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renettereads's review
adventurous
dark
mysterious
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
We meet Mina as she first arrives from England to visit her sister Libby in New Orleans. Working a Haunted Mansion type job, Libby gets Mina a gig there too and it’s on her first night that she uncovers something that sets off a whole string of unfortunate events.
I adored this book for the nostalgic hit it gave me. Even though I only came into my teens in the late 90s, growing up with an older brother who was into Nirvana and No Doubt gave me plenty of memories to relate to this book in such a wonderful way. I loved the pop culture references throughout, especially when it came to The Lost Boys and Buffy.
I also enjoyed that the book actually felt like a 90s/early 2000s slasher movie where you could hardly take a breath before the next terrible thing befell this group of friends. There were plenty of twists and turns (some that I saw coming, others that I definitely didn’t) and I liked the pacing of it. However, towards the end of the book, things did seem a little rushed and left-field and I think it could’ve been a little more thoughtful.
In saying that, I would still really recommend this book to anyone who enjoyed R.L. Stein (I feel like this is a more grown-up version of a Goosebumps book) and definitely to everyone who wants a fun time and a huge hit of nostalgia.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death and Violence
sarahasyouwish's review
dark
mysterious
tense
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? No
4.0
This was a fun, vampy, gothic read that included many of my favorite bookish buzz words. New Orleans is one of my favorite cities, and I love reading books set there. This one is set in the mid-1990s in New Orleans, and along with vampires, it also includes some haunted tours and mansions complete with reenactments of famous horror movie scenes. The gory mystery of a serial killer recreating some of New Orleans most infamous murders kept the plot moving along quickly. I will admit that some of the dialogue felt awkward, and and the characters seemed to often suddenly need to go to sleep just at a moment when you’d expect an important conversation, but those things really didn’t bother me. I definitely had a good time with this YA paranormal mystery.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Death, and Murder
Moderate: Body horror, Death of parent, and Gore
charlottesomewhere's review
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
I love a good vampire story, and this one was brilliant. I loved the setting and the characters. It gave me shivers. It has romance, betrayals, and some killer twists. What more could you want?
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Death, Medical trauma, Murder, and Torture
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