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A review by katiehuns
This Blood That Binds Us by S.L. Cokeley
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
I had really high hopes for this book, but it did not live up to the hype. I liked the characters, and I feel like this book had so much promise as a guilty pleasure read for me. I felt like the writing felt very juvenile, choppy, and the dialogue felt painfully puppeteered at times. The one thing the writer did well was the pacing of the book, I have to say I felt like we were moving at a good pace, not too fast and not too slow.
So many aspects of this book were unbelievable to me, like how someone gets bit by a vampire and then just warms right up to him without holding any real grudges? Not to mention, there's a frat house where vampires live among humans and they just don't have to lay low among humans? Where was the "oh shit, hope the humans don't find out about us," tension?! I feel like that kind of tension is so healthy and fun throughout a vampire book. I wish there had been more individual character development especially since there were two POVs. I also wish there was more "adult" themes. I expected a bit more since these characters were in college. It is definitely more of a YA book, which is fine, it is just not what I was expecting.
I was also bummed that there were no positive female friendships, just tension between Kim and Chelsea being jealous over Aaron, and I am just not here for that in 2022 with no other female characters/friendships/camaraderie in the entire book.
Part of me really wants to read book 2 to see if some of this can be redeemed, but reading this was enough of a struggle for me. I hope that the writer can take some of this feedback from other reviewers and can get a better team around her to help develop and support her work, rather than people blindly giving it 5 stars without having read it.
So many aspects of this book were unbelievable to me, like how someone gets bit by a vampire and then just warms right up to him without holding any real grudges? Not to mention, there's a frat house where vampires live among humans and they just don't have to lay low among humans? Where was the "oh shit, hope the humans don't find out about us," tension?! I feel like that kind of tension is so healthy and fun throughout a vampire book. I wish there had been more individual character development especially since there were two POVs. I also wish there was more "adult" themes. I expected a bit more since these characters were in college. It is definitely more of a YA book, which is fine, it is just not what I was expecting.
I was also bummed that there were no positive female friendships, just tension between Kim and Chelsea being jealous over Aaron, and I am just not here for that in 2022 with no other female characters/friendships/camaraderie in the entire book.
Part of me really wants to read book 2 to see if some of this can be redeemed, but reading this was enough of a struggle for me. I hope that the writer can take some of this feedback from other reviewers and can get a better team around her to help develop and support her work, rather than people blindly giving it 5 stars without having read it.