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Beth Fantaskey

Författare till Jessica's Guide to Dating on the Dark Side

9+ verk 2,687 medlemmar 247 recensioner 8 favoritmärkta

Om författaren

Beth Fantaskey is the author of Jessica's Guide to Dating on the Dark Side, Jessica Rules the Dark Side, Jekel Loves Hyde, and Buzz Kill. (Bowker Author Biography)

Inkluderar namnet: Fantaskey Beth

Serier

Verk av Beth Fantaskey

Jekel Loves Hyde (2010) 440 exemplar
Jessica Rules the Dark Side (2012) 342 exemplar
Buzz Kill (1988) 138 exemplar
Isabel Feeney, Star Reporter (2016) 123 exemplar
Promessi vampiri (2010) 23 exemplar
Wires Crossed (2024) 1 exemplar

Associerade verk

Taggad

Allmänna fakta

Vedertaget namn
Fantaskey, Beth
Födelsedag
1965
Kön
female
Nationalitet
USA
Bostadsorter
Pennsylvania, USA
Yrken
college professor
writer
Organisationer
University of Pennsylvania
Agent
Helen Breitwieser

Medlemmar

Recensioner

This was a fun middle grade graphic novel about changes. It’s about how people you know and love change but are still themselves in ways that counts. For our main character Mia, her best summer camp friend is now going to get to be her all the time friend because they’re moving into the same school. But things are not how Mia planning. One friendship is cracking, school is changing, and it now matters if things are cool or crazy. This is a fantastic book about growing up. About remembering to communicate and remembering that friends are what you make of them. This was well done and great for people who like books like Dork Diary.… (mer)
 
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LibrarianRyan | Jan 31, 2024 |
I've had Jessica's Guide sitting on my shelf for about a year now, maybe even longer.  The concept appealed to me at first, but then I lost interest and shelved it for a while (all those vampire YA's, just...over-saturated feeling).  I recently picked it back up again because I want to read Fantaskey's upcoming novel Jekel Loves Hyde, so I figured I should get a handle on her writing tone.

I was pleasantly surprised by this book.  It had what sounded like the hallmarks of clichedom--dark, brooding alpha male vampire, kind of useless but secretly powerful girl, dippy friend, witchy popular girl--but Fantaskey wrote them in a wholly entertaining way.  Lucius was definitely vying for creeper of the year with much of his behavior towards and for Jessica, but admittedly he was raised in a ruthless manner and taught that women are given respect by males--but men still get all the respect from everyone.  His arrogance was almost charming since for all his bluster he didn't push Jessica too far.

Jessica, who spent a small portion of the book insufferably wishy-washy about how she liked Jake but was lusting hardcore for Lucius, wised up.  His attempts to convince her of both his vampireness and her true heritage, and her attempts to rationalize weird inhuman behavior, are kind of amusing.  Later, when her mom makes some rather pointed remarks about Jessica's 'rational' heroes, I thought it was deserved and well played.  Her parents clearly supported Lucius, but they both retained a realistic expectation--they were not going to force her if she was truly against the match.

I would have liked to know more about her vampire family and have spent less time on her rejecting everything Lucius was.  The end also, when Jessica comes into her own and teaches Lucius a lesson, could have been fleshed out a little more as well.  While it does tie up practically all the loose ends, some of the character relationships and consequences were ignored for the sake of the climax of the story.  Reading the first chapter of the Sequel Story (who's title I can't type here as its a pretty big spoiler for this book)  some of those issues are resolved however.

This was definitely a darker read then I originally expected.  Somewhere along the way I got the idea that this is meant as a parody of the Twilight and Twilight-like novels.  Honestly Fantaskey's writing reminded me of L.J. Smith's, during the Night World series, with its mixture of dark comedy, harsh realities and rough courtship shenanigans.
… (mer)
 
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lexilewords | 152 andra recensioner | Dec 28, 2023 |
Having recently read Jessica's Guide, as in a few days ago, I was excited to read this new book from Fantaskey. Admittedly I'm never a fan of the original work (though I did enjoy the BBC adaptation 'Jekyl' with James Nesbitt from a few years ago), but the idea has always appealed to me. Unfortunately after finishing this book I felt...confused more than anything else.

What I liked was that despite the characters seeming like cliches (nerdy girl, violent loner, popular best friend and witchy arch-rival), none of them were just that. Jill was a nerdy girl, but she was a strong person inside--enduring her father's funeral and her mother's breakdown, growing up so quickly to make sure what was left of her family didn't get completely destroyed--these things all showed how strong she was. Tristan, as he surname would suggest, becomes a monster, but is a beautiful pianist. Becca...actually I have nothing good to say about her. And Darcy, the arch-rival, in her own condescending way she sought to keep Jill at least at a suitable level to compete with her.

Most of the characters were shades of grey, complicated and so wrapped up in trying to do something good that they can't see the bad that's inevitable. I'm not sure if its pride or merely just human fallacy, but most of the characters in the book think of the right path at the very last moment. And I love the book for the fact that nothing comes easily; not the emotions, not the answers and not even the truth.

Tristan freaked me out a little bit. Even when he was Tristan and not monster!Tristan, he was intense. So willful and driven, so hounded. I wanted to know if the 'Hyde curse' began when the men were children, or if it was at the onset of puberty honestly. How the Hyde men knew exactly was all very vague; a thought here, a voice there, terrifying dreams...There is of course more to those dreams then is let on, but I enjoyed watching as they unfolded and became more vivid to Tristan.

Jill and Tristan's relationship ran hot and cold with me. Like Jill I thought Tristan seemed like such a nice guy...and then he started talking crazy talk and I was like 'just humor the crazy boy and run away Jill' (even though I knew he wasn't lying). He came on so strongly, even when just being platonic with Jill, that I had severe doubts and reservations about her spending time with him alone. And then Jill began changing and I was worried more about Tristan then I was her...it seemed like I spent most of their relationship worried one or the other would seriously harm the other. On the other hand I was darkly amused by the implication that they could both be dark at the same time.

Jill also showed a disturbing lack of common sense in regards to Tristan. He admits to doing all sorts of violent, reprehensible things--all while he is monster!Tristan of course--and Jill will get justifiably worried, resolves to stay away from the dangerous boy...and then runs right back to him out of love. Its especially worrisome after he talks to her about his dreams. I honestly do not believe she had a shred of self-preservation.

The ending wasn't very satisfactory, I'll be honest. She pulls a similar trick she pulled in Jessica's Guide regarding Tristan at one point that had me frowning. Then also Jill seemed to be acting less like herself then usual that I had to pause and re-read the last chapter to make sure I didn't miss anything. Niggling questions ate at me--such as how a generations long 'curse' (started by a chemical reaction that morphed Jekyl's body into something completely new) could be solved by one dose of the same chemical. Was the chemical then part of their genetic make-up, thus allowing the transference from father to son, and the chemical just re-configured their genetics? Wouldn't the fact that strong emotions triggering the change kind of indicate that it had evolved? Jekyl turned into Hyde only when he ingested the chemical, and turned back the same route. Does this mean that the new 'Hyde' men released the formula into their blood during strong emotions and then it faded when they came back to their senses?

I realize it sounds like I'm overthinking things, but I shouldn't have to wonder about such an important part of the puzzle. It should have been explained, or at least shown, at some point in the narrative/novel. Its unfortunate I didn't enjoy Jekel Love Hyde as much as Jessica's Guide, but I will look forward to any further books Fantaskey puts out. At the very least she does entertain and does bring a different twist to established norms!
… (mer)
 
Flaggad
lexilewords | 38 andra recensioner | Dec 28, 2023 |
Jessica Rules the Dark Side by Beth Fantaskey is one of my favourite books in a series that ended FAR TOO SOON!!

When I initially picked up this series I became furious - there was only two books in the series and then POOF it was gone, just like that! I was addicted, I needed more and Beth hadn't provided the literature to fill that need. With a book and sweet and cute as this one, it was highly upsetting.

The Romanian vampire universe that Beth built within these two books was thrilling. We follow Jessica and her vampire husband (who has been accused of murder, by the way) in a magical adventure. There's romance, drama, danger, thrills and everything you want in a YA, vampire novel.

This book does let you down though - it's the final in a two book series that could have been so much more. It could have been the next Vampire Academy, in my eyes. Why go so far and waste the effort to create such a beautiful universe to end it after two? Our characters still had room to grow, since their character development was quite small, and there were so many loose ends that weren't tied up in the end. When there's so many mysteries entwined in this series, it was incredibly frustrating to know the books just stopped here.

Jessica is related to the audience - she doesn't fit in, she's strong willed and headstrong and is willing to save her friends. She's not overly dramatic in my eyes, especially in a YA adult novel, but she's still an excellent lead. Mixed in with a fast paced story, and an excellent story line makes for a truly great recommended read from me!

Five out of five stars.
… (mer)
 
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Briars_Reviews | 28 andra recensioner | Aug 4, 2023 |

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Statistik

Verk
9
Även av
2
Medlemmar
2,687
Popularitet
#9,559
Betyg
3.8
Recensioner
247
ISBN
82
Språk
6
Favoritmärkt
8

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