have them ripped away. Ian's moody teenage broodiness was a great contrast to Stephen's awkward pain as a grieving grandfather struggling to help him. Also, I loved Louise's relationship with her animal companion.
Above all, this book is a tribute to family and how good it feels to go home, no matter how long it's been.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the advance review copy of this book.
February 12, 2023
I had no idea that I so desperately needed a heartwarming, family-centric vampire story. No idea. Then Mike Chen went ahead and wrote this, and now I know. I need it. And so do you.
We meet Louise, who is a vampire and an aspiring musician who works at a local hospital. Overnight shift, obviously, and she's mostly in it to sneak a bit of blood out of the place. But otherwise? She's incredibly relatable. Kind of lost and alone, still grieving the loss of her beloved aunt and her best friend, both of whom passed years ago. Because of these losses, she's not really keen to let people get too close again.
But all that changes when some long-lost (mortal) family shows up at her/her aunt's doorstep unannounced. It's an older man and his grandson, whose daughter/mother lies in a hospital dying. Louise begins to warm up to them, especially young Ian, and the rest... well the rest is basically wonderful. Louise has such a great character journey. She has to decide what exactly she wants from her likely very long life, because as it stands now, she's kind of floundering. Is she going to be able to open her home and her heart to her newfound family? Will she ever feel at home in the local vampire community? And will she ever be able to book an audition with a band, for goodness sake?
I truly loved this story, mostly for how full of heart it is. While music isn't usually my favorite, I loved Louise's passion for it. And I thoroughly enjoyed Chen's spin on vampiric lore, one of my favorite takes yet, frankly.
Bottom Line: Wholesome Vampire Story™ has to be a new, fabulous genre, yeah?
You can find the full review and all the fancy and/or randomness that accompanies it at It Starts at Midnight
We meet Louise, who is a vampire and an aspiring musician who works at a local hospital. Overnight shift, obviously, and she's mostly in it to sneak a bit of blood out of the place. But otherwise? She's incredibly relatable. Kind of lost and alone, still grieving the loss of her beloved aunt and her best friend, both of whom passed years ago. Because of these losses, she's not really keen to let people get too close again.
But all that changes when some long-lost (mortal) family shows up at her/her aunt's doorstep unannounced. It's an older man and his grandson, whose daughter/mother lies in a hospital dying. Louise begins to warm up to them, especially young Ian, and the rest... well the rest is basically wonderful. Louise has such a great character journey. She has to decide what exactly she wants from her likely very long life, because as it stands now, she's kind of floundering. Is she going to be able to open her home and her heart to her newfound family? Will she ever feel at home in the local vampire community? And will she ever be able to book an audition with a band, for goodness sake?
I truly loved this story, mostly for how full of heart it is. While music isn't usually my favorite, I loved Louise's passion for it. And I thoroughly enjoyed Chen's spin on vampiric lore, one of my favorite takes yet, frankly.
Bottom Line: Wholesome Vampire Story™ has to be a new, fabulous genre, yeah?
You can find the full review and all the fancy and/or randomness that accompanies it at It Starts at Midnight
February 12, 2023
Vampire Weekend takes readers on a humorous and heartfelt adventure filled with music and family ties. Louise Chao is a vampire who works nights as a janitor in a hospital to make a living. One of her duties is to dispose of blood bags close to their expiration date. As she explains, feeding on humans is amoral, dangerous, and more difficult than portrayed in the media.
The vampire community prefers to remain hidden for fear of the humans who would undoubtedly be interested in obtaining vampire specimens for probing and prodding. Louise’s dreams center on music, especially live music and playing in a band, time to cuddle with her corgi, and access to blood, which she needs to feed herself and not turn into a maniac.
Things get trickier when a distant, 13-year-old cousin shows up at her door. As expected, the two form a bond, and Louise tries to improve his taste in music while keeping her undead status hidden. With little luck.
I liked a lot of the things Chen did here. I liked how he played with vampire tropes - Louise has no interest in turning into bats or flying or feeding off people. Sensual pleasures? Nope. Turning into a vampire has robbed her of sexual drive and the need for food. Her existence is pretty depressing, to be honest. Louise is a genuinely sympathetic and three-dimensional character with whom many sensitive readers can identify. Characterization is Chen’s forte - it’s hard not to like his characters and their relationships.
Pop culture references and Louise’s love of music will appeal to generations of music fans. During her long life, she loved many bands (Patti Smith, Velvet Underground, The Beatles, The Clash, LCD Soundsystem, and others). She used to play in a band, but some things kept her from performing live. And she misses the hell out of it.
The part of the story that focuses on family ties remains emotional and heartfelt throughout. Readers who crave “cozy” reading will find it here. And it’s all done with fantastic and warm humor, both situational and general.
However, there are also things that didn’t work for me about Vampire Weekend. While the characters, humor, and love of music all hit the mark, the story itself is... bland and rather uninspiring. I’m just not the right reader for most stories on the “cozy” side because they start to tire me somewhere in the middle. Vampire Weekend was no exception. I finished it, and appreciated Chen’s take on vampires and family ties, but, ultimately, I’ll soon forget about it.
Anyway, if you’re looking for a feel-good book filled with warmth, love for music, and characters trying to rebuild their family bonds, give it a go. If you’re in the market for something more substantial, consider giving it a pass.
The vampire community prefers to remain hidden for fear of the humans who would undoubtedly be interested in obtaining vampire specimens for probing and prodding. Louise’s dreams center on music, especially live music and playing in a band, time to cuddle with her corgi, and access to blood, which she needs to feed herself and not turn into a maniac.
Things get trickier when a distant, 13-year-old cousin shows up at her door. As expected, the two form a bond, and Louise tries to improve his taste in music while keeping her undead status hidden. With little luck.
I liked a lot of the things Chen did here. I liked how he played with vampire tropes - Louise has no interest in turning into bats or flying or feeding off people. Sensual pleasures? Nope. Turning into a vampire has robbed her of sexual drive and the need for food. Her existence is pretty depressing, to be honest. Louise is a genuinely sympathetic and three-dimensional character with whom many sensitive readers can identify. Characterization is Chen’s forte - it’s hard not to like his characters and their relationships.
Pop culture references and Louise’s love of music will appeal to generations of music fans. During her long life, she loved many bands (Patti Smith, Velvet Underground, The Beatles, The Clash, LCD Soundsystem, and others). She used to play in a band, but some things kept her from performing live. And she misses the hell out of it.
The part of the story that focuses on family ties remains emotional and heartfelt throughout. Readers who crave “cozy” reading will find it here. And it’s all done with fantastic and warm humor, both situational and general.
However, there are also things that didn’t work for me about Vampire Weekend. While the characters, humor, and love of music all hit the mark, the story itself is... bland and rather uninspiring. I’m just not the right reader for most stories on the “cozy” side because they start to tire me somewhere in the middle. Vampire Weekend was no exception. I finished it, and appreciated Chen’s take on vampires and family ties, but, ultimately, I’ll soon forget about it.
Anyway, if you’re looking for a feel-good book filled with warmth, love for music, and characters trying to rebuild their family bonds, give it a go. If you’re in the market for something more substantial, consider giving it a pass.
January 14, 2023
Firstly, Vampire Weekend feels longer than it needs to be and I think it’s to do with the structure. There’s a lot of flash back scenes peppered throughout this one, I’d say at least one every chapter, which made it feel quite slow paced even though the events of the book take place roughly over a single week, majority of it in a weekend actually.
For the most part I enjoyed this one but did find the final plot point a little off kilter – this book, while about Louise, a music obsessed vampire, is very grounded in reality, and the end just... isn’t. It takes it all to a different space and it just didn’t land for me personally. The story itself is a little bland too which didn't help the feeling that everything was taking forever.
Now, Louise, our lead, is great (so is her dog). She has some really good character development in here even with the lack of actual story. It’s just sad that she’s pretty much the only one with any movement. Also! Her young nephew, Ian, confused me as we were told he’s just entering his teen years but there are so many moments where he seems at least 16, but anyway.
Not quite as fun as I’d hoped but vampires so three stars.
For the most part I enjoyed this one but did find the final plot point a little off kilter – this book, while about Louise, a music obsessed vampire, is very grounded in reality, and the end just... isn’t. It takes it all to a different space and it just didn’t land for me personally. The story itself is a little bland too which didn't help the feeling that everything was taking forever.
Now, Louise, our lead, is great (so is her dog). She has some really good character development in here even with the lack of actual story. It’s just sad that she’s pretty much the only one with any movement. Also! Her young nephew, Ian, confused me as we were told he’s just entering his teen years but there are so many moments where he seems at least 16, but anyway.
Not quite as fun as I’d hoped but vampires so three stars.
October 28, 2025
2.5 stars
Definitely could have used another round of editing. One of the characters introduced themselves twice in the same scene, for example. Otherwise, a decent and casual read that went against a lot of deeply established vampire tropes.
Definitely could have used another round of editing. One of the characters introduced themselves twice in the same scene, for example. Otherwise, a decent and casual read that went against a lot of deeply established vampire tropes.
October 16, 2022
Vampire Weekend
by Mike Chen
Fantasy Paranormal Vampire
NetGalley ARC
Louise Chao is a vampire, a vampire who is a musician that loves punk rock and dreams of joining a band, but being a vampire makes things difficult, not because of the things everyone believes vampires can do, like being able to fly, turn into a bat, or mist. It's the sun, blood bags, and keeping what she is a secret.
This is her story, and what happened when long lost family knocked on her door, told in first person, of what it's really like to be a vampire and the issues that come up. Sadly, her present-day story is interrupted repeatedly with her past in overly drawn-out paragraphs that for most could've been summed up in one or two. Yes, it was good to know how she became a vampire, and what she had to sacrifice, and while there are connections, I felt that the history was a little overdone and took away pages that could've been used to make the characters feel more real and have the 'present day' story more than just a quick this and that happened, and then this. It made for a shallow present-day plot.
For the first few chapters, I honestly thought the MC, Louise, was male. I don't know why I thought that, but it wasn't until my confusion got to the point that I had to re-read the blurb to realize he was really a she. Maybe it's because I'm old school, but knowing that little detail gives me something to relate to. I'm female so I relate to female characters differently than I do males. (I'm not judging or saying one is better than the other, it's just a different mindset for me to read in so I can relate to them.)
The story wasn't bad, and there were things that I could relate to and understand her ways of thinking, but there's nothing scary about this, nothing extremely 'vampire' about it. It read more like a general fiction story. And this is not a 'love' story either. I think that it is suitable for readers fourteen and over.
The chapter headings about vampire myths were used as a way to give the vampires more of a human character than a monstrous one and was a nice touch.
But because of the lack of depth for the present-day plot and for the plainness of the characters the MC interacted with, I can only give this story,
2 Stars
by Mike Chen
Fantasy Paranormal Vampire
NetGalley ARC
Louise Chao is a vampire, a vampire who is a musician that loves punk rock and dreams of joining a band, but being a vampire makes things difficult, not because of the things everyone believes vampires can do, like being able to fly, turn into a bat, or mist. It's the sun, blood bags, and keeping what she is a secret.
This is her story, and what happened when long lost family knocked on her door, told in first person, of what it's really like to be a vampire and the issues that come up. Sadly, her present-day story is interrupted repeatedly with her past in overly drawn-out paragraphs that for most could've been summed up in one or two. Yes, it was good to know how she became a vampire, and what she had to sacrifice, and while there are connections, I felt that the history was a little overdone and took away pages that could've been used to make the characters feel more real and have the 'present day' story more than just a quick this and that happened, and then this. It made for a shallow present-day plot.
For the first few chapters, I honestly thought the MC, Louise, was male. I don't know why I thought that, but it wasn't until my confusion got to the point that I had to re-read the blurb to realize he was really a she. Maybe it's because I'm old school, but knowing that little detail gives me something to relate to. I'm female so I relate to female characters differently than I do males. (I'm not judging or saying one is better than the other, it's just a different mindset for me to read in so I can relate to them.)
The story wasn't bad, and there were things that I could relate to and understand her ways of thinking, but there's nothing scary about this, nothing extremely 'vampire' about it. It read more like a general fiction story. And this is not a 'love' story either. I think that it is suitable for readers fourteen and over.
The chapter headings about vampire myths were used as a way to give the vampires more of a human character than a monstrous one and was a nice touch.
But because of the lack of depth for the present-day plot and for the plainness of the characters the MC interacted with, I can only give this story,
2 Stars
December 20, 2022
For more of my reviews, check out my blog.
Thank you to Netgalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing for providing an ARC copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review.
I was given an ARC to Vampire Weekend all the way back in July. I kept putting it off, saying I was going to read it for spooky season in October. But then October came and I hit a slump hard. I think I read maybe two whole books that month, and none of them were what I needed to be reading — ARCs. But time marches onward, and here I am finally finished reading this book.
Vampire Weekend was really not at all like I thought it was going to be. The vampires in this book are neutered in a way that I wasn’t really a fan of at all. I like my vampires sexy, dangerous, and mysterious. The vampires in this book are…not…any…of that. Seriously, the fact that they were vampires almost didn’t really matter besides Louise needing to find way to eat. I’m still just a little baffled that someone would choose to write vampires this way. As boring. This book read more like a bad paranormal series entry than anything remotely like a vampire book that I’m used to. It was okay, but Vampire Weekend is probably not something I’ll be picking up again any time soon.
Louise Chao is a vampire. A punk rock vampire who spends her time working a hospital janitor and hanging out with her dog. Seriously, when we meet her she’s doing nothing remotely interesting. She’s got some serious issues with her family in her past, but I mean…that was it. There was not much else to her. Then we meet her distant nephew, and he’s more interesting but his entire story wraps around his mom who is dying of cancer. There’s a little mystery wrapped up in the general plot of the book, but overall I just wasn’t impressed with this one. It reads very easily, though, which is why I didn’t put it down. Three unimpressed stars.
Thank you to Netgalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing for providing an ARC copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review.
I was given an ARC to Vampire Weekend all the way back in July. I kept putting it off, saying I was going to read it for spooky season in October. But then October came and I hit a slump hard. I think I read maybe two whole books that month, and none of them were what I needed to be reading — ARCs. But time marches onward, and here I am finally finished reading this book.
Vampire Weekend was really not at all like I thought it was going to be. The vampires in this book are neutered in a way that I wasn’t really a fan of at all. I like my vampires sexy, dangerous, and mysterious. The vampires in this book are…not…any…of that. Seriously, the fact that they were vampires almost didn’t really matter besides Louise needing to find way to eat. I’m still just a little baffled that someone would choose to write vampires this way. As boring. This book read more like a bad paranormal series entry than anything remotely like a vampire book that I’m used to. It was okay, but Vampire Weekend is probably not something I’ll be picking up again any time soon.
Louise Chao is a vampire. A punk rock vampire who spends her time working a hospital janitor and hanging out with her dog. Seriously, when we meet her she’s doing nothing remotely interesting. She’s got some serious issues with her family in her past, but I mean…that was it. There was not much else to her. Then we meet her distant nephew, and he’s more interesting but his entire story wraps around his mom who is dying of cancer. There’s a little mystery wrapped up in the general plot of the book, but overall I just wasn’t impressed with this one. It reads very easily, though, which is why I didn’t put it down. Three unimpressed stars.
July 14, 2023
Family, and how it can hurt and damage us is partly what this book is about. Family, and how it can support us and love us, is also what the book is about.
And punk music.
Louise Chau, lover of punk music, indifferent student, and drug user, is kicked out of her Chinese American immigrant family, who labelled her a monster for her unwillingness to conform to their expectations. On her own, she was targeted one night at a club by a charismatic woman. Her memory foggy on what actually happened, Louise eventually woke to her new reality, with author Mike Chen making the label a reality, and Louise transforms to a vampire.
It's little like the stories say, though the thirst for blood is real. Louise works for years as a musician, and also works dead end, nighttime jobs which give her easy access to blood. She's kept herself separate and isolated, and after a loving aunt's death, has connected with no one except her beloved dog. There are other vampires in the city, and they've made attempts to reach out to her, but she's not having it.
It's with the arrival of her grand nephew and her long lost, not beloved, brother, that Louise's life begins opening up again, as despite all her efforts, young, angry Ian doesn't leave her alone.
Louise is so cut off from everything around her, and her life is drab and lonely. But through her new relationship, we see Louise revaluating her solitary existence, and begins reconnecting with the life around her consequently. Mike Chen had me cheering and a little teary by the end of this, though a little slow, satisfying story.
And punk music.
Louise Chau, lover of punk music, indifferent student, and drug user, is kicked out of her Chinese American immigrant family, who labelled her a monster for her unwillingness to conform to their expectations. On her own, she was targeted one night at a club by a charismatic woman. Her memory foggy on what actually happened, Louise eventually woke to her new reality, with author Mike Chen making the label a reality, and Louise transforms to a vampire.
It's little like the stories say, though the thirst for blood is real. Louise works for years as a musician, and also works dead end, nighttime jobs which give her easy access to blood. She's kept herself separate and isolated, and after a loving aunt's death, has connected with no one except her beloved dog. There are other vampires in the city, and they've made attempts to reach out to her, but she's not having it.
It's with the arrival of her grand nephew and her long lost, not beloved, brother, that Louise's life begins opening up again, as despite all her efforts, young, angry Ian doesn't leave her alone.
Louise is so cut off from everything around her, and her life is drab and lonely. But through her new relationship, we see Louise revaluating her solitary existence, and begins reconnecting with the life around her consequently. Mike Chen had me cheering and a little teary by the end of this, though a little slow, satisfying story.
March 31, 2023
Somewhere between 3.5 snd 4 stars. Definitely a love letter to punk rock. A little suspense and lot of heart for family issues and losses.
October 25, 2024
Hat ziemlich gut gestartet. Viele Dinge fand ich richtig toll: Die Figuren sind echt witzig und sympathisch, der popkulturelle Humor war oft on point, und dass Vampire hier so völlig anders sind, als man sie typischerweise kennt - hervorragend! Zum Beispiel finden die meisten Vampire es schrecklich, Blut trinken zu müssen und sie sind kanonisch asexuell und aromantisch, was erfrischend und mal was anderes war 😀
Leider hörte diese Umkehrung von Vampir-Tropes da auf, wo es problematisch wurde. Das Buch spielt kurz vor und während der Corona-Pandemie, weshalb ich es extra problematisch fand, dass zwei Tropes genutzt wurden, es so Verschwörungs-Anleihen haben... Ich weiß nicht, ob der Autor da auch was aussagen wollte oder damit satirisch spielen wollte, aber geschafft hat er es nicht.
Leider kann ich die Tropes nicht ohne Spoiler nennen, daher hier bei Goodreads in Spoiler tags:
Die Protagonistin war okay geschrieben, aber ihre Erfahrungen als Frau in der Punk-Welt fand ich jetzt nicht so realistisch... andererseits sollte es ja auch eher eine cozy, hoffnungsvolle Geschichte sein...
Außerdem heißt ein Vampir-Dude Eric und ich musste ständig an den Wikinger-Vampir Eric aus der Sookie-Stackhouse-Reihe denken. War ein wenig nervig haha 😀
Content Note: Es geht in dem Buch auch um Krebs, was ich vorher nicht wusste.
Leider hörte diese Umkehrung von Vampir-Tropes da auf, wo es problematisch wurde. Das Buch spielt kurz vor und während der Corona-Pandemie, weshalb ich es extra problematisch fand, dass zwei Tropes genutzt wurden, es so Verschwörungs-Anleihen haben... Ich weiß nicht, ob der Autor da auch was aussagen wollte oder damit satirisch spielen wollte, aber geschafft hat er es nicht.
Leider kann ich die Tropes nicht ohne Spoiler nennen, daher hier bei Goodreads in Spoiler tags:
Die Protagonistin war okay geschrieben, aber ihre Erfahrungen als Frau in der Punk-Welt fand ich jetzt nicht so realistisch... andererseits sollte es ja auch eher eine cozy, hoffnungsvolle Geschichte sein...
Außerdem heißt ein Vampir-Dude Eric und ich musste ständig an den Wikinger-Vampir Eric aus der Sookie-Stackhouse-Reihe denken. War ein wenig nervig haha 😀
Content Note: Es geht in dem Buch auch um Krebs, was ich vorher nicht wusste.
September 25, 2024
It was… something.
January 25, 2023
I won a free ARC of this book in a Goodreads giveaway.
Vampire Weekend is a different take on the typical Vampire novel. The usual rules for Vampires do not apply. This book instead deals with the day to day life of a Vampire. How difficult it is to find blood, hold down a job and make friends while trying to keep the fact she is a “Vampire” a secret... Also difficult family dynamics come into play.
Vampire weekend kept my interest throughout. Recommended.
Vampire Weekend is a different take on the typical Vampire novel. The usual rules for Vampires do not apply. This book instead deals with the day to day life of a Vampire. How difficult it is to find blood, hold down a job and make friends while trying to keep the fact she is a “Vampire” a secret... Also difficult family dynamics come into play.
Vampire weekend kept my interest throughout. Recommended.
March 15, 2023
0.5/5
I want to give every book I read in the past few months a half star more because I now know what truly inferior writing is.
In retrospect I don’t know what possessed me to read this, considering I don’t know or enjoy anything about punk rock and have a average at best taste for vampires. This book was a struggle from page 1. Only my 2023 reading challenge goal drove me to finish it.
I want to give every book I read in the past few months a half star more because I now know what truly inferior writing is.
In retrospect I don’t know what possessed me to read this, considering I don’t know or enjoy anything about punk rock and have a average at best taste for vampires. This book was a struggle from page 1. Only my 2023 reading challenge goal drove me to finish it.
May 3, 2023
Just in case you forgot what book you were reading, the main character tells you every other paragraph that she is a vampire. I like the idea of a awkward vampire who likes punk music but after awhile I felt exhausted keeping up with this character. Also I got to literally page 200 and the "plot" as it were hasn't even started yet. I wanted to like this but it fell flat to me.
June 20, 2023
*:･ﾟ129/ 100
Pop culture makes out vampires to be sexy and badass, but in Louise's universe being a vampire is mostly depressing. This novel shows a different look into the types of vampires we are used to and shows a more 'mundane' side to them.
Vampire Weekend was one of my most anticipated releases of this year and I'm really sad it took me this long to get to it, but also I really enjoyed my time! This novel also takes on a lot more than I thought I would as initially a punk rock vampire sounds cool, but for 350+ pages it sounded like it could get potentially old. However, this book is much more than that. Although punk rock is a big portion of the novel, it's used as a bonding experience between a relative of Louise's, Ian, who recently lost his father and will soon lose his mother to her illness as well. Louise helps bring life back to Ian, which is ironic considering she's dead. They connect over punk rock and their own collective (soon-to-be) grief.
I loved their dynamic, especially since the synopsis makes it seem like they don't get along towards the end, but they're just so cute and they connect very well. I loved Ian's character, mainly because he's a bit younger and the way he sees life despite all that has happened to him is very interesting to read about.
Besides the commentary on the depressing vampiric lifestyle and grief, Vampire Weekend also had a lot of amazing commentary on society, social media apps, and reading the fine print, to say the least!
As someone who isn't a punk rock person in the slightest, I still had such a great time with this novel and I would highly recommend it to anyone who enjoys contemporary fiction with a weird twist!
Pop culture makes out vampires to be sexy and badass, but in Louise's universe being a vampire is mostly depressing. This novel shows a different look into the types of vampires we are used to and shows a more 'mundane' side to them.
Vampire Weekend was one of my most anticipated releases of this year and I'm really sad it took me this long to get to it, but also I really enjoyed my time! This novel also takes on a lot more than I thought I would as initially a punk rock vampire sounds cool, but for 350+ pages it sounded like it could get potentially old. However, this book is much more than that. Although punk rock is a big portion of the novel, it's used as a bonding experience between a relative of Louise's, Ian, who recently lost his father and will soon lose his mother to her illness as well. Louise helps bring life back to Ian, which is ironic considering she's dead. They connect over punk rock and their own collective (soon-to-be) grief.
I loved their dynamic, especially since the synopsis makes it seem like they don't get along towards the end, but they're just so cute and they connect very well. I loved Ian's character, mainly because he's a bit younger and the way he sees life despite all that has happened to him is very interesting to read about.
Besides the commentary on the depressing vampiric lifestyle and grief, Vampire Weekend also had a lot of amazing commentary on society, social media apps, and reading the fine print, to say the least!
As someone who isn't a punk rock person in the slightest, I still had such a great time with this novel and I would highly recommend it to anyone who enjoys contemporary fiction with a weird twist!
February 4, 2023
I love what Mike Chen does. I am not always a fan of genre fiction. For instance, I normally avoid vampire novels. They're full of tropes and cliches and melodrama. But with Vampire Weekend, Mike does what he did for aliens and time travel and superheroes, etc. Basically, he takes genre fiction trappings and imbeds them in stories grounded in realistic human relationships. In most of his books, specifically in the messiest relationships--family. And the juxtaposition of something so real with the fantastic, it just works really well. And seriously, Mike Chen is the master!
As long as I'm passing out compliments, he also does a notably nice job with his two protagonists. I don't know what it says about me that I was more impressed with his ability to authentically portray a woman than a vampire... Actually, I do know what that's about. I've never met a vampire, but I AM a woman, and Louise rang true. I've never been a 13-year-old boy, but he was okay, too. A little annoying. That seems authentic.
In fact, the biggest sticking point I had as far as verisimilitude goes was the idea that this family would let a young boy stay with a virtual stranger. That contrivance aside, this was a winner.
After each book, I laugh a little and try to guess which major genre fiction trope he'll tackle next. Mike, please write a sea monster novel! Or, maybe a zombie? Uh, ESP?
As long as I'm passing out compliments, he also does a notably nice job with his two protagonists. I don't know what it says about me that I was more impressed with his ability to authentically portray a woman than a vampire... Actually, I do know what that's about. I've never met a vampire, but I AM a woman, and Louise rang true. I've never been a 13-year-old boy, but he was okay, too. A little annoying. That seems authentic.
In fact, the biggest sticking point I had as far as verisimilitude goes was the idea that this family would let a young boy stay with a virtual stranger. That contrivance aside, this was a winner.
After each book, I laugh a little and try to guess which major genre fiction trope he'll tackle next. Mike, please write a sea monster novel! Or, maybe a zombie? Uh, ESP?
Read
October 1, 2023this book is a refreshing update or riff to the vampire trope. Louise Chao is a 50 year old vampire who was turned while attending a punk concert in her early twenties. Instead of being a formidable, cloaked superhuman figure with an opulent fortress, she lives a rather despondent, mundane existence as a night janitor at a hospital in San Francisco. Rather than sucking blood in a murderous rampage with her coven, she and a scattered community of vampires subsist by collecting expired donated blood bags in hospitals and other donation sites. Apart from this unique diet, and a nocturnal job, Louise carries the same cocktail mix of faults, fears, regrets and insecurities as any human. The local group of vampires are as transfixed and worried about the advent of technology, data collection, and moral problems as their human counterparts. Louise's long-lost relative enters her default existence of odd jobs and odd music gigs and forces her to switch gears and engage more with the community at large. There's also lots of stuff about the highs of music events that really evoke the excitement of a shared arena and cathartic emotional release that a concert musters.
February 6, 2023
"Vampire Weekend" is a delightful, wholesome vampire story. Vampires live among us in secret, but their lives are actually pretty mundane. None of them are turning into mist or need to be invited in. The vampire we follow, Louise, is just trying to find her next meal and her next punk band to play in.
The characters in here are deliciously complex for such a short book and for a vampire book. They deal with family trauma, being othered, food insecurity, and other important topics. I love the way Mike Chen tackled these topics, and the connection he made to this story and his own Asian-American experience gives the novel fullness and complexity.
There was also a bit of humor here. There's a fun corgi. There's music references galore (kicking myself for not highlighting them as I went). There's a lot to love in this novel, and I can't wait to read more Chen.
The characters in here are deliciously complex for such a short book and for a vampire book. They deal with family trauma, being othered, food insecurity, and other important topics. I love the way Mike Chen tackled these topics, and the connection he made to this story and his own Asian-American experience gives the novel fullness and complexity.
There was also a bit of humor here. There's a fun corgi. There's music references galore (kicking myself for not highlighting them as I went). There's a lot to love in this novel, and I can't wait to read more Chen.
October 1, 2023
I just picked this up on a whim because I saw it on the new book shelf at work and got really excited because the title is also the name of one of my favorite bands. I expected it to be a silly, fun read but it was so much better than I thought it would be. It has vampires and it also has punk rock, the good and hard parts of relationships, and general life stuff.
August 3, 2025
Louise Chao is a relatively young vampire who is pretty much living in isolation from humans and others of her kind. Her lonely life with only her Corgi for company is disrupted when a father and his grandson show up at her door claiming to be distant relatives.
I enjoyed this book. I would describe it as almost cozy fantasy, only with vampires and mentions of pretty much every band that played at The Fillmore in CA. There was an oxford comma discussion that, given the author's knowledge of music, I'm sure was an Easter egg for fans of the band referenced in the title.
I enjoyed this book. I would describe it as almost cozy fantasy, only with vampires and mentions of pretty much every band that played at The Fillmore in CA. There was an oxford comma discussion that, given the author's knowledge of music, I'm sure was an Easter egg for fans of the band referenced in the title.
August 12, 2023
Chen showcases his talent for character building and relationships with this novel. Very cool twist on the Vampire tropes and solid and deep emotional characters. Very well done.
November 2, 2024
2.5 ★ rounded down because reading this felt like being trapped in day long fever dream conversation with a musician (derogatory)
September 28, 2023
Since part of it took place post-COVID at least one musical reference could have been current!
Read
September 1, 2023dnf @ chapter 14
im sorry but i was waiting for something exciting to happen for 14 chapters but i didn't get anything. it was just sooo boring which is disappointing considering im always down with vampire stories. i know this doesn't have a conventional vampire narrative but i was expecting something entertaining at least 😭 this wasn't really bad i just wanted more and it didn't scratch my brain enough
im sorry but i was waiting for something exciting to happen for 14 chapters but i didn't get anything. it was just sooo boring which is disappointing considering im always down with vampire stories. i know this doesn't have a conventional vampire narrative but i was expecting something entertaining at least 😭 this wasn't really bad i just wanted more and it didn't scratch my brain enough
December 24, 2022
I was SO ready to love this book - I mean a middle aged Punk loving Vampire?? Sounds right up my alley.
Unfortunately, this book effectively neuters everything cool about vampires (one might even be tempted to say literally, considering they can't even do the frickety frackety fang bang) - They don't fly, have superspeed, turn into bats, sparkle, they aren't even immortal. They simply drink blood and try to stay out of the sun. It's more like a shitty chronic illness than Vampirism.
I'd like to say that the boring vampires were saved by an amazing plot, but there hardly was one. The entire present day plot centered around her 16th cousin 8 times removed or whatever... whose entire story centered around his mother, who was dying of cancer. It moves at a glacial pace and nothing significant ever happens.
In regard to the characters, I did not find any of them likeable. The main character constantly judges people on their music tastes, and acts all high and mighty about her music knowledge like she's a high school student. (Remember, she's supposed to be a decades old vampire) She is also incredibly stupid - at one point her teenaged cousin tells her that his dying mother is going into hospice and she goes "how do you know what hospice is?" Uhhhhhhhh cause he has a dying parent and the doctors and/or caregivers likely explained it to him? Also he's 17?
I pushed through to see if the ending saved it for me, but it was simply a little fizzle after 300+ pages of the day to day life of a very unsexy vampire.
Unfortunately, this book effectively neuters everything cool about vampires (one might even be tempted to say literally, considering they can't even do the frickety frackety fang bang) - They don't fly, have superspeed, turn into bats, sparkle, they aren't even immortal. They simply drink blood and try to stay out of the sun. It's more like a shitty chronic illness than Vampirism.
I'd like to say that the boring vampires were saved by an amazing plot, but there hardly was one. The entire present day plot centered around her 16th cousin 8 times removed or whatever... whose entire story centered around his mother, who was dying of cancer. It moves at a glacial pace and nothing significant ever happens.
In regard to the characters, I did not find any of them likeable. The main character constantly judges people on their music tastes, and acts all high and mighty about her music knowledge like she's a high school student. (Remember, she's supposed to be a decades old vampire) She is also incredibly stupid - at one point her teenaged cousin tells her that his dying mother is going into hospice and she goes "how do you know what hospice is?" Uhhhhhhhh cause he has a dying parent and the doctors and/or caregivers likely explained it to him? Also he's 17?
I pushed through to see if the ending saved it for me, but it was simply a little fizzle after 300+ pages of the day to day life of a very unsexy vampire.
May 26, 2023
More of a 2.5 for me. The difficult thing with just checking out audiobooks all willy-nilly is that I don't really figure out the genre or target demographic until I'm into the book. I think this book is more YA than I'd personally like. Louise is quite disney channel-ish in a way that is hard to listen to for almost 12 hours. Where I think there could have been emotional satisfaction in character interaction, she opts for an awkward "yep, bye!" and we get little conclusion. I also find that some of the dialogue is a little soapbox-y or too on the nose. I think the punk scene and vampire scene could have been more gritty and morally grey but that's also why I think it's just not the genre I thought it was going to be. This book is a lot of more PG than I anticipated so I'm disappointed but I don't think it would be fair for me to call it bad.
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