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bookgirl4ever's review against another edition
1.0
Charles is an officer in WWII who visits Paris right after France's liberation from the Nazis. He visits a small town with a fellow officer and spies a man drinking the blond of a young women. Charles crosses paths with the man a few years later in France and becomes obsessed with finding the identity of the man. Interesting premise, but I didn't like where the story went and asked myself why did I finish this book at the end. A talented YA author whose first adult novel is a dud.
Adult.
Adult.
withthebanned's review against another edition
3.0
So interesting. I am always so blown away by Sedgwick's writing and the way in which he weaves a story!
perfectcupoftea's review against another edition
challenging
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
jessthebookworm's review against another edition
2.0
I was undecided between 2 and 3 stars. So maybe it's more of a 2.5 star book.
Our narrator is in France at the end of World War 2, and he sees a man drinking the blood of a young woman, and in fear he runs away. The image haunts him for years, and then one day he sees the man again, with another woman. He decides that he has to follow this time to learn more about this man and what is going on.
This book is about obsessions, and more particularly obsessions with blood.
It reminded me of other books I've read similar to this, like the Historian by Elizabeth Kostova, just not as well-written. It didn't help that our main character was such a creep who just followed random women around all the time and objectified them completely.
I was hoping for a supernatural vampire story, but alas, that is not what I got.
Our narrator is in France at the end of World War 2, and he sees a man drinking the blood of a young woman, and in fear he runs away. The image haunts him for years, and then one day he sees the man again, with another woman. He decides that he has to follow this time to learn more about this man and what is going on.
This book is about obsessions, and more particularly obsessions with blood.
It reminded me of other books I've read similar to this, like the Historian by Elizabeth Kostova, just not as well-written. It didn't help that our main character was such a creep who just followed random women around all the time and objectified them completely.
I was hoping for a supernatural vampire story, but alas, that is not what I got.
juliwi's review against another edition
3.0
I don't know what I was expecting from this novel, but the strange obsession and fascination that I felt for it while reading it is definitely not it. I was attracted by the cover, mainly, and on Netgalley it stated that this was Sedgwick's first adult novel after a row of YA novels. I wondered how the transition would work.
Compelling is probably the key word when thinking about this novel. There is something absolutely fascinating about it that is at the same time repelling and yet you can't put it down. Much of that strange fascination probably has to do with how the main character responds. You can't help but follow Charles Jackson through the first part of the novel and share in his bewilderment, both at the cruelty of the war and what he witnesses in Paris. The seeming calm that enters his life afterwards made it initially hard for me to identify with Charles, largely because he seemed to become a very lethargic character. In retrospect, it is clear that Sedgwick made him thus in order to be able to rouse him into action later on. This action comes in the form of Marian, a woman who pulls him even deeper into the mystery surrounding what happened during the War.
Here is where I feel I should compliment Sedgwick on the transformation from YA to adult novel writer. Although I have never read his YA novels and therefore can't judge them, in general YA novels are very heavy on the star-crossed, for now and forever, teenage love which strips most narratives of any kind of credibility or grit. In A Love Like Blood, Sedgwick makes his character's feelings for Marian and others part of his motivation, rather than his goal. What I mean by that is that Charles Jackson doesn't act a certain way in order to achieve love or because of love, but rather that he makes the love he does or doesn't feel work in his advantage. Considering this novel deals with vampirism, another big YA favourite, I definitely had some (negative) preconceptions when I started this novel. There is only so many stories you can read about them before you're convinced you've read them all. A Love Like Blood completely surprised me. The narrative is not what you expect. It is darker, lacks the romance and somehow infuses a sense of realism into something that deals with something so absurd as vampirism.
Segdwick's descriptions of locations greatly added to the mood of the novel. 20th century Paris sounds fascinating, whereas Avignon sounds terrifying. The relative calm of Cambridge is juxtaposed with the vibrant yet dangerous London. These contrasts work together in forming a changing and moving world in which Charles has to manoeuvre between the world of academics and a world in which vampires and back alleys seem more common. Although I wanted to read the novel and read it compulsively, I don't know how much I enjoyed it. This is quite a difficult question because you don't always enjoy reads that you do appreciate and think of as good. While reading Goat Mountain by David Vann, I didn't enjoy it because it seemed too terrible, too real. Afterwards, however, I felt that I had gone on a journey and that arriving at the end of it I felt I had learned something and was the better for it. When I finished this novel, I appreciated it but I didn't feel changed by it.
At times I am too nice in my "grading" because I prefer to reward good things than look at points to improve. The reason I gave this novel 3 Universes is because it was good, but not amazing. It was a good read, funny at times, dramatic and shocking at others, but at times I missed the wow-factor, the moment where I would be blown away. The ending was probably be intended to make me sit back and gasp, but I saw it coming and therefore it didn't work on me. But I do recommend it as an interesting read!
Compelling is probably the key word when thinking about this novel. There is something absolutely fascinating about it that is at the same time repelling and yet you can't put it down. Much of that strange fascination probably has to do with how the main character responds. You can't help but follow Charles Jackson through the first part of the novel and share in his bewilderment, both at the cruelty of the war and what he witnesses in Paris. The seeming calm that enters his life afterwards made it initially hard for me to identify with Charles, largely because he seemed to become a very lethargic character. In retrospect, it is clear that Sedgwick made him thus in order to be able to rouse him into action later on. This action comes in the form of Marian, a woman who pulls him even deeper into the mystery surrounding what happened during the War.
Here is where I feel I should compliment Sedgwick on the transformation from YA to adult novel writer. Although I have never read his YA novels and therefore can't judge them, in general YA novels are very heavy on the star-crossed, for now and forever, teenage love which strips most narratives of any kind of credibility or grit. In A Love Like Blood, Sedgwick makes his character's feelings for Marian and others part of his motivation, rather than his goal. What I mean by that is that Charles Jackson doesn't act a certain way in order to achieve love or because of love, but rather that he makes the love he does or doesn't feel work in his advantage. Considering this novel deals with vampirism, another big YA favourite, I definitely had some (negative) preconceptions when I started this novel. There is only so many stories you can read about them before you're convinced you've read them all. A Love Like Blood completely surprised me. The narrative is not what you expect. It is darker, lacks the romance and somehow infuses a sense of realism into something that deals with something so absurd as vampirism.
Segdwick's descriptions of locations greatly added to the mood of the novel. 20th century Paris sounds fascinating, whereas Avignon sounds terrifying. The relative calm of Cambridge is juxtaposed with the vibrant yet dangerous London. These contrasts work together in forming a changing and moving world in which Charles has to manoeuvre between the world of academics and a world in which vampires and back alleys seem more common. Although I wanted to read the novel and read it compulsively, I don't know how much I enjoyed it. This is quite a difficult question because you don't always enjoy reads that you do appreciate and think of as good. While reading Goat Mountain by David Vann, I didn't enjoy it because it seemed too terrible, too real. Afterwards, however, I felt that I had gone on a journey and that arriving at the end of it I felt I had learned something and was the better for it. When I finished this novel, I appreciated it but I didn't feel changed by it.
At times I am too nice in my "grading" because I prefer to reward good things than look at points to improve. The reason I gave this novel 3 Universes is because it was good, but not amazing. It was a good read, funny at times, dramatic and shocking at others, but at times I missed the wow-factor, the moment where I would be blown away. The ending was probably be intended to make me sit back and gasp, but I saw it coming and therefore it didn't work on me. But I do recommend it as an interesting read!
hadiqa01's review against another edition
dark
emotional
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Loveable characters? No
3.0
ajsterkel's review against another edition
3.0
Charles Jackson is a British military doctor in Paris right after the liberation of the city during World War II. While exploring the newly freed streets, he peeks into an abandoned bunker and sees a man sucking the blood out of a corpse. Charles has no idea what he’s looking at. Is this a vampire? A murderer? A regular person driven crazy by war? Or something much, much worse? He devotes the rest of his life to finding out.
I have some mixed feelings about this one. It definitely reminded me of classic horror stories, so if you like the older stuff, you’ll probably enjoy this book. The writing style feels a bit old fashioned, but not overly old fashioned, which I enjoyed. The book is dark and filled with twists that the reader won’t see coming. The “vampire,” is pretty sinister. When he discovers that Charles is hunting him, he’ll do anything to get away, including sabotaging Charles’s career and murdering his friends. Charles can’t do anything about it because people question his sanity when he claims that a vampire is after him.
Charles is a strange character. He’s a little flat in the personality department, but he’s a classic horror antihero. He wants to do the right thing and sort out what he saw in the bunker in France, but he doesn’t always go about it in the right way. For example, he’s a creeper who will follow strangers across countries and have sex with suspicious women in allies. To get the information he wants, he’ll even resort to murder. As the novel progresses, his obsession with killing the vampire spirals out of control. Then, some odd things happen.
As always, Marcus Sedgwick’s writing style is engaging and quick to read. I finished most of this book in a day, and it was entertaining, but I still feel very “Meh” about it. I didn’t hate it, but it didn’t leave a huge impression on me. I think I was underwhelmed because this book doesn’t do anything I haven’t seen before. Above all, the story is about obsession, which is a very common horror theme. The author explores the theme nicely, but I was expecting more. I wanted something a little different. This book is almost like a retelling of classic vampire stories, but it’s not a strict retelling.
I had a few other issues with the book. The plot takes a very long time to get going. Once it does get moving, it goes quickly, but I still spent a lot of the novel waiting for something to happen.
Also, there is a surprising amount of untranslated French dialogue. This makes sense because most of the story is set in France, and the narrator isn’t completely fluent in French, but I felt like I was missing something. I don’t know any French.
I guess I don’t have too much to say about this book. It’s a quick and entertaining way to spend a few hours, but I wish it had given me more to think about.
I have some mixed feelings about this one. It definitely reminded me of classic horror stories, so if you like the older stuff, you’ll probably enjoy this book. The writing style feels a bit old fashioned, but not overly old fashioned, which I enjoyed. The book is dark and filled with twists that the reader won’t see coming. The “vampire,” is pretty sinister. When he discovers that Charles is hunting him, he’ll do anything to get away, including sabotaging Charles’s career and murdering his friends. Charles can’t do anything about it because people question his sanity when he claims that a vampire is after him.
Charles is a strange character. He’s a little flat in the personality department, but he’s a classic horror antihero. He wants to do the right thing and sort out what he saw in the bunker in France, but he doesn’t always go about it in the right way. For example, he’s a creeper who will follow strangers across countries and have sex with suspicious women in allies. To get the information he wants, he’ll even resort to murder. As the novel progresses, his obsession with killing the vampire spirals out of control. Then, some odd things happen.
As always, Marcus Sedgwick’s writing style is engaging and quick to read. I finished most of this book in a day, and it was entertaining, but I still feel very “Meh” about it. I didn’t hate it, but it didn’t leave a huge impression on me. I think I was underwhelmed because this book doesn’t do anything I haven’t seen before. Above all, the story is about obsession, which is a very common horror theme. The author explores the theme nicely, but I was expecting more. I wanted something a little different. This book is almost like a retelling of classic vampire stories, but it’s not a strict retelling.
I had a few other issues with the book. The plot takes a very long time to get going. Once it does get moving, it goes quickly, but I still spent a lot of the novel waiting for something to happen.
Also, there is a surprising amount of untranslated French dialogue. This makes sense because most of the story is set in France, and the narrator isn’t completely fluent in French, but I felt like I was missing something. I don’t know any French.
I guess I don’t have too much to say about this book. It’s a quick and entertaining way to spend a few hours, but I wish it had given me more to think about.
vicki_s's review against another edition
3.0
3.5 stars
Very disturbing. So much blood. I'm a bit squeamish around blood to begin with. Probably more so now. Had it's ups and downs. I really liked the end though.
Very disturbing. So much blood. I'm a bit squeamish around blood to begin with. Probably more so now. Had it's ups and downs. I really liked the end though.
piperbunny's review against another edition
2.0
You can't go wrong with a Marcus Sedgwick book but this one just wasn't for me, it was his first book written for adults rather than teens. It was really well written, creating a very gothic, spooky atmosphere, very similar to reading an old horror novel but yet it was modern too. However, there were some very dark points and a lot of blood which put me off the book. I wish I'd read it nearer to Halloween, I might have appreciated it a little bit more!