Review – Got Fangs? by Katie Maxwell (4/5 stars)

I got this book because I had previously read the Aisling Grey book by Katie MacAlister and was curious about her young adult books.   Katie Maxwell is the name Katie MacAlister uses for her young adult books.  This book is the first book in the Goth series.  There is one other book after this one called “Circus of the Darned”.   I actually really liked this book it was a cute, fun and fluffy little read.

Francesca is just your average sixteen year old, except for a couple small facts.  First she can read people and objects by touching them with her bare skin (history and what they are thinking).  Second she is stuck traveling with the GothFaire through Europe with her mother who is a bonafide witch.  More than anything she just wants to be a normal girl.  That is until she gets run over by a motorcycle driven by Benedikt (Ben) Czerny.  Ben is a Dark One (vampire) and tells Fran that she is his Beloved and destined to bring light into his life.  Well, that is all and good, but first things first.  Someone is stealing money from the GothFaire; can Fran figure out who it is before the Faire has to shut down for good?  How is she going to deal with this Ben guy claiming that they are eternally linked?

This book was a lot of fun.  For being such a slim novel it packs a lot of story.  Maxwell introduces some interesting beliefs about vampirism (it is linked to male descendants) and also hints at some more interesting plot points (such as the horse, Tesla) that weren’t fully addressed in this book.

The plot clips along at a quick place.  Fran is a funny and endearing character that is a lot of fun to read about.  Ben is a great character too.  All the supporting characters are well-crafted and fun.  I really enjoyed the book.  Keep in mind this is meant to be a light read.  It is amusing and cute, predictable but lovable.  A nice, quick diversion from heavier topics.  The dialogue gets a little over-the-top silly at times, but I found it charming rather than annoying.  This is one of those books where even the evil guys aren’t all that evil.

This is a very short book.  At under 200 pages it only takes 2-3 hours to read, but it is fun.  If you are looking for something light-hearted and fun I would recommend this.  I am excited to read the next book “Circus of the Darned” and am curious to find out if Maxwell is planning any more books with these fun characters!

This book goes towards the following reading challenges:
– The Young Adult Reading Challenge
– The 100+ Book Reading Challenge
– 1st in a Series Reading Challenge