I normally review books by talking about my thoughts and themes, the characters, and then the writing style. This review has to be a little different thought as there isn’t just one story being told by one person, but a range of stories being told by different people, meaning the characters change constantly and the writing style varies from page to page.

I’ve always been a fan of vampires because of their mysterious nature and all the they can stand for that this book does a great job of exploring. I love how each of the stories that are included in this book talks about different characteristics about vampires and the different lore that is around about them. The vampires in this book all differ from one story to the next and that is part of what is intriguing about this book, you never know what you are in for.

While there were stories that left me wanting more from them, I did think that they all wrapped up well. Something that I enjoyed was the pieces that were included after a story that gave a slight explanation of the story. I really enjoyed these for the stories that I wasn’t sure if I got the message the author wanted me to but I also liked that each posed a question.

Seven Nights for Dying by Tessa Gratton

This story talks about the transformation into a vampire and puts a different twist on it as the main character is given 7 days to decide if she wants to make the full transformation into a vampire. This story goes a little into the topics of grief, loss, and moving on. I liked that this story gave you a bisexual or pansexual main character, and also introduces a transgender vampire too.

Mirrors, Windows, and Selfies by Mark Oshiro

This story was one of my favorites and brought me back to my years as a teenager when I spent all my time on Xanga (blog site). I was brought back to those days where I felt alone and as if the only people who could understand me were the people I was blogging for or the people whose blogs I was reading.

I really enjoyed reading about the superstitions surrounding mirrors and also getting to learn about why vampires can’t see themselves in them. I also thought it was great to be able to think about Cisco’s parents keeping secrets from him and in a way hiding him from himself.

The House of Black Sapphire by Dhonielle Clayton

This is one of the stories that I was glad a explanation came after because while I liked the story I wasn’t sure what the messaging was supposed to be or what I was supposed to question. I liked that this story brought in other beings not just the vampires and we got to see how they interacted with vampires. I thought it was interesting to see the house reimagined as coffin as I did not understand that point until after the description and that made the re-reading of this story so much better.

The Boys from Blood River by Rebecca Roanhorse

This is another one of my favorite stories and this is one that I had to put the book down for because I made the mistake of trying to read at night and in the dark. I loved how spooky the setting of this one is and how these vampires appeared to be good at first but then things suddenly changed. I liked how this made you think about sacrifice and what you are willing to sacrifice.

Senior Year sucks by Julie Murphy

I was glad to be able to read a story in which we get a body positive character who is confident about themselves. I loved that this story centered around a vampire slayer who was not your typical slayer. I liked reading about her encounter with Alma as it was funny and cute. I wanted more of this story so that I could get more of these two.

The Boy and the Bell by Heidi Heiling

In this story you get a transgender main character who is trying to study in order to become a doctor. I liked how this story focuses on the ways people would try to ensure that the dead didn’t become vampires in the past. I thought this was a great take on the Victorian era when they would bury the dead with a breathing tube and a bell so that they can ask for help if they were not dead. I liked that it was a take on this gone terribly bad for the main character and how this time maybe he wishes that this way of burying people was not a thing.

In Kind by Kayla Whaley

TW: Caregiver Abuse

What I really liked about this one was the idea that even if the main character became a vampire it didn’t suddenly mean that she could walk. I liked that the main character felt that if that was granted to her it would take away part of who she is and she would not longer be herself. This story makes you think about people’s takes on disabilities and being disabled and how their lives are not any less valuable due to those disabilities.

A Guidebook for the Newly Sired Desi Vampire by Samira Ahmed

TW:

I liked this books take on colonialism and how to go about getting rid of those people but also being careful not to colonize a place as well. I thought that many of the pieces of this story were funny and light, and liked the way they were easing the new vampire into being a vampires. I liked the references that were made to Indian culture and how this story talks about tourists who come in and do not respect the culture.

Bestiary by Laura Ruby

I liked the way the main character in this story connected to animals. This one was a bit slower for me and one that I wasn’t as much enjoying as the others. I did like some aspects of it and liked the transformation piece about it and thinking about what animal I would transform into if I were a vampire.

Vampires Never Say Die by Zoraida Cordova & Natalie C. Parker

This story goes back and forth between two characters who are best friends. I really enjoyed the back and forth between these two and how she comes to the rescue of her friend. It really spoke on the value of friendship and what you are willing to do for others.

First Kill by Victoria “V.E.” Schwab

I loved the back and forth between the two characters in this one and the idea that they can both be the “bad guy”. I loved having both a vampire and a hunter in this story. This story left me wanting more from both of these characters. I want to know more and I need to know what happens, who wins?

My review can be seen on YouTube, where it will be available on on Set, 25, 2020: https://youtu.be/t03g4PNR1yc , which offers a more in depth review.

I have enjoyed this book specially for all the rep and inclusivity you can find in the stories, you have black, latinX and Indian rep, you have LGTBI rep, chronically ill rep and different body types rep amongst others. That's why I have loved the concept of this book so much!

I love a good vampire story sometimes, and this book has plenty to choose from! As you can see from the author line-up, this anthology is on point. And the stories definitely delivered! They're incredibly diverse, fresh takes on the sub-genre, and they're all pretty fabulously thought provoking. I also loved an extra special detail where the editors put a little background/note after each story. Often historical in nature, I found them to be a great way to tie the stories together while giving the reader some extra information (something I always love)!

I am not breaking down each story (because I don't feel like it, if I am being honest) but I will say that there weren't any that I actively didn't like. Plus, I think they were all a good length- sometimes in anthologies, the stories feel either too long, or not long enough to get a feel for them, but I didn't find that to be the case here.

Bottom Line: A fast, fun take on the vampire genre to remind us that vampires are not, in fact, dead. And they're more diverse than ever!

From Goodreads: I received a free ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review. There were a few stories that I really enjoyed and two I loved. I have always been a fan of vampires so I expected to really love Vampires NeverGet Old. However, the little discussions and facts at the end of each story soured the book for me in a few ways. It felt really preachy and forced. These stories were crazy diverse but when you have to spell out the diversity for your readers, it feels like you’re only including diversity for the sake of diversity, and not because you told an amazing story. The editor comments also spelled out a lot of the themes and symbolism, I guess for younger readers, but honestly, they’re pretty capable of doing that for themselves.

Vampires Never Get Old is a collection of eleven short stories by a diverse cast of famous YA authors. Like all anthologies, there were stories that I liked more than others. One of my favorites was
Mirrors, Windows & Selfies by Mark Oshiro. Unfortunately there were more that I found a bit boring and chessy for my taste. Maybe I'm not the right audience for this anthology but I'm sure a lot of people will love it.
3.5 stars
The Arc of this book was provided by Macmillan Children's Publishing Group via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review

Thanks to Macmillan and Netgalley for sending me an ARC of this to review! I haven’t really been into vampires since I read Twilight back in my high school days. Oh, and I took a vampire class in college. That was pretty cool. We looked at the evolution of the vampire in both literature and film, and I feel like this book would have fit right into that class! 

Usually, I’m not a huge fan of short story collections because I can’t really get too invested in any one character before jumping into another story. However, I’ve read two collections this year that have really surprised me: this one and A Phoenix First Must Burn. That one is outstanding too, if you are looking to check out some short stories!

My favorite story in this book was probably the one by Samira Ahmed, featuring an app and software for new vampires. It was hilarious, and I thought it was so clever. I also really enjoyed the story by Victoria V.E. Schwab and Mark Oshiro. These three were definitely standouts for me in comparison to the other stories.

But, you can’t really go wrong with any of the stories in here. I also enjoyed that the editors put information about vampire myths between each of the stories and included discussion questions after each. So not only are you completely entertained by the plethora of vampire stories, you get to learn some things too!

If you’re a fan of vampire stories, this is definitely a book you’ll want to add to your collection.

With fall colors on the tips of leaves, I was in the mood for some stories with spooky and autumn vibes. This collection is a pretty standard short story collection in terms of offerings - some stories landed with me a bit more than others. I thought VE Schwab's First Kill was particularly fantastic, and I liked that the collection overall diverse with BIPOC and LGBTQ characters in almost every single story. I'm not usually a vampire person, but this should be added to collections where short stories or these authors are popular.

Vampires Never Get Old does a good job at offering new takes on a genre that has been done to death,with excellent variations on the theme. The stories are ninety-nine percent engaging which is a very solid ratio for a short story collection and several of the stories, particularly those of Julie Murphy, Dhonielle Clayton, Victoria Schwab beg to be expanded on. Samira Ahmred's story also stands out as a a refreshing and charming take on vampire lore.

There were many stories in this, so it's hard to judge them individually, but the theme carried through many of them so well and maybe one or two didn't work as well for me as the rest but I ended up thoroughly enjoying the anthology and the short stories as well as the added information

This is a collection of short stories and as collections go, some of these stories were 5 stars and some were more around the 3 star range. I didn't hate any or actively disliked them but I did feel bored reading some of them. I think my favorites have to be Schwab's and Cordova's.

Modern vampires? Young adults? Favorite authors? What more could a teacher wanting to liven up her sci-fi unit want? Honestly, a bit more. I found many of the stories to be too drawn out without real sustenance. I wanted to live inside a world where vampires were real, and many of these stories just included vampires without the suspense or romance you feel through full length novels.

Vampires Never Get Old is an outstanding YA anthology collection where all the stories are vampire stories. Did you love Twilight or True Blood? This is for you. But also if you didn't like either of those pop culture phenomenons, there is still something for you if you like stories involving vampires. There are eleven stories by a diverse group of best-selling YA authors including Dhonielle Clayton, V.E. Schwab, Julie Murphy, Natalie C. Parker, Laura Ruby, Mark Osheiro, and more! This is sure to be a hit YA anthology. Be sure to check out Vampires Never Get Old just in time for Halloween!

Review posted on GoodReads (September 8, 2020)
Review Linked.

4/5 stars!

A huge thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Children's Publishing Group for sending me an E-ARC of this book for an honest review!

I have never really been a fan of anthologies because I like reading longer stories and I always get upset when I like a story and it ends sooner than I want it to (🙈), so I didn't really know what to expect going into this book. I did know, however, that this book is full of amazing authors that I adore and some authors I’ve been interested in reading, so I really wanted to pick up this book.

I really liked this book. The stories have a lot of diversity and representation and had such rich, beautiful, funny, and dark stories. I love how this book was so well put together, and I felt that each story was really well crafted. There were two stories that I didn't end up loving, but a majority of them turned out to be really entertaining. A lot of the stories that I read have stayed in my mind after reading them, and I keep finding myself wanting to go back and reread them.

If you love vampires and paranormal romance, then I really recommend picking up this fun anthology!

Thanks for reading!
Caden

Thank you to Macmiillan Children's Publishing Group and Netgalley for a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions expressed in this review are my own.

I have heard many good things about a lot of the authors in this anthology. Most, if not all, of these authors are new to me. Unfortunately, this wasn't the anthology for me. While the writing was fine I just couldn't get into the stories. While I would read all these authors again I most likely will not touch another vampire story.. at all... ever...

It's no secret that I adore my vampire stories, and this one was a great collection to add to my obsession! With good representation and stories of all kinds, I admired the authors' willingness to do something beyond the "1000 year old vampire falls for 17 year old girl". While some of the stories felt a bit stunted (no spoilers, I do think one should read the whole collection), others were ones I wish went on longer, or better yet, were a 400 page novel. Overall though, it was definitely a fun read and its one I'm going to keep recommending to people who cannot resist a good bite.

I tried really hard to like this anthology. I really did. It had all of the heart and dedication to be a great anthology. It just... fell short. A lot of these stories were fantastic, then they ended. They felt like unfinished chapters or proposals rather than full stories. Others of these stories just didn’t work for me. Some of the stories were trying so hard to be great that they came off as cheesy and contrived. Some of them were trying to appeal to teens so much that they were using so much crass language that I skipped whole sections of it. I appreciated the different formats to some of the stories, like blog posting and such. I did appreciate the representation for different cultures that this anthology provided. I LOVE LOVE LOVE that Own Voice stories are becoming more and more popular and the line up of authors for this book really made that shine. There are a lot of positives to this anthology: sex positive stories, varied and non-shaming of many gender identities, vary open and accepting to differences. So many things that people are judged for or held in contempt with in current society is taken and accepted in some form in this anthology.

I had such high hopes for this anthology, based on how fantastic the authors and editors are and how “in style” vampire stories are right now, but for me, it just fell a bit flat.

Thank you so much, Macmillan Children's Publishing Group, for the chance to read and review this book!

Vampires never get old is a wonderful collection of short stories and I really loved reading how each author talked about lore and traditions surrounding vampires, from how they are turned, how they feed, how they are born, romance, influence, attraction and so on. It was really empowering reading such diverse characters and vampires and the rep is absolutely fantastic. We have Latinx, Native, Black, fat, queer, disabled vampires with their stories and strength, families, love, pain, in a intense mix of stories and unforgettable characters.


Seven nights for dying by Tessa Gratton

In the first story the author tackles the issue of how a vampire is born, because there are many stories and rules and they change from story to story, from lore to lore. Being bitten, drinking vampire blood, but there's alway a transformation from living to undead. In Seven nights for dying our heroine is given a choice and she has seven nights to ponder what to do and what to choose. It's a very interesting story, with a bi or pan representation, tackling issues like grief, loss and moving on. Amazing the introduction of Henry, a trans boy character, a very young vampire.


Mirrors, windows and selfies by Mark Oshiro

TW: blood, death, murder

This may be one of my favourite story. Cisco is a peculiar vampire, because he's the son of two vampires and he shouldn't exist. Confined at home, forced to follow rules and rules, his only escape is a blog where he writes about his situation and loneliness. I found really heartbreaking and, weirdly I had to say, relatable, his loneliness and his need to discover more about himself and even about how he looks, since he never saw himself. Mirrors, windows and selfies is about loneliness, finding the strenght to be free and be indipendent, to look for answers and discover oneself. Interesting reading about the traditions surrounding the mirrors and how they are surrounded by superstition and lore.


The house of black sapphire by Dhonielle Clayton

TW: slavery mentioned

In this story the MC Bea is a vampire forced to move from her home, when people start whispering about her and her family being vampires. Moving in a new place, full of mysteries she's eager to discover and truths to uncover, to find love and her own home, The house of black sapphire introduces interesting and captivating characters, like the Shadow Barons and the Eternal women. I really liked reading about these fierce and powerful Black women and their interesting story. Captivating and curious the issues of the house, how the author reimagined the coffin as an house bonded to vampires and how it burns and regenerates in a different place to protect them. Bea is a strong character, eager to see the world and be indipendent.


The boys from Blood River by Rebecca Roanhorse

TW: bullism, death, murder, loss

This story is another of my favourite in this collection and it's deliciously creepy and atmospheric, set in a small town known after a massacre. Lukas, the MC, is a young teenager, dealing with his mother's sickness, bullies and his need to get out, to be in another place, to be free and not the loser of the city. Fascinating is the legend of the song and the boys from Blood river. This story is so captivating, chilling and I loved everything about it.


Senior Year sucks by Julie Murphy

I absolutely loved reading this story. It's so rare to read a story or a book where a character is fat- positive and so sure of him/her/theirselves. It was really empowering reading about the MC character, Jolene, with her strenght, confidence and power. It was very inspiring.
Jolene is the captain of the cheerleader squad and she's a vampire slayer. She not the canonically vampire slayer. Usually they are white, muscled and able bodied, but Jolene is another kind of vampire slayer, more relatable and realistic. It was really empowering reading about her, her strength and determination. Her meeting Alma was both funny and intense and I liked reading their interaction and the tension between them. This story left me wanting more about them.


The boy and the bell by Heidi Heiling

TW: misgendering

I loved this short story so much. It's creepy and chilling and it's set in a cemetery. Will is a young man, a body snatcher and he aims to be a doctor, to study. He's interested in saving lives, in learning anatomy, but the body he founds it's not exactly dead. It was so interesting reading about a transgendered MC and his passion and curiosity about medicine, anatomy, how bodies work and how to save lives. Captivating the observations about the superstitions about how to ensure someone didn't become a vampire in the grave, like burying someone facedown or decapitating the body or, in the Victorian age, with a bell and a breating tube so if the person was buried alive he/she/they could ask for help.


In kind by Kayla Whaley

TW: caregiver abuse, attempted murder, ableism


In this story Grace, who has a degenerative neuromuscolar disease is almost killed by her own father and saved by Seanan, who turns her into a vampire. This story is very interesting and peculiar, mixed with newspapers' articles about her “death”. The reader saw Grace's anger towards his father, who was convinced that killing her would have been a merciful thing, without considering what life meant to Grace. Interesting is the fact that, even turned, her vampirism didn't cure her disease, considering how disabilities and chronic illnessess are part of people's identities. So, even though she's stronger and her senses are better, her body is still her body. She didn't lose herself. I really loved the way she remains in her wheelchair, herself, in her body, even though she's a vampire. She didn't want to be fixed, her life meant something for her and it's so important that she still was true to herself even as undead, showing the mercy others didn't show to her.


A guidebook for the newly sired desi vampire by Samira Ahmed

TW: MC forcibly turned, colonialism, racism

This short story is one of the most funny and important of the collection. It's a guidebook for vampires, imagining a system in place in India for people turned into vampires and this one is for someone who was turned against their will by a British tourist. It's full of unapologetic jokes and puns, teaching the new vampire all about being an undead, what to eat, what will change, slowly easing her/him/their into this new reality. Impressive and strong is the attack against colonialism, against tourists making fun of their foods and words and taking advantage of people. I loved reading this unapologetic attack against colonizers and how they feel entitled to do certain things. This guidebook is funny, supportive, full of references to the Indian culture and it was really interesting reading it.


Bestiary by Laura Ruby

TW: abusive parents, MC changed against her will, murder (mentioned)

I liked reading this story and the observation about animals and vampires, how in the lore vampires are able to transform themselves in bats, or dogs, wolves, fog and so on. The main character, Jude, was turned against her will and now, even though she feels lonely, angry and isolated, she found her place with the animals in the zoo she is now able to understand and care for. Interesting the way she, as vampire, is connected to the animals and she wants to protect them, while navigating the world.


Vampires Never Say Die by Zoraida Córdova & Natalie C. Parker


I really liked reading this story. Brittany is a vampire who, one day, decided to join Instagram to reconnect with things she lost, a place where she can be whomever and whatever she wants to, not a vampire premier in New York with the rules and laws. There she meets and befriends the young Theo. I loved their friendship and connection, how they became closer. In this story I loved the way Brittany chooses to turn women like her, women who were told they were weak and unworthy, women hungry for the world and how she battles against people, men, who feel entitled to do harm. Interesting is the observation about the vampire's power of influence people and how in this story Theo and Brittany think about the kind of influence they have on both human and vampire world.


First kill by Victoria “V.E.” Schwab

I absolutely loved this short story! Juliette is a vampire and she was born this way, she wasn't turned by anyone and she has this cute crush for Calliope, the new girl at her high school. As Juliette, Calliope has secrets, too, because she and her family are hunters. In a game of prey and hunter, First kill is a wonderful story with LGBTQIA+ rep, with two intense characters pining for one other and at the same time in very complex situation of duty, family and first kill. First kills for both of them.

My favorite stories:
Mirrors, Windows and Selfies: Mark Oshiro
First Kill: Victoria “V.E.” Schwab
In Kind: Kayla Whaley
This was a fun collection of stories that diversify the idea of vampires. I like the queer themes and romances and the inclusion of diverse body types. Most of the stories left me wanting to read more. I think most of the authors agreed to leave the stories with an open ending letting the readers to interpret the end, which was fine, but sometimes I wanted a definite end. This anthology let me discover new authors that I’ll hopefully read in the future.

This was great fun. I didn't love all of the stories (I thought Victoria Schwab's final story was the weakest link, though still fun), but I loved most of them--probably more than in any anthology I've read in a long time. And with a roster of authors like this has, it's little wonder. The stories vary wildly in terms of what 'vampire' even means in each of their worlds, but many deal with deep questions about belonging, trauma, sexuality, and consent (and/or the lack thereof in a traditional vamping scenario). None are heavy-handed or didactic, and most were, as I've said, a delight. I didn't love the interstitial editorial comments and reader-questions after each story, but they were so brief (and clearly not aimed at me, as an older-adult reader). Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC, but I'm going to have to go buy a copy now, I enjoyed it that much.

I loved these stories. I very much enjoyed the twists of the typical Gothic written elements that came through in each story. I felt all of the stories were in some were easy to relate too, and even though I would not adopt this into my curriculum, I would recommend this to any student to read on their own time