neni's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
I enjoyed this book quite a bit. The dark and gothic mystery vibes were on point, and the narrative and writing styles were quite similar to Bram Stoker's Dracula which helped put me in that headspace, which I believe was the point. The only thing I have to point out is that the story was way longer than necessary, pretty much the first half of the book could have been condensed in about 100 pages, I sometimes found myself struggling to get through it because there were chapters were nothing was happening. The second half, where things started happening and the mysteries started to get solved, was entertaining and gripping, and the ending surprised me in a good way. I think it was well executed overall, just a tad bit too long
Graphic: Murder, Physical abuse, Animal death, Blood, Body horror, Child death, Chronic illness, Emotional abuse, Forced institutionalization, Gaslighting, Grief, Self harm, Toxic relationship, Violence, Animal cruelty, Confinement, Death, Gore, Injury/Injury detail, Medical content, and Mental illness
bookishobserver's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
5.0
I loved this book. Picked it up at 8 am on a Saturday and didn’t put it down until 11 at night. I’m pretty sure last week I said I’d found my favorite scary book of the season, but I lied. It’s this one. This prequel to Dracula hit every single note I wanted: genuinely scary, great pacing, a tight brother/sister duo, a tragic love story, and tension. When Dracula is first introduced to one of our characters, I realized I read an entire passage with my mouth hanging open. There isn’t a single aspect of this I didn’t enjoy. And I especially loved the end, because it obviously leads into Dracula.
One of my favorite bits was knowing Van Helsing’s identity was changed for ‘protection.’ What a fun but smaller detail. Doesn’t change anything about the story to know that, it’s just a fun tidbit. Vampire stories aren’t everyone’s thing, I know, but if you’re gonna try, start here.
I 100% plan on re-reading this next year and then reading Dracula right after.
Graphic: Blood
lydiavsbooks's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
4.5
Erm wow, I love this. With books this big I almost always find myself getting bored or impatient or just wanting it to fast forward at some point but completely did not get that with this one, I even read the authors notes which I like never do.
I had no idea about the backstory behind Dracula or the Stoker family, now I'm sucked in. I actually haven't read Dracula yet but this book made me order it and I'm excited to get to it. I love the idea of this book being the missing 101 pages of Dracula.
The premise is obviously just amazing but also the way it's done: top tier. I was so fully emersed in the plot, the atmosphere, and just felt so attached to the characters and so hyped to think they were real people.
I had no idea about the backstory behind Dracula or the Stoker family, now I'm sucked in. I actually haven't read Dracula yet but this book made me order it and I'm excited to get to it. I love the idea of this book being the missing 101 pages of Dracula.
The premise is obviously just amazing but also the way it's done: top tier. I was so fully emersed in the plot, the atmosphere, and just felt so attached to the characters and so hyped to think they were real people.
Graphic: Blood, Suicide, Murder, and Gore
Moderate: Torture, Domestic abuse, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Chronic illness, Mental illness, Stalking, Suicide, Confinement, and Suicide attempt
karen191's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
It’s good. Some of the passages are very well written, I just feel like it could’ve 100 pages shorter.
Graphic: Blood, Death, Gore, and Mental illness
Minor: Sexual assault
annaclarimoto's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.25
Graphic: Blood
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