Status
Available
Call number
Genres
Collections
Publication
Graphia (2010), Edition: Reprint, Paperback, 372 pages
Description
Fifteen-year-old vampire Nina has been stuck for fifty-one years in a boring support group for vampires, and nothing exciting has ever happened to them--until one of them is murdered and the others must try to solve the crime.
User reviews
LibraryThing member elliepotten
The Reformed Vampire Support Group takes vampire mythology and popular culture and dumps it unceremoniously on its head. Its unlikely heroine (and deliciously deadpan narrator), Nina, is a 51 year-old vampire who was infected when she was 15 and is sick of being treated like a kid as a result. She
But things are about to get interesting for the Reformed Vampire Support Group and their human friend Father Ramon. When a member of their group is killed by an unknown slayer, they must take urgent steps to ensure that their own lives aren’t in danger. Alas, their investigations lead them slap bang into a shady underworld of guns and silver bullets, underground cells and werewolf fights. Rescuing dangerously sexy young werewolf Reuben is only the start of their problems. The slayer is still out there, and now they have a pair of thugs on their tail to boot…
This really is a very clever novel, referencing all kinds of vampire stories from Dracula to Underworld, and shooting them all down in flames. Jinks’ unique take on vampire fiction is witty and satirical, with a keen eye for the ridiculous. The characters are wonderfully diverse, from frail but feisty little Nina and her chain-smoking elderly human mother Estelle, to sweet old knitting-obsessed vampire Bridget and flamboyant cape-wearing menace Horace. The idea of a ‘reformed vampire’ therapy group, led by a priest and devoted to talking out fragile feelings and vampiric dilemmas, is pure genius. All in all, a solid little read, and well worth a look for a bit of refreshment from conventional vampire novels!
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is a writer of vampire fiction (though she’s ‘no Stephenie Meyer’) starring the beautiful and powerful Zelda Bloodstone. Sadly, life for a real vamp isn’t quite so exciting. Nina and the other vampires in her therapy group are dead by day and ill most of the rest of the time. They feed on a guinea pig a day, ‘fanged’ in the bathroom (easier to clean) and placed in a ziplock bag in the freezer so the RSPCA don’t get suspicious. They suffer terrible stomach problems and blinding headaches, take numerous supplements to ease their pain, and wear sunglasses all night so their eyes don’t haemorrhage. Sounds fun, huh?But things are about to get interesting for the Reformed Vampire Support Group and their human friend Father Ramon. When a member of their group is killed by an unknown slayer, they must take urgent steps to ensure that their own lives aren’t in danger. Alas, their investigations lead them slap bang into a shady underworld of guns and silver bullets, underground cells and werewolf fights. Rescuing dangerously sexy young werewolf Reuben is only the start of their problems. The slayer is still out there, and now they have a pair of thugs on their tail to boot…
This really is a very clever novel, referencing all kinds of vampire stories from Dracula to Underworld, and shooting them all down in flames. Jinks’ unique take on vampire fiction is witty and satirical, with a keen eye for the ridiculous. The characters are wonderfully diverse, from frail but feisty little Nina and her chain-smoking elderly human mother Estelle, to sweet old knitting-obsessed vampire Bridget and flamboyant cape-wearing menace Horace. The idea of a ‘reformed vampire’ therapy group, led by a priest and devoted to talking out fragile feelings and vampiric dilemmas, is pure genius. All in all, a solid little read, and well worth a look for a bit of refreshment from conventional vampire novels!
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LibraryThing member cammykitty
Heh, first I have to say Vinnie showing up with two hot pizzas to be delivered made me order pizza. Bugs, our heroine, wasn't driving my pizza, so even though I live three blocks away from the pizza place, by the time it arrived I'd finished reading the subliminal "order pizza" part of the book and
That said, Soul Enchilada is an impressive debut. I work with middle school kids, often with learning disabilities that has slowed their reading progress, often Latino. This is the book I've been waiting for. It's faced paced, has a romance that isn't syrupy, (It's quite a middle-school style romance actually where the couple is just as likely to be shoving each other and swapping insults as they are to be kissing.) that uses the basic "Devil Goes Down to Georgia" plot, ie a competition with the devil where a soul is at stake.
Despite the plot everyone who has grown up in a Christian country has heard too many times, Gill manages to put enough twists and turns in it to make it amusing and new. While we're at it, we get to enjoy a good Dia de los muertos in the barrio. & he even manages to tie the whole thing in with the Aztecs & Mayans with their brutal ball game of the gods. I've seen basketball as the ball game of the gods before, but once again, not quite this way.
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was on to a stomach-turning Lord of the Fliesish bit. That said, Soul Enchilada is an impressive debut. I work with middle school kids, often with learning disabilities that has slowed their reading progress, often Latino. This is the book I've been waiting for. It's faced paced, has a romance that isn't syrupy, (It's quite a middle-school style romance actually where the couple is just as likely to be shoving each other and swapping insults as they are to be kissing.) that uses the basic "Devil Goes Down to Georgia" plot, ie a competition with the devil where a soul is at stake.
Despite the plot everyone who has grown up in a Christian country has heard too many times, Gill manages to put enough twists and turns in it to make it amusing and new. While we're at it, we get to enjoy a good Dia de los muertos in the barrio. & he even manages to tie the whole thing in with the Aztecs & Mayans with their brutal ball game of the gods. I've seen basketball as the ball game of the gods before, but once again, not quite this way.
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LibraryThing member Joybee
Wonderful book. A new take on vampires. The vampires in this story are reformed, and go to support group meetings every week. They survive on guinea pigs and vitamin supplements. They are completely unlike vampires from movies and other books. They have no superhuman powers, they are weak, sick and
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fragile. Nina hates being a vampire, it's boring and all the vampires she knows are weak cowards, except for Dave the brooding teenage vampire. Through the adventures in this book, Nina comes to grips with her vampirism and finds some excitement. This is a very cute book with a smidge of romance. I would like to read more about Nina and her friends. Show Less
LibraryThing member SunnySD
Guinea pigs, fanging, nausea, bleeding gums, light sensitivity.... Sound attractive? Probably not. Nina's a fifty-something year-old vampire trapped in a teenager's body. She has old David Bowie pictures on her wall and still lives with her 70+ year-old mother. About the only outings she gets are
And then someone stakes a group member. Nina and the rest of the group are determined to find out who's behind the murder, and that's when life gets interesting.
Jinks doesn't right fluffy, happy, laugh-out-loud fiction, and this book is no exception. Nina's life is rather grim. And although there are a few funny moments, for the most part Nina's life is as far from glamorous as a classroom guinea pig is from Paris Hilton's purse pets. For those who like their vampires a bit less sexy, and their heroines a bit more real. Not "fun" but enjoyable, which is sometimes better.
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for the weekly vampire therapy group meetings conducted by a local (human) priest. Fun, fun, fun.And then someone stakes a group member. Nina and the rest of the group are determined to find out who's behind the murder, and that's when life gets interesting.
Jinks doesn't right fluffy, happy, laugh-out-loud fiction, and this book is no exception. Nina's life is rather grim. And although there are a few funny moments, for the most part Nina's life is as far from glamorous as a classroom guinea pig is from Paris Hilton's purse pets. For those who like their vampires a bit less sexy, and their heroines a bit more real. Not "fun" but enjoyable, which is sometimes better.
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LibraryThing member MistyMikoK
Instead of the dark, sexy, and powerful image of vampires present in protagonist Nina Harrison's Zadia Bloodstone novels, vampirism is a disease. Affecting dead people, this disease causes light sensitivity, brittle skin, and digestive problems. Nina is forever 15 and stuck living with her mother,
I really enjoyed the alternate to the forever young, sparkly love tales that dominate vampire fiction. These tales are also inject the all superhuman vamp into the story in the form of Nina's Zadia Bloodstone novels. The disease-like form of vampirism was also let us see the characters as real people rather than super-beings with no repercussions. Nina is a witty realist and made the book incredibly funny. Calm, regular Dave was also a good balance to the unusual mix of the group. The suspense and action was well balanced and the novel in general was well paced. The dynamics between the group member were excellent. The dialogue between the lot is hilarious. I enjoyed Nina's realisation that vampires don't need to be Zadia to get what they want from life, and that along with the ending was immensely satisfying. Readers who want to be subverted from the usual vampires will enjoy this dark, witty, mystery.
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and participating in the Reformed Vampire Support Group (to help vampires adjust and to promote an alternate diet), when a member is staked and shot with a mysterious silver bullet. So in an effort to prove vampires aren't weak, Nina embarks to solve the mystery with fellow Support Group members, former-punk-rocker-turned-vamp Dave, and a human, sympathiser Father Ramone. In the process they also encounter the underground werewolf trade, giving her her first trial at resisting the scent of human blood and fanging hamsters to deal with the alternate nutrition.I really enjoyed the alternate to the forever young, sparkly love tales that dominate vampire fiction. These tales are also inject the all superhuman vamp into the story in the form of Nina's Zadia Bloodstone novels. The disease-like form of vampirism was also let us see the characters as real people rather than super-beings with no repercussions. Nina is a witty realist and made the book incredibly funny. Calm, regular Dave was also a good balance to the unusual mix of the group. The suspense and action was well balanced and the novel in general was well paced. The dynamics between the group member were excellent. The dialogue between the lot is hilarious. I enjoyed Nina's realisation that vampires don't need to be Zadia to get what they want from life, and that along with the ending was immensely satisfying. Readers who want to be subverted from the usual vampires will enjoy this dark, witty, mystery.
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LibraryThing member Jaie22
Good. I thought it was part of a series, and now that I'm finished with it I wish it were part of a series. Narrator very believable as a vampire who kinda thinks being one sucks. (Pun probably intended; she's just like that.)
LibraryThing member callmecayce
An amusing, decently written take on the vampire myth. The Reformed Vampire Support Group is the complete opposite of typical YA vampire books. Instead of focusing on a grand love story (vampires in love or humans in love with vampires) or the romance of becoming a vampire, Jinks takes a completely
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different view. Her story focuses on a small group of vampires living in Australia. The novel is told from 51 year old Nina's point of view (she was turned when she was 15, and still looks 15) and is quite an enjoyable read. Nina and the other vampires must find out who is trying to kill them. Instead of turning out as a dark, depressing novel, The Reformed Vampire Support Group is rather clever and occasionally quite funny. If you like vampire stories, but especially non-traditional ones, be sure to check this book out. Show Less
LibraryThing member jenniferthomp75
Amusing, well-written story about vampires and werewolves in modern Australia. The characters are well-rounded and interesting, and the plot is great. When I found out one of the teens at the library had just finished it, I asked her about it and she thought it was funny and clever. Sounds exactly
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right. Show Less
LibraryThing member allthesedarnbooks
This is a really unique, delightful YA book that takes the usual tropes about vampires and turns them on their head. Nina, the narrator, was turned into a vampire at the tender age of 15. She writes novels about Zadia Bloodstone, a fearless vampire heroine imbued with superpowers who uses her
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unnatural state to fight evil. In real life, Nina is part of the titular Reformed Vampire Support Group, which meets at a church, where people who have been infected with the disease of vampirism meet to discuss their problems, which are many. They are all on the wagon and survive by feeding off of guinea pigs. Nina still lives at home with her elderly mother. Her body, an animated corpse, after all, is falling apart; she has extreme headaches, bleeding eyes, and constant nausea. When one of the other members of her group is staked by a vampire slayer, Nina must embrace her inner Xenia Bloodstone and recognize that even though she is a vampire, she still can achieve good in the world. Highly recommended; five stars. Show Less
LibraryThing member sandyg210
This was an interesting concept. A group of vampires in Australia are reformed - that is the don't attack humans. Instead they survive on guinea pig blood and supplements. They are weak and sick most of the time so they don't travel or do much of anything until one of their group is killed and they
I really wanted to enjoy this but I found the characters whinny and annoying. That really killed the book for me.
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set out to find the murderer.I really wanted to enjoy this but I found the characters whinny and annoying. That really killed the book for me.
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LibraryThing member Reacherfan
I really wanted to like this book. The inside dust jacket made it sound like it would be a fun read. Boy was I wrong.
At heart, it's a mystery. Someone in their vampire group was killed, and this group has to figure out who did it and why.
The vampires were so brooding and depressing. One of the
All in all, I'd say don't waste your time with.
At heart, it's a mystery. Someone in their vampire group was killed, and this group has to figure out who did it and why.
The vampires were so brooding and depressing. One of the
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main characters was so annoying and grumpy, it was a distraction. I also had a problem that this was a "Young Adult" book. I felt there was way to much swearing to be a YA book. All in all, I'd say don't waste your time with.
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LibraryThing member riverwillow
I wasn't sure how I would feel about this book - it was a birthday present - and found it an interesting addition to the vampire genre. I love the idea of of a support group for vampires as they try and cope with the reality of the dysfunctional existence thrust upon them. These are not the
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glamourous, controlling, vampires from many contemporary novels, they are sickly, living as they do on a diet of guinea pigs (if you love guinea pigs don't read this novel). It's an interesting idea, but somehow it misses the mark. Show Less
LibraryThing member sweetiegherkin
This book plays with the conventions of the vampire story, creating a group of whiny, barely surviving vampires with no particular strengths or powers. The vampires of Sydney, Australia meet weekly at a local church for support sessions, although nothing much of significance seems to happen from
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week to week. That is, until one day, Casimir, the oldest of the vampire group, doesn’t show up for the weekly meeting. When the others go to his house to investigate, they discover that he’s been staked. With one of their own murdered, the vampires have no choice but to stick together until the mystery is solved. The quest for Casimir’s murderer turns up other adventures, including the discovery of illegal pit fights between captured werewolves. The story is told from the perspective of 15-year-old Nina (who has been a vampire for 30 plus years), who is annoyed with the whiny, do-nothing attitude of the vampires she knows, despite being like that herself. The cast of characters are quirky and interesting, and the book itself is darkly humorous. I would therefore recommend this book to anyone interested in quirky, dark comedies. Show Less
LibraryThing member cmbohn
Nina has been a vampire for a long time. Too long - about 35 years. And for the whole time, she's been going to this stupid support group with the same vampires and living undercover of darkness.
Being a vampire is not all Stephenie Meyer after all. (Imagine that.) It's extremely unpleasant. Nina
That's what happens to one of the members of the support group in fact. He gets staked. Now he's nothing but a pile of ash. Fortunately, he wasn't much of a loss, but now Nina and the others are scared for their lives. Yeah, it stinks being a vampire, but dead is pretty final. So they'd better figure out who's behind it all. It's not like they can call the cops, is it?
This was a fun story, but nothing deep. I liked the idea, and it had some funny parts, but not very many. I would have enjoyed it more if there had been more humor. But I liked that Nina was finally able to charge of what was left of her life and do something. Fun for teens, a little light for adults, but still enjoyable.
Being a vampire is not all Stephenie Meyer after all. (Imagine that.) It's extremely unpleasant. Nina
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hasn't been able to eat food for years. In fact, the smell makes her sick. She gets headaches all the time. She's tired. She's stuck at home. She has to drink blood - guinea pig, and it's not a pretty sight. And then she has to worry about people who might want to kill her.That's what happens to one of the members of the support group in fact. He gets staked. Now he's nothing but a pile of ash. Fortunately, he wasn't much of a loss, but now Nina and the others are scared for their lives. Yeah, it stinks being a vampire, but dead is pretty final. So they'd better figure out who's behind it all. It's not like they can call the cops, is it?
This was a fun story, but nothing deep. I liked the idea, and it had some funny parts, but not very many. I would have enjoyed it more if there had been more humor. But I liked that Nina was finally able to charge of what was left of her life and do something. Fun for teens, a little light for adults, but still enjoyable.
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LibraryThing member kperry
Are you tired of the typical vampire novel? Are you sick of vampires with super speed, super looks, and super strength? Well, this might be the book for you. THE REFORMED VAMPIRE SUPPORT GROUP by Catherine Jinks is like no other vampire novel I’ve ever read.Nina Harrison has been a vampire since
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1973 when she was fifteen years old. She lives at home with her mother and earns a living by writing novels about a powerful vampire named Zadia Bloodstone. Every Tuesday night she joins several other vampires for a support group run by Father Ramon at St. Agatha’s church hall. As a group, they have made the decision not to drink human blood.The boring routine of their isolated lives completely change when Casimir doesn’t answer his door when it is time to go to their weekly meeting. Upon entering Casimir’s apartment, Nina and her friends find nothing but a pile of ashes in his coffin and they realize there is a slayer on the loose. While searching for clues as to who the slayer could be, Nina finds herself in many dangerous and exciting situations. She travels farther from home than ever and attempts to save a werewolf being used in an illegal fighting ring. Nina does things she never thought was possible. Things she has written only for her character, Zadia Bloodstone.THE REFORMED VAMPIRE SUPPORT GROUP is definitely unique. Some issues that take away from the story are: 1) things work out a little to easily for the group, 2) the romance that is eluded to in the description takes too long to surface, and 3) the reasons for the physical problems the vampires suffer from aren’t explained very well. For example, why do they throw up so much? Why do their eyes hemorrhage when they get too much light? On the flip side, there are several things that are very humorous about the book. The fact that their only source of blood is guinea pigs is hilarious. THE REFORMED VAMPIRE SUPPORT GROUP will be coming out in April 2009. Show Less
LibraryThing member Sun_Valley_High
Fifteen-year-old vampire Nina has been stuck for fifty-one years in a boring support group for vampires, and nothing exciting has ever happened to them--until one of them is murdered and the others must try to solve the crime.
LibraryThing member pinkargyle
This action-packed, suspenseful story filled with vampires and werewolves is a counter tale to Twilight, but would appeal to any teen seeking a bit of fantasy and sarcasm. These vampires are not pretty. They don’t fly. And they need therapy as reformed vampires who are just trying to live among
Catherine Jinks keeps us entertained with funny dialogue from our neurotic protagonist, Nina, and supplies the reader with a lot of twists and turns throughout the book. However, I think the story dragged on too long and could have been edited down further.
Still, it’s a fun read with likable and relatable characters.
I was hooked with this line:
“Vampires are meant to be so glamorous and powerful, but I’m here to inform you that being a vampire is nothing like that. Not one bit. On the contrary, it’s like being stuck indoors with the flu watching daytime television, forever and ever” (Jinks, page 5).
Perfect for anyone grappling with her/his identity, The Reformed Vampire Support Group is an enjoyable read that has a good amount of humor and action.
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the living. Catherine Jinks keeps us entertained with funny dialogue from our neurotic protagonist, Nina, and supplies the reader with a lot of twists and turns throughout the book. However, I think the story dragged on too long and could have been edited down further.
Still, it’s a fun read with likable and relatable characters.
I was hooked with this line:
“Vampires are meant to be so glamorous and powerful, but I’m here to inform you that being a vampire is nothing like that. Not one bit. On the contrary, it’s like being stuck indoors with the flu watching daytime television, forever and ever” (Jinks, page 5).
Perfect for anyone grappling with her/his identity, The Reformed Vampire Support Group is an enjoyable read that has a good amount of humor and action.
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LibraryThing member hoosgracie
Quite a different take on vampires. In this one 51 year old Nina (she was turned in the early 70s) tells her and her group's story. Vampires in the support group are sickly and not at all the powerful, beautiful vampires elsewhere. Cute concept, but could have used some heavy editing.
LibraryThing member tjsjohanna
In yet another twist on the vampire genre, the unlucky souls are merely infected and find themselves weak and sickly (although I was never quite clear if this was because they aren't drinking human blood or if that is just the way it is in this world). Although Nina has been a vampire for quite a
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long time, in this novel she finally comes to grips with the ways in which she has been changed and in the ways she can choose what kind of life to have. I did find it odd that despite being so old, Nina still acts like a teenager (which makes for appealing teen fiction, but not for logical consistency). Enjoyable read. Show Less
LibraryThing member mesmericrevelation
The Reformed Vampire Support group is awesome! In 2009 I was reading pretty much anything with vampires in it (I guess I still am lol) and this one was so different from everything else I was reading which made me love it. It's written well, it's unique, and it's pretty funny at times.
If you love
If you love
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vampires, you have got to read this book! Show Less
LibraryThing member ewyatt
Nina writes about the trials and tribulations of her group as they try to track down a vampire slayer and get wrapped up in an illegal werewolf fighting ring. Vampirism is a disease and has many not so glamorous side effects. Quirky characters and missteps abound. Listened to the book and the
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Aussie accent was enjoyable. Show Less
LibraryThing member zabet17
Couldn't finish this one. The characters were bland and unmemorable, the plot was slow going and the storyline was nearly non-existent. Made it to pg 100 and couldn't deal with the boredom any longer.
LibraryThing member zabet17
Couldn't finish this one. The characters were bland and unmemorable, the plot was slow going and the storyline was nearly non-existent. Made it to pg 100 and couldn't deal with the boredom any longer.
LibraryThing member tv2
This is very enjoyable.
The story is set in Australia, and follows a group of vampires trying to stay alive and cope with one another as well as their depressive situation.
They are not traditional vampires. What makes this story amusing is they are sick all the time, their eyes bleed, they have to
There is a good story in here, involving murder, but it is quite comical, almost.
The story is set in Australia, and follows a group of vampires trying to stay alive and cope with one another as well as their depressive situation.
They are not traditional vampires. What makes this story amusing is they are sick all the time, their eyes bleed, they have to
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wear sunglasses, they vomit, they go to a support group each week, and they live off guinea pigs which is a nasty mess to clean up.There is a good story in here, involving murder, but it is quite comical, almost.
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LibraryThing member wyvernfriend
A story of a vampire group in Australia who find themselves investigating a murder of one of their number, not that several of them didn't mind that he's dead! It is quite entertaining that they're trying so hard to be normal and the meeting group are almost like an Alcoholics Anonymous meeting.
It's not a bad story, I enjoyed it, but there were places I thought it could have been a bit better. It did do a good job of working out how this worked and the ramifications of some of the issues.
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It's not a bad story, I enjoyed it, but there were places I thought it could have been a bit better. It did do a good job of working out how this worked and the ramifications of some of the issues.
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Awards
Pacific Northwest Library Association Young Reader's Choice Award (Nominee — Intermediate — 2012)
Best Fiction for Young Adults (Selection — 2010)
Language
Original publication date
2009-03-25
Physical description
372 p.; 8.1 inches
ISBN
0547411669 / 9780547411668
Local notes
Nina Harrison has been 15 years old since 1973. That's because she is a vampire. She and the members of the Reformed Vampire Support Group break the mold when compared to the accepted vampire lore that has been around since the time of Count Dracula. They are not beautiful, strong, powerful, rich, or in control. Instead they are sickly, struggling just to stay alive, living on the blood of the guinea pigs they keep, and making the best of their affliction. They have vowed not to drink human blood or be responsible for the creation of another vampire. Nina hates her boring, uneventful life, which changes drastically when Casimir is staked and the group, realizing that the killer knows who and where they are, all move in with Nina and her mother, a nonvampire. With only a silver bullet as a clue to track the vampire slayer, Nina, Dave, and Father Ramon, who sponsors the group, set out on a dangerous journey. Along the way they rescue a werewolf from an illegal fight ring, deal with a villainous father/son team, and discover that their immortal lives might have more to offer than they ever thought.