Take a photo of a barcode or cover
3.44 AVERAGE
3.44 AVERAGE
adventurous
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Are vampire books back?! Yay! Is this the best one? Definitely not. This is a vomit draft of a promising YA romantasy. It throws everything at the board, and, for some reason, stuck with all of it. The romance is actually the most unbelievable thing about the book-- this includes the vampire lore. Lorena fell for William because he is.. an asshole?? and wants to kill her?? The romance came out of nowhere and made me irrationally annoyed. Salma is awful, Tiffany is annoying, as are Travis and Zach.
adventurous
dark
mysterious
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:
Complicated
Man, I fucking love vampiresš© I straight devoured šš©š¦ šš¢š“šµ šš¢š®š±šŖš³š¦! I couldnāt get enough of the gothic school, the vampire lore, the friendship dynamics, a centuries old vampire trying to fit into modern times, and all the action and tension towards the end.
I loved Salma and Loreās relationship. It reminded me so much of mine and my best friendās relationship. The arguments, love, care, and how they would do everything and anything for each other. William, Trevor, Zach, and Tiff brought a true friend group dynamic. The secrets were kiiiiiilling me towards the end!
Even though I figured out a couple of the twists, there were plenty I did not, and they completely blew me away! I was so worried that the end was the end. The meaning āThe Last Vampireā absolutely crushed me, but we get the best endingš„¹ There were so many pieces that came together sooooo well at the end!
Thank you so much to the author, Wednesday Books, and NetGalley for the gifted copyš¤ Iāll never get enough of Rominaās booksš«¶š»
I loved Salma and Loreās relationship. It reminded me so much of mine and my best friendās relationship. The arguments, love, care, and how they would do everything and anything for each other. William, Trevor, Zach, and Tiff brought a true friend group dynamic. The secrets were kiiiiiilling me towards the end!
Even though I figured out a couple of the twists, there were plenty I did not, and they completely blew me away! I was so worried that the end was the end. The meaning āThe Last Vampireā absolutely crushed me, but we get the best endingš„¹ There were so many pieces that came together sooooo well at the end!
Thank you so much to the author, Wednesday Books, and NetGalley for the gifted copyš¤ Iāll never get enough of Rominaās booksš«¶š»
it was just ok but by the time i got about halfway through i was so bored of the conflict and the characters. oh my god the characters. why are they like that? the author does a fantastic job of saying a lot and conveying nothing. anyways itās like, dark academia twilight.
Thanks to NetGalley & St. Martin's Press for the early copy in exchange for an honest review. Sadly, I DNF'ed at 40% of the way through.
The premise is intriguing, but the execution was lacking. It's a very fast-paced YA book with generic characters. The two protagonists couldn't stand each other and were jerks to each other so I thought the romance kinda stunk in that regard.
Also thought the drama with Lorena and her mom was really stupid and overblown. They made it seem so dramatic, I thought she had driven drunk and hit someone but no it was just a lame picture, lol. The vampire stuff was bizarre and confusing, it didn't make sense to me that a vampire could last over a month without drinking blood, the lore overall was really all over the place.
Not it for me.
The premise is intriguing, but the execution was lacking. It's a very fast-paced YA book with generic characters. The two protagonists couldn't stand each other and were jerks to each other so I thought the romance kinda stunk in that regard.
Also thought the drama with Lorena and her mom was really stupid and overblown. They made it seem so dramatic, I thought she had driven drunk and hit someone but no it was just a lame picture, lol. The vampire stuff was bizarre and confusing, it didn't make sense to me that a vampire could last over a month without drinking blood, the lore overall was really all over the place.
Not it for me.
adventurous
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
The Last Vampire by Romina Gerber is an enchantingly original vampire story that takes place in an exclusive boarding school. The school itself was set in a Victorian manor house so you get all the gothic vibes mixed with Dracula's lair. William becomes like Dracula, lusting after Lorena, as his Lucy. The story centers around the romance between William, who is searching for his family, and Lorena, who is searching to find out who she is outside of her family. The story is well told and you don't want it end. I'm eagerly hoping there is a second book to further tell Lorena and William's story.
Thanks to NetGalley and St Martin's Press for the an advanced copy.
Thanks to NetGalley and St Martin's Press for the an advanced copy.
A romantic vampire fantasy that didnāt quite hit the mark for me.
I believe my biggest issue while reading this book was how much of the plot was focused on telling us the feelings of the characters through simply quoting and referencing other, more famous, novels. Much of this as a plot device was dependent on the reader knowing exactly which characters were being referenced, the plot that occurred during this time, and then being able to relate the events to how our main character was feeling at that specific point in time.
By about the third time this happened I was already checked out of the book.
In all honesty, I wound up finishing this book for the sole reason that I could almost glimpse a better novel behind the pages - one that focused on the worldbuilding created and the actual conflicts present, as opposed to the main conflict this book focused on - the issue of āshould I be attracted to this vampire?ā
The conflict of the main character being attracted to a monster who threatened not only her but her friends and everyone at the school kind of fell apart for me once we were given a greater look at the world and realized that there was an entire underground world of vampires that held a secret history that no one was aware of. This was the world I wanted to explore! But every time something happened we were thrust back into the - very childish - drama of the main characterās feelings for one another, as opposed to the very literal vampiric apocalypse threatening the world.
I also, just personally, wasnāt a fan of how many characters were present within this novel, or how each of them felt like they were included to specifically fit one very narrow stereotype. Her friend is āedgy and goth,ā their roommate is ābitchy and pink,ā (often referring to her as āBarbieā in the MCās head), the boys are ānerd with camera,ā ājock,ā and I honestly donāt remember if thereās another one. This could very much be me disliking the YA feel of the novel (which the fade to black/implied sex scene then felt very much out of place), it all felt much too like this book was intended to feel like a highschool drama where you donāt need to actually explore the characters if you have them fit a certain vibe. Also, there was too many of them, and the conflict with the main characterās best friend felt out of place.
Speaking of - the ages in this book felt extremely inconsistent. Most everyone attending this school is, I believe, either almost 18 or actually 18, but I could never pin down the actual intention for where this school is supposed to hit in their ages. I think(?) this school was intended as a kind of school to take between high school and college, but I cannot be sure as Iāve never heard of such a thing.
I do think anyone who wants books that focus more on the romantic aspect, and who have read all the books referenced in this book and enjoy the kind of surface-level introspection that reflects the characters talking about it, would enjoy this book. As for me, I only wound up finishing it because I was interested in the events going on in the background and was hoping theyād come to an interesting conclusion. They didnāt.
Thank you to Netgalley and St. Martin's Press | Wednesday Books for providing me this e-ARC.
dark
medium-paced
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this e-arc in exchange for an honest review.
When I first saw the cover of this book, I needed to know what it was about and it sounded really interesting.
I'm glad I did because it was an interesting read. I really enjoyed the setting and vibes the book gave off in general. Especially when describing the school. The atmosphere of this novel was my favourite part.
The pacing of this worked for me. I did find myself wanting to keep turning the pages to see what happened.
I also really enjoyed getting to see Lore and Selma's friendship for the most part.
I did think that I would have liked to see a bit more adjusting for William. Not being familiar with this century I feel should have hindered him a bit more. It should have been a bit more jarring, and difficult to adapt to (especially in reading books from today which seemed to be no problem for him at all) That said, I do like the change here in his experience. Yes, the vampire is hundreds of years old, but he was only a vampire for a short time and then went into a deep sleep for the rest. It makes him feel closer to the age he was turned, which was 19. And with the main character being 18, this definitely differs a bit from your typical age gap with vampires and human leads.
I also enjoyed the way that their relationship started off a bit different than I'm used to seeing. It wasn't instant love or a want to protect each other. It felt like they started more like enemies, and that was a fun element for me.
I felt this book ended at a good spot. While it doesn't answer everything and is opened ended, it still feels like a satisfying place to end with room for a sequel (which I would like to see.)
Overall, an interesting read with an amazing atmosphere.
When I first saw the cover of this book, I needed to know what it was about and it sounded really interesting.
I'm glad I did because it was an interesting read. I really enjoyed the setting and vibes the book gave off in general. Especially when describing the school. The atmosphere of this novel was my favourite part.
The pacing of this worked for me. I did find myself wanting to keep turning the pages to see what happened.
I also really enjoyed getting to see Lore and Selma's friendship for the most part.
I did think that I would have liked to see a bit more adjusting for William. Not being familiar with this century I feel should have hindered him a bit more. It should have been a bit more jarring, and difficult to adapt to (especially in reading books from today which seemed to be no problem for him at all) That said, I do like the change here in his experience. Yes, the vampire is hundreds of years old, but he was only a vampire for a short time and then went into a deep sleep for the rest. It makes him feel closer to the age he was turned, which was 19. And with the main character being 18, this definitely differs a bit from your typical age gap with vampires and human leads.
I also enjoyed the way that their relationship started off a bit different than I'm used to seeing. It wasn't instant love or a want to protect each other. It felt like they started more like enemies, and that was a fun element for me.
I felt this book ended at a good spot. While it doesn't answer everything and is opened ended, it still feels like a satisfying place to end with room for a sequel (which I would like to see.)
Overall, an interesting read with an amazing atmosphere.
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Before even starting The Last Vampire, I saw some reviews saying this book was on the slower side when it came to pacing, so I went in with mixed expectations. And, after reading it myself, the slow pacing was unfortunately one of my biggest takeaways as well. Much of this story takes place over just a few months, but with everything going on with our main characters, it felt like those few months should have been years.
I did end up enjoying this story; itās billed as Pride & Prejudice meets Crave, and while I would say the Tracy Wolff series is a heavier influence on this book, I can definitely see how both books influenced The Last Vampire. As someone who usually prefers my vampire romances on the adult (read: explicit) side, I still found a lot of reasons to love the chemistry between Lore and William. This romance was all fade-to-black/off page, but Garber gives readers a good tease to keep us turning the page. The real strength in Lorena and Williamās relationship stemmed from their antagonistic behavior towards each other throughout most of their time together. I loved their back and forth, their taunting that slowly morphed into flirtation. Both main characters were on a journey that took them out of the shadows; for Lore, that meant finding her own path instead of defining her life by her friendās choices and her motherās notoriety. For William, that meant learning how to be a modern-day vampire in a world where you feel utterly alone.
As much as I thought the pacing dragged, I did love the message beyond the surface characterizations. Lorena faced a lot of challenges: public scrutiny, parental disapproval, losing the closeness she once had with her best friend. Of course life threw a vampire her way, someone who felt just as out of place and alone in their shared reality. Lorena definitely had the stronger character development here; even as William went from indifferent to Lorena, using her as a means to an end, to caring for her deeply, I found very little different about his personality. Lore, though, grew as her allegiances changed and she found her own footing as a young adult.
The Last Vampire was a tale about finding your own footing when you feel alone in a strange world. While the pacing lagged a bit, I loved the overall message and the journey Lorena and William went on. Williamās character could easily stand in for any archetype thatās ever been ostracized from their home, only to find community when they were at their loneliest. A lot of readers will find relatable parts in both William and Lorena, even if the story takes a little bit longer than necessary to get to that happy ending.
dark
medium-paced
dark
emotional
funny
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
I really enjoyed this story and thought it was pretty cute. Lorena and her best friend Salma are attending school at a grand manor after humiliating Loreās mom by being rebellious. Regardless, her mom is still able to secure their spots.
It being an old manor, parts of the building are under construction and remodeling. Lore, Salma, and their new friends (roommate Tiffany, stablemates Zach and Trevor) decide to explore their very first night at one of the sectioned off spaces, despite knowing thereās a curfew. They find what looks to be an old library with 3 portraits, andā¦ a coffinā¦ which moves. All of them trying to run, Lore gets caught and discovers that there was a boy in that coffin and itās William. Our 200+ years, nineteen year old, vampire. Of course, having clearly been starved for hundreds of years he tries to drink her blood; to which she attacks back and gets away. Learning that heās now out of his element and doesnāt know the world today, he tries to kill Lore, now that she knows what he is, and discover why history has been rewritten- no vampires.
Tiffany I have not really been a fan of the whole time. She started off not that great, then you think she might improve, but no. She continues to make Lou a target regardless of what Lore or Salma says.
Loreās mom does seem to be nice in a way, but I know some of what Lore is going through there. The relationship between kids and their parents will always seem to be a tough one to navigate and each one will be a little different, because weāre all different people with different beliefs, thoughts, wants, and needs. Iām glad that Lore started to voice more of her opinion to herself, her mom, and Salma.
Also, an important note- social media and people online in general can be absolutely ruthless. Theyāll say things they would never have the audacity to say to your face because they get to hide behind a screen and fake accounts. Her mom being an influencer, fine. But, not giving a teenager grace, even if things are true, people need to reevaluate their lives. Especially, since things online of course are not always true. Iām happy this book actually addresses things like this so maybe people can talk about it. However, I donāt agree using children for gain like her mom did. Iām glad she listened to her wishes when it came time, but horrible what Lore had to do in the end.
I received an eARC via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.