How we cite our quotes: (Chapter.Paragraph)
Quote #1
Splashed across the cover of Youngblood was a glamorous, slinky young girl with white skin, black hair, and ruby-red lips. She wore high-heeled boots and lots of black leather, as well as an ammunition belt. Her canine teeth were long and pointed, but she was stunningly beautiful nonetheless. (1.8)
Say hello to Zadia Bloodstone, the fictional character that Nina's devised. Is there a wee bit of escapism and wishful thinking going on here? Probably. Zadia's drop-dead gorgeous and looks competent, while Nina is at best cute in an undead kind of way.
Quote #2
Her hands on the keyboard were like chicken's feet, all scaly and dry. Her skin was the color of a maggot's, and her legs were so thin that her tights were wrinkled around the knees. (1.13)
We don't know what color a maggot is, and we don't really want to. The point has been made: Nina's skin is gross (do vampires get eczema?) and she looks malnourished. Girl's she's not really what you'd call good-looking.
Quote #3
She had the hoarse rasp and yellowed fingertips of a chronic smoke, her hair looked like a frayed clump of steel wool, and her scarlet lipstick was bleeding into the cracks around her mouth. (1.18)
Nina's mom is seventy-six years old, and she's not looking so hot. She's a smoker and a former barmaid, so that explains a bit of it. And we guess it might be stressful if your only kid is turned into a vampire against her will. Oh, and she has dentures—let's not forget that alluring detail. This book doesn't make getting old sound like it'll do wonders for your physical appearance.
Quote #4
"We'll try not to make too much noise, Mrs. Harrison," he promised, placating Mum with his husky voice and spaniel eyes. (5.37)
Despite his condition, Dave is somehow not too bad looking. He has cute eyes, and even though he's kind of shaggy, he seems to look like the kind of guy that moms approve of. So at least Dave has that going for him.
Quote #5
"Which is another reason Nina is such a good candidate […] She's small, she's childish, and she's not intimidating." (6.85)
Here, Sanford's voicing his opinion about why Nina's a good pick for the road trip to Cobar to see if they can uncover clues about their vampire hunter. In case they manage to talk things out with the slayer, Nina doesn't look very scary, so she might be able to convince them that she's not a threat. Hey, it's worth a shot…
Quote #6
When Casimir was finally released from his underground confinement, back in 1973, he looked just like a bog mummy. […] His tongue was kippered, his teeth were loose, and his eyeballs had shrunk to the size and consistency of dried peas. (7.6)
That sounds thoroughly unpleasant. Sure, it probably isn't fun to be locked up for decades, but it also wreaks havoc on your appearance. Casimir was apparently pretty creepy-looking to begin with. If he looks even worse than usual upon release…. yikes. Somebody get him to a spa, pronto.
Quote #7
As I stared at the creature's mangy pelt, pug snout, and ferocious snarl, I registered every feature without really understanding what it meant. Only when I tried to find a label for this bizarre collection of characteristics did I realize that I couldn't. I didn't know what the strange beast actually was. (10.83-84)
When Nina sees her first werewolf, she's understandably confused. After all, it doesn't look like any other animal that exists. It's the size of a bear, but with a dog's features, and even weirder, it moves and uses its limbs like a human. No wonder her brain can't make the creature's appearance fit into any preexisting mold.
Quote #8
His appearance matched his voice; it was compressed but strangely formidable. […] His rubbery features looked squashed, and he didn't have much of a neck. Yet his broad shoulders, big hands, and broken nose were intimidating—as were his scars, and his empty blue eyes. (11.103)
The gang's first meeting with Barry McKinnon is a little freaky. Based on his appearance, he doesn't look like the kind of guy to forgive and forget. All the descriptions that emphasize bigness and emptiness make him seem scary and lacking in empathy.
Quote #9
But despite being unkempt, unshaven, and thoroughly uncared for, Reuben was still the most stunning guy I'd ever seen. Though he wasn't very tall, his proportions were perfect. So were his teeth, and his nose, and his high, sculpted cheekbones. He had enormous green eyes ringed by jet-black lashes, and a lean, wiry, muscular build. (13.111)
Nina's description of Reuben, when she first sees him in human form, makes him sound pretty darn hot. She notices his proportionate features, his huge green eyes, his lashes that would make any girl jealous, and his body's shape. What's not to like? Especially when you're been hanging around sickly looking vamps for the last few decades.
Quote #10
"You're useless! You're a waste of space! And the only reason you go around wearing those stupid clothes is because without them you'd be invisible!" (17.80)
After getting back from Cobar, Nina goes off on Horace. She's trying to talk up a rescue mission for Reuben, and Horace is not being supportive. In response, Nina insults Horace's appearance, since he's always wearing silly stereotypical vampire clothing. She posits that he's just doing it for attention… but isn't that half the reason to wear clothes that stand out, anyway?