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A review by tencutepuppies
Down Comes the Night by Allison Saft
4.0
(4.25) This book was almost exactly what I was expecting, but in a good way. As in, it met the standards I had for it and gave me everything I wanted in a creepy gothic enemies to lovers stand-alone.
I don’t read many stand-alones because I prefer the more in-depth character work that can be done over a series, but this book was about the best character work I think a plot-driven standalone like this could have done. Did we know a ton about Wren’s deeper motivations? Nope, not at all! Was Hal’s backstory a little too cliche and cheesy for the darker tones I was anticipating?? Yes!! But the way I was glued to this book for the day and a half it took me to read it overrides those surface-level characterizations for me. The creepiness of the mansion, Una and Wren’s whole dynamic as both child soldiers and mutual pining bffs, and the descriptions of anatomical workings correlating to Wren’s healing power really sold it. Though the story ties up very neatly at the end, I think it also could have been really cool as maybe a duology. That way, it could have expanded upon those things I wanted to get more of.
I don’t read many stand-alones because I prefer the more in-depth character work that can be done over a series, but this book was about the best character work I think a plot-driven standalone like this could have done. Did we know a ton about Wren’s deeper motivations? Nope, not at all! Was Hal’s backstory a little too cliche and cheesy for the darker tones I was anticipating?? Yes!! But the way I was glued to this book for the day and a half it took me to read it overrides those surface-level characterizations for me. The creepiness of the mansion, Una and Wren’s whole dynamic as both child soldiers and mutual pining bffs, and the descriptions of anatomical workings correlating to Wren’s healing power really sold it. Though the story ties up very neatly at the end, I think it also could have been really cool as maybe a duology. That way, it could have expanded upon those things I wanted to get more of.