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rorikae's review against another edition
- 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
3.5
The story twines between the story of a college student as she seeks to learn what happened to her father and his mentor as they searched for news about Vlad the Impaler and the legend of Dracula. It is mostly told through recollections that the daughter (and her father before her) have found, including letters, journals, and notes.
I’m quite conflicted about this book. I enjoyed it but I feel that the length is unnecessary (even though it is well paced). So much of this story is recollection that it feels very passive as other characters are doing things and the daughter’s story is really just a frame narrative. For the length of the book, it doesn’t feel like a great much happens, which is part of why I feel it could have been greatly cut down in length without sacrificing the story. There were some interesting revelations throughout the story, which I did enjoy. The ending was very quick (especially considering how long the book is). This is very much a book for people that want an academic focused but fictional look at Vlad the Impaler and legends of Dracula. Action is minimal but Kostova does a good job of keeping questions moving throughout the story in a way that pulls along the interest of the reader.
Important note: this book was published in 2005 and uses the slur for the Romani people multiple times.
Graphic: Violence and Blood
Moderate: Abandonment, Racial slurs, Death, Grief, and Car accident
Minor: Kidnapping and Confinement
jelliestars's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.75
Moderate: Animal death, Death of parent, Murder, Racism, Blood, Death, Racial slurs, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Miscarriage, and Violence
Minor: Suicide attempt, Torture, Islamophobia, Suicide, Car accident, Sexual assault, Pregnancy, Stalking, Medical content, Rape, Xenophobia, Gun violence, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Misogyny, Mental illness, Alcohol, Classism, Confinement, Cursing, Religious bigotry, Sexual content, War, Colonisation, Kidnapping, Sexism, and Pandemic/Epidemic
rini's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
Graphic: Abandonment, Blood, Car accident, Confinement, Death, Death of parent, Grief, Gun violence, Kidnapping, Racial slurs, Suicide attempt, and Violence