Vampire Weekend
A Novel
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- £7.99
Publisher Description
From the New York Times bestselling author of Star Wars: Brotherhood
“A love letter to the power of music, this thoughtful, humorous exploration of what constitutes living versus mere survival sees Chen (Light Years from Home) at the top of his game.” —Publishers Weekly starred review
"A strong emotional core carries Chen’s (Light Years from Home, 2022) latest, which is ultimately about healing from old wounds and learning how to embrace life again after loss—even if you’re dead." —Booklist
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.
APPLE BOOKS REVIEW
The classic vampire tale gets a fun punk rock twist in this dazzling fantasy. As a rebellious teenage daughter of strict Chinese immigrants in 1960s San Francisco, Louise Chao felt like an outcast—and being unwillingly turned into a vampire after she ran away from home didn’t help that. After decades of ageless isolation with only her passion for punk music (and stolen bags of blood) to sustain her, a teenage relative she’s never met suddenly turns up on her doorstep. Science fiction author Mike Chen clearly has a fondness for the realm of the undead, and he puts a fun, 21st-century spin on the usual vampire lore. (Turns out vamps are nowhere near as sexy as you’ve heard.) A shadowy, gothic story with a sneakily uplifting message about the power of found family, Vampire Weekend is a creepy delight.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
A love letter to the power of music, this thoughtful, humorous exploration of what constitutes living versus mere survival sees Chen (Light Years from Home) at the top of his game. Chinese-American Louise Chao, a musician in life, has spent decades living like an outcast even among her fellow vampires. She ekes out an existence by working nights as a hospital janitor (which provides easy access to blood) while ignoring the overtures of Eric, the leader of the local vampire community. Then 13-year-old Ian, a distant (mortal) cousin whose father is dead and mother is dying, shows up at her door. Louise sees an opportunity of help Ian cope by introducing him to the greats of the punk era and puts aside her apprehension and secrecy to form an unlikely bond. Their connection revitalizes her love of music, leaving her eager to join a band once more and get back to the joy, power, and rhythm she'd felt in the music scene of 1980s San Francisco. Of course, nothing is easy, and as Louise struggles to keep her undead state a secret, Ian inches ever closer to the truth. Chen fully immerses readers in Louise's mindset, delivering both laugh-out-loud snark and moments of aching loveliness as she navigates the thorny experience of being other, all underscored by a soundtrack that defined a generation. This is a hit.
