From the New York Times bestselling author of The Passage comes a riveting standalone novel about a group of survivors on a hidden island utopia–where the truth isn’t what it seems.
Founded by a mysterious genius, the archipelago of Prospera lies hidden from the horrors of a deteriorating outside world. In this island paradise, Prospera’s lucky citizens enjoy long, fulfilling lives until the monitors embedded in their forearms, meant to measure their physical health and psychological well-being, fall below 10 percent. Then they retire themselves, embarking on a ferry ride to the island known as the Nursery, where their failing bodies are renewed, their memories are wiped clean, and they are readied to restart life afresh.
Proctor Bennett, of the Department of Social Contracts, has a satisfying career as a ferryman, gently shepherding people through the retirement process–and, when necessary, enforcing it. But all is not well with Proctor. For one thing, he’s been dreaming–which is supposed to be impossible in Prospera. For another, his monitor percentage has begun to drop alarmingly fast. And then comes the day he is summoned to retire his own father, who gives him a disturbing and cryptic message before being wrestled onto the ferry.
Meanwhile, something is stirring. The Support Staff, ordinary men and women who provide the labor to keep Prospera running, have begun to question their place in the social order. Unrest is building, and there are rumors spreading of a resistance group–known as “Arrivalists”–who may be fomenting revolution.
Soon Proctor finds himself questioning everything he once believed, entangled with a much bigger cause than he realized–and on a desperate mission to uncover the truth.
I’m a big fan of The Passage series (I’m still bitter over the TV show cancellation), so I was absolutely giddy when I saw Cronin had a new release on NetGalley. This is one of those reviews where the less said about the plot the better. I wouldn’t dare spoil anything for other readers. I’ll just say it’s complex, mind-bending, mysterious, twisty and sure to leave your head spinning.
Prospera is an idyllic place, but there’s a big class divide between the haves and have nots. The have nots, or support staff for the wealthy, live in the Annex – a much less than idyllic place. The wealthy live advantageous lives until the numbers on monitors embedded in their forearms drop below ideal levels. They’re then retired and transported to the Nursery where their bodies are renewed, memories wiped clean, and given a new life. Proctor has enjoyed a satisfying career as a ferryman, someone who helps citizens through the retirement process, until everything goes off the rails. He’s a flawed character and never claims otherwise, but he knows something isn’t right and does his best to figure out what’s going on in Prospera. You’ll root for him at every turn.
Although this novel is over five hundred pages, it didn’t feel that long to me. I finished the bulk of it in two days. With outstanding world-building and an ending that’s heart-wrenching but nothing short of perfection, it’s a novel I highly recommend. You’ll still be thinking about it days after finishing.
I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
For the next couple weeks I may double up on some reviews in an effort to get everything posted before vacation.
A damsel in distress takes on the dragon herself in this epic twist on classic fantasy—a groundbreaking collaboration between New York Times bestselling author Evelyn Skye and the team behind the upcoming Netflix film Damsel, starring Millie Bobby Brown.
Elodie never dreamed of a lavish palace or a handsome prince. Growing up in the famine-stricken realm of Inophe, her deepest wish was to help her people survive each winter. So when a representative from a rich, reclusive kingdom offers her family enough wealth to save Inophe in exchange for Elodie’s hand in marriage, she accepts without hesitation. Swept away to the glistening kingdom of Aurea, Elodie is quickly taken in by the beauty of the realm—and of her betrothed, Prince Henry.
But as Elodie undertakes the rituals to become an Aurean princess, doubts prick at her mind as cracks in the kingdom’s perfect veneer begin to show: A young woman who appears and vanishes from the castle tower. A parade of torches weaving through the mountains. Markings left behind in a mysterious “V.” Too late, she discovers that Aurea’s prosperity has been purchased at a heavy cost—each harvest season, the kingdom sacrifices its princesses to a hungry dragon. And Elodie is the next sacrifice.
This ancient arrangement has persisted for centuries, leading hundreds of women to their deaths. But the women who came before Elodie did not go quietly. Their blood pulses with power and memory, and their experiences hold the key to Elodie’s survival. Forced to fight for her life, this damsel must use her wits to defeat a dragon, uncover Aurea’s past, and save not only herself, but the future of her new kingdom as well.
When I received the ARC of this book from NetGalley I somehow missed that it will soon be a Netflix movie starring Millie Bobby Brown (Stranger Things).
Elodie cares deeply for the people of her drought and famine stricken Inophe, so when her father arranges a marriage with a prince whose family wealth can save her realm, she’s happy to accept the proposal. Prince Henry’s home of Aurea is beautiful, and Elodie is surrounded by luxury. She soon learns that the beauty and luxury come with a price – princesses are sacrificed to a dragon to maintain the idyllic land. She certainly didn’t sign up for that.
Elodie is plucky and clever. She doesn’t curl up in a corner of the dragon’s lair and wait to die – she’s determined to fight until the end. Eight centuries of sacrifices equals the population of a small town, and I liked that previously deceived princesses left messages in the caves for those that came after them. Elodie’s relationship with her younger sister is also a positive. It’s nice to read a novel where women aren’t pitted against each other.
What I missed was getting to know Elodie before she was tossed into the dragon’s lair. I felt like I knew very little about her until the middle of the story, although I eventually grew to like her. Pacing slowed a bit in the initial cave scenes, but it soon got back on track.
I’m a dragon fan and thought the dragon language was pretty cool. Even more so when the author’s note revealed her thirteen-year-old daughter created it. And kudos to the designer for a gorgeous cover that perfectly complements the story.
I’m a fan of Millie Bobby Brown, and I’ll definitely be watching this when it drops on Netflix. I’d recommend it to fans of dragons and fairy tales with a twist.
I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
In this haunting, lyrical fantasy set in 1930s Chicago, a talented ballerina finds herself torn between her dreams and her desires when she’s pursued by a secretive patron who may be more than he seems.
Growing up in Chicago’s Little Sicily in the years following the Great War, Grace Dragotta has always wanted to be a ballerina, ever since she first peered through the windows of the Near North Ballet Company. So when Grace is orphaned, she chooses the ballet as her home, imagining herself forever ensconced in a transcendent world of light and beauty so different from her poor, immigrant upbringing.
Years later, with the Great Depression in full swing, Grace has become the company’s new prima ballerina—though achieving her long-held dream is not the triumph she once envisioned. Time and familiarity have tarnished that shining vision, and her new position means the loss of her best friend in the world. Then she attracts the attention of the enigmatic Master La Rosa as her personal patron, and realizes the world is not as small or constricted as she had come to fear.
Who is her mysterious patron, and what does he want from her? As Grace begins to unlock the Master’s secrets, she discovers that there is beauty in darkness as well as light, finds that true friendship cannot be broken by time or distance, and realizes there may be another way entirely to achieve the transcendence she has always sought.
With mixed reviews for this novel, I wasn’t sure what to expect, but I did go into this fully aware of the slower pace.
Most reviewers compare this story to Beauty and the Beast, Phantom of the Opera, and Hades and Persephone. I agree with those comparisons. It’s dark and atmospheric, and 1930s Chicago is a perfect setting. Grace is no stranger to loss after her brother is gunned down in the streets and her mother passes away, leaving Grace an orphan when she’s barely a teenager. After raising enough money for ballet shoes by playing violin on the streets, she shows up unannounced at a ballet company. With help from fellow ballerina Emilia (their friendship is a strong point), Grace works hard and pushes herself to catch up with her peers. Years later she finally achieves her dream after landing the prima spot.
Soon after Grace moves into the home of her mysterious patron, Master La Rosa, things became muddled for me. The lyrical and haunting prose is beautiful, and many lines are meant to be savored. But when I closed the book, I still wasn’t exactly sure what happened. Looking at other reviews, most fell into three camps – some readers were enchanted by the story, others didn’t get it at all, and then there are the rest of us who appreciated the writing, but were left confused. A few reviewers used the term “fever dream”, and I’d say that’s an apt description.
If you’re a fan of any of the comp titles, appreciate a slower pace, and savor lyrical writing, this may be the book for you.
I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
Penny Dreadful meets The Gilded Wolves in this captivating sequel to young adult historical fantasy The Bones of Ruin that follows immortal Iris as she desperately tries to thwart her destructive destiny.
Iris Marlow can’t die. For years, she was tormented by her missing memories and desperate to learn her real identity. So when the mysterious Adam Temple offered to reveal the truth of who she was in exchange for her joining his team in the Tournament of Freaks, a gruesome magical competition, it was an offer she couldn’t refuse. But the truth would have been better left buried.
Because Adam is a member of the Enlightenment Committee, an elite secret society built upon one fundamental idea: that the apocalypse known as Hiva had destroyed the world before and would do it again, and soon. But what the Committee—and Iris—never guessed is that Hiva is not an event. Hiva is a person—Iris.
Now, no matter how hard Iris fights for a normal life, the newly awakened power inside her keeps drawing her toward the path of global annihilation. Adam, perversely obsessed with Iris, will stop at nothing to force her to unlock her true potential, while a terrifying newcomer with ties to Hiva’s past is on the hunt for Iris.
All Iris wants is the freedom to choose her own future, but the cost might be everything Iris holds dear—including the world itself.
The first book in this series featured a deadly competition (think Hunger Games). In this sequel Iris struggles to deal with her true identity. She’s Hiva, an immortal who destroyed the world before and is meant to do it again.
I struggled to keep up with such a large cast of characters in the first book, but since not all of them made it out of the tournament the list has been trimmed. As Hiva, Iris doesn’t want to repeat history and destroy the world again. She has the power to kill someone with just a look, but she wants to make good choices and not be a murderer. That’s easier said than done, and her instincts take over in certain situations. She fights her urges, but I didn’t like the direction she was headed.
Adam was full of secrets in the first book, but now that they’re revealed – he’s just a greedy and power hungry guy. He’s still obsessed with Iris and wants her to realize the full potential of her powers. But he’s not the only one trying to find her. Someone else is tracking her, and this person is a game changer.
With plenty of action and deaths, X-Men-like powers, and the fate of the world at stake, The Song of Wrath is tension-filled. The huge cliffhanger ending sets up book three perfectly.
I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
This is not how soccer-star Zack Martin thought his summer would go. When the captain’s prank means trouble for the whole squad, Zack’s left with no choice but to take one for the team and cover for him.
Now he’s trading parties and beach days for community service at a seaside conservation center—fair enough. But thanks to his new reputation, the cute intern, Chip, won’t even give him a shot. Still, Zack finds himself falling for Chip between dolphin encounters and shark costume disasters, which means he suddenly has way more on the line than he ever expected.
Zack may be good at winning on the field, but can he keep up the lie without losing himself?
I’d just finished reading a couple of lengthy, heavy fantasies when I came across this book. It was the perfect light-hearted, romcom book I needed.
Zack is a soccer player ending his junior year and is up for captain of the team. Things are looking good for him until he takes the blame for a prank he didn’t commit and is assigned community service over the summer. But his punishment turns out to have a silver lining. When he’s assigned to a seaside conservation center, he discovers interests he never realized he had. He also meets Chip, a cute intern who supervises the volunteers. It turns into a summer of learned lessons from bad choices, taking responsibility for mistakes, pining over Chip, and epiphanies about the future.
I loved the focus on the environment in this novel – always a good thing in my opinion. I also enjoyed the setting of the aquarium and marine institute. Zack’s scenes with the young students and his unfortunate experience in a shark costume gave me plenty of laughs. His strong friendships with Beckett and Meyers are also a high point, and I liked how no one blinked twice that Zack was crushing on another guy. His relationships with his divorced parents and how they still remained a family unit is also a plus and written well. Shout out to Zack’s dog Odin – he’s a perfect wing man.
This is partially a coming of age story, and Zack certainly undergoes some character growth. If you’re looking for a summer read with a charming cast of characters and a little romance, add I Like Me Better to your list.
I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
Wicked Saints meets There Will Come a Darkness in this sequel to the atmospheric, “tightly woven”(Brandon Sanderson, New York Times bestselling author) She Who Rides the Storm that follows the four thieves turned unlikely allies as one of their own decides where their loyalties lie.
Mateo spent years believing he suffered from a strange wasting sickness, but he’s finally learned the much darker truth. Now he will do whatever it takes to save himself, even if it means betraying Lia, the one girl who’s ever made him care about something more than his research.
It doesn’t help that his father kidnapped the last living member of Lia’s family, and though it means Mateo will get to see her again, it’s only because Lia is already hunting them.
Anwei’s rage can’t be contained after the disaster at the tomb that ended with Knox almost dying. Worse, she learned that the brother she’d been desperate to avenge has been living a life of luxury, raised by the monster of her nightmares. With the power of an ancient, nameless god running in her veins, Anwei vows to end the shapeshifter once and for all.
But the members of her crew each have their own motivations—and their own gods whispering in their ears. Anwei has never put much stock in the divine, but as she gets closer to the shapeshifter she’s chased for so long, she realizes that the gods’ plan and her own might diverge. But Anwei has only one goal: revenge, and she’ll destroy anyone standing in her way.
This is the second book in a duology. The first book, She Who Rides the Storm, is basically a heist story with unlikely allies (I’m a sucker for those) that goes horribly awry.
It’s been about a year and a half since I read the first book, but it didn’t take long to become reacquainted with these characters I enjoyed so much (especially Mateo). Each is struggling with the cards they were dealt at the end of book one – Anwei is still on a revenge quest after shocking revelations, Mateo has a new voice in his head, Knox is slowly recovering and a little fuzzy on what happened in the tomb, and Lia is determined to find her kidnapped sister. I was eager to see how each characters’ story played out – especially when Mateo and Lia meet up – but Anwei frustrated me. Yes, she’s dealing with a lot, but I wanted her to quit complaining and do something about it.
The tone of this sequel is darker, and the theology of this world is delved into more so than in the first book. But it’s not all gloom and doom – humorous moments are still sprinkled throughout, and there’s no shortage of twists and surprises. The ending is fast-paced, but also very satisfying, and I think readers will be pleased.
At nearly one thousand pages this duology requires a time investment, but with complex world-building, high stakes, and strong characterization, it’s an engaging read I’d recommend to fantasy fans.
I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
Andrea Hannah’s Where Darkness Blooms is a supernatural thriller about an eerie town where the sunflowers whisper secrets and the land hungers for blood.
The town of Bishop is known for exactly two things: recurring windstorms and an endless field of sunflowers that stretches farther than the eye can see. And women—missing women. So when three more women disappear one stormy night, no one in Bishop is surprised. The case is closed and their daughters are left in their dusty shared house with the shattered pieces of their lives. Until the wind kicks up a terrible secret at their mothers’ much-delayed memorial.
With secrets come the lies each of the girls is forced to confront. After caring for the other girls, Delilah would like to move on with her boyfriend, Bennett, but she can’t bear his touch. Whitney has already lost both her mother and her girlfriend, Eleanor, and now her only solace is an old weathervane that seems to whisper to her. Jude, Whitney’s twin sister, would rather ignore it all, but the wind kicks up her secret too: the summer fling she had with Delilah’s boyfriend. And more than anything, Bo wants answers and she wants them now. Something happened to their mothers and the townsfolk know what it was. She’s sure of it.
Bishop has always been a strange town. But what the girls don’t know iIs that Bishop was founded on blood—and now it craves theirs.
I’m all for settings with small towns harboring secrets and curses, and this eerie cover is perfect for the story.
To think I only considered sunflowers good for their seeds and looking pretty. After reading this novel, I’ll never look at them in the same way again. In a mid west town where the land thirsts for blood, sunflowers bloom where blood has been spilled. Let’s just say there are fields of sunflowers in the town of Bishop. The four MCs and POVs are Delilah, Bo, and twins Jude and Whitney. Their three mothers (who were best friends) disappeared two years ago and are presumed dead. The four teens still reside in the house they all lived in as a family. Their mothers’ disappearances don’t sit well with the girls and after clues and discrepancies come to light, they’re determined to uncover the truth. I admired their tenacity and perseverance – but wondered why it took them two years to begin their search. The novel certainly isn’t lacking in atmosphere (those sunflowers are freaky) or characters you love to hate.
I was curious about several things such as how the men benefited from feeding the land, why other citizens didn’t question why so many women went missing/died/ran away, why there was no hospital in town (and no one thought that was strange), and why there was apparently no outside communication with other cities or people. Part of the ending was what I’d hoped, but I was also confused about the other half. I’m still not sure what happened.
While this is a creepy, atmospheric read, I’d hoped several questions would be answered before the conclusion. Reviews are split, so if you don’t dig too deeply, this might be a suspenseful read you’d enjoy.
I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
In a strange little home built into the branches of a grove of trees, live three robots–fatherly inventor android Giovanni Lawson, a pleasantly sadistic nurse machine, and a small vacuum desperate for love and attention. Victor Lawson, a human, lives there too. They’re a family, hidden and safe.
The day Vic salvages and repairs an unfamiliar android labelled “HAP,” he learns of a shared dark past between Hap and Gio-a past spent hunting humans.
When Hap unwittingly alerts robots from Gio’s former life to their whereabouts, the family is no longer hidden and safe. Gio is captured and taken back to his old laboratory in the City of Electric Dreams. So together, the rest of Vic’s assembled family must journey across an unforgiving and otherworldly country to rescue Gio from decommission, or worse, reprogramming.
Along the way to save Gio, amid conflicted feelings of betrayal and affection for Hap, Vic must decide for himself: Can he accept love with strings attached?
Author TJ Klune invites you deep into the heart of a peculiar forest and on the extraordinary journey of a family assembled from spare parts.
Found family is my favorite trope, and I have yet to come across anyone who does it better than Klune. He put me through the whole gamut of emotions – again – and I don’t know if I should punch him or hug him for it.
Most of these characters are robots and machines, but the primary theme of the book is humanity and having the free will to choose who you want to be. I loved all of them, but Rambo (he’s a Roomba vacuum whose markings were faded and unclear, but they’re pretty sure they got the letters in the right order) and Nurse Ratched, a nursing machine that is a Registered Automaton To Care, Heal, Educate and Drill, will always be with me. Nurse Ratched’s snark and eagerness to drill people who threaten her family immediately won me over. Rambo may be small, but he’s full of unconditional love and bravery. They, Gio, and Victor are composed of more metal than blood, but make no mistake – they’re a family with the strongest of bonds.
They’ve lived hidden and safe in the woods for many years until Vic salvages and repairs HAP (hysterically angry puppet). Hap unknowingly alerts the City of Electric Dreams to their whereabouts, and Gio is captured and taken back to his old laboratory. His family won’t stand for losing one of their own, and what follows is an adventure filled with danger, new experiences, and a world they never knew existed. Before embarking on this journey or entering any dangerous situation, the rules are always recited: Stick together. Run if we have to. No dallying. No drilling (unless Nurse Ratched decides it’s necessary). Above all else, be brave.
This book touched my heart in so many ways, and I can’t recommend it enough. You’ll laugh and maybe even cry a little, but you’ll be so glad you read it.
I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
The next gut-punching, compulsively readable Kate McLaughlin novel, about a girl finding strength in not being alone.
When eighteen-year-old Dylan wakes up, she’s in an apartment she doesn’t recognize. The other people there seem to know her, but she doesn’t know them – not even the pretty, chiseled boy who tells her his name is Connor. A voice inside her head keeps saying that everything is okay, but Dylan can’t help but freak out. Especially when she borrows Connor’s phone to call home and realizes she’s been missing for three days.
Dylan has lost time before, but never like this.
Soon after, Dylan is diagnosed with Dissociative Identity Disorder, and must grapple not only with the many people currently crammed inside her head, but that a secret from her past so terrible she’s blocked it out has put them there. Her only distraction is a budding new relationship with Connor. But as she gets closer to finding out the truth, Dylan wonders: will it heal her or fracture her further?
This book was absolutely riveting – I’m talking cranked up to an eleven. When I had to put it down for real life stuff, I couldn’t wait to get back to the story.
Dylan is experiencing puzzling and disturbing events – she wakes up in an apartment she doesn’t recognize, runs into people who seem to know her but call her by a different name, finds drawings in her sketch book she didn’t create, and she loses time. But she’s never lost three days before. Being diagnosed with Dissociative Identity Disorder is a shock, but she’s relieved to finally have a diagnosis and an explanation for what’s been happening. Now she can get the help she needs to cope with it.
She has an incredible support system with her family, best friend, and Connor. He’s such a treasure, and I adored him. Dylan expected him to run once he knew about her disorder. He not only stayed, but researched DID on his own and was there every step of the way for her.
The alters are well-developed and feel like distinct people. Each has their purpose, and they’re very protective of Dylan in their own ways. Their journal entries allow the reader to get to know them, and it’s a clever technique. I don’t know much about DID, but from what I’ve read the author handled it respectfully and clearly did her research. She also gives resources at the end of the novel for anyone wanting to learn more about it.
This novel is very dark at times, and trigger warnings are listed so take note before reading. It’s an absolutely compelling and moving read that shines a light on mental health and identity.
I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
A haunting Southern Gothic from an award-winning master of suspense, A House With Good Bones explores the dark, twisted roots lurking just beneath the veneer of a perfect home and family.
“Mom seems off.”
Her brother’s words echo in Sam Montgomery’s ear as she turns onto the quiet North Carolina street where their mother lives alone.
She brushes the thought away as she climbs the front steps. Sam’s excited for this rare extended visit, and looking forward to nights with just the two of them, drinking boxed wine, watching murder mystery shows, and guessing who the killer is long before the characters figure it out.
But stepping inside, she quickly realizes home isn’t what it used to be. Gone is the warm, cluttered charm her mom is known for; now the walls are painted a sterile white. Her mom jumps at the smallest noises and looks over her shoulder even when she’s the only person in the room. And when Sam steps out back to clear her head, she finds a jar of teeth hidden beneath the magazine-worthy rose bushes, and vultures are circling the garden from above.
To find out what’s got her mom so frightened in her own home, Sam will go digging for the truth. But some secrets are better left buried.
After reading a couple of this author’s books, I’m thinking Kingfisher might make my auto-buy list.
Sam is an archaeoentomologist, a profession I’d never heard of, and studies insects in archaeological remains. Which sounds so cool to me – and yes, I realize that may sound weird to many people. Her current dig was shut down for several weeks, so she’s heading to NC to visit her mother. The visit is also to check on the mental status of her mother since Sam’s brother says something seems off with her. Sam isn’t home for long before she notices several oddities – a lack of insects in the beautiful backyard rose garden, a gang of vultures hanging around the house, and odd sticky notes her mom posted throughout the house. Then there’s the jar of teeth she finds in the backyard.
Sam is such an easy character to like. She’s witty, intelligent, cares deeply for her mother, and her internal monologue is hilarious. Neighbor and master gardener Phil has no problem keeping up with her, and he’s the kind of guy who isn’t afraid to jump right in and help out when he’s needed. As a woman of science, Sam struggles to find a rational explanation for all the bizarre occurrences. She soon realizes not everything in the world can be explained by science. As a warning, if insects freak you out, these vivid descriptions may cause you to feel phantom bugs crawling up your spine.
With the rose garden being such a prominent part of the story, I loved that most chapters begin with decriptions of various types of roses I’ve never heard of. I’ll never look at rose bushes in quite the same way again. I’d be remiss if I didn’t give a shoutout to Hermes – undoubtedly the coolest vulture I’ve come across.
This novel is an engaging blend of horror injected with humorous moments that I enjoyed from the first page. You may want to keep a can of insect repellent close by while reading.
I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
In the quaint town of Nightfall, Oregon, it isn’t the dark you should be afraid of—it’s the girls. The Lost Boys meets Buffy the Vampire Slayer in this propulsive novel from the New York Times bestselling author of The Treatment.
Theo and her brother, Marco, threw the biggest party of the year. And got caught. Their punishment? Leave Arizona to spend the summer with their grandmother in the rainy beachside town of Nightfall, Oregon—population 846 souls.
The small town is cute, when it’s not raining, but their grandmother is superstitious and strangely antisocial. Upon their arrival she lays out the one house rule: always be home before dark. But Theo and Marco are determined to make the most of their summer, and on their first day they meet the enigmatic Minnow and her friends. Beautiful and charismatic, the girls have a magnetic pull that Theo and her brother can’t resist.
But Minnow and her friends are far from what they appear. And that one rule? Theo quickly realizes she should have listened to her grandmother. Because after dark, something emerges in Nightfall. And it doesn’t plan to let her leave.
Comp titles of The Lost Boys and Buffy the Vampire Slayer? A thousand times yes I wanted to read this book!
If you’re a fan of The Lost Boys, this is a must read. Some reviewers even classify it as a gender-swapped version. Theo and her brother, Marco, travel to Nightfall, Oregon with their newly divorced father to spend the summer. He grew up there, and they’ll be staying with his mother, the grandmother Theo and Marco have never met. Neither are happy to be spending the summer away from their friends, but it’s not long before they meet other teens their age in town.
But strange things are afoot in the town of Nightfall. Their new friends are unusually attractive and charismatic. Streets are abandoned by sundown. Disappearances are common occurences. Theo feels unsettled, but meets Parrish, a cute guy who distracts her from those feelings. Marco is immediately infatuated with Minnow and falls in with her group.
The sibling relationship between Theo and Marco feels very genuine with the way they take jabs at each other. But they’re also very close and protective of each other. With her creepy doll collection, unusual plants in the garden, and tiny, smelly stick dolls she continually places in their rooms, they think grandmother Nonna is a little weird. But don’t mess with her – she’s a badass, and I loved her. If the author wrote a prequel about Nonna, I’d totally read it.
This is an atmospheric, fun story I read in a couple sittings. I wouldn’t be surprised if it was made into a movie. My advice is to cue up The Lost Boys soundtrack, then dive into this book and enjoy.
I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
Books and Such 