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Jessica Guide to Dating on the Dark Side Beth Fantaskey Books

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Jessica Guide to Dating on the Dark Side Beth Fantaskey Books

Jessica's Guide to Dating on the Dark Side is another one of those books that I had wanted to read for a really long time, but never got to it until now. I love vampires, but I'm kind of the fence about this one. I did enjoy it, but the vampires themselves are a bit disappointing and the ending was rushed and jumpy. Jessica is just a normal girl who doesn't believe in the paranormal. She likes facts and logic (she's a mathlete), but her world is turned upside down when her parents take in a "foreign exchange" student from Romania. Lucius is a vampire, and claims he is Jessica's betrothed. If there's anything more unbelievable to Jessica than vampires, it's her being promised to a stranger before she was born.

I really liked Jessica's Guide to Dating on the Dark Side in the beginning. Jessica isn't dazzled by Lucius and she certainly doesn't believe that he's a vampire, even when he flashes his fangs. Her parents are a bit eccentric, so she thinks this is some kind of cult occurrence, even when they show her the scroll with the agreement on it. It isn't until Lucius is gravely injured and her parents bring him back to the house to be seen by a special doctor that Jessica realizes that maybe they're telling the truth. It takes her a bit longer to accept that she herself is also a vampire princess and it's up to her to save her people from an impending war by joining with Lucius.

The story does kind of remind me of The Princess Diaries, but with vampires. And instead of a long lost grandmother appearing to give princess lessons, it's the infuriatingly sexy fiance. There's a lot of humor in the beginning, and Jessica and Lucius bicker a lot. But then the story grows gradually darker as secrets are uncovered. I liked the inclusion of letters from Lucius to his uncle. This gave us some behind the scenes info that Jessica doesn't have, as well as a lot of funny bits as Lucius ruminates on American culture.

My disappointments came in the form of the vampires and the ending. The vampires really aren't all that interesting, and in fact, Jessica asks what's so great about being one since apparently all of the myths are false. They're really not that different at all, except they can only be killed by a stake to the heart, have fangs, and occasionally drink blood. Great. As for the ending, the last 15% or so just seemed to skip ahead too much at a time, and Lucius got a personality transplant, then went back. It was like flipping a switch a few times, with nothing in between. I also don't get how he did his disappearing act.

In the end, I did like Jessica's Guide to Dating on the Dark Side. I do wish the vampires had been more interesting and special. Not necessarily into sparkling territory, but something other than just drinking blood. The conclusion does make me curious about what comes next though, since I don't think Jessica has fixed this problem so easily.


Tags : Amazon.com: Jessica's Guide to Dating on the Dark Side (9780152063849): Beth Fantaskey: Books,Beth Fantaskey,Jessica's Guide to Dating on the Dark Side,HMH Books for Young Readers,0152063846,FBA-|294296,Fantasy - General,Social Themes - Dating & Sex,Dating (Social customs);Fiction.,High schools;Fiction.,Vampires;Fiction.,Children's Books - Young Adult Fiction,Children: Young Adult (Gr. 10-12),Dating (Social customs),Fiction,High schools,Love & Romance,Paranormal,Social Issues - Dating & Sex,Vampires,YOUNG ADULT FICTION,YOUNG ADULT FICTION Fantasy General,YOUNG ADULT FICTION Social Themes Dating & Sex,YOUNG ADULT FICTION Social Themes General (see also headings under Family)

Jessica Guide to Dating on the Dark Side Beth Fantaskey Books Reviews

This was great! So why only 4 stars? Because the title is not quite right. Jessica does not teach us anything about "dating the dark side." The actual "guide" mentioned in the book is more of a what to expect as your vampire DNA kicks into gear and you come of age. I may have called it something like Princess Revealed or From Vegan to Carnivore in Less than a Year or Wooed by the Dark Side.

Other reviewers have compared this book to other books. I don't think that is quite fair. A friend pointed out to me that just because authors use similar themes, themes that have existed as long as stories have been told, does not mean that the stories are the same. Yes, there may be some similarities, but a work should be judged on its own merits. This is what I strive to do. I may make mention of similarities to other books from my experience with the YA paranormal romance genre or my entire reading experience from time to time, but that is to be expected as i try to establish a common ground with whoever is reading my review.

Back to the real review. From the very first page we get to see what is going on through Jessica's eyes. She seems to be a normal teenage girl going off to school who encounters a rather intriguing/disturbing stranger. Tall, dark, handsome, and arrogant - that's Lucius. His antics were very interesting and the portions of the book that were his missives home to his uncle made for an interesting change in pace and point of view for the story.

Okay, so one of the first recurring themes with this romance is the hate/love love/hate thing. Lucius swoops into town ready to fulfill his end of a bargain. A bargain Jessica has no idea even exists. She does not take the news well and her world is rocked. She rebels at every turn.

The great thing about Jessica (Anastasia) is that she is intelligent and confident. her confidence and strength increases throughout the story.

The other recurring theme or rather character is the bimbo cheerleader. (I don't remember the cheerleaders at my school being snotty _ithces, but they seem to be everywhere now.) Faith's part in this story is pure Mean Girls - she is very much a plastic and she is trouble from the page we meet her. And with her are the "dumb jock" bully boys (again...where are the scholar athletes I know). I'm glad Jake is a "nice" guy. Maybe he and Mindy can get together; he deserves a nice girl.

We also have the faithful best friend, Mindy, who waivers. She is rather milk toast (if you know what I mean) and not exceedingly important to the story with the exception of her loyalty.

Thankfully, Jessica's parents are very prominent in this YA book. They are hard working, intelligent, and supportive not only of Jessica but also of Lucius. Lucius ends up being their Romanian exchange student for the year. Yes, there is no place Jessica can escape from him.

Usually I complain about having information withheld from a character, but this time it's not so bad. In Jessica's case, the secrets surround her birth and heritage and possible future. The lack of information is more of an inconvenience to Jessica than the reader because as the secrets are revealed she is able to make decisions that are appropriate instead of making incorrect inferences and choices.

I won't tell you what happens in the end, but I hope you overlook the strange title and give this book a try. It was a great read. Tension, love, compassion, atrocities, teen angst, old world style, makeovers, money, steaks and stakes, rescues, rejection, etc.
Jessica's Guide to Dating on the Dark Side is another one of those books that I had wanted to read for a really long time, but never got to it until now. I love vampires, but I'm kind of the fence about this one. I did enjoy it, but the vampires themselves are a bit disappointing and the ending was rushed and jumpy. Jessica is just a normal girl who doesn't believe in the paranormal. She likes facts and logic (she's a mathlete), but her world is turned upside down when her parents take in a "foreign exchange" student from Romania. Lucius is a vampire, and claims he is Jessica's betrothed. If there's anything more unbelievable to Jessica than vampires, it's her being promised to a stranger before she was born.

I really liked Jessica's Guide to Dating on the Dark Side in the beginning. Jessica isn't dazzled by Lucius and she certainly doesn't believe that he's a vampire, even when he flashes his fangs. Her parents are a bit eccentric, so she thinks this is some kind of cult occurrence, even when they show her the scroll with the agreement on it. It isn't until Lucius is gravely injured and her parents bring him back to the house to be seen by a special doctor that Jessica realizes that maybe they're telling the truth. It takes her a bit longer to accept that she herself is also a vampire princess and it's up to her to save her people from an impending war by joining with Lucius.

The story does kind of remind me of The Princess Diaries, but with vampires. And instead of a long lost grandmother appearing to give princess lessons, it's the infuriatingly sexy fiance. There's a lot of humor in the beginning, and Jessica and Lucius bicker a lot. But then the story grows gradually darker as secrets are uncovered. I liked the inclusion of letters from Lucius to his uncle. This gave us some behind the scenes info that Jessica doesn't have, as well as a lot of funny bits as Lucius ruminates on American culture.

My disappointments came in the form of the vampires and the ending. The vampires really aren't all that interesting, and in fact, Jessica asks what's so great about being one since apparently all of the myths are false. They're really not that different at all, except they can only be killed by a stake to the heart, have fangs, and occasionally drink blood. Great. As for the ending, the last 15% or so just seemed to skip ahead too much at a time, and Lucius got a personality transplant, then went back. It was like flipping a switch a few times, with nothing in between. I also don't get how he did his disappearing act.

In the end, I did like Jessica's Guide to Dating on the Dark Side. I do wish the vampires had been more interesting and special. Not necessarily into sparkling territory, but something other than just drinking blood. The conclusion does make me curious about what comes next though, since I don't think Jessica has fixed this problem so easily.