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dawncox's review against another edition
3.0
It was ok.
Interesting plot and not what you are expecting.
Main character seems pretty dumb and not very likeable....oh there's a reason for that.
Dark and distasteful but well written and gripping.
Not a life changer but a welcome distraction.
Interesting plot and not what you are expecting.
Main character seems pretty dumb and not very likeable....oh there's a reason for that.
Dark and distasteful but well written and gripping.
Not a life changer but a welcome distraction.
unluckyprimes's review against another edition
2.0
1.5 stars.
There was just so much about this that didn't work for me. Which is too bad because I absolutely loved Sedgwick's [b:Midwinterblood|10836471|Midwinterblood|Marcus Sedgwick|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1319727124s/10836471.jpg|15750616].
This could've been really something, especially with the way Sedgwick goes to tie in all these historical perspectives on blood--but even though they're fascinating, ultimately it just missed the mark.
The plot is paper thin and tired at that. And so much of the beginning of it relies on the protagonist being super creepy about women. but at the beginning he's supposed to be your average guy and no. No no no no. He stalks a woman and instead of doing something reasonable like staying the hell away from him she lets him buy her and drink and chat her up. Nope sorry. Especially because later she gets fridged for the plot and he's known her for 10 minutes, so of course he's obsessed and in love with her and... barf.
And Charles as a protagonist is so incredibly dull. Like, the most interesting parts for him as a character was the stuff about his work as a doctor--and you're not really supposed to find that stuff interesting. But even when the "thrilling" parts of the book were happening to him, I just didn't care. He makes incredibly poor decisions with absurd motivations and his spiral into relative madness wasn't even particularly interesting.
But the book as a whole was just decidedly lackluster and I expected more from Sedgwick, I guess. I'm going to have to be cautious picking up something else by him after this because it was such a disappointment.
There was just so much about this that didn't work for me. Which is too bad because I absolutely loved Sedgwick's [b:Midwinterblood|10836471|Midwinterblood|Marcus Sedgwick|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1319727124s/10836471.jpg|15750616].
This could've been really something, especially with the way Sedgwick goes to tie in all these historical perspectives on blood--but even though they're fascinating, ultimately it just missed the mark.
The plot is paper thin and tired at that. And so much of the beginning of it relies on the protagonist being super creepy about women.
Spoiler
And like I get that it's sort of the point, especially with the way things go down at the end of the novel,And Charles as a protagonist is so incredibly dull. Like, the most interesting parts for him as a character was the stuff about his work as a doctor--and you're not really supposed to find that stuff interesting.
Spoiler
And again, I get it. The whole hemophilia = lover of blood and the irony behind his profession and how the book ends. But it wasn't particularly subtle. The book hits you over the head with it several times, even going so far as to have one of the character conjugate the Latin in dialogue.Spoiler
I don't even mind the whole "not really a vampire" thing. Because I get what the book is trying to do. And that's make commentary on horrific actions. I didn't even mind the "twist" at the end, because you could definitely see it coming.sakurapages9's review against another edition
3.0
Great in between book - lent to me my book book dragon sister in law (cause I have a love of all thing Dracula). Lots of twists and turns but the ending was a little weak for me
mayusteapot's review against another edition
4.0
This book felt like travelling around Europe with someone in between Dr. Frankenstein and Dr.Jekyll/Mr.Hyde.
katieheartless's review against another edition
4.0
Most people don't know this, but vampires are MY JAM. Ever since devouring Midwinterblood, I've been putting off A Love Like Blood, because I full well knew that it would be worth savoring. Setting Sedgwick's prose aside--which is, incidentally, CRAZY good--this hits SO MANY of my buttons. Claustrophobic, broody, Gothic atmosphere? Check. Uncanny doppelgangers? Check. Labyrinthine, unspooling timeline? Check. Revenge quest? Check. Obsession that devolves into madness? Check. Tongue-in-cheek humor (our protag is a hematologist for fooks sake) that betrays a mind well-steeped in lore? Check. Delightful tangents down psychological, theological, etymological avenues? CHECK CHECK AND CHECK.
This is a rather more nuanced approach to vampires than I'm used to, and Sedgwick adroitly extracts what is monstrous about vampires from the purely supernatural and places it firmly within the bounds of the human grotesque. For such dark fare, it was pure delight. I can't recommend this enough.
This is a rather more nuanced approach to vampires than I'm used to, and Sedgwick adroitly extracts what is monstrous about vampires from the purely supernatural and places it firmly within the bounds of the human grotesque. For such dark fare, it was pure delight. I can't recommend this enough.
krislenda's review against another edition
4.0
I wasn't overwhelmed by thoughts like "this was the best book ever", but I enjoyed it, no doubt about that.
civreader's review against another edition
4.0
Really good. Not what I was expecting at all. Could have been a smidge longer, perhaps? There were a couple of jumps in time that I felt could have been explored a bit more. At the same time, the brevity of the novel kept it moving very fast, and I was never bored.
As his first novel for adults, this is very promising indeed for any more he writes in the future. This has also made me interested in reading his YA.
The atmosphere is modern day Shelley, but the story is more (psychological) thriller. Very much recommended.
As his first novel for adults, this is very promising indeed for any more he writes in the future. This has also made me interested in reading his YA.
The atmosphere is modern day Shelley, but the story is more (psychological) thriller. Very much recommended.
raven88's review against another edition
4.0
I’m quite the fan of the more subtle and intelligent ‘vampire’ fiction that sometimes infiltrates this overburdened genre, much of which is utter tripe. Looking for something on a par with Jasper Kent’s brilliant series, this was a real treat, and I thoroughly enjoyed the historical touches that underscore a completely absorbing thriller. I loved the slightly tongue in cheek humour of Jackson’s later employment as a haematologist, and Sedgwick’s overall razor sharp observations of his protagonist’s individual obsessions with blood. However, what really carried the book for me was Sedgwick’s precise and empathetic portrayal of Jackson’s descent into obsession, capturing perfectly what lengths he will go to in search of justice, with more than a nod to some of the great tropes of Gothic literature that enthral and intrigue us still.
curlyhairedbooklover's review
3.0
The book was well written and I really enjoyed the first half and overall how it was written, but by halfway through I just wanted the main character to die, which I don't think was a good sign.