Scan barcode
lunep's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Bullying, Alcohol, Blood, Cursing, Death, Gore, Injury/Injury detail, Lesbophobia, Panic attacks/disorders, Toxic friendship, and Toxic relationship
Moderate: Death of parent, Grief, Murder, and Pandemic/Epidemic
Minor: Classism, Colonisation, Infertility, Racism, Sexual content, Suicide, and Violence
evelynyle_88's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
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
3.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Homophobia, Death, and Blood
Moderate: Lesbophobia, Toxic relationship, and Racism
Minor: Death of parent, Domestic abuse, and Cursing
squarebrainhp's review
dark
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Homophobia, Pandemic/Epidemic, Racism, Toxic relationship, and Blood
Minor: Abandonment and Panic attacks/disorders
shindanker's review
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Homophobia, Death, Blood, and Pandemic/Epidemic
Moderate: Racism
writingcaia's review
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
informative
lighthearted
medium-paced
4.25
I want to write something addressing the very bad reviews this has gotten.
I feel like so many people felt hurt or shocked by things in the book, and I didn’t. I wondered if there’s something wrong with me, I’m so empathetic and attentive but I’m also white and cisgender, although not straight, still…
To be honest I don’t see how anything in the book is outrageous or offensive, everything seems so straightforward and candid, but I hate that people felt wronged or hurt, and I’m sure there’s validity to it, even if I didn’t feel or see it. It simply wasn’t my experience and I don’t think I’m a bad person or oblivious to other peoples’ struggle because of it.
It actually felt as if the author is super woke and perfectly attuned to the new generation fighting for queer right, POC rights (being white), environmental changes, etc. The difficulties of fitting in at the same time as finding out who you are, felt pretty real, especially since I read a YA lesbian fiction recently with a similar discovery phase. Nothing felt forced at all.
Also, the writing was so very good, the story pretty interesting and captivating, a great take on vampires and their relationship with humans when they can no longer drink from them and have a blood substitute.
A lot of power plays and ugly, colonialist, conservative types among the older vampires which may trigger some, but I found that it is as reasonable as the truth about people 100 years or more ago, and how most rich and moralistic/religion zealots saw the world and shaped it, even today.
There’s queer romance and super sexy vamps. Girls fighting for girls, and oblivious entitled boys (and girls) that redeem themselves.
So, if you are looking for a queer vampire book, a coming of age and sexuality, with romance and murder mystery subplot, and a lot of mean girls and goth vibes this is for you.
But, yes, read the bad reviews too, maybe it might be triggering for you.
The one thing that could have improved the book for me was the finale which I wish hadn’t been so rushed especially since it’d be interesting to find the consequences of what happens at the end.
I feel like so many people felt hurt or shocked by things in the book, and I didn’t. I wondered if there’s something wrong with me, I’m so empathetic and attentive but I’m also white and cisgender, although not straight, still…
To be honest I don’t see how anything in the book is outrageous or offensive, everything seems so straightforward and candid, but I hate that people felt wronged or hurt, and I’m sure there’s validity to it, even if I didn’t feel or see it. It simply wasn’t my experience and I don’t think I’m a bad person or oblivious to other peoples’ struggle because of it.
It actually felt as if the author is super woke and perfectly attuned to the new generation fighting for queer right, POC rights (being white), environmental changes, etc. The difficulties of fitting in at the same time as finding out who you are, felt pretty real, especially since I read a YA lesbian fiction recently with a similar discovery phase. Nothing felt forced at all.
Also, the writing was so very good, the story pretty interesting and captivating, a great take on vampires and their relationship with humans when they can no longer drink from them and have a blood substitute.
A lot of power plays and ugly, colonialist, conservative types among the older vampires which may trigger some, but I found that it is as reasonable as the truth about people 100 years or more ago, and how most rich and moralistic/religion zealots saw the world and shaped it, even today.
There’s queer romance and super sexy vamps. Girls fighting for girls, and oblivious entitled boys (and girls) that redeem themselves.
So, if you are looking for a queer vampire book, a coming of age and sexuality, with romance and murder mystery subplot, and a lot of mean girls and goth vibes this is for you.
But, yes, read the bad reviews too, maybe it might be triggering for you.
The one thing that could have improved the book for me was the finale which I wish hadn’t been so rushed especially since it’d be interesting to find the consequences of what happens at the end.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Emotional abuse, Toxic relationship, Blood, Bullying, Gaslighting, and Pandemic/Epidemic
Minor: Racism
thegreatfoxby's review
adventurous
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
Enjoyable mix of mystery and romance/coming of age. Sometimes Kat was a bit too woke for a 16 year old, but at the same time, teenagers tend to exaggerate things. Their has been some discussion about certain racist tropes in here, but I think most of them serve a point as this world is full of racist people. But I think the book is certainly lacking strong bipoc characters.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood and Murder
Moderate: Lesbophobia and Racism
nobirdtennis's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Homophobia and Lesbophobia
Moderate: Racism, Blood, and Alcohol
betweentheshelves's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
I recommend reading some of the other review by BIPOC people (especially @bookstagramrepresents on Instagram) becuase there are some problematic things that have been brought up about this book. There's one conversation about the East India Trading Company that will definitely make you cringe when you read it. I know it did for me.
For the most part, I feel like this book had potential but it just kind of fell flat, outside of the things mentioned in other reviews. There didn't seem to be a lot of romantic chemistry between Taylor and Kat, and it was more told than actually shown in the book. All in all, there are probably better vampire books out there for you to read.
For the most part, I feel like this book had potential but it just kind of fell flat, outside of the things mentioned in other reviews. There didn't seem to be a lot of romantic chemistry between Taylor and Kat, and it was more told than actually shown in the book. All in all, there are probably better vampire books out there for you to read.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Murder, Blood, and Violence
Moderate: Racism, Homophobia, and Lesbophobia
Minor: Death of parent, Cursing, and Domestic abuse
There is a scene that is kind of sexual assualt-esque when vampires coerce a group of humans into their house to feed on them, seemingly without their consent and wiping their memories.ezwolf's review
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
1.5
To be completely honest I read this because of the controversy it gained on BookTok and I wanted to read it for myself so I borrowed it from the library. I don't think it was as discriminatory as people made it out to be, but I also wouldn't recommend this to anyone.
The plot seemed to just be "high school but with vampires" for a good chunk of the book and when it did finally introduce other plot points it left them unresolved.
This book is told from Kat and Taylor's POVs and I disliked both of them. I didn't really like anyone in the book. I don't know if that's because I'm older and they're very teenager-y or if they were actually unlikable. Taylor suffered from "I'm not like other girls" syndrome and Kat came off borderline homophobic for a good chunk of the book. Also both of them were white but the narrative pushed very hard to show us how they were the only (or some of the only) vampires who cared about diversity and equality and yet the only characters that were not white were one of the mean girls who bullied both Taylor and Kat and the popular rich boy who was unaware of rich vampire privilege.
Also Galen's parent's whole backstory???
The plot seemed to just be "high school but with vampires" for a good chunk of the book and when it did finally introduce other plot points it left them unresolved.
This book is told from Kat and Taylor's POVs and I disliked both of them. I didn't really like anyone in the book. I don't know if that's because I'm older and they're very teenager-y or if they were actually unlikable. Taylor suffered from "I'm not like other girls" syndrome and Kat came off borderline homophobic for a good chunk of the book. Also both of them were white but the narrative pushed very hard to show us how they were the only (or some of the only) vampires who cared about diversity and equality and yet the only characters that were not white were one of the mean girls who bullied both Taylor and Kat and the popular rich boy who was unaware of rich vampire privilege.
Also Galen's parent's whole backstory???
Content Warnings
Graphic: Bullying, Blood, Toxic relationship, Classism, Death, and Homophobia
Moderate: Alcohol, Injury/Injury detail, Grief, Sexual content, Racism, and Lesbophobia
Minor: Panic attacks/disorders, Infertility, and Cursing