Customer Reviews

Blood Is the New Black: A Novel

5 star:		(9)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

I wanted to not like this book, 'cause I'm not really into chick lit*, or fashion, or shopping - but despite myself, I enjoyed it! (*Why did you read it in the first place, then, you ask? Because I am into vampire books, and I always like to see where the genre wanders to.) The dialogue is snappy; enough of the fashion world was explained as we went along that I didn't feel too ignorant; and the vampires were a bit different from the same old same old. I enjoy reading about vampires who have "day jobs" rather than existing solely for the purpose of representing evil/darkness. This is a personal bias; there are many types of vampires for many types of readers, and that's why I try to explain a bit about the specific characteristics of the vampires in each book.

As a vampire story goes, this one is lightweight but amusing. The vampires are part traditional, part not. They can turn into bats, they drink blood, they hate garlic and crucifixes - but they can go out during the day, and drink other things besides blood, and they're surprisingly ambitious in the business world. These vampires aren't the dark, brooding, evil-for-the-sake-of-evil types; they are sometimes-brooding, sometimes-perky, and when they're evil, it's for the sake of corporate profits, just like everyone else. Some are all-evil, some aren't, some are even, at least for now, nice people.

As a previous reviewer noted, there are fun moments for Excel nerds (of whom I am one) in here. And some for medical nerds, since we do get some of Kate's EMT background spilling over into her new job. Most of the fun, though, is poking at fashion, with a bit at the art world thrown in. (I suspect it's entirely possible that another book by this author might involve Kate's uncle Sterling, and his art collection.) Other bits I got an extra laugh out of: the dog named Marc Jacobs; how well Kate's dad and Annabel get along; the comments on viewing New York's gargoyles.

People have different reasons for reading vampire novels. In case yours reasons include sheer horror or vampire sex, let me warn you that there's precious little of the former, and none of the latter. In fact, there's almost no romance, never mind sex. The main themes of this book have to do with female friendships, workplace problems, and shopping - not ethics, not evil, not horror, except the horror inherent in the cutthroat (you should pardon the phrase) business world. There is also a murder mystery component to the story - who killed the models? It's not primarily a mystery, but it is important, so there may be something to appeal to mystery readers who wouldn't read a vampire book if that's all it were.

One small quibble: our protagonist is supposedly an EMT and going to be going to med school in the fall after her internship in New York. That was the one aspect I had a bit of trouble with - it took her so long to catch on that they were vampires; if she were really that dumb, she wouldn't be getting into medical school. And one big word of praise: the novel is well-written and *excellently* copy-edited; there are virtually NONE of the word-misusage, punctuation, and spelling errors that plague most genre fiction these days, whether trade or mass market paperback. It's a real pleasure to read something without having to stop and be peeved at the publisher for letting egregious mistakes get by.

You've got to give author Valerie Stivers credit for tapping into a brand-new genre...vampire chick lit! "Blood is the New Black" revolves around Kate, a young woman starting a summer internship at Tasty, a popular fashion magazine based in New York City. Breaking into the grueling fashion industry is tough enough as it is, but it doesn't take Kate long to figure out that something is rather off with her Tasty coworkers. They sleep in their offices during the day, they never open the blinds, and they drink large amounts of what looks like a disgusting beet juice drink but turns out to be blood. When a slew of fashion-related deaths occur, Kate realizes that she and a group of aspiring young models are in grave danger. With the help of a few friends, Kate works to bring the vampires to justice before they succeed in making her join the undead.

I enjoyed this book. It's pretty funny and reminds me of "The Devil Wears Prada" meets "Bloodsucking Fiends." Much of the plot is very predictable and certain aspects of the story don't tie together very well, but it's still a fun book and is perfect for a light read.

Love of fashion and/or interest in vampires will keep you totally immersed in this little gem. If this is any indication - I found myself longing to descend into the stifling, foul-smelling subway station because I do most of my reading during my commute. Also came close to missing my stop a few times. Definitely looking forward to more work from Stivers.

Impossible to put down, this novel grabs you by your baby doll hem and doesn't let go until you know who will be the last fanged fashionista standing. Just as Kate McGraw is brainier than her fashion closet internship at Tasty Magazine, Valerie Stivers smartens up vampire slayer chick lit with absolute wit and juicy insider details. If you like fashion, shoes, mystery, Manhattan, best friendship or falling in love, this fun and funny coming-of-age story in the big city is for you.

In Manhattan Kate McAlliston obtains a summer intern position at Tasty, the most popular young women's magazine in the country. However, Kate soon learns the ropes or at lest the bites at her new job as blood-spattered is the in-crowd's favorite design.

Her boss, editor-in-chief Lillian Hall assigns Kate to assist in organizing the Tasty Girl modeling contest. As she and others work on selecting who the surviving finalists will be, someone is dining on people leaving behind human bodies and even a canine, void of blood. Although not in her job description and fearing her boss who needs dental work might be the gourmand, Kate investigates who is feasting on Tasty folks.

This amusing chick lit tale satirizes the fashion industry as being filled with "bloodthirsty" taste. The breezy story line never slows down once Kate begins working at Tasty. The heroine and fans will wonder whether a serial killing vampire is making a fashion statement and how to describe her job on her résumé as an intern to a maybe undead. BLOOD IS THE NEW BLACK is a jocular romp that will have readers laughing at the antics at Tasty where standard operating procedure is no garlic is allowed on the premises.

Harriet Klausner

If you think this is just another formulaic Madison avenue fashionista novel, you're in for a big surprise. The juicy, mysterious plot adds so much more to the very real-life fashion magazine world Stivers depicts in her book and because of it makes it 100 times more interesting than your average intern-in-the-big-bad-world-of-fashion story. It's hip, smart, funny and unbelievably well-written. She makes you want to know more about the texture of a new york city hot-dog cart with her wonderful descriptive writing. You can smell, taste and feel every nook and cranny of Manhattan--she totally brings it to life on paper. I couldn't put it down and I can't believe this is a first novel for Stivers.

I have a number of friends who work in the fashion industry and this book really captures the funnier aspects of that world. Add in a few vampires and you have the makings of a good book! Fortunately, Stivers takes a good concept and, through bright, insightful writing, creates a great novel that will keep you turning the pages well past your bedtime!

This was an interesting book - a sort of mix between _The Devil Wears Prada_ and _Dracula_... it was pretty funny and definitely more than a little silly. I did like this modern-vampire story and it certainly seems to be begging for a sequel, judging from the rather open-ending. And I think I will keep an eye out for it, as there were some rather gaping holes in the whole plot... Vampire stories are such fun, though!

Very entertaining, well written story! Good plot, very funny in places, suspense, romance, fashion industry details, intelligent heroine--lots to like! I'm recommending it highly to my friends.

Transcends its genre (specifically the "abused fashion-mag assistant outwits evil superiors" genre) with frequent moments of true wit and penetrating insight. Favorite lines include:

* "My senior thesis was a Marxist critique of the tiny bow on women's panties."
* "Sylvia Rand and I were the kind of friends who can generate news for each between falling asleep at night and meeting for breakfast in the morning."
* "Their blacks matched."

Ideal for anyone whose interests include: vampires, dewy love, Manhattan nightlife, "self-covered buttons," the inner workings of morally corrupt fashion magazines, Creme de la Mer (and/or holy water), that lovely feeling of superiority that comes from knowing Excel, gossip blogs, re-purposed vintage clothing, Casper David Friedrich paintings, and just enough silliness.