Life Sucks

by Jessica Abel, Gabriel Soria | Graphic Novels |
ISBN: 1596431075 Global Overview for this book
Registered by wingGoryDetailswing of Nashua, New Hampshire USA on 1/28/2015
Buy from one of these Booksellers:
Amazon.com | Amazon UK | Amazon CA | Amazon DE | Amazon FR | Amazon IT | Bol.com
This book is in the wild! This Book is Currently in the Wild!
6 journalers for this copy...
Journal Entry 1 by wingGoryDetailswing from Nashua, New Hampshire USA on Wednesday, January 28, 2015
I got this slightly-battered ex-library softcover from Better World Books, for another release copy.

I first heard of this book via this "Unshelved" book-club strip, and thought it sounded intriguing - vampires working the night shift at convenience stores, quite a twist on the elegant-evening-wear version!

And I enjoyed this very much; it's a classic vampire tale with an urban/slacker setting. If you thought there couldn't be anything worse than a poorly-paid, no-status job as a convenience-store clerk with an overbearing, obnoxious boss, toss in the vampirism - and a rival in love, when a blond surfer-vamp (wondering how a vampire keeps a tan? Read the book!) makes eyes at a beautiful human whom main-character Dave also admires. Lots of dark humor, some suspense, a surprise or two - great fun!

[There's a short TV Tropes page on this one, but do beware of spoilers.]

Journal Entry 2 by wingGoryDetailswing at Nashua, New Hampshire USA on Friday, March 20, 2015

Released 9 yrs ago (3/21/2015 UTC) at Nashua, New Hampshire USA

CONTROLLED RELEASE NOTES:

I'm adding this book to the Vampire Bookbox, which will be on its way to its next stop soon. Enjoy!

*** Released as part of the 2015 Oh the Places We Can Go challenge, for the River Suck. ***

Journal Entry 3 by emmejo at Trumansburg, New York USA on Friday, August 28, 2015
This book rode to the end of the Vampire bookbox and is now headed to my shelves. This sounds very interesting!

Journal Entry 4 by emmejo at Trumansburg, New York USA on Thursday, September 3, 2015
Dave was turned into a vampire because his new boss needed a night manger, preferably one who will survive being shot during the occasional robbery. Being an undead guy working at a convenience store is bad enough, but when Dave develops a crush on a goth girl he has to compete with his own nature and a good-looking vamp for her attention.

This was entertaining and I really liked the premise. The characters were a harder sell. I found lots of the side characters entertaining, but the main group of guys were reminding me distinctly of my little brother's early high-school gang of friends. They were pretty annoying, to be honest. I actually could see this story working better if the characters were meant to be younger; their naivety, immaturity and self-centered tendencies would have been easier to accept than in adults paying their own way in the world.

The art is very good and the pacing is good up until the end, which is a bit rushed and choppy. I liked the decisions around Rosa, since we don't get to see too many PoC goths and they gave her a good storyline with some interesting conflicts, but was a bit disappointed by the bi-bashing around Alistair. Again, it felt a little too juvenile for adults involved in very non-traditional sub-clutures.

Journal Entry 5 by emmejo at Trumansburg, New York USA on Monday, September 7, 2015

Released 8 yrs ago (9/7/2015 UTC) at Trumansburg, New York USA

CONTROLLED RELEASE NOTES:


Journal Entry 6 by wingAzukiwing at Miami, Florida USA on Friday, December 25, 2015
Picked this from the manga book box. Thanks for sharing. The premise sounds really intriguing.

Journal Entry 7 by wingAzukiwing at Miami, Florida USA on Thursday, February 16, 2017
For all women who has read too many vampire romances and dreams of a dark, handsome, rich boyfriend, here's a wake up call. Vampires can be broke and working a low paid service industry job... for eternity!

I do like the ending a lot, and it does make me like the character Dave more.

Set aside for the manga box soon to come my way.


Journal Entry 8 by spacedog at Cambridge, Massachusetts USA on Monday, September 11, 2017
came back in my manga bookbox.

i didn't know what to expect with this and was pleasantly surprised. the rom-com mashup of vampires with slackers was fun and novel, except for the ending which i agree felt rushed and was disappointing (the main character does stuff that seems completely inconsistent with how he was previously portrayed). the art is a bit flat but feels appropriate for the story. entertaining overall.

Journal Entry 9 by spacedog at Cambridge, Massachusetts USA on Thursday, September 28, 2017
added to nimoridel's manga/graphic novel bookbox (http://www.bookcrossing.com/journal/14452373)

Journal Entry 10 by wingnimrodielwing at Evanston, Illinois USA on Tuesday, December 12, 2017
This came back in my manga & graphic novel book box.

Journal Entry 11 by wingnimrodielwing at Evanston, Illinois USA on Thursday, January 31, 2019
I absolutely loved this book! It had a clerks feel to it with the added vampire twist. I loved the art, even though it was a bit flat I thought it worked well. There was some great dark humor in there and I thought that the vampires making vampire jokes throughout were quite humorous. The fact that the goths hung out at a juice bar was cute, and I appreciated the fact that Rosa is a goth of color. I always appreciate seeing goths portrayed in ways outside of the pale white face and dark make-up, as there are PoC in the goth/industrial scene. I have to agree that the ending of the story felt a little rushed, and now I want to know how Rosa is doing as she integrates into the vampire life.

I have a fondness for cheesy vampire stories, and slice of life stories and I appreciated that this was both. It didn't romanticize being undead, it showed what life might be like for vampires in the modern day.

Journal Entry 12 by wingnimrodielwing at -- Bookbox, -- By post or by hand/ in person -- USA on Tuesday, April 23, 2019

Released 5 yrs ago (4/22/2019 UTC) at -- Bookbox, -- By post or by hand/ in person -- USA

CONTROLLED RELEASE NOTES:

adding to my manga & graphic novel book box.

Journal Entry 13 by wingSpatialwing at Arlington, Virginia USA on Wednesday, May 22, 2019
✩ ✩ ✩ ✩ ✩ ✩ ✩ ✩ ✩ ✩ ✩ ✩ ✩ ✩

Chosen from nimrodiel's Manga/Graphic Novel Bookbox. Journal book here.

✩ ✩ ✩ ✩ ✩ ✩ ✩ ✩ ✩ ✩ ✩ ✩ ✩ ✩

Journal Entry 14 by wingSpatialwing at Arlington, Virginia USA on Tuesday, May 28, 2019
This turned out to be a kind of sweet book. Loveable, dead-end job employee Dave is set to work eternally for his master as a convenience store clerk. That would be a horrible fate. To make things worse, he won't drink from a person so he's a bit of a weakling, physically, than the other vampires. But he's got some good friends who help him along the way as he vies with his blood brother, Wes, for the attention of a goth girl named Rosa and attends to the whims of his master. In the end, Dave stays true to himself (well except that last part, but that enables him to-->) and even finds a way to better himself.

There's an interesting twist at the end. Is there a book 2? If so, I'll gladly keep an eye out for it! A nice, fun twist on the vampire story.

Released 4 yrs ago (5/28/2019 UTC) at LFL - Crystal Dr., Crystal City Water Park #36793 in Arlington, Virginia USA

WILD RELEASE NOTES:

✩ ✩ ✩ ✩ ✩ ✩ ✩ ✩ ✩ ✩ ✩ ✩ ✩ ✩

Released in the Little Free Library #36793 - Crystal City Water Park.

✩ ✩ ✩ ✩ ✩ ✩ ✩ ✩ ✩ ✩ ✩ ✩ ✩ ✩

Are you sure you want to delete this item? It cannot be undone.