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daiichi_'s review
adventurous
challenging
dark
funny
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
mfred's review against another edition
5.0
Mindy is minding her own nerdy, quiet, introverted business when super popular head cheerleader Lucia suddenly takes an interest in her. Their burgeoning friendship is tested when Mindy confesses to maybe not being quite so straight. The lines between friendship and romance start to blur. And then Lucia is turned into a vampire. Oh shizz! Now they have to battle the forces of evil while also trying to figure out what they mean to each other.
Set in high school but not a Young Adult novel, this book is hard to categorize. It’s not totally a horror novel, but it is pretty scary and grotesque at times. It’s not a romance either, but the central theme is the relationship between Mindy and Lucia. It’s really amazingly great at portraying the aching pain and misery of crushes and first loves. And Kaplan deftly handles the uncertainty and fear of self-discovery and sexuality. And the dialogue is hilarious! And there are some hot sexy times! And I really loved it!
Set in high school but not a Young Adult novel, this book is hard to categorize. It’s not totally a horror novel, but it is pretty scary and grotesque at times. It’s not a romance either, but the central theme is the relationship between Mindy and Lucia. It’s really amazingly great at portraying the aching pain and misery of crushes and first loves. And Kaplan deftly handles the uncertainty and fear of self-discovery and sexuality. And the dialogue is hilarious! And there are some hot sexy times! And I really loved it!
thequeerbookish's review
3.0
This book was a wild ride, sadly not one I really enjoyed... Some scenes and interactions just were really overdone for my personal taste. Drunk dialogues can be really exhausting (in books as well as in real life).
But of course there were parts I enjoyed. The friendship between Mindy and Lucia is a really fun one and I wouldn't have minded to read about them being friends for hours. Their romantic relationship was... okay? The sex scenes were very steamy and in them they did have chemistry.
I liked how disgusting some things were as well. A horror novel by this author would be a lot of fun, I'd say.
Disclaimer: I was provided by the publisher with a free copy in exchange for an honest review. Thank you.
But of course there were parts I enjoyed. The friendship between Mindy and Lucia is a really fun one and I wouldn't have minded to read about them being friends for hours. Their romantic relationship was... okay? The sex scenes were very steamy and in them they did have chemistry.
I liked how disgusting some things were as well. A horror novel by this author would be a lot of fun, I'd say.
Disclaimer: I was provided by the publisher with a free copy in exchange for an honest review. Thank you.
cdownes's review
5.0
Cool!
This book is almost everything you don't expect, and I love that.
The characters of Mindy and Lucia will keep you up all night burning through page after page. There's bad stuff, there's abusive stuff and then there's sweet stuff. The fact that it's not all nice made it more realistic (because that's life) and in context.
I would pitch this as YA with a twist. It particularly felt like I was in the heads of these two. I almost dare you to feel differently.
Great read.
*** I received a copy for an honest review ... and I always review honestly ***
This book is almost everything you don't expect, and I love that.
The characters of Mindy and Lucia will keep you up all night burning through page after page. There's bad stuff, there's abusive stuff and then there's sweet stuff. The fact that it's not all nice made it more realistic (because that's life) and in context.
I would pitch this as YA with a twist. It particularly felt like I was in the heads of these two. I almost dare you to feel differently.
Great read.
*** I received a copy for an honest review ... and I always review honestly ***
elusiverica's review
5.0
(I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review)
When I finished this book, I said to my friend "It may be the adrenaline rush of that ending talking but that was the best YA vampire romance the world has ever seen or ever will." A few days later, I'd tone down the hyperbole a bit, but I still think it was amazing. When I first heard about this book, I was expecting a fun paranormal romp with bonus gay. And it most definitely is that, but also much more.
It's probably the best Dracula spin-off I've ever read. Not just in the way every vampire novel is kind of a Dracula spin-off either. It's really faithful to the original, keeping loads of little details most vampire stories skip and adding in a few extra bits that ring true with the rest. I can easily buy that this takes place in the same fictional universe a few hundred years down the line.
It's also one of my favourite YA fantasy romances. That genre doesn't usually do much for me, to be honest - I mean, I read them and I enjoy them, but I often end up rolling my eyes and thinking "Enough of this ~passion, can we please focus on the plot?". Mindy and Lucia's relationship was awesome, though. I was every bit as invested in how they felt about each other as how they dealt with the vampire problem. They were cute and hot and silly and serious and - gah. And they definitely had their rough spots, they could be awkward, they could be assholes (Mindy and Lucia are such teenagers!), but their relationship was so deeply rooted in genuine friendship and caring that I didn't doubt for a second it was worth it.
The feelings and jokes and horror and excitement were all really well done. Love it.
When I finished this book, I said to my friend "It may be the adrenaline rush of that ending talking but that was the best YA vampire romance the world has ever seen or ever will." A few days later, I'd tone down the hyperbole a bit, but I still think it was amazing. When I first heard about this book, I was expecting a fun paranormal romp with bonus gay. And it most definitely is that, but also much more.
It's probably the best Dracula spin-off I've ever read. Not just in the way every vampire novel is kind of a Dracula spin-off either. It's really faithful to the original, keeping loads of little details most vampire stories skip and adding in a few extra bits that ring true with the rest. I can easily buy that this takes place in the same fictional universe a few hundred years down the line.
It's also one of my favourite YA fantasy romances. That genre doesn't usually do much for me, to be honest - I mean, I read them and I enjoy them, but I often end up rolling my eyes and thinking "Enough of this ~passion, can we please focus on the plot?". Mindy and Lucia's relationship was awesome, though. I was every bit as invested in how they felt about each other as how they dealt with the vampire problem. They were cute and hot and silly and serious and - gah. And they definitely had their rough spots, they could be awkward, they could be assholes (Mindy and Lucia are such teenagers!), but their relationship was so deeply rooted in genuine friendship and caring that I didn't doubt for a second it was worth it.
The feelings and jokes and horror and excitement were all really well done. Love it.
frankvanmeer's review
4.0
This book reads like an episode of Buffy the Vampire Slayer, and I mean that as a compliment :)
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