Scan barcode
spensacanread's review against another edition
3.0
3.5 stars
man, i've never been more grateful i can eat human food lol.
man, i've never been more grateful i can eat human food lol.
katyboo52's review against another edition
4.0
An extremely odd yet compelling book about a young woman who is a vampire. She is also figuring out how to be a human being and finding the juxtaposition of the two rather difficult to navigate. Set against the art scene of London, this also looks at questions of ownership, creativity and making as well as toxic family dynamics. It has the qualities of a strange and beautifully terrifying dream.
wanderlustt's review
adventurous
dark
emotional
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
elena_revisited's review
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
breadandmushrooms's review against another edition
dark
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
syirahreadsbooks's review against another edition
3.0
Tbh I might've rated this lower if I weren't Malaysian myself. Gotta support the diaspora fam.
My biases aside, it just felt like there was something missing in this book. The narrative felt very flat - not a lot happens in it - and truthfully I read the synopsis thinking that it'd have a better exploration of race. It's not that race isn't mentioned; in fact, Lydia's human-vampire background is used as an allegory for her Japanese-Malaysian British origins. The problem is that this allegory repeats across the book, in every chapter, without exploring much more when it comes to the material reality of a mixed race woman. Allegories can only really go so far.
The hints of Malaysian culture & folklore between the chapters are nicely done though. And the longing Lydia feels for her Japanese side is realistic and relatable for most diaspora kids. This book could've been stronger, but it's an important piece of work nonetheless.
My biases aside, it just felt like there was something missing in this book. The narrative felt very flat - not a lot happens in it - and truthfully I read the synopsis thinking that it'd have a better exploration of race. It's not that race isn't mentioned; in fact, Lydia's human-vampire background is used as an allegory for her Japanese-Malaysian British origins. The problem is that this allegory repeats across the book, in every chapter, without exploring much more when it comes to the material reality of a mixed race woman. Allegories can only really go so far.
The hints of Malaysian culture & folklore between the chapters are nicely done though. And the longing Lydia feels for her Japanese side is realistic and relatable for most diaspora kids. This book could've been stronger, but it's an important piece of work nonetheless.