Review: Jessica's Guide to Dating on the Dark Side by Beth Fantaskey

Jessica's Guide to Dating on the Dark Side by Beth Fantaskey (Jessica #1)
Released: February 2009
Publisher: Harcourt
Rating 2.5-3/5

Goodreads description:

The undead can really screw up your senior year ... 

Marrying a vampire definitely doesn’t fit into Jessica Packwood’s senior year “get-a-life” plan. But then a bizarre (and incredibly hot) new exchange student named Lucius Vladescu shows up, claiming that Jessica is a Romanian vampire princess by birth—and he’s her long-lost fiancé. Armed with newfound confidence and a copy of Growing Up Undead: A Teen Vampire’s Guide to Dating, Health, and Emotions, Jessica makes a dramatic transition from average American teenager to glam European vampire princess. But when a devious cheerleader sets her sights on Lucius, Jess finds herself fighting to win back her wayward prince, stop a global vampire war—and save Lucius’s soul from eternal destruction.


My thoughts:

This book leaps right in there with barely any build-up which I found vaguely confusing but adapted quickly. It wasn't what I expected at all, which is a shame, because I thought I would LOVE it and I didn't especially.


I found Jessica so annoying. She claimed to be all scientific and rational and yet she was in a constant state of denial for half the book. She refused to believe what was right in front of her, what people she trusted were telling her and I found that SO frustrating. She did eventually redeem herself, but for me it was too late. I also hated the fact she was called Antanasia as I kept thinking 'Anastasia' instead, but that's not really a valid criticism.


Lucius...I'm not entirely sure how I feel about him. He seemed to have a massive case of split personality syndrome because sometimes he was all high and mighty and at other times very sweet. I did like his transformation to typical American teen, I loved the idea that he succumbed to the freedom of America and shunned his old fashioned duty. I also loved the letters he wrote to his uncle which were hilarious. At times though his speech slipped and he went from charming foreigner to a native speaker through the use of a certain word or phrase and I didn't really like that. I could see what the author was trying to do with the way he spoke but it didn't always work. 


Romance wise, I'm torn. I liked that Jessica had enough self-respect not to throw herself on him, but I resented that she wasn't really prepared to give him a try, afterall, the whole thing was hardly his fault. And then, when it seemed she lost him, she decided she wanted him after all! Fickle girl. 


I did like the parents. If you read my discussion post a few weeks ago you'll know I'm not a huge fan of parents playing vital roles in books but these parents were pretty cool. I liked the role they had in story and how they interacted with both Jessica and Lucius.


The ending had promise, but I feel like the author got bored  with writing and that left it feeling anti-climatic. I'm torn between whether this should be a 2 or a 3 star read. I'm really disappointed that I didn't enjoy this and I know it has some rave reviews, but it really wasn't for me.