Friday, August 17, 2012

Review of: The Grateful Undead: They're So Vein


All Susan wants is to get her phone over the bathroom stall wall so she can record the woman fighting with her seriously bratty child and post it on her website. One awkward fall later, and she lands herself in a mess of trouble. Becoming a vampire wasn’t quite what she meant she prayed for a more youthful body. To make things even worse, when her vain family members get a look at her new body they can’t wait to get a piece for themselves. 

I mentioned in yesterday’s post how much I enjoyed the humor in The Grateful Undead: They’re so Vein. It was over-the-top humor in many ways with crazy antics and characters that never seemed to stop, but there was also a deeper humor that stemmed from the idea of what a person might willingly give up in exchange for youthful bodies and immortality. The non-stop comedy bred a certain amount of chaos in the book. At times the chaos slowed the story down when outrageous arguments lasted a little too long or strayed away from the main story, but for the most part the humor kept the story moving at a swift pace. It was hard to ever predict where the story was going, but I felt certain that whatever popped up next was going to have me laughing. 

The story itself was enjoyable. It was light, and flowed along with the laughs. I was expecting a little bit more complicated plot at first, but really, how serious and deep can you get with vampire raccoons and pint-sized century-old vampires? This was more of a situation comedy. There aren’t intricate plot twists or overly complex designs. The characters are over the top as well, but each one has a unique personality. The odd dynamic of the family only increases that craziness and fun. The characters are definitely memorable. The majority of this book was dialog between the characters – largely arguments that were funny – but there were times when the dialog could have been broken up more often to give readers a break from the intensity of the characters. 

Despite being a very funny book, there are some aspects that may turn readers off. There is a decent amount of profanity throughout the book. There are multiple sexual references and several sexual scenes – one of which got quite graphic. Two of the characters are homosexual, and there relationship is discussed throughout the book. If you’re a reader that doesn’t care to read these types of things, this book is not for you, as they are found through the majority of the book. Because of these, this book does earn a spot on my “No way would I let my teenage nieces read this” book list. 

This book is a fun, quick read that’s great for when you need a break from all the serious day to day stress. 

Would I recommend this book? With caution, mainly because of the amount of language, sex, and homosexuality. It is a very funny book, and while some readers will have no problem with these, others will. If you want comedy and don’t mind the adults themes, you’ll really enjoy this book. If you don’t want to read those sorts of themes, this book is not for you. 

Who would I recommend this book to? Vampire enthusiasts won’t find the brooding and serious vamps they might be expecting, but I think vampire lovers and those who never really jumped on the Twilight bandwagon can enjoy Stec’s vampires. Comedy readers will love it. It’s definitely one for adults, though. I think chick lit readers will enjoy this as well as those who are in the stage of wishing their cute and perky days weren’t so far behind them. Teens and those looking for cleaner comedy may want to choose something else. 

Winner's of the giveaways will be announced tomorrow! Don't forget to stop back by and see if you won. 


The first two books in the series are: They're So Vein and Gator Batin'. Both are available now from Amazon and Barnes and Noble

Or enter for a chance to win a signed copy by leaving a comment or entering below. 

a Rafflecopter giveaway


You can also enter to win a copy of Gator Baitin' on Goodreads through August 24th. 

7 comments:

  1. Sheree, I can't thank you enough for featuring me this week. It's been such fun.

    I'm very pleased with your review. Spot on. This is definitely NOT your teenage vampire book. I'm glad I made you laugh, you've been an excellent host.

    Thanks to everyone who stopped by, left a comment, and good luck all who entered the contest.

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  2. You've got a knack for the book review world! Enjoyed reading your post, although vampires are not quite my thing! :-) Very entertaining!

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    1. Thanks for stopping by, Joy. I'm glad you enjoyed the review.

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  3. What a super review--I'm not a huge Vampire fan , but I do like a great bit of dark humor. THANKS

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  4. This isn't your typical vampire book, but the humor is great. I hope you give it a try!

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  5. Great review! I'm your classic information junkie. I can't get enough of reading and my Kindle is loaded with books waiting in line for me to click on. :) I appreciate your review of this one, because at least I'll know what kind of content to expect should I decide to make the purchase. :)

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  6. What a great review. I totally agree with Joy... you have a knack for doing book reviews. Thank you so much for sharing this with us. Grace, peace and blessings, Carla

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