A lighthearted road novel that doesn’t shy away from the inherent darkness of vampire life.
In Parker’s horror comedy series starter, a novice vampire struggles to adjust to her new reality.
“Be steely.” That’s what Sugar Bernstein’s boyfriend Curtis always told her, and it’s advice that she needs more than ever, now that her life has been completely upended. Curtis is dead; Sugar’s no longer a Manhattan condo-dwelling ad executive with a penchant for shopping, wine, and mani-pedis; and her close-knit Jewish family is far away. Now, jobless Sugar both travels and resides in a Sprinter van, avoiding people and sunlight because she’s a vampire—the effect of a bite from Alexandria, also known as She-vil, a “vamp who lives on hate.” Alexandria constantly intrudes into Sugar’s dreams; while awake, Sugar struggles to feed herself by killing small animals. Also, her twin brother keeps trying to get her to attend his daughter’s bat mitzvah, which is inconveniently scheduled for the daytime. She does find some aspects of “V-life” more appealing: She lost a few pounds that she wanted to shed, and sometimes she manages to fly; when she falls, her broken limbs heal quickly. She also discovers a chain of RV parks that cater to an undead clientele, and that vampire sex is fantastic. Still, Sugar grapples with guilt—especially when it comes to her boyfriend’s untimely death at Alexandria’s hands. She’s increasingly aware that a possibly fatal showdown with Alexandria is inevitable. Over the course of the novel, Parker delivers a winning paranormal tale with quirky details. One fanged couple that Sugar meets, for instance, lives in a converted ambulance, and readers find out that even vamps care about gas mileage. Sugar is an inspired creation who’s relatable and quick-witted, and Parker excels at witty banter, especially between Sugar and her twin. Still, there’s an effective undercurrent of seriousness: Human companionship is off the table for Sugar, who’s forced to take lives to keep hers. The first person she deliberately kills is loathsome, but she can’t help but feel moral revulsion—and sadly, there’s no turning back.
A lighthearted road novel that doesn’t shy away from the inherent darkness of vampire life.Pub Date: June 25, 2024
ISBN: 9798986205137
Page Count: 322
Publisher: N/A
Review Posted Online: Aug. 16, 2024
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 1, 2024
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
An affecting portrait of a prickly woman.
A lifetime’s worth of letters combine to portray a singular character.
Sybil Van Antwerp, a cantankerous but exceedingly well-mannered septuagenarian, is the titular correspondent in Evans’ debut novel. Sybil has retired from a beloved job as chief clerk to a judge with whom she had previously been in private legal practice. She is the divorced mother of two living adult children and one who died when he was 8. She is a reader of novels, a gardener, and a keen observer of human nature. But the most distinguishing thing about Sybil is her lifelong practice of letter writing. As advancing vision problems threaten Sybil’s carefully constructed way of life—in which letters take the place of personal contact and engagement—she must reckon with unaddressed issues from her past that threaten the house of cards (letters, really) she has built around herself. Sybil’s relationships are gradually revealed in the series of letters sent to and received from, among others, her brother, sister-in-law, children, former work associates, and, intriguingly, literary icons including Joan Didion and Larry McMurtry. Perhaps most affecting is the series of missives Sybil writes but never mails to a shadowy figure from her past. Thoughtful musings on the value and immortal quality of letters and the written word populate one of Sybil’s notes to a young correspondent while other messages are laugh-out-loud funny, tinged with her characteristic blunt tartness. Evans has created a brusque and quirky yet endearing main character with no shortage of opinions and advice for others but who fails to excavate the knotty difficulties of her own life. As Sybil grows into a delayed self-awareness, her letters serve as a chronicle of fitful growth.
An affecting portrait of a prickly woman.Pub Date: May 6, 2025
ISBN: 9780593798430
Page Count: 304
Publisher: Crown
Review Posted Online: Feb. 15, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 15, 2025
A dark and twisty look at just how far one woman is willing to go to find inspiration.
A struggling writer finds an unexpected muse when a mysterious man shows up at her cabin.
Petra Rose used to pump out a bestselling book every six months, but then the adaptation happened—that is, the disastrous film adaptation of her most famous book. The movie changed the book’s storyline so egregiously that fans couldn’t forgive her, and the ensuing harassment sent Petra into hiding and gave her a serious case of writer’s block. Petra’s one hope is her solo writing retreat at a remote cabin, where she can escape the distractions of real life and focus on her next book, a story about a woman having an affair with a cop. When officer Nathaniel Saint shows up at her cabin door, inspiration comes flooding back. Much like the character from Petra’s book, Saint is married, and he’s willing to be Petra’s muse, helping her get into her characters’ heads. Petra’s book is practically writing itself, but is the game she’s playing a little too dangerous? Does she know when to stop—and, more importantly, is Saint willing to stop? Hoover is no stranger to controversial movie adaptations and internet backlash, but she clarifies in a note to readers that she’s “just a writer writing about a writer” and that no further connections to her own life are contained in these pages—which is a good thing, because the book takes some horrifying twists and turns. Petra finds herself inexplicably attracted to Saint, even as she describes him as “such an asshole,” and her feelings for him veer between love and hate. The novel serves as a meta commentary on the dark romance genre—as Petra puts it, “Even though, as readers, we wouldn’t want to live out some of the fantasies we read about, it doesn’t mean we don’t enjoy reading those things.”
A dark and twisty look at just how far one woman is willing to go to find inspiration.Pub Date: Jan. 13, 2026
ISBN: 9781662539374
Page Count: -
Publisher: Montlake
Review Posted Online: Sept. 27, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Nov. 1, 2025
© Copyright 2026 Kirkus Media LLC. All Rights Reserved.
Follow
Popular in this Genre
We can’t wait for you to join Kirkus!
It’s free and takes less than 10 seconds!
Already have an account? Log in.
OR
Sign in with GoogleTrouble signing in? Retrieve credentials.
Welcome Back!
OR
Sign in with GoogleTrouble signing in? Retrieve credentials.
