Editor’s Note: The previous title did not meet editorial standards and has been updated appropriately. A special thanks to our readers who help us learn and grow.
The Awesome (2015)
Written by: Eva Darrows
Genre: Urban Fantasy
Pages: 352 (Paperback)
Publisher: Solaris
Why I Chose It: I first heard about The Awesome on Twitter when someone tweeted the book’s line, “I am not the asskicker people think of when they hear ‘monster hunter.'” I was smitten from that moment and bought it straight away though it took a few months after the purchase to actually read it.
The premise:
Seventeen-year-old Maggie Cunningham is tough, smart, and sassy. She’s also not like other girls her age, but then, who would be when the family business is monster hunting? Combat boots, ratty hooded sweatshirts, and hair worn short so nothing with claws can get a grip, Maggie’s concerns in life slant more toward survival than fashion or boys.
Which presents a problem when Maggie’s mother informs Maggie that she can’t get her journeyman’s license for hunting until she loses her virginity. Something about virgin blood turning vampires into pointy rage monsters. Blood and gore and insides being on the outside and all that.
Maggie’s battled ghosts and goblins and her fair share of house brownies, but finding herself a boy — fitting in with her peers — proves a much more daunting task than any monster hunt. Did you know normal girls don’t stuff their bras with holy water balloons? Nor do they carry wooden stakes in their waistbands. And they care about things like “matching” and “footwear.” Of course, they also can’t clean a gun blindfolded, shoot a crossbow, or exorcise ghosts from a house. Which means they’re lame and Maggie’s not. Because Maggie’s awesome. The Awesome, in fact.
Just ask her. She’d be more than happy to tell you.
After she finds herself a date.
No Spoilers Below
Discussion:
The Awesome is about Maggie, an apprentice monster hunter, and her pro hunter mom, Janice. To become a true hunter Maggie has to lose her virginity or else she can’t hunt vampires. For rough and tumble Maggie this seems like a hunt she’s going to struggle with.
This book surprised me in the best possible ways. At one point I almost put it down because I was convinced I knew where this book was going to go and I didn’t want to read the inevitable ‘Oh, you only wanted to be with me because you needed to not be a virgin! I hate you!’ fight that I was sure was on the horizon.
I’m so glad I kept reading because the book blasted that out of the water in the very next chapter and veered into more fun and interesting territory than I had imagined. Maggie is great and with a voice so distinctive that I kept thinking about it for days after I’d finished the book. She reminded me of someone I’d known in high school, someone both confident and trying to figure themselves out. I adored her.
The range of characters is also a fun group. Ian, the boy of the story, is a fun, sweet guy but Janice is really the star of the book. The heart of the book circles around this unusual, but still very real mother-daughter duo and their relationships with each other and the world around them. It’s a really fun family with the same drama of any other family, just with added vampire and zombie issues. Lauren became a clear favorite towards the end of the book.
I loved the journey of Maggie and how she ultimately conquered the monsters around her. I really hope to see more of Maggie in future books.
In Conclusion: The book is great fun and an awesome read for a fresh take on vampires, romance and turning the idea of virgin blood on its head.
I’m dismayed to see this use of the word “lame,” especially front and center in a title. The implication of that usage here is that anyone who has a mobility disability is a lesser person and so very NOT awesome. I know this usage is common, but it’s hurtful, thoughtless, and unnecessary in an otherwise interesting review. So, editors, why did you let this appear?
Thank you so much for bringing this to our attention. The post has been revised, and we endeavor to learn from our oversights and grow as a result. Thank you for reading Speculative Chic.
Thank you for this revision. Your responsiveness is very much appreciated.