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3.49 AVERAGE
3.49 AVERAGE
5 stars to Reluctant Immortals, a very feminist sequel (in spirit) to Dracula and Jane Eyre, that was a breath of fresh air that I could not put down.
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Did you ever wonder what would have happened if Lucy and Bertha (now Bee) had survived their respective novels as immortal women trying to escape the shadows of the evil mean that controlled and led them to their deaths? I honestly hadn’t, but when I heard that that was basically the premise of this book I knew I had to read it and I am so happy that I did-it was fantastic!
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I loved Lucy and Bee, their friendship and love for each other is the heart of this story and I could have read many more novels following their lives. I liked how the novel handled the vampire tropes, even if it left me with a couple of questions. I would have like if we could have read from Bee’s perspective as well, to really dive into her character.
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The atmosphere of this book was great-late 1969’s sun drenched Hollywood, a decrepit mansion, cult vibes, a drive-in theater and an old, but reliable car. You could almost touch the decay of all of it with the beautiful prose. Also-Dracula and Rochester? A+ creepy ass villains that you want to stake yourself, pure evil and no redeeming qualities.
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I absolutely adored reading about Lucy and Bee taking their stories back, coming out of the shadows and truly embracing who they are. I definitely recommend this one to anyone who loves gothic literature and horror with a feminist take, you won’t regret it.
•
Did you ever wonder what would have happened if Lucy and Bertha (now Bee) had survived their respective novels as immortal women trying to escape the shadows of the evil mean that controlled and led them to their deaths? I honestly hadn’t, but when I heard that that was basically the premise of this book I knew I had to read it and I am so happy that I did-it was fantastic!
•
I loved Lucy and Bee, their friendship and love for each other is the heart of this story and I could have read many more novels following their lives. I liked how the novel handled the vampire tropes, even if it left me with a couple of questions. I would have like if we could have read from Bee’s perspective as well, to really dive into her character.
•
The atmosphere of this book was great-late 1969’s sun drenched Hollywood, a decrepit mansion, cult vibes, a drive-in theater and an old, but reliable car. You could almost touch the decay of all of it with the beautiful prose. Also-Dracula and Rochester? A+ creepy ass villains that you want to stake yourself, pure evil and no redeeming qualities.
•
I absolutely adored reading about Lucy and Bee taking their stories back, coming out of the shadows and truly embracing who they are. I definitely recommend this one to anyone who loves gothic literature and horror with a feminist take, you won’t regret it.
adventurous
challenging
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
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Some of the characters make decisions that I didn’t really understand/missed details that I didn’t think they’d miss, but it’s charming enough that I’m still giving it 4 stars
The characters are card board cut outs. It's giving me nothing.
dark
reflective
sad
tense
it was fine. i enjoyed the take on vampirism but i wish it had gone deeper and darker into it, now the darkness is at a surface-level. really more thelma and louise feminist adventure than horror
Gwendolyn Kiste has stepped up as one of this generation’s most iconic feminist horror writers, and Reluctant Immortals is a terrific addition to her body of work. Scary, stylish, and exciting, this novel frees two of Gothic literature’s most libeled anti-heroines and gives their tales a powerful new ending. It will make you rethink your definition of “a strong female protagonist!”
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
dark
hopeful
mysterious
medium-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
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror
Moderate: Sexual assault
There was some interesting things going on. I enjoyed the idea of vampires spreading rot. That was fun. This book would have been better if the characters had been original. The author simultaneously requires you to know the books she’s writing a sequel too but also ignore them. The characters motivations make little sense sense. Both of the men are obsessed with the women however we are at the same time supposed to buy into the idea that they tooooooootaly don’t care. Bea is once again reduced to a side character not just one love interest but two. Mina’s happy ending is wasted away into making her nothing more than just a victim of her love for Lucy. And Lucy is such a blank canvas. The setting is also waisted Hollywood in the 60’s? Why not have Rochester be a cult leader, I mean he kinda is but only in a magical sense. We never see the horror that men casually inflict on women instead of only magic that’s honestly ridiculous.ii