Catherine Jinks, author of more than thirty books for children and adults, is a three-time winner of the Children's Book Council of Australia Book of the Year Award. She has received many American accolades such as Publishers' Weekly Best Book of the Year and School Library Journal Best Book of the Year for Evil Genius, which was also a Book Sense Children's Pick and a New York Public Library Book for the Teen Age. In 2001 she was presented with a Centenary Medal for her contribution to Australian children's literature. Catherine lives in Leura, Australia. www.catherinejinks.com
"Jinks's signature facility with plot and character development is
intact as she turns to the topic of vampires . . . Throwing in
delicious details and aper�us, the author works her way from the
murder of one of the vampires to suspense and adventure of the
sinister yet daffy variety beloved by readers of Evil Genius. The
plot twists, more ornate than in previous works, ramp up the
giddiness--and, perhaps, camouflage the corpses, blood and other
byproducts of the genre." --Publishers Weekly, starred review
"Support Group is truly like no other vampire story. It is witty,
cunning, and humorous, with numerous plot twists and turns. Jinks
has conjured up an eccentric but believable cast of characters in a
story full of action and adventure." --School Library Journal
"Jinks offers some wry vampire-centric twists on mystery
conventions . . . laugh-out-loud funny."
--Booklist "Jinks's quirky sense of humor will appeal to fans of
her Evil Genius series. Those tired of torrid bloodsucker stories
or looking for a comic riff on the trend will feel refreshed by the
vomitous, guinea-pig-drinking accidental heroics of Nina and her
pals." --Kirkus Reviews "Jinks draws her characters and their
unique challenges in great detail . . . there's plenty of blood and
guts (both types) to go around. One part problem novel, one part
comedy, and one part murder-mystery, this alternative vampire story
is for outsiders of all kinds, underground or otherwise." --Horn
Book "Jinks takes readers on a wild ride, poking wicked fun at
vampire enthusiasts of all stripes with her wryly clinical take . .
. a first-rate comedy with equal appeal for avid vampire fans and
those who wouldn't be caught dead with a copy of Twilight." --The
Bulletin "With this budding heroine in her own right at the
forefront, this ensemble of eccentric characters gives a wry spin
to the ever-popular vampire tales." --BookPage Praise for Evil
Genius: "Jinks fills out the cast with brilliantly conceived
friends and adversaries." --Kirkus Reviews, starred review Praise
for Genius Squad: "Gripping, devilish and wonderfully dark"
--Publishers Weekly, starred review "[Jinks's] ability to craft
vivid characters and engrossing action scenes continues unabated."
--Kirkus Reviews, starred review --
Jinks's signature facility with plot and character development is intact as she turns to the topic of vampires-as fans can anticipate, hers are not the romantic superheroes of the Stephenie Meyers books. Hers are a ragtag bunch: anemic, whiny, unattractive, they feed on guinea pigs (because they're small, "their drained cadavers can be concealed without much effort," and they breed quickly), and they turn for support to an idealistic priest. Nina, the narrator, is in her 50s, but was "infected" at 15 and chafes at being treated like an adolescent; she writes a sensational vampire series with a seductive, powerful heroine totally unlike herself, giving Jinks opportunity for comic contrasts. Throwing in delicious details and aperAus, the author works her way from the murder of one of the vampires to suspense and adventure of the sinister yet daffy variety beloved by readers of Evil Genius. The plot twists, more ornate than in previous works, ramp up the giddiness-and, perhaps, camouflage the corpses, blood and other byproducts of the genre. Ages 12-up. (Apr.) Copyright 2009 Reed Business Information.
Teenage vampires are all the rage thanks to Stephenie Meyer's phenomenally successful 'Twilight' series. Respected author Catherine Jinks jumps on the bandwagon with her latest book, centred on Nina, a 15-year-old vampire who cannot deal with the anticlimatic realities of her 'condition'. Nina is a member of a small rag-tag group of Sydney vampires who strive to retain their anonymity, even if it means turning their backs on traditional vampiric activities such as drinking the blood of humans and dressing in gothic attire. After the eldest of the group is exposed and then executed, Nina and her friends must find the vampire slayer without blowing their own cover before anyone else is murdered. Matters get worse when they rescue and befriend a werewolf with some very ruthless and persistent enemies. The Reformed Vampire Support Group has a cast of well-defined characters and never loses its sense of humour. The book has genuine suspense at times, but lacks the simmering tension that most readers associate with the genre, as these modern urban vampires are not particularly captivating. Like Nina, teenage readers may find these vampires unexciting and not entirely convincing. The book does not equal the high standard of Jinks' earlier and superior efforts. Gavin Jones is the literature librarian at Melbourne Girls Grammar
"Jinks's signature facility with plot and character development
is intact as she turns to the topic of vampires . . . Throwing in
delicious details and apercus, the author works her way from the
murder of one of the vampires to suspense and adventure of the
sinister yet daffy variety beloved by readers of Evil Genius. The
plot twists, more ornate than in previous works, ramp up the
giddiness--and, perhaps, camouflage the corpses, blood and other
byproducts of the genre." --Publishers Weekly, starred
review "Support Group is truly like no other vampire story. It is
witty, cunning, and humorous, with numerous plot twists and turns.
Jinks has conjured up an eccentric but believable cast of
characters in a story full of action and adventure." --School
Library Journal "Jinks offers some wry vampire-centric twists
on mystery conventions . . . laugh-out-loud funny."
--Booklist "Jinks's quirky sense of humor will appeal to
fans of her Evil Genius series. Those tired of torrid bloodsucker
stories or looking for a comic riff on the trend will feel
refreshed by the vomitous, guinea-pig-drinking accidental heroics
of Nina and her pals." --Kirkus Reviews "Jinks draws her
characters and their unique challenges in great detail . . .
there's plenty of blood and guts (both types) to go around. One
part problem novel, one part comedy, and one part murder-mystery,
this alternative vampire story is for outsiders of all kinds,
underground or otherwise." --Horn Book "Jinks takes readers
on a wild ride, poking wicked fun at vampire enthusiasts of all
stripes with her wryly clinical take . . . a first-rate comedy with
equal appeal for avid vampire fans and those who wouldn't be caught
dead with a copy of Twilight." --The Bulletin "With this
budding heroine in her own right at the forefront, this ensemble of
eccentric characters gives a wry spin to the ever-popular vampire
tales." --BookPage Praise for Evil Genius: "Jinks
fills out the cast with brilliantly conceived friends and
adversaries." --Kirkus Reviews, starred review Praise for
Genius Squad: "Gripping, devilish and wonderfully dark"
--Publishers Weekly, starred review "[Jinks's] ability to
craft vivid characters and engrossing action scenes continues
unabated." --Kirkus Reviews, starred review --
 |
Ask a Question About this Product More... |
|
