So Thirsty

4.5 stars rounded up.

So, while I found SUCH SHARP TEETH fun but (pardon the pun) somewhat toothless, and had decided that perhaps her writing wasn't for me, I happened to end up sitting on a horror authors' panel with Harrison, and I was truly enthralled with her theories both on why authors write horror and why readers read it.

So, I thought, okay, I've read an earlier novel, lets read one of her newest.

I'm really glad I did. The things I enjoyed about SHARP TEETH—the dialogue, the cast of characters, the main character, and the overall theme—were still there. But this time, there was a lot more depth and the themes hit harder.

I'd still like to see some of the dangling plot lines (there was absolutely no fallout from her show more separation, or Naomi's for that matter?), but overall, I really enjoyed this very contemporary take on vampires.

And I have to say, the elements that some are complaining about (the quick, sudden attraction to Henry, her transition from bored housewife to vampire, all of it) that others felt were either too cliché or not developed well enough? I'll just say I disagree.

Good book. show less

When I review a book, I ask myself two different questions: Did I like it? Will YOU like it? And the answers to those might be very different.

I read Black Sheep by Rachel Harrison and thought it had some appeal, so when I saw this, I was intrigued. Sloane is a woman dealing with an unfaithful husband and the prospect of a discontented life. She meets up with her best friend, wild child Naomi, for a spa weekend. When they meet some strangers, things go sideways.

It sounded like an interesting woman-comes-into-her-power story, but it didn’t deliver for me. For one, the main crux of the story sounds like a strong female friendship. We’re TOLD that these girls have been tight friends forever, but I see no reason why. In fact they seem show more toxic together. They’re mean and catty to each other at times, and there was no support or love shown. They seemed more like reluctant acquaintances than best friends. Don’t tell me, show me.

I am personally not a fan of romances that don’t feel earned. You saw someone in a bar, didn’t speak to them, but decided within 5 minutes that they were your soulmate, whom you’d love forever? Then you creepy stalk them? There are a lot of readers that like that dynamic, and if you do, then this won’t bother you. For me, it’s a hard no.

Perhaps the biggest problem was there was no payoff. Sloane had a lot of issues, but did she make progress on any of them? Was there any resolution to the conflicts? Not that I saw. Also, and this is a nitpick, but that’s just me – vampires that can walk in the sun? NO. NO. Creatures that powerful and deadly MUST have some kind of weakness to counterbalance their power! And not being able to see yourself in a mirror just isn’t enough. Letting them walk around in the sun if they want just makes them too overpowered, and that turns me off.

This book didn’t appeal to me. But will it appeal to you? It’s fast paced and a quick read, it has broody vampires, it has sex. If you’ve liked Harrison’s other books and that sounds like what you want, then take a look. But for me, the characters were too immature and shallow to hold my attention for long.

I am grateful to NetGalley and Berkley Publishing Group for this ARC in exchange for my honest opinion, and I’m sorry it wasn’t a better one. show less

Entertaining and yet very sad as Sloane has to find out/remember who she is. A fantastic reminder that life is messy and dangerous, but playing it safe is no life. Pure reading candy.

This was good! I have read and enjoyed several of Rachel Harrison’s books so I was eager to get started with her newest release. I am generally a fan of vampire stories and couldn’t wait to read her take on the genre. I couldn’t imagine dealing with everything that Sloan faces in this novel and couldn’t wait to see how things would work out for her. I found this novel to be fun, entertaining, and thought-provoking.

Sloan’s husband books a trip for her with her best friend, Naomi, to celebrate her birthday. Naomi wants Sloan to live a little and talks her into going to a party with her that gets out of control. Neither of their lives will ever be the same. Sloan and Naomi’s friendship is tested, and they learn to navigate show more their new, bloodier, lifestyle. Sloan grows a lot as a character throughout this story and there is even a bit of romance to keep things very interesting.

Brittany Pressley breathes life into this story with her excellent narration. I have listened to quite of few of her performances and she is quickly becoming a favorite narrator. I liked the voices that she used for the various characters and I felt that she was able to add emotion to the reading. I am certain that her narration added to my enjoyment of this story.

I would recommend this book to others. Both Sloane and Naomi face a lot of challenges in this story and I enjoyed watching them navigate them together. The story had enough action to keep the pages flying which made the book hard to put down. I can’t wait to read more of Rachel Harrison’s work in the future!

I received a digital review copy of this book from Berkley Publishing and Penguin Random House Audio. show less

Okay, this book gets 1 star for the writing style because I didn't hate it. I liked the way Rachel expresses a lot of things. The beginning before our 2 main characters become vampires is my favorite. I just didn't really enjoy the plot after they became vampires. I think part of it is how graphic the scenes of sucking blood can me; I think I'm coming to understand that that isn't really my favorite thing to read in the horror genre.

The other star is for the vampire characters, specifically Henry and Ilie. I liked their personalities a lot, and I wish there was more back story on them. I despise the 2 main characters, Naomi and Sloane but especially Naomi. They were so dumb, considering they're in their 30s. They just kept making all show more the wrong choices, and it's infuriating. And Sloane is way too negative all the time. A lot of their problems could've been solved if they had just communicated and stopped and thought about what they were doing, but then the book wouldn't have a plot, I suppose. At least, not the kind of plot the author wanted.

This was my first book by Rachel Harrison, and I'm sad it didn't wow me, but because I liked her writing, I may try another one of her books. show less

My third book by this author, and another excellent creature feature of a woman discovering herself and breaking away from the mold the world has placed her in. A relatable female friendship is at the heart of this too.

Thank you to Netgalley for the ARC!

You know it's a good book when I already want a sequel. The characters were interesting and compelling, the setting was bleak and realistic, and it had a great mix of humor and gore. Loved it!