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3.3 AVERAGE
3.3 AVERAGE
This is messy and has a quite a few tropes and plot devices that I am not a Big Fan of in a story that could have done without those and focused more on different struggles in the vampire hierarchy.
I received an ecopy of this book through Netgalley; however, my opinions are my own
I received an ecopy of this book through Netgalley; however, my opinions are my own
challenging
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
reflective
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
I adored this book. I went into it expecting just a sapphic vampire romance, but it offers SO much more. In addition to nuanced character dynamics and a compelling romantic storyline, this book also contains a complex social hierarchy, ripple effects of a catastrophic blood disease, corruption, secret relationships, consequences of wealth with limited restrictions, issues of politics and morality, and so much more. This book knocked my expectations out of the water in every aspect and it presented me with something new to consider each time I picked it up. I loved that as the story went along, it felt like I was in the thick of it, putting together the pieces and various details to make sense of everything going on. Regardless of your opinion on vampires or romance novels, this is so much more than that, and I HIGHLY recommend it!
Kniha se mi osobně četla dobře, a hlavně rychle. Byla to taková typická oddechovka, jako když sáhnu po contemporary akorát s příměsí fantasy prvků. Po jedné třetině jsem se i začetla a zajímalo mě, jak to bude pokračovat. Líbily se mi komplikované vztahy tím, že to nebyla okamžitě láska na první pohled a hotovo. Taky oceňuji LGBT linku. Fantasy linka za mě měla smysl, přišla mi zajímavá a celkem k formátu příběhu i dostatečně propracovaná. Na stranu druhou tam bylo hodně moc klišé věcí, což by mi možná nevadilo až tolik. O něco víc mi vadí, že jsem snad všechny hlavní zápletky odhadla, a to hodně dopředu.
dark
inspiring
sad
tense
fast-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
🇳🇱: Dit boek was niet helemaal wat ik ervan verwacht had, maar het was leuk om te lezen. De focus ligt veel bij de queer romance en veel minder bij het verhaal eromheen, ik had het juist andersom verwacht. Ik las in de reviews dat het boek homofobisch was en soms zelfs een beetje racistisch. Ik keek hier anders naar. Ik vond het juist wel passen bij het boek, omdat we het hebben over 100 jaar oude (witte) vampiers die nog moeten "wennen" aan het idee dat het meer wordt uitgesproken als je queer bent en dat mensen met een andere huidskleur nu ook naar school gaan. Deze dingen kwamen sterk naar voren in het boek en dit kan dus ook kwetsend overkomen (lees zeker even de trigger warnings als je hier niet tegen kan). Ik vond het boek goed geschreven en je leest er vlot doorheen. Ik had alleen iets meer verhaallijn willen zien met betrekking tot de ziekte en het "medicijn" dit voelde nu juist meer als een zijlijn in het verhaal. Ook had ik meer willen lezen over de reünisten. Het concept van vampieren en een ziekte waar ze door sterven vond ik heel origineel bedacht.
🇬🇧: This book wasn't quite what I expected, but it was fun to read. The focus is much on the queer romance and much less on the story surrounding it, I expected it the other way around. I read in the reviews that the book was homophobic and sometimes even a bit racist. I looked at this differently. I thought it fit with the book, because we are talking about 100 year old (white) vampires who still have to "get used" to the idea that it is more pronounced if you are queer and that people with a different skin color now also go to school. These things were strongly highlighted in the book and can therefore come across as hurtful (be sure to read the trigger warnings if you cannot handle this). I thought the book was well written and easy to read through. I just would have liked to see a little more storyline regarding the disease and the "medicine", this just felt more like a sideline in the story. I would also have liked to read more about the reunionists. I thought the concept of vampires and a disease that kills them was very original.
🇬🇧: This book wasn't quite what I expected, but it was fun to read. The focus is much on the queer romance and much less on the story surrounding it, I expected it the other way around. I read in the reviews that the book was homophobic and sometimes even a bit racist. I looked at this differently. I thought it fit with the book, because we are talking about 100 year old (white) vampires who still have to "get used" to the idea that it is more pronounced if you are queer and that people with a different skin color now also go to school. These things were strongly highlighted in the book and can therefore come across as hurtful (be sure to read the trigger warnings if you cannot handle this). I thought the book was well written and easy to read through. I just would have liked to see a little more storyline regarding the disease and the "medicine", this just felt more like a sideline in the story. I would also have liked to read more about the reunionists. I thought the concept of vampires and a disease that kills them was very original.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Bullying, Cursing, Death, Homophobia, Panic attacks/disorders, Sexual content, Terminal illness, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Vomit, Medical content, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, Toxic friendship, Abandonment
Minor: Child death
adventurous
funny
mysterious
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
adventurous
dark
emotional
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
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
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Violence, Blood
Moderate: Bullying, Homophobia, Murder, Gaslighting
Minor: Alcohol
medium-paced
i dnf’d this at 37% & everything felt so slow like i was dragging through this book + the writing ugh it was just terrible-i’m goin to copy & paste multiple reviewers reviews on this book because they all sum it up
“ this was a slog to get through. I don't know if it was the writing style or the overall lack of plot but it took me So Long to get to the 30 or 40% at which I DNFed. The constant white saviour antics from the main character were painful to get through but the passing off British colonialism as being ’not that bad’ “
“ if there's one thing that I hate it's poc and gay people being used as props so that the white mcs look like #activists. one of the biggest example is the mc complaining about the lack of diversit. my sister in christ you wrote the book. simply make it diverse and stop using us and our pain to make yall look good. and that little pro colonization paragrah wasn't eating. I could've lived a long life without seeing it “
“ There were unnecessary racist and homophobic remarks - all to prove the point that the main character, Kat, is a woke white person. She was the only one who cared that there were 7 black people in the school only to be responded with something along the lines of "why would any black kids come here when there are people like so and so talking about how much they lost during the civil war?", she was the only one who cared when the L was teased for being gay, the only one who cared about social justice clubs, about how the main bad boy's mom was from pre-colonial India and his dad was from the British trading company - with said main guy stating "it wasn't like that." It was all made to make it look like Kat was this amazing and good person because she got to hang out around humans growing up. “
“ this was a slog to get through. I don't know if it was the writing style or the overall lack of plot but it took me So Long to get to the 30 or 40% at which I DNFed. The constant white saviour antics from the main character were painful to get through but the passing off British colonialism as being ’not that bad’ “
“ if there's one thing that I hate it's poc and gay people being used as props so that the white mcs look like #activists. one of the biggest example is the mc complaining about the lack of diversit. my sister in christ you wrote the book. simply make it diverse and stop using us and our pain to make yall look good. and that little pro colonization paragrah wasn't eating. I could've lived a long life without seeing it “
“ There were unnecessary racist and homophobic remarks - all to prove the point that the main character, Kat, is a woke white person. She was the only one who cared that there were 7 black people in the school only to be responded with something along the lines of "why would any black kids come here when there are people like so and so talking about how much they lost during the civil war?", she was the only one who cared when the L was teased for being gay, the only one who cared about social justice clubs, about how the main bad boy's mom was from pre-colonial India and his dad was from the British trading company - with said main guy stating "it wasn't like that." It was all made to make it look like Kat was this amazing and good person because she got to hang out around humans growing up. “
So it was decently cute enough except for :
-Lack of diversity being used in every other sentence but didn't end up being actually addressed in a way that it might happen in the future also I can understand maybe wanting to use it in comparison, but it just came off as #DIVERSITY with the MC not really doing anything,but complaining.
-The paragraph of a character saying that he's half indian and his parents met through the colonization with the East India Company but "it's not as bad as it sounds"
-I wanted to read more about CFAD, the cure, and how it would affect vampire society.
What I enjoyed:
-Was Kat slowly realizing she did like girls, and that her not being straight didn't actually matter.
-The talk and discussion of vampire morals involving things like consent with what they call glamour or mind control.
-While the lack of diversity was talked about like a boomer was writing about the new-fangled views today's yougnuns have, I thought I could see that the author wanted to point out the lack of diversity in predigous schools due to systemic prejudice, at least I hope that's what the author meant.
-The plot was entertaining, mostly from me yelling at my phone (audio listener) about the characters stupid, and sometimes well meaning, actions.
-Lack of diversity being used in every other sentence but didn't end up being actually addressed in a way that it might happen in the future also I can understand maybe wanting to use it in comparison, but it just came off as #DIVERSITY with the MC not really doing anything,but complaining.
-The paragraph of a character saying that he's half indian and his parents met through the colonization with the East India Company but "it's not as bad as it sounds"
-I wanted to read more about CFAD, the cure, and how it would affect vampire society.
What I enjoyed:
-Was Kat slowly realizing she did like girls, and that her not being straight didn't actually matter.
-The talk and discussion of vampire morals involving things like consent with what they call glamour or mind control.
-While the lack of diversity was talked about like a boomer was writing about the new-fangled views today's yougnuns have, I thought I could see that the author wanted to point out the lack of diversity in predigous schools due to systemic prejudice, at least I hope that's what the author meant.
-The plot was entertaining, mostly from me yelling at my phone (audio listener) about the characters stupid, and sometimes well meaning, actions.
This could have easily been an entire series, so I really applaud the author for sticking with a standalone. I am shocked to see so many 1 star reviews...I hear what people are saying, but I can’t help but think those reviewers are forgetting this is fiction??? And certain problematic characters and their opinions are there to serve a purpose and agitate the reader to better help them understand the world that the author is building??? Have none of you seen triangle of sadness? the menu? That’s how I read this book. To me it’s clearly a commentary, a caricature if you will, of the world we live in and the type of bad people living in it. Idk…maybe I read it in a different tone than everyone else? I honestly enjoyed this book for what it was: queer enemies to lovers vampires in an elite boarding school. That’s it. 4 stars.