Monday, May 4, 2020

Candace is a good friend of mine from the writing community in Utah, and I’m delighted to share her book Vampire-ish: A Hypochondriac’s Tale on the blog today.

The main character, Oliver Brixby, has a lot of allergies and a lot of insecurities alike. The young college student studies philosophy in New York, and he worries constantly about health, precaution, and graduating. On a morning jog, a girl in the park attacks him—bites him—and turns him into a vampire. This throws his hypochondriac world upside down as he adjusts to his new lifestyle both physiologically, socially, and intellectually. He also experiences a few quirks that other vampires don’t have to deal with, such as being allergic to human blood.

The story is such a unique take on vampires. It is an upbeat romantic comedy that is delightful in its character and relationship development, with an enjoyable premise and a very entertaining plot. I love so much that Oliver’s adventures in vampirism lead him to see both familiar and new people he meets in a different light. I also like that he doesn’t have to kill anyone—or actually suck anyone’s blood due to ravening uncontrollable hunger pains—for the vampire component of the story to still play a central role in complicating the character’s life and choices.

The vampiric aspect of the story was very interesting. It is centered more on the curiosity of fictional New York vampire culture, and all the complications this new community brings to Oliver’s otherwise reserved and quiet lifestyle. I also love some of the in-depth medical jargon that bubbles up here and there, shining through from Candice’s real-life medical background. I think this is a story my medical lab technologist mother would love too…I’ll have to convince her to read it!

The story has heart as well as humor. I enjoyed watching this character mature in his inner strength, confidence, and his understanding of relationships over the course of his adventures. It was truly a delightful read.

I listened to the audiobook version of this story, and Ryan Jeanmaire does a fantastic job narrating. Great voice for Oliver’s point-of-view, and very entertaining.

You can find Vampire-ish: A Hypochondriac’s Tale on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Vampire-ish-Hypochondriacs-Tale-Candace-Thomas-ebook/dp/B06ZYP8Y3X

Or listen to the Audible version here: https://www.audible.com/pd/Vampire-ish-Audiobook/B074QVH5SV.