Reviews with content warning for Terminal illness - Thirst

Erotic, but also deeply sad. The dreary, crumbling cemetery setting of most of the novel works so well towards creating a bleak atmosphere. This book wasn't the sapphic romance I initially thought it would be. It centers more on persecution and murder in an ever-changing and unfamiliar world in the vampire's case, and being a single mom and drifting away from everyone while grieving her ever-ailing elderly mother in Alma's case. I do think I preferred the vampire's chapters over the latter half of the book and found them more interesting; Alma's chapters dragged for me at times and it didn't feel like much was happening.

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dfrancis's review against another edition

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dark mysterious slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.5

I was excited by the concept of this book. And I did enjoy it. But it left me wanting more, and not in a good way. I feel like there needed to be more of a build up to the ending and a bit more mingling of the two POVs. It’s a translated book, and I feel like at moments it felt a little stilted and I can’t tell if that’s the author’s writing or the translation. Overall, enjoyed but expected/hoped for more.

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deckanddaughter's review against another edition

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dark emotional mysterious reflective sad medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

This was a startling take on the vampire tale. It’s interesting because the first third of the book is familiar- the story of a turned creature existing for centuries trying to reconcile their feral side with the human world. Then we change to Alma’s perspective. Our human narrator. And it shifts in a profound way.
This is still a study on death, grief, connection, and of course, thirst (for various things). But the way Yuszczuk comes at it is refreshingly modern and relatable in a way that more traditional vampire literature isn’t (at least for me).

My main critique (and why it’s a 3.5 for me) is the pacing of the middle third. I understand we have to establish a lot with Alma’s situation but it drags in a jarring way after the first third.

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bookishvicky's review against another edition

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4.5

“We’re all standing at death’s door; someone has to be next in line”

THIRST was a beautiful novel about death and wanting, about mourning and identity versus an ever changing world. This unique take on the vampire genre was refreshing and wonderfully melancholic, yet animalistic to its core. Even as a vampire, she remains flawed, scared, lonely, emotions we see reflected in Alma, a human mother watching her own mother slowly fade from life.

I adored this book; while I did think the plot slowed down toward the end, the overall story was more than enough to keep me interested. Definitely recommend if you’re looking for a new take on vampires!

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sofipitch's review

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dark slow-paced

3.75

This one feels really mixed to me because it feels like two completely different books smashed together. I really enjoyed the first half from the pov view of the vampire, but I'm also aware that there's not much that I felt that was stricklingly original in that bit. It read a lot like interview with the vampire which is why I enjoyed it. But it did have it's moments where I really liked it. Then we got to modern day and it kind of became any other literary fiction genre novel. It just felt boring and like I've read this story before. This is also very much a covid novel which may be a pro or may be a con depending on who you are. So my opinion is mixed, if it were just the first half 5/5. The main characters don't meet until the last hour of an 8 hour audiobook. Given I picked it up based on the back cover description I expected more

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keightychandelier's review against another edition

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dark mysterious fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? It's complicated

2.75

feels like an excellent first draft - a lot is left unexplained and unexplored, which both adds to the mystery of the book and rushes what could be a much more beautiful, complex, and compelling story

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kathleencoughlin's review

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dark medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character

4.0

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podanotherjessi's review against another edition

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emotional reflective medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

Sometimes, there's a book I don't particularly enjoy, but is so undeniably good that I can't help but admire it. This is one such book.

There is so much very good about this book. It explores grief - and specifically grief for someone still living - in such a nuanced and beautiful way. The longing and sadness are incredibly illustrated throughout the novel. The writing is lyrical and fluid and really drew me into the book.
And yet... I was bored. I never really latched onto the characters, and I can't help but feel like the pacing and tension might have been better if the vampire's story was spread out throughout the novel and interwoven with the modern story instead of dumped at the beginning.

Still, it's undoubtedly a good book, and one I will recommend to anyone looking for lit fic about loneliness and grief.

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