Vampire Weekend: A Novel

Vampire Weekend is one of those books that turns into something you weren’t quite expecting when you picked it up but stays with you long after you’ve put it down. I absolutely love vampires. I’m strongly of the opinion that every genre out there only benefits from the addition of a member of the undead cabal, and Mike Chen certainly delivers a fresh new perspective with this one. Louise Chao is your typical San Francisco punk rocker. Disdainful of authority, night owl in the extreme, pronounced family-induced angst, oh and she’s a vampire. Not in an Interview with the Vampire sort of way, although she did take a picture once on that New Orleans street from the opening of the movie. Being a vampire is actually kind of depressing, according to her best friend whom she lost to a fatal car accident years ago. At least until an estranged family member and their teenage grandson show up at her door unexpectedly one night, turning into an extended weekend of revelations about herself, her community, and what it means to truly be connected to other people. The twist at the end is completely unexpected and very, very punk rock.