This is a fun anthology! It has lots of different types of vampire stories with different mythologies. It has vampire characters that are Black, Latinx, Desi, Native, queer, trans, and wheelchair-bound. I really enjoyed it! Some of these stories made me want whole books set in their world, particularly "The House of Black Sapphires" by Dhonielle Clayton.

CW: blood, violence, death, homophobia, ableism, transphobia, racism, child abuse, possible grooming in the Parker/Cordova story, minor/adult sex in Gratton's story

Note: the bigotry mentioned in the cw is challenged within the stories. The minor/adult sex between a 17 yo and a man in his 20s or 30s is not challenged in Gratton's story. I said possible grooming in the Parker/Cordova story because the character was 15 when she first started talking to the vampire that was turned as an older teen, though that relationship seems more sisterly than sapphic? A bit unclear.

First of all, thank you so much to Fierce reads for sending me an eARC of this!

I definitely think there need to be more anthologies, because this was a quick read, and so fun to jump from story to story! I obviously can't jsut rate this based as a whole, so I'll go through each short story and chat a bit about them!

SEVEN NIGHTS FOR DYING by Tessa Graton: ⭐⭐⭐
This was definitely a more contemporary-feeling short story, and overall, it just wasn't quite what I was looking for. She's a young, trans artist and gets the offer of a lifetime (literally), so I loved the reprsentation, but the story and writing didn't wow me.

THE BOY FROM BLOOD RIVER by Rebecca Roanhorse: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
First of, I'm so glad they asked her to be a part of this! Other than the certain YA vamp series that shall not be named, there is almost NO Native representation, or queer at that. This was a spooky story about a song that brings a group of vampires whenever they hear their songs, they come. It was a bit strange to see cowboy vampires, but I can roll with it!

SENIOR YEAR SUCKS by Julie Murphy: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Fat, queer vampire slayer. Need I say more? IT had a bit of a Buffy vibe going for it, and I really loved the writing style! The story was super unique, and I honestly want more of this one! Can we get a full book?

THE BOY AND THE BELL by Heidi Heilig: ⭐⭐
I feel like I'm still confused about this one? I'm really not sure. I think a problem with Vampire books and short stories is that authors try to be as vague as humanly possible to give them this shroud of mysteriousness, but it didn't work for me in this one. If I remember correctly, the MC is trans, so at least good representation.

A GUIDEBOOK FOR THE NEWLY SIRED DESI VAMPIRE by Samira Ahmed: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Uhm, arguably one of my favorite short stories EVER! This was such a new, beautiful approach to vamps, and I loved not only the characters, but the representation, as well as showing how vampires adapt to modern technology. Even if you don't want to read the book, definitely at least read this one!

IN KIND by Kayla Whaley: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
The representation and story in this one are AMAZING! Her father killed her because he thought she was suffering, but she was instead turned into a vampire. This story was definitely one of my favorites, not to mention there's a bit of revenge in there!

VAMPIRES NEVER SAY DIE by Zoraida Cordova and NAtalie C. Parker: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
YOOOOOOOOOO this one was SO GOOD! I loved the central theme around vampire and social media, and I really enjoyed the somewhat sweet ocnnection between the two MCs. The representation is there, but it blends into the story so well, and just YES.

BESTIARY by Laura Ruby:⭐⭐⭐⭐
I've seen some people say they were confused, but nothing ocnfused me about this one! I absolutely loved the MC, I loved the setting. A zoo with a vampire MC who can talk and understand animals? She's goth but actually caring? And there's a serious water shortage??? I want this as a full book, too!!!!

MIRRORS, WINDOWS & SELFIES by Mark Oshiro: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
I like the idea and the MC who is basically writing a blog on tumblr about being a vmapire and being stuck inside. As the story progresses and he takesm ore and more chances, his online fans are rooting him on. I love the idea, but I will say the ending was kind of weird? Not sure, but I'm intrigued!

THE HOUSE OF BLACK SAPPHIRES by Dhonielle Clayton: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
This one I almost gave up on, but I really liked the second half! This honestly felt like the New Orleans vampire story we need. I'm not naming any names, but this one really hit it home for me. Plus, I am INTRIGUED.

FIRST KILL by Victoria "V.E." Schwab: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Are you surprised I loved this??? No? Yeah, you shouldn't be. I went in for the representation, but I came out with a desperate need for V.E. Schwab to FINISH THIS STORY. Like, PLEASE, vampire and vampire slayer kiss, queer romance, a chase? Enemies to lvoers, anyone??? GIVE IT TO ME, PLEASE. Anyways, yeah, I liked it. What am I kidding?? I freaking LOVED IT.

Alright, I think that's all of them??? I really should have written these down as I was reading them, because this review took me FOREVER to write! Overall, I would recommend the book, but there were a few that were pretty meh. Y'all, we don't need so much vagueness and mystery! Vampires are creepy on their own.

I can't make myself give this anthology 5 stars, much as some of the stories make me want to, but that doesn't mean that I didn't love this book. It's full of queer and diverse bodies. It might sound a little ridiculous, but seeing so much representation made me tear up. My favorite stories were Mirrors, Windows & selfies by Mark Oshiro, Bestiary by Laura Ruby, and First Kill by V.E. Schwab. Some of the stories fell a little flat for me, but that's to be expected in an anthology.
Overall, I think Vampires Never Get Old is an incredible anthology that brings some much needed diversity to the vampire universe. While some of the stories aren't groundbreaking, seeing brown and black bodies, able and disable bodies, and queer folks in those situations is, and I think it's important that we're able to read it.

What a wonderful collection of vampire stories! There’s diversity, POC, Queer, romance, action, and above all, the undead. I absolutely adored how varied the stories were from each other. Some were about romance, some about tradition, some about living, but all of them revolve around the theme of vampires. I really did enjoy reading every single short story and loved the little section after the story that talks about what each story is about and raises a question for you. Each story creates it’s own atmosphere and yet still connects to the overall theme of the undead.My favorite part about this collection though was the diverse selection of people of color and LGBTQ+! This was seriously a delightful collection of stories, and I would highly recommend it for anyone who loves reading about vampires!

*Thank you Netgalley and Macmillan Children's Publishing Group for sending me an arc in exchange for an honest review*

This collection was so much fun to read. I’m not well-versed in vampire lore, as it’s not a genre I read, but I found it to be a rather diverse collection of stories and I’m sure fans will find something satisfying within. The editors did a fantastic job of assembling a great group of authors for this anthology. There are several stories in this collection I would love to see turned into a novel or a show. I really loved reading about the modern vampire on the internet, using Instagram, downloading the vampire support app.

Samira Ahmed’s “A Guidebook for the Newly Sired Desi Vampire” was one of my favorites, and was so vivid (and funny) in my mind. Maybe it’s because I’m just coming off having watched “Never Have I Ever,” but I can so clearly picture it as a comedy with an older teenage vampire and their accepting parents who nevertheless still have high expectations for their son or daughter (“Beta, when are you going to get married?” plus all the immortal vampire “aunties” desperate to arrange a marriage). More, please!

Bestiary by Laura Ruby was also one I liked and that appealed to my lifelong fantasy about becoming best friends with wild animals, talking to them and frolicking together, the only aspect of Disney princesses that I was on board with as a kid. (And unfortunately, a fantasy I passed down to my kid - it’s tough breaking the news that wild animals do not want to be best friends with you, not even if you helped them through a very complicated problem.) Don’t get me wrong - this is not a Disney princess vampire story. Jude is way more bad-ass than that and the animals are more likely to eat you than flit harmlessly about your head. At any rate, I could do with a whole novel about this character.

It's hard to give an overall ranking to an anthology of short stories. Some of them were great, some of them felt a little flat. Overall, I think that I was wanting something a little darker for my vampire stories, but this was a fun read anyway.

In this delicious new collection, you’ll find stories about lurking vampires of social media, rebellious vampires hungry for more than just blood, eager vampires coming out―and going out for their first kill―and other bold, breathtaking, dangerous, dreamy, eerie, iconic, powerful creatures of the night.

Welcome to the evolution of the vampire―and a revolution on the page.- goodreads

Firstly, thank you to Hear Our Voice Book Tour for one existing and two for selecting me for this book tour. As one of my most anticipated reads for the year, I was too happy to get a hold of this book.

There are a total of 11 short stories in this book and let me tell you. . The House of Black Sapphires by Dhonielle Clayton ruined my life in a good way. This short story was a whole ass first two chapters to at least a 40 chapter book. It was so freaking amazing. The character detail was unexpected because it was a short story.  As a reader, I was able to become invested in her characters in a fairly short amount of time.

The world building was not only descriptive but it was unique, creative and dripping in history.

*happy sigh* I loved that story and really hope Clayton extends it into a full novel.

The Boys From Blood River by Rebecca Roanhorse was my next favorite read of this collection. Everything about it gave you a promise that you was about to fall in love with the wrong one, love it, hate it, try to change it and then remember why you love it. Although this one felt like a short story, it has the power to become something bigger and as this is the first thing I have read from Roanhorse, I immediately looked up her other books to read. 

Just like Clayton's book, it is dripping in history. It plays upon the small town , which you know has a whole lot of secrets. I liked that this book was able to pull me in with song and with dreamy eyes. 

In Kind by Kayla Whaley was the most unexpected read out of this entire series. The main character is disabled and something fierce. What happened to her is what took me back. TW by the way. I wasn't expecting a story to be so real and real in the sense that the only thing making it fantasy is the main character happens to become a vampire. I was feeling all types of feelings with this read. 

These three stories were my top three (clearly I was completely in love with the first one but yeah). The remaining stories were good but they didn't hold my attention was much as I would have wanted nor did they have the depth that these other stories were able to demonstrate.  When I think of vampires, even teenage vampires, I think of history, a mix of a good time and internal angst, and trouble. 

I wanted more darkness out of some of these stories. And all three of my favorites delivered on that. 

Overall, I am happy I read this book as it introduced me to a lot of authors I have never read before. 

3 Pickles

Thank you to Netgalley for giving me this in exchange for an honest review! Ok, so, really this is a 4.5 stars but I rounded up because I just love what this collection does SO MUCH. The stories are genius and such a fresh and lovely take on vampires. I’m not even someone who reads vampire stories THAT often, but these really sucked me in and made me love them. Holy shit. I want to call out the stories “Mirrors, Windows, & Selfies” as well as “A Guidebook for the Newly Sired Desi Vampire” and “In Kind” for being so particularly ENTHRALLING. Honestly, all of these stories were (with one exception, but I’ll get to that in a second).
Another thing I wanted to bring up was the little discussion questions in between each story, essentially going over what each one wanted to accomplish. That was AMAZING. I wish more short story collections did that, because it really helped me to reconsider the stories I was reading in a different light, and it was fascinating to think of them again with those questions in mind. (Not to mention the representation in each story individually, and the causal steering away from the idea that vampires MUST BE pasty white people. Love that shit!!)
My only gripe, and the reason this is 4.5 instead of a full 5 stars, is the transphobia displayed by a character in “The Boy And The Bell.” I get that the character being transphobic isn’t like.... A Very Good Person At All, and I’m not transgender myself so it isn’t for me to decide what is or isn’t good representation, but it seemed to me like there were better ways to get across that a character in the Victorian era is trans without having someone vehemently insist that they aren’t the gender that they identify as, ya know what I mean? Other than that story though, the queer, POC, disability rep is FANTASTIC and it really makes me excited for more stories like this in the future.

I was given an ARC of this book in return for an honest review courtesy of Imprint and HearourVoicesTours

Vampires Never Get Old is a wonderful anthology book filled to the brim with LGBTQ+ and BIPOC representation! If you too have been getting sick of CIS European vampires than this book is for you!
All anthologies have stories you’ll love and some you’ll just read. I didn’t find myself disliking any of the stories, but three stuck out to me as my favorites.

The Boys from Blood River by Rebecca Roanhorse
- An indigenous loner boy seeks companionship in a group of mysterious strangers.

The Boy and the Bell by Heidi Heilig
- A Trans body-snatcher gets a surprise when he finds the occupant of a grave is awake.

In Kind by Kayla Whaley
- A physically disabled girl seeks revenge on her father for her murder.

The varying writing styles and formats was very satisfying as I never felt myself get bored reading it. There’s texts, newspaper articles, and self help websites.

I very much enjoyed that after each chapter there was a sort of reflection to help you understand the mythology behind the stories and ask poignant questions.

I loved this book and can’t wait until it releases and everyone can read it.

This was okay. The stories were entertaining but kind of flat. Most of them didn't seem to have a point and didn't offer anything new to the vampire canon.

Hello Gemmies! I have a new book review to share with you today. Please note: I received a digital ARC of this book (via NetGalley) from its publisher in exchange for an honest and fair review.

Vampires Never Get Old is a fresh new anthology edited by Zoraida Cordova and Natalie C. Parker that includes eleven original stories by some of today's most exciting YA authors. This is the Vampire Anthology I didn't know I needed! Every story is special in its own way, and there wasn't a bad one in the bunch. I found myself, laughing, crying, pumping my fists in solidarity, and covering my eyes. This was a diverse suck fest...but in a good way! We have racial diversity, plus Queer, Trans, LGBTQ, and Disabled representation. This collection is really something special.

As I read Vampires Never Get Old...which I devoured in a day, I was reminded how much I miss Vampires. But more than that, I discovered that I was starving for a different take on this beloved literary monster. Yes, I love vampires, but I didn't want to read yet another story where a charismatic old white vampire lusts after a young white woman. Vampires Never Get Old delivered more than I expected. I could see myself in these stories with Latinx vampires and fluffy girl slayers! Each tale was incredibly well written with detailed world building and relatable characters that had me invested in their plight. I was so sad whenever they ended. Really, any could be turned into a full length novel. But there is one in particular that I would love to see turned into a series and that is The House of Black Sapphires by Dhonielle Clayton. My God this story is beautiful! The characters, the costumes, the world, the intrigue...I need more immediately!! Also noteworthy and worth a full length novel is The Boys from Blood River by Rebecca Roanhorse. This story was dark, intriguing, and creepy! This was probably the scariest tale out of all of them to me. I don't want to give any spoilers on any of the gems as one of the magical things about reading this anthology was being surprised as each story unfolded.

If you love the Vampire genre and want a different take on the blood sucking trope then this book is a must for you. Published by Macmillon Children's Publishing Group| Imprint, Vampires Never Get Old is set to release on September 22, 2020, and is available for pre-order from all major booksellers. I give Vampires Never Get Old 5 out of 5 gems. I enjoyed taking a bite out of this collection and hope to read more diverse anthologies like this in the future. Happy Reading!

Really enjoyable. Each story was unique and different. Just like with any other anthology, some were great and some were average. I would still recommend.

I thought this was a nice anthology but for me it fell a little short. I was expecting more from this collection based on the excellent selection of authors involved in this work. It was a good, quick read, but not my favorite.

Enjoyable, but I didn't feel there was anything outstanding about most of the stories. My favorites were by Mark Oshiro & Dhonielle Clayton (which just solidifies my interest in their novels).

I received this as an early review copy from NetGalley and Imprint. All opinions are my own.

*Thank you Macmillan Children’s Publishing Group for the eARC from Netgalley.

*Vampires Never Get Old anthology review:
Overall, I would give this anthology a 3 / 5 star rating. I expected a little more from this anthology. It was okay overall, but not a new favorite collection.

Here is each individual review:

Seven Nights for Dying by Tessa Gratton
1.5 / 5 stars

This one had some good messages, but it fell flat for me. I thought it was interesting how the author chose a vampire who looks to be in his late twenties or early thirties and he is turning / having a relationship with a teen. Often vampire stories glorify a relationship with someone who is centuries old with someone young and naive. I like how the author shows the age difference in appearance as well unlike how some authors choose to present vampires. The reader truly feels the experience versus innocence with this one despite the MC being given a choice over several nights. However, I did not care for the writing in this story. I feel like scenes are rushed even for a short story, and the writing jumps around a lot which makes it very hard to focus. I was bored with this one.

Mirrors, Windows & Selfies by Mark Oshiro
3.5 / 5 stars

I really enjoyed the blog format of this story. The idea of a vampire blogger is very creative. I appreciate how it is unknown if the story is real or if it is all a fictional story like most of the people leaving comments believe. I will say that this story had potential for a great twist and I’m sad that it did not take that opportunity.

The House of Black Sapphires by Dhonielle Clayton
3 / 5 stars

I wish the author would have further touched on the origin of her vampires in this story, because it was very interesting. This short story shows Black girl magic and strength. This story was pretty atmospheric and vivid with detail, but I would have liked more explanation at times. I thought the ending was a bit abrupt as well. It was okay, I enjoyed some elements, but it was still uneventful.

The Boys From Blood River by Rebecca Roanhorse

4 / 5 stars

This one was dark and intriguing. The idea of a song being used to summon a vampire boy group is very interesting. It was even a little spooky at times. I wish the story was a bit longer though. I wouldn’t mind reading more of this story and learning how the Blood River Boys formed. I like how this goes in a more sinister direction with the idea that some would consider sacrificing something close to them in order to obtain their own desire. This does a dark twist with the problem Lukas faces and it was interesting to read about his reaction to everything.

Senior Year Sucks by Julie Murphy
Dnfed

This was so bad that I couldn’t even get through it. Some of the wordings / inclusions seemed pretty off. I felt uncomfortable as I tried to read this. It also seems like this is making fun of people who live in the south... are all of her works like this? The only thing that I read that I liked was that the MC presented an image of positive body representation. I like the idea of cheerleaders who are not insanely skinny. Give us some plus size rep. Overall this was not for me.

The Boy and the Bell by Heidi Heilig
4 / 5 stars

I really enjoyed this one. I love how the author takes the history of the bells that were placed over burial plots due to people being buried alive at times. I have always found this part of history to be both interesting and creepy. The MC was very interesting and I liked how the author used them in the situation they faced. The author clearly shows that vampirism is a parasite with her inclusion of vampires who display a hunger for their own desires. The inclusion of privilege is shown with the contrast of the two characters. This story also had a bit of creepy feel to it because of the setting and atmosphere. I probably would have rated this a bit higher if we just got a little more of the story. I feel like it could have been a bit longer, regardless of it being a short story.

In Kind by Kayla Whaley
3.5 / 5 stars

I liked the discussion that this story brings forth. This story includes the subject of “mercy killing.” We see a father admit to killing his own daughter, yet he is not condemned for the act due to her being handicapped and dependent on his care. It’s horrible to think that a parent could do this to their own child; it was especially awful to see their neighbors support the father and not see this as the horrendous crime it in. Yet this story shows multiple perspectives and raises the question in the community of if the father was the criminal or if his daughter is due to her inability to care for herself so therefore her father had to care for her. The daughter is saved by a vampire and changed, yet she is still unable to walk. I appreciate now vampirism is not a “cure all” in this story. I like how the author incorporates news clips and then shows the daughters perspective on the matter. I like the way the story ended as well. This story brings forth good discussion over this topic.

A Guidebook for the Newly Sired Desi Vampire by Samira Ahmed
1.25 / 5 stars

Overall, this one was boring to me. It is set up as a guidebook for new vamps. Honestly, I just kind of read through this quickly to get through it. I like how it debunks some vampire stereotypes, but there wasn’t anything attention grabbing about this. I much prefer to read an actual story that includes vampirism, especially for a short story in an anthology. I wouldn’t mind something like this within a novel, but as a stand-alone thing it’s just disappointing. I do like how identity is not taken away with these vampires. (The color of skin does not pale.) The guide also mentions staying with your family and keeping your life how it was. I do really like this, because just because one is now a vampire, it doesn’t mean a new identity must be given to the individual.

Bestiary by Laura Ruby
1.5 / 5 stars

I get that this is trying to comment on the definition of “beasts” and all, but overall this was still boring to me. This was a little confusing at times at well. However, a futuristic world with a lack of water accessibility is interesting. Also I liked the idea of the MC being about to communicate with animals.

Vampires Never Say Die by Zoraida Córdova and Natalie C. Parker
3 / 5 stars

I think how loneliness in relation to vampirism is explored in this short story. This story makes it more modern with the connection through social media. Social media makes it easy for people to connect, yet you still can still have uncertainty with those you connect with and do not know in real life. I like how filters are used which leads to commentary of the filtered lense we often depict to others.

First Kill by Victoria “V. E.” Schwab
4.5 / 5 stars

I loved the concept for this one. I think the way that Schwab actively shows the lifestyle of both girls really helped make the ending more impactful. I really like how this was structured. The ending was great!

I highly enjoyed this collection of stories by various authors and the commentary after each one. People in the book community have been a little cynical about vampires being overdone, but the collection holds true to its pun-y name. These stories are fresh, inclusive, and suck you in (no pun intended) so quickly, you’ll want more/be a little disappointed when the stories end.

Well-written stories that will appeal to teens of all ages. There is truly something for every teen in the pages of this book.

This is a solid short story collection of YA vampire stories. It should do well with teens who have an interest in general horror (not to mention an interest specifically in vampires). The editors did a great job of curating different stories and the authors are all strong, notable writers, so this book should do well amongst short story collections.

My only real criticism is that I found the editorials following each story to be distracting and too light-hearted in tone compared to the stories themselves. They disrupted the flow and tone of the collection as a whole. I think it would be better to have had one condensed editorial as an introduction, or as a summary, to the entire book. The stories truly did not need editorials - they stand quite well on their own, without explanations and certainly without the distractions of the explanations.

Thank you for allowing me to read an advance copy in exchange for review!

Ready to get back into vampires now that they're publishing's darling again? This is the perfect place to start. A really fun collection of short stories about vampires, from modern slayers torn over staking or making out with the vampire riding home from the game next to them on the bus to resurrection men discovering vampires in graves and other reimaginings of vampire lore. I particularly enjoyed The House of Black Sapphires by Dhonielle Clayton, Senior Year Sucks by Julie Murphy, The Boy and the Bell by Heidi Heilig, In Kind by Kayla Whaley, Vampires Never Say Die by Zoraida Cordova and Natalie C. Parker, and First Kill by V. E. Swab. A lot to like here in a great sampling of vampire tales from some of today's best YA authors.

Who doesn't love a good vampire story? And this is a star-studded group of writers, all of whom delivered in this one!