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4.22 AVERAGE
4.22 AVERAGE
tense
fast-paced
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Wow... I am not a vampire girly. When a book is advertised as a vampire novel I tend to pass, but a sapphic vampire book by V.E. Schwab I just couldn't _not_ read. And I am so so glad I did.
The writing itself was just mesmerising. I had heard great things about Schwab's prose before, and now I need to read everything she has ever written because these words left me hungry for more.
Which is one of the main themes of the book: hunger. Hunger not just for blood, but for love, lust, freedom, and more, always more. The hunger of our three vampires might be seen as a metaphor for how women in this patriarchy are expected to be submissive, modest and well-contained. Their desires suppressed, their wants neglected. These three women took their faith into their own hands, rewrote their story over and over again, and did not shy away from taking what they wanted.
The story also shows the reality of immortality, how it slowly rots a person until there is nothing left of them. Their humanity and empathy lost to time.
Other themes that were adressed in the book were the cyclical nature of abuse, loss and grief, the power of words, and the difference between survival and freedom.
The book is definately character- and not plotdriven and it shows. I did not love the ending, it felt rushed, clumsy even, compared to what the story had built in the preceding 400+ pages. I would not have minded another 100 pages for a more sophisticated ending.
As for the characters, I am divided.
From the moment we get to know Maria, I was hooked. I wanted to know everything about her. She is such a complex character who keeps evolving throughout the book into someone almost entirely new, unrecognisable except for her insatiable hunger. She knows what she wants and is willing to do anything to make it happen.
Charlotte's story felt a bit like a summary? We slowly find out how she is connected to Maria, and their story is a really intruiging and important one but it feels rushed.
I am not sure why Alice was in this book other than that she was important for the ending (which sucked, sorry not sorry). If the book could have spent a few more chapters on her backstory and have her more integrated into the overarching story, this book would have been an easy 5 star for me.
Overall, the parallels between the three women were clear, they all wanted something different, more, from society than society wanted from them.
Great read, will be thinking about this book a lot.
The writing itself was just mesmerising. I had heard great things about Schwab's prose before, and now I need to read everything she has ever written because these words left me hungry for more.
Which is one of the main themes of the book: hunger. Hunger not just for blood, but for love, lust, freedom, and more, always more. The hunger of our three vampires might be seen as a metaphor for how women in this patriarchy are expected to be submissive, modest and well-contained. Their desires suppressed, their wants neglected. These three women took their faith into their own hands, rewrote their story over and over again, and did not shy away from taking what they wanted.
The story also shows the reality of immortality, how it slowly rots a person until there is nothing left of them. Their humanity and empathy lost to time.
Other themes that were adressed in the book were the cyclical nature of abuse, loss and grief, the power of words, and the difference between survival and freedom.
The book is definately character- and not plotdriven and it shows. I did not love the ending, it felt rushed, clumsy even, compared to what the story had built in the preceding 400+ pages. I would not have minded another 100 pages for a more sophisticated ending.
As for the characters, I am divided.
From the moment we get to know Maria, I was hooked. I wanted to know everything about her. She is such a complex character who keeps evolving throughout the book into someone almost entirely new, unrecognisable except for her insatiable hunger. She knows what she wants and is willing to do anything to make it happen.
Charlotte's story felt a bit like a summary? We slowly find out how she is connected to Maria, and their story is a really intruiging and important one but it feels rushed.
I am not sure why Alice was in this book other than that she was important for the ending (which sucked, sorry not sorry). If the book could have spent a few more chapters on her backstory and have her more integrated into the overarching story, this book would have been an easy 5 star for me.
Overall, the parallels between the three women were clear, they all wanted something different, more, from society than society wanted from them.
Great read, will be thinking about this book a lot.
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood
Moderate: Death
Minor: Death of parent
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
slow-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
Like all V.E. Schwab's books, I had a bit of trouble getting into the story, but I knew that halfway through I'd want to know what happened next... and as always, the author succeeded perfectly in capturing my attention. It won't be my favorite book she's written, but I enjoyed the journey nonetheless...
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
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
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
fast-paced
dark
mysterious
medium-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
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Gore, Panic attacks/disorders, Toxic relationship, Blood, Grief, Stalking, Murder, Gaslighting
Moderate: Homophobia, Misogyny, Lesbophobia
Minor: Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Car accident, Suicide attempt, Fire/Fire injury, Abandonment