Sucks to Be Me: The All-True Confessions of Mina Hamilton, Teen Vampire (maybe) [Paperback]

Kimberly Pauley (Author)

Book Description

Release date: August 11, 2009

Mina Hamilton's parents want her dead. (Or undead to be precise.) They're vampires, and like it or not, Mina must decide whether to become a vampire herself. But Mina's more interested in hanging out with best friend Serena and trying to catch the eye of the too-hot-for-high-school Nathan Able than in the vampire training classes she's being forced to take. How's a girl supposed to find the perfect prom date and pass third-year French when her mom and dad are breathing down her neck--literally?

Editorial Reviews

From Booklist

Most high-school juniors face big questions about their futures, but few ask the question posed to 16-year-old Mina: should she stay human or should she become a vampire, like her parents? In this breezy, often uproarious debut novel, Pauley follows Mina through her decision-making process, which includes classes about vampire history and culture and field trips with her eccentric uncle Mortie, the first vampire in the family. The juxtaposition between Mina’s normal, human high-school existence and “vampire camp” creates hilarious contrasts, all narrated in Mina’s wisecracking, authentic teen voice. Mina’s frequent lists, such as “Why It Sucks to Have Parents Who Are Vampires” and IM exchanges between Mina and her best friend, add to the pitch-perfect humor. A chirpy cheerleader considering the vampire life and a cast of handsome romantic prospects round out the appealing supporting cast. Readers will race through this lighthearted debut, filled with vampire lore, to discover Mina’s final decision, and they might recognize Mina’s larger struggle to move between very different cultural worlds. Grades 7-10. --Gillian Engberg --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

About the Author

Kimberly Pauley loves a good book she can sink her teeth into. As her alter-ego, the Young Adult Books Goddess of yabookscentral.com, she has devoured more books than she can count. This is her first novel.


From the Hardcover edition.

Product Details

• Age Range: 12 and up
  
• Paperback: 304 pages
• Publisher: Mirrorstone; Reprint edition (August 11, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0786952563
• ISBN-13: 978-0786952564
• Product Dimensions: 5.1 x 0.9 x 8.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 5.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (91 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #699,746 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Kimberly Pauley is the author of Sucks to Be Me (Aug, 2008) and Still Sucks to Be Me (May, 2010). Her third book, Cat Girl's Day Off was released in April 2012. She now lives in London, England with her husband (who really doesn't get YA fiction) and The Max, the cutest little boy in the world.

She has an (infrequent) newsletter, often runs giveaways and contests, and sends out signed bookplates to readers, so be sure to check out her website, www.kimberlypauley.com for more information.

Kimberly was also the founder of Young Adult (& Kid's) Books Central, one of the leading Internet destinations for anyone interested in children's or adolescent literature.

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

11 of 12 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Didn't Suck at All! August 26, 2008

By The Book Muncher VINE™ VOICE

Format:Hardcover

At the end of Mina Hamilton's junior year in high school, she is faced with the biggest decision of her life: whether or not to become a vampire. To make it worse, the only guidance she has comes from her slightly crazy uncle Mortie and a vampire class taught by good old Grandma Wolfington (okay, her real name is Ms. Riley) that Mina is forced to take. And just because she is named after a character from Bram Stoker's Dracula doesn't make this enormous decision any easier.

This novel opens with an allusion to Stephenie Meyer, queen of all vampire novels, so I knew that Sucks to Be Me would be a fantastic read, which it was. Sucks to Be Me was a truly witty and original debut novel that I completely enjoyed. It was filled with many laugh-out-loud funny moments from the beginning to end and very rarely was repetitive. In a way, Kimberly Pauley's funny writing reminded me of Shakespeare's comedies, because they both used comedy to mask important themes. I also really liked how each chapter started out with a myth and fact of vampires, especially because Mina usually inserted a sarcastic comment. Mina's character is very lovable, and it was fun to read along as Mina dealt with her confusion regarding the vampire and boy issues in her life.

Anyone who is looking for a lighthearted and witty read should definitely check out Sucks to be Me in September when it hits shelves. I was very impressed with Kimberly Pauley's debut novel, and I hope she plans to turn Sucks to Be Me into a series or at least write another fantastic and witty novel in the near future.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars Great Vamp Book September 21, 2008

By Book-lover Carol VINE™ VOICE

Format:Hardcover

So, you think your life sucks? Try being Mina Hamilton. Her parents are vampires, which would sound cool if they weren't so bo-ring and parent-like. And now Mina has to decide whether or not she wants to be one too...in a month. As if high school wasn't bad enough, now she's got to go to vampire classes with a bunch of freaks who actually want to drink blood (Gross! As if sushi wasn't bad enough.). And she can't even tell her best friend about any of it, not with a bunch of red-tape-loving vampire bureaucrats breathing down her neck. How's a girl supposed to find a prom date and get through school with all this blood-sucking drama going on?

You are sucked into this book from page one. Mina's voice is original, funny and truly engaging. She felt real and seemed like a teenage girl you might know.The little facts and truth about some vampire myths over each chapter were pure genius and each myth had something to do with that chapter. The book made you laugh a lot and the spin added to this vampire book was great. Pauley writes like an experienced author and I had trouble believing that this was her debut novel. The plot was great and fun to read. This was a fast read that had you laughing at every page. The romance, humor,normal teenage problems, and vampires incorporated into this book makes Sucks to be Me a perfect summer read that everyone should read.
-Carol
www.bookluver-carol.blogspot.com

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Life changing experience September 27, 2008

By Dixie McCarty

Format:Hardcover

Mina has a life changing or is that death changing decision to make. This comes on top of deciding what to wear, the cute boy in her class, who will she go to prom with, and dealing with her weird uncle.

Besides being a fun read written in a quirky manner Sucks to be Me goes hand in hand with the major decisions that high school student make every year. Who they date, grades, what to major in at the college they choose, all are life changing decisions.

This would be an excellent book to use in a classroom in middle or high school. With so many possible scenarios of decision making it would get students thinking about what they do today and how it affects the future.