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thelilbookwitch 's review for:

Youngblood by Sasha Laurens
4.0

Full review to come over on my blog

“Remember, Kat, a closed mouth won’t be fed.”
p.95

I’m so glad vampires are low-key back, and even more pleased to have this LGBT title amongst the genre.

Set at an elite boarding school for vampires, an estranged friends-to-roommates-to-lovers wlw romance blooms as dark forces are at play in this standalone, dual perspective YA novel. Ideal for readers who want something that feels fresh, addresses contemporary problems, and still manages to make you smile through it all as it plays into tropes in heartwarming ways. Not to mention gay awakenings, particularly juxtaposed with the notion of the sometimes hardened, but no less welcoming, “born this way” mentality.

Despite the monstrous nature of the characters, and a few scenes with a good amount of blood, this book steers clear of true horror and settles comfortably between balancing activism, subterfuge, and romance.