Jessica's Guide to Dating on the Dark Side Review

Jessica's Guide to Dating on the Dark Side

Beth Fantaskey

Harcourt

February 1st 2009

Summary:

The undead can really screw up your senior year ...

Marrying a vampire definitely doesn’t fit into Jessica Packwood’s senior year “get-a-life” plan. But then a bizarre (and incredibly hot) new exchange student named Lucius Vladescu shows up, claiming that Jessica is a Romanian vampire princess by birth—and he’s her long-lost fiancé. Armed with newfound confidence and a copy of Growing Up Undead: A Teen Vampire’s Guide to Dating, Health, and Emotions, Jessica makes a dramatic transition from average American teenager to glam European vampire princess. But when a devious cheerleader sets her sights on Lucius, Jess finds herself fighting to win back her wayward prince, stop a global vampire war—and save Lucius’s soul from eternal destruction.

Review:

Based on the titles of this book I didn't know what to expect, the title is a bit cheesy. But in the end I ended up loving Jessica's Guide to Dating on the Dark Side. It was a fresh and exciting take on vampires that I have never encountered in a vampire book before. This book will definitely rest in my top vampire books, and it for sure at the top of that list for most interesting and unique take on them.

I think that Jessica handled her situation of finding out that she is a vampire princess who is betrothed to a super hot vampire prince destined to bring both of their clans together to prevent a war pretty well. That's a lot to take in, sure she has hesitant to the concept when she first heard it but she got used to it very well. Also I liked how Beth Fantaskey described her appearance, she's not gorgeous, she gets made fun of, and she's a solid size ten. She's a more realistic character.

At first Lucius comes out to be very arrogant, but I really loved it mixed with his humour it make his personality very attractive on top of his looks. In the beginning he was all for getting married to Jessica even though she didn't want to, but as the story progressed and Jessica took over his role and he hers I found both of their change of heart to be annoying. This didn't affect my overall enjoyment of the book, but it wasn't to my liking. I also found this book to follow the same basic plot line as Beth Fantaskey's other book, Jekel Loved Hyde (really enjoyed that book as well). I really hope that Jessica Rules the Dark Side follows a more original plot line.

This book is definitely for people who are sick of your typical vampire book and are looking for something within the same genre that is new and fresh. Girls will find Lucius a hot, dark guy with a Romanian accent  and impeccable manners to be be very appealing. Beth Fantaskey has created a cute yet dark and heart wrenching tale in Jessica's Guide to Dating on the Dark Side, readers will be looking for more and receiving it in Jessica Rules the Dark Side, the sequel.