Customer Reviews

Teeth: Vampire Tales

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I got an advanced reading copy of this book through Book It Forward ARC Tours. This was an excellent anthology with a lot of really great vampire stories. It is young adult, but I would recommend for older young adults because of swearing and sexuality. Most of the stories were more horror/urban fantasy than paranormal romance.

I am going to highlight some of the stories I really enjoyed, and there were a lot of them that I really enjoyed. The first story "Things to Know About Being Dead" by Genevieve Valentine, was hilarious and bittersweet; I really loved it. The title pretty much explains what the story is about. I also loved "Flying" by Delia Sherman, it was a wonderful story about young girl who is a trapeze artist with Leukemia and struggling to find a way to join the circus. "Vampire Weather" by Garth Nix was another highlight; an excellent story about a young man who lives in an almost Amish like society in a world where vampires are everyday occurrences.

Then there was "The List of Definite Ending by Cecil Castelucci" where a vampire finds a more merciful way to take her prey; this was a sweet story and well written. "Sit the Dead" by Jeffrey Ford gives us a gruesome story about recessive genetic vampirism that was interesting and action packed. "Slice of Life" by Lucius Shepard gives a look into the life of a lonely girl who is contemplating becoming a serial killer to free a vampiric friend. "Why Light?" by Tanith Lee was one of the best stories in the anthology, it was a beautiful and touching story about vampires in an arranged marriage.

There were also a number of stories in here that, while not outstanding, were very good and engaging. I have listed the complete set of stories with brief synopsis/thoughts below.

Overall if you love vampires and creative takes on vampires, I think you will love this anthology. It starts out strong, there is a bit of a lull two third's of the way through, but it also ends strong. Give it a read is short stories and vampires are your thing.

- Things to Know about Being Bead by Genevieve Valentine: Very funny story that I enjoyed a lot. About a girl finding herself as a vampire. Bittersweet. (5/5)

- All Smiles by Steve Berman: About a boy who flees a vicious boarding school only to find out it is not what he thought it was. Entertaining and action packed. (4/5)

- Gap Year by Christopher Barzak: A story about vampires being revealed to the human world and how it affects a young girl. I loved the irony in this one. (4/5)

- Bloody Sunrise by Neil Gaiman: Short poem by Gaiman from a vampire's point of view. (4/5)

- Flying by Delia Sherman: An excellent story about a trapeze artist with Luekemia who joins an unlikely troupe. I loved this story. (5/5)

- Vampire Weather by Garth Nix: An interesting story about a young man who lives in an Amish-like community in a country threatened by vampirism...or is it. Also really enjoyed this story! (5/5)

- Late Bloomer by Suzy McKee Charnas: About a kid who doesn't know what he wants to do with his life. While working at an antique shop that all changes. It was okay but the story was kind of scattered and I didn't like the characters much. (3/5)

- The List of Definite Ending by Kaaron Warren: About a vampire who has find another way to satisfy her need for blood. I enjoyed this story and the way it was written a lot. (5/5)

- Best Friends Forever by Cecil Castellucci: This is a story about two best friends: one who is dying and one who is dead. I enjoyed it, the characteres, and the irony. (4/5)

- Sit the Dead by Jeffrey Ford: Excellent urban fantasy about a family's dark genetic secret, loved the strange open ending on this one. (5/5)

- Sunbleached by Nathan Ballingrud: Gory and disturbing story about a boy who has a vampire living under his house. To be honest it was a bit too disturbing and creepy for me. (3/5)

- Baby by Kathe Koja: A disturbing story about a girl who has a special doll. This was okay and well-written but extremely creepy. (4/5)

- In the Future when All's Well by Catherynne M. Valente: About a future where vampirism is as contagious as the flu and as preached against as teen pregnancy. A bit vague, like Valente's stories often are, but I enjoyed it all the same. (4/5 stars)

- Transition by Melissa Marr: About a girl who gets turned into a territorial sort of vampire. It was okay and I liked the irony. (3/5)

- History by Ellen Kushner: A historian student is dating a vampire and constantly frustrated by the vampire's inability to remember all of the important events he took part in. (4/5)

- The Perfect Dinner Party by Cassandra Clare and Holly Black: A vampire girl (who appears to be fourteen) explains dinner party etiquette. I liked the twist at the end, but thought the rest of the story was only so so. (4/5)

- Slice of Life by Lucius Shepard: A girl who wants nothing more than a friend has to decide if she will become a serial killer to release her vampire friend from its curse. Great description, I loved the writing and really enjoyed the story.(5/5)

- My Generation by Emma Bull: An excellent poem about how a vampire views the passing generations. (4/5)

- Why Light? by Tanith Lee: Absolutely beautiful and heartwarming story about a vampire girl who is sent off for an arranged marriage. She dreads meeting the man she is forced to marry but ends up finding out that things are different than they at first seem. Absolutely wonderful writing, captivating characters and story. (5/5)

I'm an adult, not a teen, but I love Ellen Datlow's anthologies - she picks kick-butt great stories. And Teeth is no different. Other reviewers have summarized the stories, so I will not, but I'll say that I was never bored, and while I "liked" a few stories I "loved" a few more - there is some great stuff in here. No love of Dracula or Twilight is needed, as in the tradition of great stories, these are about characters and the interesting things that happen to them. I'm just about finished, and I wish there were more left to read.

This eerie collection features nineteen pieces by authors such as Neil Gaiman (THE GRAVEYARD BOOK), Melissa Marr (WICKED LOVELY series), Cassandra Clare (CLOCKWORK ANGEL) and Holly Black (THE CURSE WORKERS and GOOD NEIGHBORS series).

The first story in the anthology is "Things to Know About Being Dead" by Genevieve Valentine. After surviving a car accident, Suyin discovers that she's not quite alive and not quite dead. She has become a jiang-shi, and she must drink blood to experience any kind of life. In this darkly ironic story, Suyin details twenty-three things she learns about life once she's dead.

In "Sunbleached" by Nathan Ballingrud, Joshua finds out the hard way that vampires do exist and that taunting one that has been caught in the sun is not a good idea. Frustrated by his parents' divorce and his mother's new boyfriend, Joshua is looking for a change. But, the change he gets is not necessarily the one he wants.

Cassandra Clare and Holly Black collaborate on the story "The Perfect Dinner Party" to create one of the creepiest vampires in the collection. Their story follows six twisted rules of etiquette for the newly-formed vampire who wants to please his/her master. Readers who enjoy first-person narrators will find this tale an intriguing one!

If you're looking for paranormal romance, avoid this book. However, if you want to read stories that could keep you awake at night, this is a great choice! It is a truly enjoyable romp through the afterlife!

Reviewed by: Theresa L. Stowell

The moment I opened the book I was pleasantly surprised by the spectacular introduction. I usually skip over anthology intros because, well, they're boring. But Ellen Datlow's intro in Teeth was full of info on vampire history and folklore, which filled me with all kinds of happy (major props for doing actual research). That happiness grew more and more as I continued reading through story after story.

The tales in this collection are excellent, I was expecting mindless teenage garbage, but the stories were remarkably well-written, highly innovative and captivating. I was surprised at how much thought each author put into their story, the majority of them were intelligent and full of meaning and purpose. The stories weren't meant to just entertain you, but to make you think as well. As an added bonus, many authors mixed actual vampire folklore into their stories, and since I'm a folklore junkie I absolutely loved it.

One of the things I found most impressive in this collection was that the author's stayed true to their audience - teenagers. Any teen who reads this book will be able to relate to at least one of the stories. That's what I thought was great. On top of being highly entertaining and thought-provoking reads, they also touch on big teens issues that speak to younger readers. Homosexuality, suicide, depression, parental issues... etc. were all brought up in this book. Teeth covered many teen issues today and put them in a awesome vampire setting. So this book gets loads of bonus points for that.

As for the stories themselves, I loved too many to list, but a few that stick out in my mind are Vampire Weather by Garth Nix and In The Future All's Well by Catherynne M. Valente. Nix's was a interesting story set in a world where vampires are known to exist. The story followed a naïve religious boy who gets a very rude awakening when he learns about the outside world he has been sheltered from. Valente's story put such a big smile on my face because she did something I have never read before - she took very old vampire creation beliefs, placed them in a modern setting and made them all true! Loved it! Hundreds of years ago people actually believed that an animal jumping over a corpse or death by drowning created a vampire (serioously) and in this story all of those old beliefs are true. It was excellent! Why Light? by Tanith Lee was another one I loved, it was a beautiful and enchanting tale.

Now, like all anthologies, some of the stories aren't all that great. None of them were straight up bad, but some weren't good either, they were just blah. That's to be expected. However, there was one story about halfway through the book that was so incredibly dark and morbid I wonder what the hell possessed the editor to include it. It was so out of place with the rest of the stories, I was shocked. Yes, it was very well written, but it would have been better for an adult horror anthology. Children being slaughtered doesn't really work in a young adult anthology.

Other than a few duds here and there, Teeth: Vampire Tales was fantastic. I highly suggest picking this one up and giving it a read, it may be directed at teens, but adults can enjoy it as well (I did).

The new anthology TEETH, edited by Ellen Datlow and Terri Windling, includes a delectable assortment of bite sized vampire stories that should be tasted and savored. Yes, all of the stories are that good. One of the best things about TEETH is that the stories consistently establish strong, unique worlds filled with characters who are compelling and interesting. Plus, you're sure to find a few new vampiric details and treasures that are not part of the standard mythology in today's vampire literature.

While the stories differ in voice, tone, and style, they each offer something significant and unique for readers to enjoy. Tender friendships, lost potential, arranged marriages, fights for survival, and coming of age stories are just a few of the themes within this anthology. Some stories will stick with you well beyond "The End," especially the stories that should only be read in full daylight. While all of the stories are good reads, there are several stand outs. A few of those standouts include, but are not limited to:

Things to Know About Being Dead by Genevieve Valentine is a touching story about a newly undead girl who is learning the ropes of her new undead existence with the help of a ghost and her aging grandmother. This is one of two stories that are available online as a free preview.

All Smiles by Steve Berman is also available online as a free sample. After reading All Smiles, you will think twice about hitching a ride from someone with a perfect pearly white smile. This fight for survival story will have you cringing and running for the door.

Vampire Weather by Garth Nix brings an interesting spin on the world after vampires make themselves known. When the fog comes rolling into one of the remaining pockets of pure human societies, a young man learns the truth about vampires and the world that could either kill him, set him free, or both.

Sit the Dead by Jeffrey Ford is an inventive story with a new twist the blends old cursed bloodlines, modern day family responsibilities, and ultra creepy vampires. Long after the story is over, the ending will stick with you as you wonder whether or not the story ended "right," and you will inevitably keep coming back to the same conclusion. It couldn't have ended any other way. The real question is what happens next.

Sunbleached by Nathan Ballingrud brings the vampire back to bad. Dark and dangerous, the beautiful imagery used to compare the hideously burned vampire is reminiscent of a graceful caged spider ready to pounce.

The Perfect Dinner Party by Cassandra Clare & Holly Black is a superbly written story about a brother and sister pair of vampires who struggle to find how they fit into the world and with each other - all told against a backdrop that reads like a clever Miss Manners guide. It's rare to find such an exquisitely told story written in second person. It's a must read.

Why Light? by Tanith Lee is a lovely story about two young vampires from vastly different families who are forced into an arranged marriage. There is a strong sense of new and old world coming together in Why Light. This convergence of old and new, light and dark, evil and good plays with parallels inherent in both historical and contemporary vampire fiction in an interesting way.

All in all, Terri Windling and Ellen Datlow built a wonderful collection of stories that is a true pleasure to read. As sweet and tender as some of the stories are within TEETH, you may need to keep the light on for a few of the darker pieces. TEETH is an anthology that will keep you coming back for more, story after story until the last page is turned.

Some vampires always have sharp, pointy teeth, so it's easy to recognize them. Then there are others that have teeth that don't get sharp or pointy until they are ready to strike, or until something arouses them in some way. They can be quite sneaky. While some are not sun lovers and avoid it at all costs, others adapt very well to various kinds of daylight. Not all vampires run at the sight of a cross nor do they all sleep in caskets. And did you know that just because a vampire bites you, it doesn't necessarily make you its slave? These are just a few little confusions that you might be able to clear up by reading this delicious collection of vampire stories.

Like looking at a piece of crystal, here are all kinds of vampires along with people who find themselves entwined --- willingly or otherwise. TEETH gives us 19 stories in which we meet the sophisticated, worldly vampires, the antique collectors, the reckless teenagers, the circus performers, the novice undead, the cursed, the creepy, the sneaky, the hungry ones, and the tricksters who lure and lie.

In the first story, "Things to Know About Being Dead" by Genevieve Valentine, Suyin is killed in an auto accident when her drunken girlfriend runs into a tree. She is no sooner aware of being dead than she realizes that her body is able to function and that, to all outward appearances, she is, in some form, still alive. After a few frightful days of really feeling awful --- terrible thirst, an inability to sleep, her body going through strange changes --- it is her grandmother who offers her comfort and explains that she has become a jiang-shi. Jiang-shi are vampires, her grandmother says, and now she must drink blood because otherwise her body will decompose. Though she hates the thought of drinking blood, it's not so bad after a while. Something even more terrifying begins to crowd in on her, and the feeling that she is not alone becomes a reality. She has brought someone or something back with her --- his name is Jake: His eye sockets were two black pits, as if sadness had swallowed him up while he was still alive.

Kaaron Warren's "The List of Definite Endings" has a gentle vampire named Claudia, whose mission is to bring merciful death to those in need. She works from a list of the terminally ill. Each death was worth grieving, each life was worth remembering.

"Transition" by Melissa Marr gives us a creepy walk into a graveyard where a ruthless young woman named Nikki turns Eliana into a vampire. She finds herself being tortured by Nikki and drawn to the handsome Sebastian. When Eliana finally realizes her own power, she takes control. But Sebastian has a surprise coming...and it's much too late for Nikki.

In a story about a young man trying to outwit the vampire that lives under his house, Nathan Ballingrud's "Sunbleached" gives us a highly intelligent, very clever vampire who fights for shelter from the light and bargains for Joshua's house --- but that's not all he wants. Its face emerged from the shadows like something rising from deep water. It hunched on its hands and knees, swinging its head like a dog trying to catch a scent. Its face had been burned off. The parchment strips of skin hung from blackened sinew and muscle. Even in this wretched state, though, it seemed weirdly graceful. A dancer pretending to be a spider.

And in a poem called "Bloody Sunrise," Neil Gaiman introduces us to a vampire lamenting the loneliness of his existence as he searches through the night. Bloody Sunrise comes again / Leaves me hungry and alone / Every time.

Ellen Datlow and Terri Windling have put together one of the best vampire short story collections to come along in a while. Plenty of blood is unabashedly drawn in this book, with offerings from some of the most outstanding fantasy/horror writers around, including Cassandra Clare, Holly Black, Garth Nix and Ellen Kushner. There's something for everyone, and though this collection might find a greater audience with teenagers, it's an absolute must for any vampire/horror fan, whatever the age.

--- Reviewed by Sally M. Tibbetts

Some of these stories were amazing and it was great to see the take of some authors have on vampires especially some well known authors like Neil Gaiman, Melissa Marr, Cassandra Clare, Garth Nix and more. Some of the stories were fun and interesting.

I really enjoyed the poem by Neil Gaiman. There were some stories that weren't as great as the others but they still rocked.

Plus the cover is gorgeous.