Review of Bite Me by Parker Blue

An edgy book for teens that spans the gap between YA and adult fiction. Life after high school is tough enough without having to go 15 rounds with your inner demon. Val Shapiro is just your ordinary, part-demon, teenaged vampire hunter with a Texas drawl. And a pet hellhound named Fang. Soon enough she finds herself deep in the underbelly of the city, discovering the secrets of the Demon Underground and fighting to save those she loves. Whether they love her back or not. (From GoodReads)

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Bite Me is about Val Shapiro, a seemingly normal teenage girl. As the book opens, Val takes down a nasty vampire. I loved how the book opened with an action sequence. You can get a real “feel” for the character. I felt like I knew Val right away, and I liked her. Val is part-demon, succubus, to be precise.  Succubi thrive on lust, and Val feeds that part of herself, aptly named Lola, by taking down vampires. Even though Val is a kick-butt vampire slayer, she also has a vulnerable side. She has always been treated differently by her human mother. Secluded from the rest of the world, she only has her family to rely on. Until they kick her out, on her eighteenth birthday. Now, Val is certainly down on her luck.
Things start to quickly look up for Val, though. She is quickly befriended by a part-hellhound. Spike, her new pet/friend, can communicate with Val. Spike quickly became my favorite character. He’s funny, snide and loyal. Oh yeah, he rides on the back of Val’s motorcycle in a basket, with goggles on. In addition to Spike, Val also is taken in by Dan Sullivan, a member of the San Antonio Police Department. The SAPD has a Special Crimes Unit, dealing with the dark-side of San Antonio. Sullivan helps Val get a job with the unit and get a home with his sister. Now, all that’s in her way is taking down a new vein of vampires. Along with her partner Sullivan, Val is determined to get to the bottom of this evil organization, before they get to her sister.
I enjoyed Bite Me, even though it was quite short. It never felt truly lacking with it’s length, most of my questions were answered.  I am looking forward to quickly jumping into Try Me so I can learn more about the really cool Val Shapiro.

*I received Bite Me, part of the Demon Underground series, via NetGalley*