Review: Jessica's Guide to Dating on the Dark Side by Beth Fantaskey

Released: February 1st, 2009
Published by: Graphia
Series: Jessica, Book One
Star Rating: 3.5 out of 5
Source: Gift
Page Amount: 354
School Rating: B+ (77%)
Age Group: Young Adult Fiction

Summary

The undead can really screw up your senior year . . .

Marrying a vampire definitely doesn’t fit into Jessica Packwood’s senior year “get-a-life” plan. But then a bizarre (and incredibly hot) new exchange student named Lucius Vladescu shows up, claiming that Jessica is a Romanian vampire princess by birth—and he’s her long-lost fiancé. Armed with newfound confidence and a copy of Growing Up Undead: A Teen Vampire’s Guide to Dating, Health, and Emotions, Jessica makes a dramatic transition from average American teenager to glam European vampire princess. But when a devious cheerleader sets her sights on Lucius, Jess finds herself fighting to win back her wayward prince, stop a global vampire war — and save Lucius’s soul from eternal destruction.

First Line

The first time I saw him, a heavy, gray fog clung to the cornfields, tails of mist slithering between the dying stalks.

Review

To be honest, I wasn’t sure what I was going to think of JESSICA’S GUIDE TO DATING ON THE DARK SIDE. I was afraid it was going to be too much like TWILIGHT, and I was afraid it was going to be too fluffy (don’t get be wrong… I love fluffy books, just not ones with vampires in them). If you read the summary and look at the cover, it screams a girly and fluffy read. Let’s just say I had a lot of concerns going into this book.

I really enjoyed this book. It was a quick read, without it being fluffy and girly.

The beginning was a little slow, and it took a little bit for me to get into it but once I reached about half way I sped right through it. I couldn’t put it down.

Jessica was a very likable character, when she wasn’t in a bad mood (which she rarely was). During the first half of the book, Lucius was my favourite character, like, ever. But during the middle quarter he got a little snotty and I don’t really know what happened to him.

Jessica was a very realistic character, and she processed every single little thing to make sure it made sense, which I don’t relate with well (if a Romanian vampire came up to me and told me I was a part of a pact and I was a vampire and I had to marry him I would jump at the chance!).

I loved the whole idea of Romanian royalty, and I loved it when Lucius talked about Romania, and it just sounds like a beautiful place to go (maybe I’ll visit there someday!).

Beth’s writing style was really nice. I liked that it was written in 1st person, which is my favourite writing style. I felt as if Beth gave lots of detail without it being really boring and unnecessary.

Overall, I really enjoyed JESSICA’S GUIDE TO DATING ON THE DARK SIDE. I think it was a really good book, and its one book that I think it’s a book that everyone should pick up sooner or later.

Cover Comments

I think the cover of this book is really gorgeous, and I love the whole red, black, and white theme. I think the colour palette is really pretty.

Love,

Sierra