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3.91 AVERAGE
3.91 AVERAGE
adventurous
funny
tense
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
“We should talk about boundaries,” he rasped. “That is, if you don’t want me to go feral.”
Good lord you could slice through the romantic tension with a knife, we love a man who yearns for a stubborn woman trying to kill him. Angela Montoya writes the vampire/hunter dynamic deliciously, the reluctant attraction and slow camaraderie that Carolina and Lalo build over the course of the novel had me kicking my feet and wishing this book were longer. A touch of casual queerness and a plethora of fun family dynamics (siblings, cousins, parent and child, ancestors, and beyond) all played into the character's relationships with one another in a fascinating way - the overarching question of how far would you go for true love? is a fantastic theme that pulls the whole story together.
This book truly had everything I needed. A reluctant nerd having to fight to save himself but doing so through the power of knowledge and books. Hot girls holding knives to people's throats. Clandestine meetings at parties. A male antagonist winning the "not as much of a jerk as you could have been" award but also earning a swift kick to the nads. Perfect.
adventurous
emotional
funny
medium-paced
Strong character development:
No
I honestly had to push myself to finish this one, only because I wanted to know how it ended and didn’t want to DNF. I realize now that I could’ve skipped to the ending and I wouldn’t have lost anything in the story.
I didn’t absolutely hate it though, there were some interesting parts and some cute corny moments. But I feel like the writing was just not for me…
*Thank you to Random House Children’s for providing me with an eARC for review. All thoughts are my own.*
I didn’t absolutely hate it though, there were some interesting parts and some cute corny moments. But I feel like the writing was just not for me…
*Thank you to Random House Children’s for providing me with an eARC for review. All thoughts are my own.*
I thought I liked where the plot was going, but it’s just taking too long to get there and it’s a little bit too young adult for me. I was really intrigued by the cover, but I’m just not having as much fun reading it as I was when I started. Plus, I recently saw a video of someone talking about how in 2025 we should start DNFing books don’t like instead of pushing through. And I agree.
This is my first read from Angela Montoya, and I think this is rated well as a young adult novel.
There is a lot of yearning for each other amongst the fmc Carolina and mmc Lalo even though vampires and vampirism gets between them. I would in no way describe this story as enemies to lovers because these two start trusting and lusting for each other almost immediately.
The start of this book was fun and fast pace but I did feel like things noticeably slowed down towards the middle (and a major point of friction amongst Carolina and her family seemed to be repeated). The ending threw me off (way off). There are events at the end of the book that did not make sense and felt too convenient. It felt very wrap it with a bow, call it a happy ending - which, for a young adult book, sure.
There is a lot of yearning for each other amongst the fmc Carolina and mmc Lalo even though vampires and vampirism gets between them. I would in no way describe this story as enemies to lovers because these two start trusting and lusting for each other almost immediately.
The start of this book was fun and fast pace but I did feel like things noticeably slowed down towards the middle (and a major point of friction amongst Carolina and her family seemed to be repeated). The ending threw me off (way off). There are events at the end of the book that did not make sense and felt too convenient. It felt very wrap it with a bow, call it a happy ending - which, for a young adult book, sure.
emotional
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
It took me a minute to get into A Cruel Thirst, mainly because as someone who speaks mainly Spanish at home and was always chastised for speaking Spanglish or the mixture of Spanish and English spoken in the same sentence, reading the lines that were half in English and half in Spanish was a little hard for me to process.
After I got over it though, the story line captivated me. Vampires are one of my favorite myths. Twilight had me in a choke hold and Vampire Academy is still one of my favorite series. The song "Novels about Vampires" by Candi Carpenter is one of my favorite songs of the last few years. Completely serious.
So this book called to me from the get go. It was fun and funny and emotional and was just so much fun to read. The emotions that were felt during this read were at one point overwhelming. I thoroughly enjoyed it. Carolina and Lalo were so cute and relatable. Carolina just wanted to be taken seriously and the way she grew throughout the story was amazing. She kept being confronted by situations that would force her to reflect on herself and her past actions and she would immediately understand, for the most part. That was low-key one of the only parts of the book that were a little unbelievable. It was beautiful to see though.
Lalo was so awkward and adorable, my heart couldn't take it. He just wanted to protect his sister and make sure that his parents didn't die in vain. He was literally every older sibling ever. He was so bookish, I immediately identified with him. The chemistry between the two of them was explosive from the start. It was a slow burn enemies to lovers but it was hot when it got going. It was innocent enough to still be considered YA but I would venture to suggest maybe a little bit of an older YA than you would think. Only because, while there was no graphic descriptions of any romantic moments besides how their kisses made them feel, it is pretty detailed about that.
The scenery was so descriptive and captivating. I felt the brambles and the heat from the fire. The little bit of Mexican culture sprinkled throughout was also awesome. The descriptions of papel picado were great and I just genuinely loved the story as a whole.
10 out of 10 would recommend.
adventurous
emotional
medium-paced
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
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:
Yes
adventurous
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
🌟 3 🌟
It was an okay book. No real twists or surprises.
I do hate the use of Spanish, one or two repeated words are okay, but there was too much Spanish for my liking.
It was an okay book. No real twists or surprises.
I do hate the use of Spanish, one or two repeated words are okay, but there was too much Spanish for my liking.
emotional
funny
mysterious
sad
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I loved this way more than I thought I could. I am a sucker for the vampire x vampire hunter especially. The authors writing is absolutely gorgeous and is SO atmospheric you can feel the culture and lore right under the surface. The banter in this is another beautiful experience, I couldn’t get enough. If you’re looking for vampire quest-y adventure with enemies to lovers you’ve hit it!
Thank you to the publisher and tbrandbeyond tours.
Thank you to the publisher and tbrandbeyond tours.