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A review by eudoralynn
Vanilla by Mona Kabbani
dark
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
4.0
I’m not sure where I stand on Vanilla. I thoroughly enjoyed 85% of it. But I struggled to understand the ending. It slowed down about halfway through when Vanilla was released from her concrete prison for the first time. I couldn’t tell if it was a vampire story, or the Devil, or just vague monsters. I really like Mona Kabbani’s writing style, and loved the emotional depth built in such a short period of time between Tiffany and Vanilla.
4/5, but struggled to boost it to a 4. Borderline 3.
Edit: still a 4, but after finishing Vanilla, processing, and sleeping on it, I don’t think I gave this book enough credit. Vanilla left me unsettled. It made me uncomfy after finishing it. And it’s likely due to the emotional bond developed between Vanilla and Tiffany due to how intertwined they’ve been since childhood. But I woke up this morning and my heart hurt after having dreams surrounding Vanilla. It’s the story of a child turned into a monster, but without the ability to understand how or why she behaved the way she did. She was naive, and it made the deception at the end even more disappointing. Solid 4/5.
4/5, but struggled to boost it to a 4. Borderline 3.
Edit: still a 4, but after finishing Vanilla, processing, and sleeping on it, I don’t think I gave this book enough credit. Vanilla left me unsettled. It made me uncomfy after finishing it. And it’s likely due to the emotional bond developed between Vanilla and Tiffany due to how intertwined they’ve been since childhood. But I woke up this morning and my heart hurt after having dreams surrounding Vanilla. It’s the story of a child turned into a monster, but without the ability to understand how or why she behaved the way she did. She was naive, and it made the deception at the end even more disappointing. Solid 4/5.