Jane Jones: Worst. Vampire. Ever. by Caissie St. Onge

photo by Tony Maden

Looking for a fun read for the beach, a plane trip, or just a weekend of R&R? I recommend Jane Jones: Worst. Vampire. Ever. by Caissie St. Onge. And although this is a work of Young Adult (YA) fiction, it appeals to a much wider audience (well, it appealed to me!)

I don’t usually start by saying what something isn’t, but in fairness to you I feel I should do that. This isn’t a proper book review. If you’d like a proper review with a summary and critique of the writing, a Google search will supply several good ones. This is just little old me and my response to the book.

“Um, I have English. AP. AP English.” Like I needed to be that specific, making sure he knew that I wasn’t going to be in just any English class, but Advanced Placement English class. I’m sure the more I spoke, the more he was dazzled by exactly how advanced my English skills were. Or not.

Jane Jones may be a blood intolerant teen vampire, but she’s also funny, smart, and humble. And unlike the main character in another popular vampire series, Jane’s slightly bumbling quality is endearing, not irritating or over dramatized. In other words, you wouldn’t mind having her for a friend. Well, expect for that whole vampire thing. But she feeds on a special type of store-bought blood, that doesn’t give her an allergic reaction so no need to fear her.

Admittedly, I haven’t read a lot of YA fiction. My daughter (a former AP English student herself) has recommended a few things from time to time, and I’ve read what she’s suggested. But apart from sensations like Twilight and Vampire Diaries (seeing a theme here?) she doesn’t read a lot of YA herself. So why did I read this one? Well very simply, I like the author even though the only other writing of hers I’ve read are her tweets and her blog. We follow each other on twitter and chat a little from time to time. I knew Caissie was a writer for television and that she has a great sense of humor and a real ability to connect with people. So when she shared that her first book, a work of YA fiction was being published, I rushed to preorder a copy. I bought it figuring it’d be a gift for my daughter; some light summer reading to enjoy before she heads to college in the fall. And maybe somewhere along the way I’d read it myself. But my daughter hadn’t started it yet and when I was looking for my next read, I saw its fun pink cover on the shelf and nabbed it.

I’m not sure what I expected, and maybe that’s one reason I enjoyed it so much. The story was more complex than I first thought it might be, with a good back story and enough surprises to make it interesting without being confusing. The characters were easy to imagine in the situations they were placed in, and I really liked the relationship between Jane and her brother Zach. It called to mind one of the things I liked about that other popular vampire series: the strength of family bonds. That gives some substance to the story, beyond Jane’s own set of challenges.

There are characters (like teen boy vampire Timothy) I’d like to have learned more about and situations I’d like to have seen taken further. But when I pause to think that through, that’s complexity for an adult novel. I think what’s included here is just right for the audience and the story.

So again, if you’re looking for a fun read for your favorite youth, pick up a copy of Caissie St. Onge’s Jane Jones: Worst. Vampire. Ever. And read it yourself before you give it to that kiddo!