Friday Fics Fix! - In Which the Avengers are Exposed to Crack (Not the Drug)

A couple of funny Avengers fics for you this week my lovely people. This is what is commonly referred to as crack fic (as in, 'What the hell? How did you think of that? You must've been on crack when you thought that up!') although sometimes it's just referred to as humour (for example, by site admins, who rarely use the demented slang that fangirls/boys come up with.) Enjoy the randomness.

Captain America Popsicles by TheMajesticLoki - this is where Tony finds out that they sell Captain America Popsicles (which I think are ice lollies... why must America rename everything?) or, as Tony likes to call them, Capsicles. This is worth the read just for the off-colour adult humour (no under-18s, don't do drugs, stay in school, etc....)

Baby diapers and Captain America dolls by HazelRose555 - this is domestic-bliss Superhusbands/Stony (in which Tony Stark and Captain America are together in a very romantic capacity) with a little Clintasha (Hawkeye and Black Widow) thrown in on the side. There's the usual mix of spelling and grammar issues here, but the sheer randomness (and Steve Rogers' whining) makes this worth the while.

Reviewing the Evidence - Diary of a Wimpy Vampire: Prince of Dorkness

Title: Diary of a Wimpy Vampire: Prince of Dorkness (US Link)
Author: Tim Collins
Genre: humour, paranormal, vampire, ya
Series: Wimpy Vampire (#2)

A few starting notes:

This is the sequel to the funny and entertaining 'Diary of a Wimpy Vampire' - since I enjoyed the last one, I decided to give the second book a go. As it's a sequel I'll go by my general rule of thumb for reviewing sequels - the blurb dictates the level of spoilerage for previous books. This means that the only plot details for previous books that I divulge are of the same nature as those found in the blurb for this book - it just seems fair to me.

Premise:

Nigel Mullett, the wimpy vampire, records a second year of life as the undead. Things are never plain-sailing when it comes to being stuck at the awkward age of 15; no matter how long you've been in school for, it all comes around again. And there's his barmy family, girls, and weird school-mates to deal with - nothing is ever easy.

Best bits:

This has the same tongue-in-cheek humour as the first book, focussing on the melodramas of teenage life, which don't go away simply because you're undead. The tone is great because Nigel is so grimly serious about the most ridiculous of things.

I personally really liked the addition, in this book, of the topic of vampire romances - which Nigel even tries his hand it! It's that sly, satirical humour that Brits do so very well, and made me smile.

The book is quick and readable, with funny cartoon-like illustrations and a diary format that splits the entire thing into short sections. Again, if you have one of those bizarre creatures, a tween or teenage boy, to force books into, it might be worth sticking the wimpy vampire series under their nose nonchalantly - might work, you never know.

Not so great bits:

I did find some parts - relating to new school-mate Jason in particular - quite predictable, but then I live on a constant diet of paranormal novels, so might have warped my brain to the point where nothing really surprises me anymore.

I can't help but feel like there's more potential for hilarity in Nigel's family, and his long past, than Mr Collins has unlocked. An opportunity missed perhaps.

Verdict:

This is fun and funny - a light-hearted take on the vampire craze that made me smile at more than one off-hand comment. Might even tempt the reluctant reader.

Reviewing the Evidence Time! - Diary of a Wimpy Vampire

Title: Diary of a Wimpy Vampire (US Link)
Author: Tim Collins
Genre: ya, paranormal, humour, vampire
Series: Wimpy Vampire

A few starting notes:

This looked fairly entertaining, and I'm a sucker for vampires (pun only slightly intended.) So I figured, why not give it a try? It's very much aimed at the teenage/ya market.

Premise:

Nigel is a vampire. Vampire's are always romantic and sexy and all that cool stuff - but not Nigel. Nigel had the misfortune of being turned at the awkward age of 15, just in time for an eternity of homework, acne, school politics, and being awkward around girls. So, will Nigel ever reach his target of getting his first ever girlfriend before his 100th birthday?

Best bits:

This book is fun. Like fun. Think of all the diary-form teenage books there have been over the years. Then add an awkward teenage vampire - see? Fun.

The pictures are actually a really fun touch - like something that a teenager would actually use to try and illustrate their hyperbolically serious diary. And I love Nigel's parents; they are, quite awesomely, mental.

The tone and pace of this book is quick and light, making it perfect for reluctant readers (you may even be able to trick the dreaded challenge of the teenage boy into reading it - though I can't guarantee it.)

Not so great bits:

Sometimes the plot has a slight tendency to feel on the thin-side. This isn't too much of a problem because the tone is so light, but it can occasionally get irritating.

There are some light references to issues that might affect teenagers - poverty, self-harm, suicide, anorexia, bullying - but these aren't laid on too thickly so the majority of young readers will be able to cope.

Verdict:

A fun and quick read with an awesome and quirky premise. Perfect for reluctant readers, or just those who like something different every now and then.