helloiammikki 's review for:

Reluctant Immortals by Gwendolyn Kiste

3.0

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I think this would be interesting to read as a companion piece to Dracula and Jane Eyre in a literary analysis 101 course or something similar, but on its own, it falls flat. The story really isn't substantial enough for the length, which results in a lot of unnecessary repetition. Every chapter is basically a repetition of the previous, displaying the same cycles over and over. The resolution felt lackluster. The writing is superficial and very on the nose. I think there are authors who could have done very well with this premise, but maybe this author was reaching a bit too far for their skillset. Giving it three stars because I think 1. a younger audience might appreciate this more, and 2. I do think this book can serve a purpose in a classroom setting. In terms of reading experience, it's closer to a 2,5/5 for me. Also, this isn't horror. And that's not me gatekeeping the term; it's only called horror because it features Dracula and vampires, but there are no real horror elements to the story at all, and the purpose of the story also isn't in line with the horror genre. It is an analysis and criticism of the role women play in horror stories, but that doesn't make it a horror story