A review by ktothelau
Buffy the Vampire Slayer: How I Survived My Summer Vacation by Cameron Dokey, Michelle West, Paul Ruditis, Nancy Holder, Yvonne Navarro
3.0
A lot of the hate this book is receiving seem to come from a desire of expectations and the product of reality. No, this isn't an anthology of 6 fun short stories following a different character on the cover. Instead, this is more like 6 bonus episodes taking place between the first 2 seasons of the show.
Unfortunately, the execution could be a lot better.
The first story by Michelle West is absolutely brilliant and should be the prime example of how Buffy should work in prose. On-point dialogue, meaningful visual metaphors, and intertwining real-life themes of growing up (in this case, the aftermath of a parents' divorce). It's a shame this author didn't write a full Buffy novel, but I will definitely be checking out some of her original works.
The second story by Nancy Holder, an acclaimed Buffy author (but, seemingly, only when she pens with Christopher Golden), is easily the most forgettable story here. The idea is interesting (the disposing of the Master's bones from the season 1 finale), it solidifies the villain arc for this collection, but prose is rather bland. Whereas Michelle West effectively utilizes metaphors, Nancy Holder does not.
The third and fourth stories by Cameron Dokey have serious pacing issues. When each story runs for roughly 42 pages, waiting until the 20th page for the plot to finally be introduced is a drag. Though Dokey pushes the characters outside of the norm we see with the show's budget, it's all flat and meaningless for said characters. This is also where the collection loses focus on the arc that West and Holder built.
The fifth story by Yvonne Navarro would essentially be when the arc would pick back up and give the collection more meaning. Instead, it focuses on a more comedic story that also waits until halfway to get the plot moving. Easily the most pointless story here if having an arc was a focus.
The sixth and final story by Paul Ruditis reads like a good Buffy episode. Guessing from structure and attention to detail, it seems Ruditis has experience with writing mystery novels or shows. It's a strong and solid story, but has nothing to do with the arc and doesn't quite fit as an ending to a collection (more of the editor's fault than Ruditis. I'm definitely interested in seeing more work from him too).
For those of you wondering, the first and fourth stories are Buffy-centric and the rest follow Giles and Jenny with special guest appearances from Angel, Willow, and Xander (R.I.P. Cordelia fans. Even principal Snyder makes an appearance here). The first and last stories are definitely worth reading, but, overall, this collection is just okay.
Unfortunately, the execution could be a lot better.
The first story by Michelle West is absolutely brilliant and should be the prime example of how Buffy should work in prose. On-point dialogue, meaningful visual metaphors, and intertwining real-life themes of growing up (in this case, the aftermath of a parents' divorce). It's a shame this author didn't write a full Buffy novel, but I will definitely be checking out some of her original works.
The second story by Nancy Holder, an acclaimed Buffy author (but, seemingly, only when she pens with Christopher Golden), is easily the most forgettable story here. The idea is interesting (the disposing of the Master's bones from the season 1 finale), it solidifies the villain arc for this collection, but prose is rather bland. Whereas Michelle West effectively utilizes metaphors, Nancy Holder does not.
The third and fourth stories by Cameron Dokey have serious pacing issues. When each story runs for roughly 42 pages, waiting until the 20th page for the plot to finally be introduced is a drag. Though Dokey pushes the characters outside of the norm we see with the show's budget, it's all flat and meaningless for said characters. This is also where the collection loses focus on the arc that West and Holder built.
The fifth story by Yvonne Navarro would essentially be when the arc would pick back up and give the collection more meaning. Instead, it focuses on a more comedic story that also waits until halfway to get the plot moving. Easily the most pointless story here if having an arc was a focus.
The sixth and final story by Paul Ruditis reads like a good Buffy episode. Guessing from structure and attention to detail, it seems Ruditis has experience with writing mystery novels or shows. It's a strong and solid story, but has nothing to do with the arc and doesn't quite fit as an ending to a collection (more of the editor's fault than Ruditis. I'm definitely interested in seeing more work from him too).
For those of you wondering, the first and fourth stories are Buffy-centric and the rest follow Giles and Jenny with special guest appearances from Angel, Willow, and Xander (R.I.P. Cordelia fans. Even principal Snyder makes an appearance here). The first and last stories are definitely worth reading, but, overall, this collection is just okay.