Allen & Unwin, 2009

Available from
Allen & Unwin
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Nina Harrison became a vampire in 1973, when she was fifteen, and she hasn’t aged a day since then. But she hasn’t had any fun, either; she still lives with her mum, and the highlight of her sickly, couchbound life is probably her Tuesday-night group meeting, which she spends with a miserable bunch of fellow sufferers, being lectured at. But then one of the group is mysteriously turned to ashes . . . and suddenly they’re all under threat. That’s when Nina decides to prove that every vampire on earth isn’t a weak, pathetic loser. Along with her friend Dave, she hunts down the culprit – and soon finds herself up against some gun-toting werewolf traffickers who’ll stop at nothing. Can a bunch of feeble couch potatoes win a fight like this? Is there more to your average vampire than meets the eye?

This title is also available in the United States (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt), the United Kingdom (Quercus) and Germany (Hanser Verlag) and will soon be available in Hungary (Athenaeum
Kiado Kft).

‘A great pick for readers who wished Twilight had fewer sparkly vamps, more laughs, and a compelling murder mystery.’
rd.com (Reader’s Digest US)

‘In this Australian author’s amusing tale,vampires aren’t beautiful, fearless creatures with superhuman strength. 
They’re sickly, paranoid, and usually too nauseated to walk down the street. But after one of their group is murdered, the ragtag bunch is forced out of hiding to track down the killer.’
USA Today

‘This is a vampire story with a difference and young teens will devour it.’
The Sun (UK)

‘ . . . funny and subversive . . .’
Sunday Mail Brisbane

‘Jinks draws together a large cast of characters, all cleverly developed with personal histories – lives interrupted by their vampire “infection” – and idiosyncrasies . . . Though Jinks’s suburban vampires are laughable, they are also likeable and deserving of empathy.’
Sun Herald (Sydney)

Click here for more reviews

‘Witty and fast-paced, with a morbid wit that evokes the spirit of Agatha Christie, The Reformed Vampire Support Group . . . is among the more original of the crimson wave of vampire novels for youth and teens.’
Pittsburgh Morning Sun

‘ Humor, mystery and romance combine for a vampire novel that’s one of a kind.’
Fort Worth Star-Telegram

‘There’s only one thing better than a new Catherine Jinks book, and that’s a new Catherine Jinks book about vampires . . . [it’s] a joy to read. From science fiction thriller to medieval murder mystery, it seems there’s no literary category that Catherine Jinks is afraid to try. Her hilarious take on the undead is a welcome addition to a genre that seems determined to keep rising from the grave.’
The Canberra Times

‘ . . . offbeat, funny murder mystery . . .’
Buffalo News

‘A refreshingly tongue-in-cheek offering by prolific Australian author Catherine Jinks. The Reformed Vampire Support Group – title included – doesn’t take itself too seriously, which is its biggest asset . . . Humour is woven throughout with one-liners, situational comedy and the unlikeliness of the characters themselves . . . The main players are engaging and strangely charismatic.’
The Sydney Morning Herald

‘If you’re like me, the oversaturation of vampire books has created a large, festering hole in your brain. The Reformed Vampire Support Group is the perfect antidote. Side effects may include laughter, happiness, and or an uncontrollable feeling of purpose.. . . Catherine Jinks is a master of taking an unusual situation and writing it the way it would unfold in real life. I will eagerly be awaiting more from her.’
School Library Journal

‘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.’
Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Literature

‘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’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

‘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’s quirky sense of humour 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 . . . accidental heroics of Nina and her pals.’
Kirkus Reviews

‘. . . laugh-out loud funny . . .’
Booklist

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  • Kyla Hudson

    I loved this book! Will there be anymore books in this series?

    • Catherine Jinks

      Good news, Kyla – there’s already a sequel! It’s called ‘The Abused Werewolf Rescue Group’, and it’s been published in the United States, Australia, New Zealand, Canada and the United Kingdom. (It’s also available as an e-book.) I’m glad you liked the first one so much that you want to read the next …
      Subject: Re: New comment posted on The Reformed Vampire Support Group

      • Kyla Hudson

        Do we ever get to hear about Nina and Dave in that book? Also I will have to check it out.

        • Catherine Jinks

          It has Nina (towards the end), and lots of Reuben, but Dave doesn’t really feature. The main character is a young kid who discovers he’s a werewolf – with Reuben’s help – so I’m afraid Nina’s just a support character. Sorry.
          Subject: Re: New comment posted on The Reformed Vampire Support Group

          • Kyla Hudson

            Thank you so much for answering my questions. I was never much of a vampire book reader but I absolutely loved this book and recommend it. I hope there will be a book after “The Abused Werewolf Rescue Group” about Nina and what happened after. Thank you so much for taking time to answer my questions/comments.

          • Catherine Jinks

            No problems, Kyla! Thank YOU for getting in contact! I sit here at my desk all day, so it’s lovely to know that someone’s actually producing what I write …
            Subject: Re: New comment posted on The Reformed Vampire Support Group

  • David

    Catherine Jinks I loved the book instead of having the zombie idea u should make a book about a hybrid werewolf and vampire

    • Catherine Jinks

      Since vampires are suffering from an acquired illness, and werewolves from a genetic condition, a werewolf bitten by a vampire would naturally be a ‘hybrid’, and I suppose I just thought that it would be cool to make the resulting hybrid a zombie. But I suppose there are other ways to go. Not that I’ve really thought about them – I’m not sure that I’d be able to sell a third book!
      I’m glad you liked the first one, though.

      Subject: Re: Comment on The Reformed Vampire Support Group

    • Catherine Jinks

      Since vampires are suffering from an acquired illness, and werewolves from a genetic condition, a werewolf bitten by a vampire would naturally be a ‘hybrid’, and I suppose I just thought that it would be cool to make the resulting hybrid a zombie. But I suppose there are other ways to go. Not that I’ve really thought about them – I’m not sure that I’d be able to sell a third book!
      I’m glad you liked the first one, though.

      Subject: Re: Comment on The Reformed Vampire Support Group

  • Alan Kornesy

    Great book. Picked it out for a high school project, and have many other readers hooked on it as well. Really well written, keep up the good work.

    • Catherine Jinks

      Thank you so much! There’s a sequel, too …

      Subject: Re: Comment on The Reformed Vampire Support Group

  • Pernicious

    A good book, all in all. Very fascinating, and I enjoyed its half step off beat nature. Thanks for the read. (picked it for a school project)

    • Catherine Jinks

      Thanks for the message! I’m glad you enjoyed it!

      Subject: Re: Comment on The Reformed Vampire Support Group

  • Makenzi Sweitzer

    Hi, I’m only in 7th grade and I loved this book and I don’t enjoy reading but this book had me hooked and I even used on a book report this book is amazing and I love your work!!!

  • Makenzi Sweitzer

    Is there a sequel?
    Because i would give it a ……….

  • Makenzi Sweitzer

    Is there a book about the werewolf Reuben?

    • Catherine Jinks

      Hi Makenzi – I’ll answer all your questions at once! There is a sequel – it’s called ‘The Abused Werewolf Rescue Group’ – and it does have Reuben in it, but he’s not the main character. The main character is a boy called Toby. I had to do that because it’s a book for teenagers, and Reuben isn’t a teenager. I think you might like him, though. And thank you so much for your lovely message! I’m so glad you like my book!
      Subject: Re: Comment on The Reformed Vampire Support Group

      • Makenzi Sweitzer

        I just got the abused werewolf rescue group and I didn’t think it was possible but you made one even better then the reformed vampire support group!!!!!!

        • Catherine Jinks

          Oh wow, Makenzi – I’m so glad you think so! I never thought it WAS as good, and was always a bit embarrassed about that, but you’ve just made me feel a WHOLE lot better! Thank you so very much!
          Subject: Re: Comment on The Reformed Vampire Support Group

          • Makenzi Sweitzer

            Your Welcome I am Just about finish with the book!!

  • Pia Beatrice Jagolino

    i love this book very much!!! but how was the problem solved??? i don’t get it! thanks :)

    • Catherine Jinks

      Sorry – what problem, Pia? Could you be more specific?

      Subject: Re: Comment on The Reformed Vampire Support Group

  • Schuyler Kron

    Who published this book?

  • Ella Gilmour

    Just wanted to say that this is my all time favourite book series! I’ve read the reformed vampire support group at least 10 times and still can’t get over how well developed each character is and how they get by as vampires. But what draws me back to reading these books every time is that they aren’t your average vampire/werewolf fiction. In fact, it’s so refreshing that the characters aren’t all-powerful like your typical vampires and are more like regular people. I remember picking it up for the first time back in 2011 when twilight was top of the charts and loving it so much that I neglected finishing breaking dawn! Anyways, I really just wanted to say a huge thank you to Catherine Jinks for this amazing read :) I know it’s been a couple of years since the abused werewolf rescue group came out, but is there any chance of a third book? I’m really curious about Dave and Nina’s relationship, and how the werewolf bunch fit into it all!

    • Catherine Jinks

      Thank you so much, Ella – it’s such a boost to know that people keep reading your books and treasure them the way I keep reading certain books and treasuring them. I admit I was toying with the idea of a third book in the series – that possibly a vampire bitten by a werewolf turned into a zombie – but the second book didn’t sell well enough for the publishers to be interested. Still, it’s nice to know that SOME people liked it! And I really appreciate your taking the time to tell me that you did