booksjenrecs 's review for:

The Last Vampire by Romina Garber

3.25

slow-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

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Before even starting The Last Vampire, I saw some reviews saying this book was on the slower side when it came to pacing, so I went in with mixed expectations. And, after reading it myself, the slow pacing was unfortunately one of my biggest takeaways as well. Much of this story takes place over just a few months, but with everything going on with our main characters, it felt like those few months should have been years.

I did end up enjoying this story; it’s billed as Pride & Prejudice meets Crave, and while I would say the Tracy Wolff series is a heavier influence on this book, I can definitely see how both books influenced The Last Vampire. As someone who usually prefers my vampire romances on the adult (read: explicit) side, I still found a lot of reasons to love the chemistry between Lore and William. This romance was all fade-to-black/off page, but Garber gives readers a good tease to keep us turning the page. The real strength in Lorena and William’s relationship stemmed from their antagonistic behavior towards each other throughout most of their time together. I loved their back and forth, their taunting that slowly morphed into flirtation. Both main characters were on a journey that took them out of the shadows; for Lore, that meant finding her own path instead of defining her life by her friend’s choices and her mother’s notoriety. For William, that meant learning how to be a modern-day vampire in a world where you feel utterly alone.

As much as I thought the pacing dragged, I did love the message beyond the surface characterizations. Lorena faced a lot of challenges: public scrutiny, parental disapproval, losing the closeness she once had with her best friend. Of course life threw a vampire her way, someone who felt just as out of place and alone in their shared reality. Lorena definitely had the stronger character development here; even as William went from indifferent to Lorena, using her as a means to an end, to caring for her deeply, I found very little different about his personality. Lore, though, grew as her allegiances changed and she found her own footing as a young adult.

The Last Vampire was a tale about finding your own footing when you feel alone in a strange world. While the pacing lagged a bit, I loved the overall message and the journey Lorena and William went on. William’s character could easily stand in for any archetype that’s ever been ostracized from their home, only to find community when they were at their loneliest. A lot of readers will find relatable parts in both William and Lorena, even if the story takes a little bit longer than necessary to get to that happy ending.