mals_library's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
3.5
Graphic: Gaslighting, Death, Injury/Injury detail, Toxic relationship, Murder, and Blood
Moderate: Emotional abuse and Adult/minor relationship
Minor: Abandonment, Bullying, Child death, Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, Sexual content, and Dementia
sssssoup's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
0.25
The plot itself was fine, and I was okay with the resolution in the end, but there were a lot of glaring issues related to the vampire lore that took away from my enjoyment of the story.
Spoiler
Why did nobody in the town seem to care about all the murders? The vampires killed at least fifteen or twenty people during the story, which spanned less than a month. I know it’s fiction, so they can take some liberties when it comes to logic, but this was so glaring that I wasn’t willing to overlook it. Also, I know Holly was nowhere near as bad as Elton, but she still had a significant age gap with Parker, and I found it odd that that was never addressed.The characters were also not very interesting. Despite all their trauma and the author’s attempts to make them sympathetic, I didn’t really feel bad for any of them. They seemed boring and shallow, and the fact that they all only got one distinct personality trait made them run together in my mind.
Overall, I like the ideas present in the story, but the execution was lackluster and forgettable at best.
Graphic: Emotional abuse, Violence, Adult/minor relationship, Body horror, Death, Gaslighting, Gore, Grief, Blood, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, and Toxic relationship
Moderate: Abandonment, Misogyny, Sexism, Dementia, Sexual harassment, Bullying, and Death of parent
Minor: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Sexual content, and Fire/Fire injury
toofondofbooks_'s review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
The things that bugged me are as follows: the romance was weak. I felt like it was a little forced and I have an idea for a different route it could've taken that would make it better. I also think the book would've been better from Rose or Ida's point of view, or switching points of view, but I understand why it wasn't. There was also sexual content that made me uncomfortable. It didn't feel like it belonged in what I'm pretty sure is a YA novel, but maybe that's just me. Also, I found the way they disposed of their kills to be a little too convenient and unbelievable, even for a vampire story.
Graphic: Death, Child death, Sexual content, Sexual assault, Violence, Toxic relationship, Physical abuse, Injury/Injury detail, Grief, Gaslighting, Fire/Fire injury, Emotional abuse, Drug use, Alcohol, Cursing, Death of parent, Dementia, Gore, and Blood
Moderate: Bullying