(courtesy of William Morrow)
Get ready to laugh out loud at Christopher Moore’s new sequel, “Bite Me: A Love Story.”
Take a California valley girl, add one part Goth princess, one part perky secretary, one part Nosferatu and the result is Abby Normal, Christopher Moore’s heroine of “Bite Me.” Abby Normal is the principle narrator of the novel and tells events with a classic valley girl lilt.
This isn’t the typical vampire story with love that will never end and a conflict of morals that comes with draining people dry. If it was, then it wouldn’t be a book by Christopher Moore. Instead, Moore begins with the premise that a vampire cat named Chet is stalking San Francisco’s nights. Sure there’s love—Abby Normal loves her “love monkey” boyfriend Steve “Foo Dog” Wong but the reader should be ready to laugh and not sigh at the couple’s antics.
Moore’s book is a good read but not for the faint of heart or those who have problems with profanity. Moore doesn’t shy away from throwing in profanity or socially taboo topics. However, where it would be offending in a serious book, Moore’s scattering of light and sarcastic humor allows the reader to see it for what it is: simple, good-natured fun.
The characters are strong and memorable, but character shifts can leave the reader wondering what’s going on. Normal’s characteristic way of speaking takes time to read and understand what’s going on because her voice can be confusing. Moore seems to understand this conundrum and usually sums up what Normal says when he switches to a new narrator.
The key to keeping up with the fast-paced plot is reading carefully and not rushing on to the next chapter. Reading the chapter titles can help, too. With titles like “Hello Kitty,” “The Vampire Parrots of Telegraph Hill” or “The Samurai of Jackson Street,” the reader can’t afford to miss the inevitable laugh from paying attention to the titles.
The plot does get lost at points. The struggles of Chet the vampire cat, which at first seem to be the main storyline of the book, are left alone in favor of chronicling the trials of the vampires which Normal serves—Jody (a.k.a “the Countess”) and Tommy. The reader will recognize the couple from the two previous novels in the series “Bloodsucking Fiends: A Love Story” and “You Suck: A Love Story.”
The reader can probably get by without reading the two previous novels, but it’s a good idea to check them out; Normal’s account of events from the previous novel is dizzying in its fast-paced and scatter-brained retelling. The Emperor of San Francisco, his two dogs and the late night grocery crew called the “Animals” aren’t given much introduction in “Bite Me” although they’re back and ready to kick some undead butt.
Moore’s book is let-loose fun made for those who love to sink their fangs into the unconventional.
Contact CU Independent Staff Writer Ana Faria at Ana.faria@colorado.edu.
