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3.73 AVERAGE
3.73 AVERAGE
dark
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
This is like the third time I have started reading a book, gotten to the point where a supernatural twist is revealed, and said out loud "god dammit is this about vampires?" I don't particularly like reading about vampires, I don't find them sexy or scary, and I don't know why I keep falling into this trap, but just know that that's on me and not on the book. If you like vampires, you will probably enjoy this book much more than I did.
Cutting Your Teeth does have a lot going for it. The action starts early and keeps up the pace throughout, but there are also slower moments where we develop the found family dynamic and the romance. I wouldn't call this a scary book, but there are some deliciously creepy concepts that crop up, and we also get a fresh spin on vampire lore that went in some unexpected but interesting directions. I wouldn't say these vampires are gory per se, but they are grittier than you might expect from a paranormal romance. On that note, the romance itself was sweet and developed slowly throughout the book, which I really appreciated.
That said, there were some weird writing choices in the first third of the book that I had a hard time overlooking. I can't give specific examples because it looks like my net galley copy has been archived, but there's a lot of passive voice used and many instances of actions/senses/objects being described in an abstract way (ex: "a door was locked" instead of "he locked the door") that made me feel detached from the story. At times I wasn't sure where we were or what characters were taking what actions, and it put a distance between me and the characters that felt like a poor way to start a book. There was a point when both of these issues just stopped appearing in the writing (maybe different editors worked on it? Maybe some was rewritten after editing? idk) and I had a much smoother reading experience after that.
Overall, this feels like a solid debut. There's plenty of room to expand on this world in future books, and the ending was satisfying while still leading you on into the next book. It's not to my personal taste, but it's a good start to a series that I'm sure will continue to improve from here.
Thanks to the author for an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review!
Cutting Your Teeth does have a lot going for it. The action starts early and keeps up the pace throughout, but there are also slower moments where we develop the found family dynamic and the romance. I wouldn't call this a scary book, but there are some deliciously creepy concepts that crop up, and we also get a fresh spin on vampire lore that went in some unexpected but interesting directions. I wouldn't say these vampires are gory per se, but they are grittier than you might expect from a paranormal romance. On that note, the romance itself was sweet and developed slowly throughout the book, which I really appreciated.
That said, there were some weird writing choices in the first third of the book that I had a hard time overlooking. I can't give specific examples because it looks like my net galley copy has been archived, but there's a lot of passive voice used and many instances of actions/senses/objects being described in an abstract way (ex: "a door was locked" instead of "he locked the door") that made me feel detached from the story. At times I wasn't sure where we were or what characters were taking what actions, and it put a distance between me and the characters that felt like a poor way to start a book. There was a point when both of these issues just stopped appearing in the writing (maybe different editors worked on it? Maybe some was rewritten after editing? idk) and I had a much smoother reading experience after that.
Overall, this feels like a solid debut. There's plenty of room to expand on this world in future books, and the ending was satisfying while still leading you on into the next book. It's not to my personal taste, but it's a good start to a series that I'm sure will continue to improve from here.
Thanks to the author for an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review!
This book has the perfect combination of creepy creatures (vampires, werewolves), queers being oblivious (two men, both crushing hard, both very convinced the other doesn’t like him like that), and family trauma (mob families, twins with a connection, no-one-leaves-alive level bad guys, an ancient family curse that creeps into your nightmares and messes with your head). None of these aspects are lacking, and none are taking more space than they need.
It’s just enough to keep you interested and wanting to know more.
I really enjoyed the story, and the characters are very cool and loveable. Mari is an absolute delight, and truly the sunshine to everyone else’s grumpy.
It’s just enough to keep you interested and wanting to know more.
I really enjoyed the story, and the characters are very cool and loveable. Mari is an absolute delight, and truly the sunshine to everyone else’s grumpy.
This book is listed as the first book in a series, and the ending held up really well in regards to this.
A lot of indie authors have a habit of leaving the end of a book completely open to tell you there will be a sequel, putting pressure on the reader to read the next book. Cutting Your Teeth had a complete, tidy ending. There was a hint of a possible follow-up book, but this book was finished. It gives readers the choice to see this as a stand-alone, or to keep their eyes out for more, without it feeling forced.
A lot of indie authors have a habit of leaving the end of a book completely open to tell you there will be a sequel, putting pressure on the reader to read the next book. Cutting Your Teeth had a complete, tidy ending. There was a hint of a possible follow-up book, but this book was finished. It gives readers the choice to see this as a stand-alone, or to keep their eyes out for more, without it feeling forced.
And now for the issues I had while reading this.
Even though I enjoyed the book, it definitely has a few good examples of “If you’re not sure what a word means, look it up”. There are some standard basic typos, spelling errors, homophone mistakes, and sentences where the tense changes partway through. There are also sentences that don't make sense. they almost make sense but they don't quite.
Killian is Irish, but there’s one moment where an accent is written into his speech, and it appears to be a Scottish accent. To add to this, there are several times when Killian speaks different languages, but the most common one is Scottish Gaelic. On one page, he speaks Scottish Gaelic and Irish. One after the other.
But none of these are huge issues, and they don’t have an effect on the book itself for the most part.
Even though I enjoyed the book, it definitely has a few good examples of “If you’re not sure what a word means, look it up”. There are some standard basic typos, spelling errors, homophone mistakes, and sentences where the tense changes partway through. There are also sentences that don't make sense. they almost make sense but they don't quite.
Killian is Irish, but there’s one moment where an accent is written into his speech, and it appears to be a Scottish accent. To add to this, there are several times when Killian speaks different languages, but the most common one is Scottish Gaelic. On one page, he speaks Scottish Gaelic and Irish. One after the other.
But none of these are huge issues, and they don’t have an effect on the book itself for the most part.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Child abuse, Self harm, Suicidal thoughts
Minor: Animal death
dark
emotional
fast-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
dark
medium-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
Received an arc from NetGalley, thanks!
"My name is Ezra Santos and I died last week."
What a delightful book that was!
It was so simple yet so full of (after)life. Ezra's story grabs you since the page one, starting with action scenes and ending in emotional cluster. Cutting Your Teeth has the atmosphere and characters, both that makes you easily fall in love with them. The story reminds me of old(ish) time writing, and that's the biggest advantage of it.
If you're looking for gay vampires with a twist, family secrets, amazing dynamics or just a book that will kidnap you easily into its fantasy world, I would definitely consider giving it a chance. I, for once, had so much fun I find that criminally offensive.
"My name is Ezra Santos and I died last week."
What a delightful book that was!
It was so simple yet so full of (after)life. Ezra's story grabs you since the page one, starting with action scenes and ending in emotional cluster. Cutting Your Teeth has the atmosphere and characters, both that makes you easily fall in love with them. The story reminds me of old(ish) time writing, and that's the biggest advantage of it.
If you're looking for gay vampires with a twist, family secrets, amazing dynamics or just a book that will kidnap you easily into its fantasy world, I would definitely consider giving it a chance. I, for once, had so much fun I find that criminally offensive.
dark
emotional
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
adventurous
challenging
dark
hopeful
mysterious
tense
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Read for MM Summer Pride Challenge 2023
This was a great indie debut! It was well paced and I loved the urban fantasy setting. I loved the found family between Ezra, Killian, and Mari. The vampires are more reminiscent of old vampire lore and there's a mix of other supernatural beings in this book.
I'll definitely be waiting for the sequel to this just to see the banter between the trio again and see what happens with Ezra after the ending reveal!
This was a great indie debut! It was well paced and I loved the urban fantasy setting. I loved the found family between Ezra, Killian, and Mari. The vampires are more reminiscent of old vampire lore and there's a mix of other supernatural beings in this book.
I'll definitely be waiting for the sequel to this just to see the banter between the trio again and see what happens with Ezra after the ending reveal!