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abookishgoth's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Death, Self harm, Violence, Blood, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail
regulusreads's review against another edition
dark
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
⭐️ | 4.5 stars
uhm WHAT. the ending of this book left me shattered, it was over before i was ready to depart from this world and im anxiously anticipating the sequel (and looking forward to reading Forever Red).
but going back to the beginning, this book follows Arlo. Arlo is a sweet but deeply anxious young man who’s at the beginning of his journey and just as he begins to think he understands what his life will be, everything changes. however, this change lights the path to a whole new understanding of himself and the parts of himself that had been obscured.
I also really enjoyed this take on . I haven’t read a lot of vampire-centric fiction but I liked that this was different and almost veering into sci-fi territory in how it works.
while I was unsure of the writing style at first it began to make sense due to it following Arlo and the way he thought. I relate to Arlo, not fully, but especially in regards to him being aroace and seemingly neurodivergent (at least to me). pages 269-272 made me cry, I felt so seen. while my heart experiences of being aroace are different to Arlo’s, his struggle with his identity is familiar. I’m still struggling with my identity and reading books like this are so healing. Arlo is not broken and neither am I.
the book had its slower moments and faster moments but I think it works. after the first couple chapters the book flew by and I finished it far quicker than I thought I would because I couldn’t put it down. the stakes hit you like a brick. i was devastated at the end and yet, it felt necessary.
ANYWAYS GOOD BOOK, GOING TO CRY NOW 👍
uhm WHAT. the ending of this book left me shattered, it was over before i was ready to depart from this world and im anxiously anticipating the sequel (and looking forward to reading Forever Red).
but going back to the beginning, this book follows Arlo. Arlo is a sweet but deeply anxious young man who’s at the beginning of his journey and just as he begins to think he understands what his life will be, everything changes. however, this change lights the path to a whole new understanding of himself and the parts of himself that had been obscured.
I also really enjoyed this take on . I haven’t read a lot of vampire-centric fiction but I liked that this was different and almost veering into sci-fi territory in how it works.
while I was unsure of the writing style at first it began to make sense due to it following Arlo and the way he thought. I relate to Arlo, not fully, but especially in regards to him being aroace and seemingly neurodivergent (at least to me). pages 269-272 made me cry, I felt so seen. while my heart experiences of being aroace are different to Arlo’s, his struggle with his identity is familiar. I’m still struggling with my identity and reading books like this are so healing. Arlo is not broken and neither am I.
the book had its slower moments and faster moments but I think it works. after the first couple chapters the book flew by and I finished it far quicker than I thought I would because I couldn’t put it down. the stakes hit you like a brick. i was devastated at the end and yet, it felt necessary.
ANYWAYS GOOD BOOK, GOING TO CRY NOW 👍
Content Warnings
Graphic: Self harm
Moderate: Body horror, Death, Eating disorder, Mental illness, Sexual assault, Suicidal thoughts, Blood, Vomit, and Sexual harassment
Minor: Gore, Mental illness, Torture, Excrement, and Kidnapping
avaa1000's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Death, Gore, Self harm, Violence, Blood, Vomit, Acephobia/Arophobia, Murder, Alcohol, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Violence
Minor: Torture
hazelwood's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Yay finally an aroace vampire story!!! Though I'm quite annoyed that the next book in the series is apparently a prequel... I need to know what happens next! The narrator (Arlo) was very relatable although his voice took some getting used to, especially his tendency to over-analyze every social interaction - a very realistic representation of social anxiety. I like that each side character has their own lives outside of their interactions with Arlo too. I found Arlo triply relatable, as an aroace introvert and kind of touch-repulsed person myself. I liked the illustrations of each character in between chapters, although it was frustrating not being sure who was who (no labels for illustrations). The plot revolves around Arlo becoming a vampire after a fateful encounter with a "date" with devious intentions. At first he doesn't take it well despite there being a whole group of good vampires (the Thorns) who offer him help. He goes into a self-destructive spiral that only ends when he finally accepts their help. Eventually, he joins the Thorns and gains a loving queer found family. There is a mysterious (evil?) being stalking him the whole time, trying to turn him into something else. The ending was kind of sad and confusing to be honest, and I'm not sure what to think about it. Which is why I hope it will be expanded into a series.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death, Body horror, Cursing, Death, Eating disorder, Gore, Panic attacks/disorders, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Violence, Blood, Kidnapping, Grief, Cannibalism, Stalking, Acephobia/Arophobia, Murder, Abandonment, and Injury/Injury detail
juan_adhd_reading's review against another edition
dark
emotional
hopeful
lighthearted
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
This was a very cute book! Despite the inherently dark fact that it is about a boy being killed and becoming a vampire, this was actually a really lighthearted coming of age story. I found it a bit cheesy at times, but in the way that receiving a bunch of compliments at once can sometimes feel cringy (is that just me 😅). Anyway, this book also has a very emphatic arc of the main character, Arlo, discovering his asexuality which is one of the strongest points of this book. I could relate to Arlo in a lot of ways which was one of the reasons why I really enjoyed this book. The other one being that all the characters genuinely love Arlo, and care for each other very deeply. If you’re a fan of the found family trope, I highly recommend this book. Also, one of the biggest highlights of this book is the character art scattered all throughout. It is gorgeous! I really wish more books included illustrations like this.
My main complaint would be the pacing. Given that most of the book is set on finding the person that killed Arlo, I would expect more tension, action and a bit more mystery. I took longer than expected to finish this book because of the pacing. However, the last 50 -ish pages where extremely action packed and much more violent and dark that the rest of the book. I think I would have rather more of the book to be written this way.During one of the last chapters there’s the death of a character that carries a strong emotional sucker punch. Personally, I think this could’ve been done better if we had explored more of this character, but it was still incredibly sad. Still, I am very excited for the continuation of this story, and also the prequel coming out soon about the supporting characters Ben and Casper (loved them!)
My main complaint would be the pacing. Given that most of the book is set on finding the person that killed Arlo, I would expect more tension, action and a bit more mystery. I took longer than expected to finish this book because of the pacing. However, the last 50 -ish pages where extremely action packed and much more violent and dark that the rest of the book. I think I would have rather more of the book to be written this way.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Physical abuse, Violence, Blood, Kidnapping, Grief, and Cannibalism
Moderate: Addiction, Self harm, Sexual assault, and Sexual harassment
lonelyghostsclub's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Physical abuse, Torture, Violence, Blood, and Stalking
Moderate: Body horror, Self harm, Kidnapping, Gaslighting, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Sexual assault
introverted_reads's review
dark
mysterious
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
4.5 stars
Thank you to Harvey for sending me an ARC of their upcoming debut!
"You yearn for purpose and a future and control of your own life. You struggle and you let yourself, even blame yourself, yet you strive for greatness and are frustrated no one can truly help you ... those are not the traits of someone who knows they have eternity to do whatever they want. Cling onto that, Arlo, and never let go."
Murder! Immortality! Damnation! Blood! Listen up emos, goths, vampire enthusiasts, and angry socialists, we've got a new one. I fell in love with the world of Fallen Thorns, and the characters that Harvey Oliver Baxter has constructed. My My Chemical Romance, Creeper, and Anne Rice obsessed heart adored every page.
I'm going to nerd out a little about narrative voice right now, because I think they've done something really great. Harvey has a distinct voice as an author, and their dry wit and sense of humour cuts through the narrative. Tackling a polyvocal narrative in a debut is a bold move, but I think they've really made it work; it benefits the narrative, and serves a purpose, and it's a really interesting means of constructing an unreliable narrator; the novel is acutely aware of its unreliability, and consistently challenges the tension it creates between the two versions of narrative events.
Fallen Thorns is for the vampire lovers, but these are vampires as they haven't been seen before. Anne Rice's influence in the vampire subgenre is undoubtedly present, but this book teases traditional vampire media (shout out to the BiC pen, you had me on the floor) and offers a refreshing, contemporary take on the immortal creatures that have occupied the collective imagination for centuries.
Arlo's narrative is set against the landscape of an elite academic institution, enabling Harvey to offer an integrated commentary on issues of class and social elitism within the British university system. Arlo articulates a truth that no one really talks about: the culture shock and the encountering of the extent of the class divide, whilst at a prestigious university. It primarily focalises the class disparity across the north-south divide, but within the trend amongst "dark academia" books, it's refreshing to see a novel that doesn't just fall into complacency with the issues of class and social hierarchies within academia.
"Everyone already thinks there is something wrong with me [...] I just know. I can sense it and can't stand it."
Fallen Thorns is a distinctly character driven narrative, and each of the characters within Fallen Thorns are developed and carefully constructed. As an asexual, autistic reader, I felt a particular connection with Arlo; although not explicitly neurodivergent, I saw a lot of myself and my own experience of the world within Arlo's vocalisation of experience. The discourse that Harvey Oliver Baxter offers on asexuality is much more explicit, and much needed within media:
"... and you, Arlo, will never, ever, be alone. You are loved in so many ways and don't for one second think that because you don't want to romance that it makes you any less of a man or a human or even a goddamn being on this planet [...] You owe the world nothing. You are perfect just the way you are. Never forget that.”
Fallen Thorns is a strong debut of queer vampires, secret societies, murder, and ineffable cosmic forces. If you're a fan of vampires, If We Were Villains, silly queer characters, you can't miss this one (trust me), and the series of illustrations throughout the book mean that Harvey Oliver Baxter is truly a double threat.
Quotes taken from physical ARC provided by the author and may change in final published work.
And in response to your playlist, may I offer my humble (emo) contribution: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/3cU2TmVi3znoQ7gh0aeHIe
Thank you to Harvey for sending me an ARC of their upcoming debut!
"You yearn for purpose and a future and control of your own life. You struggle and you let yourself, even blame yourself, yet you strive for greatness and are frustrated no one can truly help you ... those are not the traits of someone who knows they have eternity to do whatever they want. Cling onto that, Arlo, and never let go."
Murder! Immortality! Damnation! Blood! Listen up emos, goths, vampire enthusiasts, and angry socialists, we've got a new one. I fell in love with the world of Fallen Thorns, and the characters that Harvey Oliver Baxter has constructed. My My Chemical Romance, Creeper, and Anne Rice obsessed heart adored every page.
I'm going to nerd out a little about narrative voice right now, because I think they've done something really great. Harvey has a distinct voice as an author, and their dry wit and sense of humour cuts through the narrative. Tackling a polyvocal narrative in a debut is a bold move, but I think they've really made it work; it benefits the narrative, and serves a purpose, and it's a really interesting means of constructing an unreliable narrator; the novel is acutely aware of its unreliability, and consistently challenges the tension it creates between the two versions of narrative events.
Fallen Thorns is for the vampire lovers, but these are vampires as they haven't been seen before. Anne Rice's influence in the vampire subgenre is undoubtedly present, but this book teases traditional vampire media (shout out to the BiC pen, you had me on the floor) and offers a refreshing, contemporary take on the immortal creatures that have occupied the collective imagination for centuries.
Arlo's narrative is set against the landscape of an elite academic institution, enabling Harvey to offer an integrated commentary on issues of class and social elitism within the British university system. Arlo articulates a truth that no one really talks about: the culture shock and the encountering of the extent of the class divide, whilst at a prestigious university. It primarily focalises the class disparity across the north-south divide, but within the trend amongst "dark academia" books, it's refreshing to see a novel that doesn't just fall into complacency with the issues of class and social hierarchies within academia.
"Everyone already thinks there is something wrong with me [...] I just know. I can sense it and can't stand it."
Fallen Thorns is a distinctly character driven narrative, and each of the characters within Fallen Thorns are developed and carefully constructed. As an asexual, autistic reader, I felt a particular connection with Arlo; although not explicitly neurodivergent, I saw a lot of myself and my own experience of the world within Arlo's vocalisation of experience. The discourse that Harvey Oliver Baxter offers on asexuality is much more explicit, and much needed within media:
"... and you, Arlo, will never, ever, be alone. You are loved in so many ways and don't for one second think that because you don't want to romance that it makes you any less of a man or a human or even a goddamn being on this planet [...] You owe the world nothing. You are perfect just the way you are. Never forget that.”
Fallen Thorns is a strong debut of queer vampires, secret societies, murder, and ineffable cosmic forces. If you're a fan of vampires, If We Were Villains, silly queer characters, you can't miss this one (trust me), and the series of illustrations throughout the book mean that Harvey Oliver Baxter is truly a double threat.
Quotes taken from physical ARC provided by the author and may change in final published work.
And in response to your playlist, may I offer my humble (emo) contribution: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/3cU2TmVi3znoQ7gh0aeHIe
Content Warnings
Graphic: Drug use, Eating disorder, Gore, Mental illness, Self harm, Sexual violence, Torture, Violence, Blood, Kidnapping, Grief, Stalking, Murder, and Alcohol