Saturday, June 11, 2022

Jo Simmons - The Reluctant Vampire Queen


Jo Simmons - The Reluctant Vampire Queen 

4 ⭐

Genre: YA, Fiction, Fantasy, Contemporary Fiction 

Pages: 352

Format: Paperback Proof Copy 

Publisher: Hot Key Books 

Date Published: 7th July 2022 

 

Huge thank you to Hot Key Books for sending me a copy of this book to read and review! 


Book Blurb: 

Meet Mo Merrydrew - independent young woman, Mini Battenberg fan, president of the debating society - and reluctant vampire queen ...

Fifteen-year-old Mo Merrydrew isn't exactly expecting to be asked to be Vampire Queen of Great Britain when she's cycling home from school one wet Tuesday evening. Apparently, she is 'the Chosen One'. Aside from being uncomfortable with the idea of unelected power (not very democratic), there's the blood-drinking to consider (Mo is a vegetarian), and frankly, it's just not really the sort of role Mo's looking for (she wants to aim for a real job in politics). But - if you're Vampire Queen, you probably don't have to do PE anymore, and when the dreamy Luca, a vampire familiar, turns up, it all suddenly starts to look a bit more appealing ...

Geek Girl meets Buffy in a brilliantly funny new teen series from bestselling author Jo Simmons.


My Review: 

I grew up with vampire books and TV shows, from Twilight to Buffy, from Vampire Academy to The Vampire Diaries. So, I love nostalgia and still love to read YA vampire books (I’m not ashamed of it at all). Honestly, The Reluctant Vampire Queen is so funny and brilliantly entertaining. It was such as easy and fun read, an excellent book for summer!

The book follows fifteen-year-old geeky Mo Merrydew. She is a grade A* student, loves school and learning, is super intelligent and bright and already has a plan for her future career and how to get there. However, everything turns upside down when a 600-year-old Vampire from the far East, called Bogdan comes to town and tells Mo that she is chosen to be the Vampire Queen of the UK and has to take the role immediately, as otherwise her family and friends will face great danger from King of Vampires from the far East, the ruler of all vampires in the world. Mo is reluctant to become a vampire, so she has to use her charms, knowledge and planning skills to avoid becoming a vampire but at the same time keep her friends and family safe. However, when mysterious and dreamy Luca turns up in town, she will have to make some pretty crazy decisions.

I loved the humour in this book, especially how Mo communicates with Bogdan and other vampires in a very witty way. Although, at times I did find Bogdan’s character a bit too creepy and yet a bit too naïve, especially when he believed that Mo is a vampire and when he went on a purge around Mo’s hometown. I do think that Bogdan’s character was good but he had much more potential, which wasn’t used/ developed in full,  in my opinion. Other than that, all the other characters were brilliantly developed and written.

I really liked how independent Mo is, with strong opinions and self-worth, she wants to do things her way and I just loved her standing up for what she believes. She is brave and isn’t afraid to make mistakes or get herself in funny situations, which she has plenty of after Bogdan turns up.

Also, I liked how Simmons portrayed the life of someone geeky in school. Bits where Mo was bullied and made fun of and when she had to stand up for herself made this book real and raw at times. I also love that these themes are explored in this book and awareness of them is raised, especially as the main audience of this book is the YA and teens.

I really liked that the book was real about the everyday pressures and dealing with too much at once. For example, how Mo tries to keep up with her being a Vampire Queen, her school work, her friendships, her sleep and other things until it got too exhausting and she realised that something has to change. I think this aspect of the book is very realistic as teens do experience these pressures and overworking quite often in real life, so it’s nice to see that author included it in this book.

Overall: I do recommend this book, as it is a fun read, excellent for summer, with a really engaging story and well-written characters. I enjoyed reading it and can’t wait for the next instalment in the series and more Mo Merrydew adventures. 



About the Author: 

Jo Simmons writes funny fiction for kids. I Swapped My Brother on the Internet was shortlisted for the Lollies Book Awards 2020, and together with My Parents Cancelled My Birthday and I Stole My Genius Sister’s Brain, it forms a loose series, with the same characters popping up throughout. These three books have all been illustrated by Nathan Reed and translated into several languages.

Jo began her working life as a sub-editor on magazines in London and later became a freelance journalist. She started writing for children when her two boys were young and hungry for daft and silly stories to make bedtime more fun.

She lives in Brighton with her family and a small, scruffy dog who leaves hair absolutely everywhere.

http://www.pickledink.com/jo-simmons-author-page.html

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