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A review by tej_reads
Thirst by Marina Yuszczuk
4.0
There is so much to love about Thirst. I can’t begin to tell you just how well written it is, there’s this air about where the language pulls you in from the beginning and you are hooked straight away. There are two POVs in Thirst, first belongs to our vampire who remains nameless throughout the novel, and Alma, a mother to Santiago and daughter to a dying mother.
I should also note that I highlighted a quote straightaway that sat with me, that people through the statues and sculptures in mausoleums and on graves, “pay for the right of poetry in death”.
The first part of the novel focuses on the 18th century, we follow our vampires journey as she eats her way from creation in Europe to modern day Buenos Aires, where her story intersects with Alma. There is so much to adore about part one. The way Yuszczuk explores the vampires personal history twined the history of Buenos Aires is brilliantly translated, with parts feeling almost tangible in your mind. The vampire’s past whilst brutal is expertly explored, her conflict with her thirst but also with the people around her and her agency.
The second part of the book followed Alma, who has separated from her partner and is a mother to a young boy named Santiago, she contends with her dying mother throughout the second part. It was fairly obvious how their lives were going to intersect by the end of part one but it didn’t make the meeting any less interesting. Seeing the way that time had and hadn’t affected the vampire was nice, the vampire was still a slave to her baser instincts but continued to have substance to her. I admit I did think Alma was too easily swayed by the vampire and the ending in my mind didn’t make sense that Alma would choose to walk, but as the ending was opening I like to imagine her turning around.
I would very much recommend this, I think it achieves its goal of being a feminist Gothic Vampire novel, the ending won’t please everyone but you can’t deny that Thirst is brilliantly written.
Thank you to Marina Yuszczuk, Scribe UK and Nicola at Scribe for the review copy. All opinions are my own.
I should also note that I highlighted a quote straightaway that sat with me, that people through the statues and sculptures in mausoleums and on graves, “pay for the right of poetry in death”.
The first part of the novel focuses on the 18th century, we follow our vampires journey as she eats her way from creation in Europe to modern day Buenos Aires, where her story intersects with Alma. There is so much to adore about part one. The way Yuszczuk explores the vampires personal history twined the history of Buenos Aires is brilliantly translated, with parts feeling almost tangible in your mind. The vampire’s past whilst brutal is expertly explored, her conflict with her thirst but also with the people around her and her agency.
The second part of the book followed Alma, who has separated from her partner and is a mother to a young boy named Santiago, she contends with her dying mother throughout the second part. It was fairly obvious how their lives were going to intersect by the end of part one but it didn’t make the meeting any less interesting. Seeing the way that time had and hadn’t affected the vampire was nice, the vampire was still a slave to her baser instincts but continued to have substance to her. I admit I did think Alma was too easily swayed by the vampire and the ending in my mind didn’t make sense that Alma would choose to walk, but as the ending was opening I like to imagine her turning around.
I would very much recommend this, I think it achieves its goal of being a feminist Gothic Vampire novel, the ending won’t please everyone but you can’t deny that Thirst is brilliantly written.
Thank you to Marina Yuszczuk, Scribe UK and Nicola at Scribe for the review copy. All opinions are my own.