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3.94 AVERAGE
3.94 AVERAGE
✩₊˚.⋆☾⋆⁺₊✧ ✩₊˚.⋆☾⋆⁺₊✧ ✩₊˚.⋆☾⋆⁺₊✧
Bʟᴏᴏᴅ ᴏɴ Hᴇʀ Tᴏɴɢᴜᴇ ʙʏ Jᴏʜᴀɴɴᴀ Vᴀɴ Vᴇᴇɴ
★.5
✩₊˚.⋆☾⋆⁺₊✧ ✩₊˚.⋆☾⋆⁺₊✧ ✩₊˚.⋆☾⋆⁺₊✧ ✩₊˚.⋆☾⋆⁺₊✧
This one was honestly a struggle. The description hooked me right away — vampires, haunting vibes, and a promise of darkness? Sign me up. But once I started reading, it just didn’t deliver on any of the tension or atmosphere I was hoping for.
The pacing was rough. Scenes dragged on without really going anywhere, and the story felt more repetitive than gripping. I kept waiting for the big turning point or that spark that would pull me in, but it never came. By the time anything actually started happening, I had already checked out mentally.
The characters didn’t help much either. They had potential, but they never felt fleshed out or layered enough to keep me invested. Their relationships felt flat, and I struggled to care about where their arcs were headed. It was more like watching things happen to them rather than watching them do anything.
I’ll give credit where it’s due — the writing itself wasn’t bad, and there were flashes of really nice descriptions that made the gothic elements shine. But overall, the execution just didn’t work for me. It felt more like a draft of a great idea than a finished, immersive novel.
1.5 stars, mostly for the concept and the occasional eerie moment. I wanted to love this, but it ended up being more of a slog than a dark, intoxicating read.
✩₊˚.⋆☾⋆⁺₊✧ ✩₊˚.⋆☾⋆⁺₊✧ ✩₊˚.⋆☾⋆⁺₊✧
Bʟᴏᴏᴅ ᴏɴ Hᴇʀ Tᴏɴɢᴜᴇ ʙʏ Jᴏʜᴀɴɴᴀ Vᴀɴ Vᴇᴇɴ
★.5
✩₊˚.⋆☾⋆⁺₊✧ ✩₊˚.⋆☾⋆⁺₊✧ ✩₊˚.⋆☾⋆⁺₊✧ ✩₊˚.⋆☾⋆⁺₊✧
This one was honestly a struggle. The description hooked me right away — vampires, haunting vibes, and a promise of darkness? Sign me up. But once I started reading, it just didn’t deliver on any of the tension or atmosphere I was hoping for.
The pacing was rough. Scenes dragged on without really going anywhere, and the story felt more repetitive than gripping. I kept waiting for the big turning point or that spark that would pull me in, but it never came. By the time anything actually started happening, I had already checked out mentally.
The characters didn’t help much either. They had potential, but they never felt fleshed out or layered enough to keep me invested. Their relationships felt flat, and I struggled to care about where their arcs were headed. It was more like watching things happen to them rather than watching them do anything.
I’ll give credit where it’s due — the writing itself wasn’t bad, and there were flashes of really nice descriptions that made the gothic elements shine. But overall, the execution just didn’t work for me. It felt more like a draft of a great idea than a finished, immersive novel.
1.5 stars, mostly for the concept and the occasional eerie moment. I wanted to love this, but it ended up being more of a slog than a dark, intoxicating read.
✩₊˚.⋆☾⋆⁺₊✧ ✩₊˚.⋆☾⋆⁺₊✧ ✩₊˚.⋆☾⋆⁺₊✧
emotional
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
This book was WILD! I’ve been a horror fan forever but never read gothic horror. This is VERY well done - the dread, slow burn, and sinister elements are fantastic. There is a fair amount of gore which I’m not a big fan of, but it was done in service of the plot and didn’t feel gratuitous. It was an insight into how far you’ll go to protect your family and what really makes a person a person. Well done!
dark
emotional
mysterious
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
dark
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
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Death, Gore, Blood, Cannibalism
dark
mysterious
tense
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Child death, Death, Violence, Blood, Medical content, Murder
Moderate: Sexual content
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
dark
sad
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
dark
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I found this book very intriguing, but not especially good. The ending leaves me with a lot of questions (did Katje leave? Where did she go? Why did the news article only talk about three missing persons and not five? What did they do with Magda? How did the journalist not speak with her?) .
I found the pacing of the book not quite right. The biggest part was very slow, and the end felt rushed. The language used doesn't really fit with the time the story is set in.
The take on vampires/parasites is new and interesting. I'm curious to know more about the details.
If you're squeamish about eye stuff, leave this book be. There's quite a bit of eye gore.
I found the pacing of the book not quite right. The biggest part was very slow, and the end felt rushed. The language used doesn't really fit with the time the story is set in.
The take on vampires/parasites is new and interesting. I'm curious to know more about the details.
If you're squeamish about eye stuff, leave this book be. There's quite a bit of eye gore.