Review: Vampires Never Get Old by Zoraida Córdova
Happy Release Day!
Massive thank you to Titan Books and NetGalley for providing me with a free ARC in exchange for an honest review.
I just want to start off by saying this anthology was great! It contained some really unique and incredibly diverse vampire stories (a lot of own voices authors also!) which took a fresh perspective on the genre, and was a true delight to read. Each short story is accompanied by a short ‘discussion’ by the editors, briefly talking about an issue related to the story about vampirism (such as mirrors, coffins, bats).
Seven Nights For Dying by Tessa Gratton ⭐️⭐️⭐️
This first story follows our main character who is an overweight bisexual teenager looking to be transformed into a vampire. It follows her week long journey of transition, giving her plenty of time to fully think about her decision. There was also trans representation and the short story exhibited poly relationships. This one was a good, solid story to start the anthology
The Boys From Blood River by Rebecca Roanhorse ⭐️⭐️
Now, this one was definitely my least favourite story - it really reminded me of Riverdale for some reason (which I hated). It follows Lukas, a queer boy in a small town, who is intrigued about the local legend of the ‘Blood River Boys’ who can be summoned if you sing their infamous song. This story was super unique and atmospheric, but it just wasn’t for me unfortunately (I’m sure other people will love this one tho!)
Senior Year Sucks by Julie Murphy ⭐️⭐️⭐️
This story follows Jolene, a vampire slayer, and also a cheerleader in high school, on her bus journey home from a football game. When they spot another broken down bus, they allow the stranded passengers to get on, forcing Jolene to spend the ride with a vampire sitting next to her. I did like this one and also the concept of there being a vampire rehab centre (that was really unique, just not explored very much, I think it would be interesting to read from the perspective of a vampire inside the centre). It just felt like something was lacking.
The Boy And The Bell by Heidi Heilig ⭐️⭐️⭐️
This short story follows a trans man who really wants to be a doctor, and to advance his studies decides to go grave robbing - and finds someone ringing the bell from their coffin (indicating they had been buried alive). I enjoyed this one, and I really like when our main characters are into science (as I study a STEM degree).
A Guidebook For The Newly Sired Desi Vampire by Samira Ahmed ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
This was the best story in my opinion, I absolutely adored how it incorporated technology to explain ‘the modern vampire’. It is actually written as a guide for the newly sired Desi vampire (as the title suggests) and gives tips for adjustment into their new life (including vampire apps!). It also deals with themes of colonialism & racism in a humorous critique which was nice to read.
In Kind by Kayla Whaley ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
This story follows Grace, a 17-year-old disabled girl who has been “mercifully killed” by her father - who not only doesn’t get arrested for murder, but gets sympathy from the whole town! (It was really hard to read this as you know his justifications are untrue.) However, it turns out Seanan, a vampire, managed to turn Grace before she actually dies, and she returns to confront her father. I loved this story, and particularly how the Grace’s vampirism didn’t suddenly cured her disability, it just made her a stronger version of herself. This one is also an own voices for disability.
Vampires Never Say Die by Zoraida Cordova & Natalie C. Parker ⭐️⭐️
This follows Theo, an instagram influencer, who throws a vampire themed party for her online friend, Brittany (as this is a recurring joke between them). Theo invites all of Brittany’s friends but she finds out the hard way that the vampirism isn’t a joke… I did enjoy this one at first, until I read some other reviews which stated Theo was 15 when they first started messaging and it feels a bit too much like grooming for me to enjoy this one anymore…
Bestiary by Laura Ruby ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Bestiary follows our vampire main character who also works at a zoo during a water shortage, and as she is a predator herself she can form special connections to the animals, and often sleeps amongst the lions. I loved how much our main character loved animals and I really enjoyed the sort of plot reveal at the end? (It was just a nice addition to the story).
Mirrors, Windows & Selfies by Mark Oshiro ⭐️⭐️⭐️
This story follows Cisco, a gay born-vampire, who has been kept in isolation, constantly travelling around the US because of the threat to him (as he is ‘one of a kind’). This story is laid out in a series of Tumblr-style blog posts, and you get to see him build his online following who believe he is telling a ‘story’, not documenting his own life. All he wants to do is look in a mirror to see himself (but this is forbidden). This one was very mediocre, the blog post format really made this one for me.
The House Of Black Sapphires by Dhonielle Clayton⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
This story follows the Turner family of black vampires who must return to the eternal ward of New Orleans, and their introductory ball, which reveals a much Karger mythological world than any of the Turner daughters ever knew existed. Another review described this as “a vampire take on The Great Gatsby” and I actually think that’s a really accurate statement - and perhaps why I liked it so much. This one had fabulous characters, and reoccurring theme of love was such a nice addition to the story.
First Kill by Victoria Schwab ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
This last short story is probably the main draw to this anthology, as it is written by the one and only V.E. Schwab. It follows Calliope and Juliette, two teenage girls in high school and their intertwining stories. I’m not going to state specifically what happens, but it definitely gives off Romeo and Juliet vibes in my opinion. It was so well executed and I feel like it could definitely be a part of a larger story line (also just seen somebody said it’s coming to Netflix?!)
The stories average out at ~3.5 stars, but I think as there’s such a vast mix of writing styles, each person who reads this will find their own highlights and lowlights. Overall, this was well worth a read, I would recommend it to YA fantasy fans (especially if you love vampires of course).
If you've read this, let me know what you think in the comments!
Books and bouquets. x
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