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cozydreamsstudio's review against another edition
3.0
This book was wonderfully creepy.
Of course I knew going in that it was about vampires, but the first half of the book I was in so much suspense. Suspense at the expedition team discovering ancient vampires. And suspense and the modern girl finding vampires in her basement. Danger lurked around every corner. I was on the edge of my seat and I absolutely loved it.
Besides that, I wasn’t super impressed with the rest of the story, and that why it’s getting three stars. Typical romance. Characters are a bit bland to me. I’m hoping they get more development in the rest of the series. And predictable twist ending.
Of course I knew going in that it was about vampires, but the first half of the book I was in so much suspense. Suspense at the expedition team discovering ancient vampires. And suspense and the modern girl finding vampires in her basement. Danger lurked around every corner. I was on the edge of my seat and I absolutely loved it.
Besides that, I wasn’t super impressed with the rest of the story, and that why it’s getting three stars. Typical romance. Characters are a bit bland to me. I’m hoping they get more development in the rest of the series. And predictable twist ending.
zooloo1983's review against another edition
5.0
Quite frankly out of the 25 books I have read so far this year... this has got to be my favourite! I just LOVED it! I devoured it! I loved every single word on the page...well audiobook.
As soon as I saw Vampires, I signed up. I love everything to do with the vamps. I just had such high hopes for this book, and I really was not disappointed...far from it! From that opening sequence, I was hooked. I got the audiobook (this is based on the original book so there might be bits missing, I did pick up on a couple of errors) because I knew I wanted to be listening to this as much as possible, and it just so happened I had a 4-hour car journey the next day.... now normally when in the car, I get a bit tired and change over for music to liven the journey home up... nope not with this book, I was even considering getting "lost" just so I could carry on listening to it!! I just couldn't get enough. I have never been more excited for a Monday morning I tell you!!
The tale is reminiscent of a few different vampire tales, pulling in different elements, but I still found this really refreshing to read. It definitely set itself apart from other books and that's down to the author and her characters. I was just obsessed, I cared, and I was in love!!
I felt every teenage angst for Maddy, especially during the party and the discovery of the secret room. I was wondering how she would be related to the Marchwood vampires and of course, who doesn't love the dash of romance to boot! I hope we see more of Esther and Morris - the kick-ass couple they are!! I have a few ideas as to who one of them might be.
I really want the audiobook for the next book as I just want to keep listening but for now, I will wait. I will come back to Maddy and Alex soon as I fear a lot more darkness will come their way...
As soon as I saw Vampires, I signed up. I love everything to do with the vamps. I just had such high hopes for this book, and I really was not disappointed...far from it! From that opening sequence, I was hooked. I got the audiobook (this is based on the original book so there might be bits missing, I did pick up on a couple of errors) because I knew I wanted to be listening to this as much as possible, and it just so happened I had a 4-hour car journey the next day.... now normally when in the car, I get a bit tired and change over for music to liven the journey home up... nope not with this book, I was even considering getting "lost" just so I could carry on listening to it!! I just couldn't get enough. I have never been more excited for a Monday morning I tell you!!
The tale is reminiscent of a few different vampire tales, pulling in different elements, but I still found this really refreshing to read. It definitely set itself apart from other books and that's down to the author and her characters. I was just obsessed, I cared, and I was in love!!
I felt every teenage angst for Maddy, especially during the party and the discovery of the secret room. I was wondering how she would be related to the Marchwood vampires and of course, who doesn't love the dash of romance to boot! I hope we see more of Esther and Morris - the kick-ass couple they are!! I have a few ideas as to who one of them might be.
I really want the audiobook for the next book as I just want to keep listening but for now, I will wait. I will come back to Maddy and Alex soon as I fear a lot more darkness will come their way...
eleanora0901's review against another edition
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
helenahm's review against another edition
1.0
Really tried to like this book, but just couldn't get into it.
gracedreads's review against another edition
2.0
2/5 Stars + 0/5 Spice
- YA Romance/Fantasy
- Vampires
- Dual POV
- Switches between timelines
Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher Second Sky and the author Shalini Boland for the opportunity to read and review an ARC of this book. All opinions are my own.
This book is not at all what I expected. Let me start by saying this book is not bad, I am just not its intended audience. I’m not even sure YA is an accurate classification, I have read and enjoyed plenty of YA that felt way more mature than this.
This book switched between two points of view and timelines one being 1881 Paris/Turkey and the other being modern day England. The beginning of this book took forever - the main plot began around 65% of the way through the book according to my kindle. The beginning of this book was unnecessarily long in my opinion. I believe it could have been significantly condensed and the main plot line been given more time. Like, *ahem* the romance plot, or honestly lack there of.
When the main plot line does finally pick up I’m not going to lie it left me wanting. The romance plot line left a lot to be desired *ba dum tss* - unintentional pun (I like to think I’m funnier than I am). It is in no way explicit by any means, and honestly the progression was not super believable.
This book features foster care, vampires and a great deal of wealth. The FMC is newly 17 and has a 12 year old brother. She inherits a huge estate and a large sum of money and more responsibility than should be even remotely considered appropriate for her age. The vampiric elements of this book are definitely different and unique compared to other popular depictions of vampires in the media - although a lot is still unknown by the end of this book.
Honestly, I believe this book is geared towards young teens. The pacing, content and overall maturity of language is very adolescent. As I found this book difficult to engage with and honestly hard to get through I do not believe I will be picking up any more books in this series.
- YA Romance/Fantasy
- Vampires
- Dual POV
- Switches between timelines
Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher Second Sky and the author Shalini Boland for the opportunity to read and review an ARC of this book. All opinions are my own.
This book is not at all what I expected. Let me start by saying this book is not bad, I am just not its intended audience. I’m not even sure YA is an accurate classification, I have read and enjoyed plenty of YA that felt way more mature than this.
This book switched between two points of view and timelines one being 1881 Paris/Turkey and the other being modern day England. The beginning of this book took forever - the main plot began around 65% of the way through the book according to my kindle. The beginning of this book was unnecessarily long in my opinion. I believe it could have been significantly condensed and the main plot line been given more time. Like, *ahem* the romance plot, or honestly lack there of.
When the main plot line does finally pick up I’m not going to lie it left me wanting. The romance plot line left a lot to be desired *ba dum tss* - unintentional pun (I like to think I’m funnier than I am). It is in no way explicit by any means, and honestly the progression was not super believable.
This book features foster care, vampires and a great deal of wealth. The FMC is newly 17 and has a 12 year old brother. She inherits a huge estate and a large sum of money and more responsibility than should be even remotely considered appropriate for her age. The vampiric elements of this book are definitely different and unique compared to other popular depictions of vampires in the media - although a lot is still unknown by the end of this book.
Honestly, I believe this book is geared towards young teens. The pacing, content and overall maturity of language is very adolescent. As I found this book difficult to engage with and honestly hard to get through I do not believe I will be picking up any more books in this series.
literaryinspired's review against another edition
3.0
Hidden by Shalini Boland is the first book in the Vampires of Marchwood series, and it is an addictive young adult vampire romance filled with mystery, suspense, and a touch of darkness. The story follows Madison Greene, a 17-year-old girl who inherits an old mansion and wealth beyond her wildest dreams on her seventeenth birthday. As she steps through the creaking door of the sprawling building, she realizes her life in foster care is in the past, and her world has changed forever. But what she doesn't know is that Marchwood House hides a secret, and her life will never be the same again.
The book is divided into two timelines, one set in the present day, and the other set in Paris and Turkey in the late 1880s. The present-day storyline focuses on Madison, who spends her days exploring and learning more about her ancestors. While discovering crates and boxes of old clothing and other items, Madison learns there are secrets buried in the basement that come with the house. As she investigates further, she stumbles upon a set of large, dusty boxes in the basement and finds herself staring at the most handsome face she's ever seen. High cheekbones, porcelain skin… And when he wakes up and locks eyes with her, she realizes her heart already belongs to him, even though her head is screaming at her to get as far away from Marchwood as possible.
The second timeline takes us back to Paris and Turkey in the late 1880s and follows Alexandre, a vampire who has a dark and dangerous past. Alexandre and his family head to Turkey for several months to work at an archeology site. They are warned by the local village people to stay away from that dog site as there are night demons that once wiped out an entire population. Believing the stories to be just that, the group continues working to discover what is hidden below ground. What they find will change their lives forever.
The author does an excellent job of weaving these two timelines together, creating a captivating and engaging story that keeps the reader hooked from beginning to end. The characters are well-developed and likable, and the romance between Madison and Alexandre is sweet and genuine. The book has a great balance of mystery, suspense, and romance, and the pacing is just right. The plot is intriguing, and the author's writing style is engaging and easy to read.
One of the things I enjoyed most about this book is the way the author explained the past and gave us the backstory of how the vampires came to be. It was fascinating to see how the events in the past were connected to the present and how they affected the characters' lives. The world-building is fantastic, and the author creates a rich and detailed world filled with vampires, werewolves, and other supernatural creatures.
The book is divided into two timelines, one set in the present day, and the other set in Paris and Turkey in the late 1880s. The present-day storyline focuses on Madison, who spends her days exploring and learning more about her ancestors. While discovering crates and boxes of old clothing and other items, Madison learns there are secrets buried in the basement that come with the house. As she investigates further, she stumbles upon a set of large, dusty boxes in the basement and finds herself staring at the most handsome face she's ever seen. High cheekbones, porcelain skin… And when he wakes up and locks eyes with her, she realizes her heart already belongs to him, even though her head is screaming at her to get as far away from Marchwood as possible.
The second timeline takes us back to Paris and Turkey in the late 1880s and follows Alexandre, a vampire who has a dark and dangerous past. Alexandre and his family head to Turkey for several months to work at an archeology site. They are warned by the local village people to stay away from that dog site as there are night demons that once wiped out an entire population. Believing the stories to be just that, the group continues working to discover what is hidden below ground. What they find will change their lives forever.
The author does an excellent job of weaving these two timelines together, creating a captivating and engaging story that keeps the reader hooked from beginning to end. The characters are well-developed and likable, and the romance between Madison and Alexandre is sweet and genuine. The book has a great balance of mystery, suspense, and romance, and the pacing is just right. The plot is intriguing, and the author's writing style is engaging and easy to read.
One of the things I enjoyed most about this book is the way the author explained the past and gave us the backstory of how the vampires came to be. It was fascinating to see how the events in the past were connected to the present and how they affected the characters' lives. The world-building is fantastic, and the author creates a rich and detailed world filled with vampires, werewolves, and other supernatural creatures.