dylaurora's review
4.0
I am honestly torn, and still reeling from the end of this. The pacing was a bit confusing for me, but it also added an element of foreboding atmosphere. I didn't fully buy into some of the relationships, but I found myself unable to stop reading too. Overall an enjoyable horror read.
alexamp4's review
5.0
Honestly everything a YA gothic vampire novel should be. I love the caterpillars I love the attention to detail. Not afraid to be scary and gross. Doesn’t feel obnoxiously modern but still makes the general era clear. Using vampires to like enhance the themes of the story instead of just using them to be vampires. Like truly amazing!! Perfect amount of YA, Sarah Dessen level life lessons still available but trusts the reader enough to understand the message without spelling it out too much. Spelling it out the perfect amount for a YA novel.
alindstadtcorbo's review
5.0
Star Rating: —> 4.5 Stars
WOW— I cannot believe this was Catherine Yu’s DEBUT! I will 100% be looking out for more from her in the future, because it takes a lot for me to become as riveted as I did in so little time when it comes to horror. I am a tough critic in the genre. Cindy Kay was freaking flawless & fantastic as the audiobook narrator, as always, & I enjoyed every second of this book!
It truly was an absolutely horrifying, thrilling, gothic romp that screamed of 1990’s vampire horror, and it was absolutely riveting from moment one for me, even if the MC was initially pretty unlikable, but i’m pretty sure that was the point! There were times I was truly (delightfully) disgusted by the body horror, and what more are you looking for from that part of the genre? Haha.
Ultimately, there was wonderful, readable prose, character growth, thrills, chills, and a near flawless, flowing, plot that had me vividly picturing the vamps Darla, & Drusilla, from Buffy the Vampire Slayer (which if ykyk, just look them up otherwise
WOW— I cannot believe this was Catherine Yu’s DEBUT! I will 100% be looking out for more from her in the future, because it takes a lot for me to become as riveted as I did in so little time when it comes to horror. I am a tough critic in the genre. Cindy Kay was freaking flawless & fantastic as the audiobook narrator, as always, & I enjoyed every second of this book!
It truly was an absolutely horrifying, thrilling, gothic romp that screamed of 1990’s vampire horror, and it was absolutely riveting from moment one for me, even if the MC was initially pretty unlikable, but i’m pretty sure that was the point! There were times I was truly (delightfully) disgusted by the body horror, and what more are you looking for from that part of the genre? Haha.
Ultimately, there was wonderful, readable prose, character growth, thrills, chills, and a near flawless, flowing, plot that had me vividly picturing the vamps Darla, & Drusilla, from Buffy the Vampire Slayer (which if ykyk, just look them up otherwise
hellotherefromlaura's review
3.0
Aja is tired of what she perceives as a boring life. When her older sister, Fiona, goes missing after her 17th birthday Aja encounters the vampire she believes has taken her. She agrees to go with him to attempt to save her sister. As Aja tries to save Fiona she meets pain, terror and heartbreak.
If you are looking for horror this is it. Parts of the story strongly reminded me of Dracula and the movie Van Helsing with a more modern twist. The story has a little bit more gore than I prefer but it definitely checks off the creepy box. The book moves at a slower pace for the first half of the book and then picks up. The narrator is engaging and does a great job telling the story.
Thank you NetGalley and RB Media for the ARC of this audiobook. This audiobook was received in exchange for an honest review.
If you are looking for horror this is it. Parts of the story strongly reminded me of Dracula and the movie Van Helsing with a more modern twist. The story has a little bit more gore than I prefer but it definitely checks off the creepy box. The book moves at a slower pace for the first half of the book and then picks up. The narrator is engaging and does a great job telling the story.
Thank you NetGalley and RB Media for the ARC of this audiobook. This audiobook was received in exchange for an honest review.
jojopenguinreads's review
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
This book was a bit of an underwhelming disappointment.
I was sold on a 1990s Gothic vampire horror story, and I went into this story anticipating it to ooze with '90s vibes and camp?? And it really didn't?????
Also the pacing wasn't all that great - the middle of this book DRAGGED, while the first and last 15% was so, so good! But otherwise this book was just... a little boring? Idk, I just expected more, the premise was so promising and exciting, and the cover is to DIE for! I was so excited to read this but ultimately I just feel a little let-down. Amazing concept with lackluster execution.
And there are bits of the plot that I'm still wondering about? Like... where EXACTLY are the vampires from? Where is the blood rain coming from, how does it happen, and how is it connected to the vampires? How are the blood-thirsty caterpillars and vampires related to the vampires, and where do they come from originally, what's their history, what's the purpose? Why haven't people from the town stumbled across the vampires' den, or searched in that forest for the missing teens??? Just...??? What, why, who, how??? Things feel left unanswered in the end.
But despite all this, the writing for this book is so gorgeous! Catherine Yu does such a great job at creating very visceral and clear, and iconic, imagery, and the way she writes moments of body horror is so creepy and unsettling! Just AUGH!! The writing was so good, so tasty - this book's saving grace. I just wish the plot and characters were this good fr fr.
Also I listened to the audiobook, and if it weren't for Cindy Kay's narration I more than likely would've DNF'd.
I was sold on a 1990s Gothic vampire horror story, and I went into this story anticipating it to ooze with '90s vibes and camp?? And it really didn't?????
Also the pacing wasn't all that great - the middle of this book DRAGGED, while the first and last 15% was so, so good! But otherwise this book was just... a little boring? Idk, I just expected more, the premise was so promising and exciting, and the cover is to DIE for! I was so excited to read this but ultimately I just feel a little let-down. Amazing concept with lackluster execution.
And there are bits of the plot that I'm still wondering about? Like... where EXACTLY are the vampires from? Where is the blood rain coming from, how does it happen, and how is it connected to the vampires? How are the blood-thirsty caterpillars and vampires related to the vampires, and where do they come from originally, what's their history, what's the purpose? Why haven't people from the town stumbled across the vampires' den, or searched in that forest for the missing teens??? Just...??? What, why, who, how??? Things feel left unanswered in the end.
But despite all this, the writing for this book is so gorgeous! Catherine Yu does such a great job at creating very visceral and clear, and iconic, imagery, and the way she writes moments of body horror is so creepy and unsettling! Just AUGH!! The writing was so good, so tasty - this book's saving grace. I just wish the plot and characters were this good fr fr.
Also I listened to the audiobook, and if it weren't for Cindy Kay's narration I more than likely would've DNF'd.
courtney_mm's review
3.0
idk what exactly a 90s gothic vampire novel is like, but if I had to say, it would be exactly this. Like although I didn't exactly love the plot of this, for some reason I enjoyed the vibe of this book. Like it was a very clear, cut and dry vampire story, nothing crazy happened (or like, nothing at all really happened) but it wasss so creepy and atmospheric. Like the caterpillars, the butterflies, the vampires weridly and randomly being in this churuch. idk I feel like I missed something and it was supposed to be more symbolic or something than it was because it felttt deep and creepy but I can't say I particularly was excited by this. but I LOVED the beginning with the bloody rain and bugs and her sister missing, and the vampire calling her. like I really wish we lived in that more before going to visit the vampire. The middle dragged on and didn't seem to go anywhere, but I did quite enjoy perfect Fiona being the vampire that her sister had to kill.
~ thanks to Netgalley for the arc~
~ thanks to Netgalley for the arc~
laughterbynight's review against another edition
2.0
I know we often talk about books that tell vs show but this might take the cake. I swear the events the mc was talking about by the end of the book never actually happened. It was very weird to read her reminiscing about a relationship that didn't exist. I'm not exaggerating.
Our mc is also generously blessed with dumb. Such a shame because I was really interested in where this was going at the beginning.
Our mc is also generously blessed with dumb. Such a shame because I was really interested in where this was going at the beginning.
yellowmoonreads's review
2.0
Extremely boring. I kept waiting for a big reveal or the turning point of this book and it never came. The vampires suddenly appear and there's no real build up, but it's not done in a creepy or shocking way, it just happens. Descriptions are pretty nonexistent and I think that's why there's so much repetitiveness. You are told things a lot but never shown, like that apparently the vampires are hot
rcaivano's review against another edition
A deliciously creepy book. Very dark, very goth, very spooky. Aja is lured into the woods by a beautiful vampire and although she is caught in his spell, she is still herself enough to know she can't succumb. Her sister is missing, and she's trying to find her. She keeps her wits about her, but every once in a while, she slips. The books had a very lyrical feel. I felt like I was being lulled into the vampire's trance every time I read it. I did like it, but it was so creepy - there were these horrid bugs every where, and I thought they'd have more to do with the story and I kept waiting and waiting but nothing, so that disappointed me a bit.