In Nightfall

Product Information

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Children's for providing me with a digital ARC of this novel in exchange for an honest review! The slow build-up allows readers plenty of time tobecome acquainted with Nightfall…andbecome seduced along with Theo and Marco by the town’s alluring qualities.”— The Bulletin Overall this was a fine read. I just went into it with high expectations and ended up not being satisfied with the amount of vampire content in the book. Yes, the vampires are there all along. But I wanted more time with Theo being aware of what was going on. Lastly, I am chanting for Nonna for being the best badass grandma I wish to have! She’s legendary! You’ll understand me completely when you devour the entire premise! I was definitely lured by the cover and blurb on this one. Given The Lost Boys and Buffy the Vampire Slayer (the Kristy Swanson and Luke Perry version) were two of my favorite movies when I was younger, I figured this would be a slam dunk.

I hate being THIS PERSON, but this definitely could have used another round of editing. A couple slips are absolutely no problem for me, but constant sentences where you can tell a word was supposed to be deleted stagnate the flow and bring me out of the story altogether. 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. Listen, Nonna is the best character in this book but she’s also the worst. I get wanting to protect your friend, but literally… this was all her fault. Nonna, you’re a badass, but you should’ve been a badass years ago and killed your BFF. But still, I loved that she was the old woman keeping secrets, especially since it helped build this divide between her and the grandchildren she’s never known, so once all her secrets are out, her and her grandchildren are able to connect. I loved seeing that progression! Divorced from its source material, it’s exactly the sort of YA horror I’ve been looking for in the current market. Not too deep, kind of kitschy, fun, spooky, underlying creepy. An all around good time. Doesn’t require too much thought and gives me exactly what I was looking for. In that aspect, it nailed The Lost Boys right on the head. 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.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. In town, the siblings run into some of the locals: three girls named Minnow, Beatrice and Annemarie who are gorgeous and charismatic. They also meet a boy named Parrish who’s moody and attractive and maybe into Theo, but that’s up for debate. This book cover screams to be looked at. These girls seem way too cool for anyone… I need to be friends with them. I was so busy staring into the eyes of the girl in the middle that it took me a while to notice the reflection in the sunglasses. So, kudos to the artist for immediately setting the tone of the book and letting everyone know that something sinister is going on in Nightfall. Also loving the red glow and fog; it’s very Forks, WA. I received this book for free in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

I did really enjoy the setting of the town of Nightfall. A small, rainy beachside town in Oregon with a weird history, odd traditions, and where it’s not safe to be out after dark. The plot of Theo, her dad, and brother having to come to the town for the summer and getting involved with the locals was definitely interesting in the beginning. But then it started to feel a bit repetitive. I really liked the grandmother character, Nonna. Her personality and her motivations that get introduced later on were some of the more compelling parts of the book. However, I also didn’t feel there was much Buffy the Vampire Slayer­-ness to it other than fighting a bunch of vampires in a prom dress. Perhaps I’m missing something because I’m over 20 years late watching the television show, but I honestly don’t think so. Theo seems like she has a good head on her shoulders and thinks logically. She occasionally ignored good solid advice and cautionary tales, but I probably would have done the same. Honestly, there were times where I was questioning everything, and all the supernatural speculation seemed like it could be easily explained. I did wish Theo had someone she could rely on and protect her, because her dad and grandma did an awful job of it. Where’s Sarah Michelle Gellar when you need her?! What I didn’t figure was the book would feel like someone took The Lost Boys and made it into a Mad Lib for the author to fill out. It was especially hard to ignore in the first couple of chapters that this was a gender swapped, shot for shot remake of the film at times. Instead of the references being a “cool! I get that one!” they were very …cringy. Maybe if I hadn’t just watched the movie 2 weeks ago, I wouldn’t have caught as many of the comparisons and my thoughts on this would be a bit different? Theo and Marco soon make friends with alluring and bizarre local teens and get invited out by them to bonfires and parties. Theo also meets two young men who have a podcast on the history of Nightfall. A history that is dark and dangerous.Suzanne Young’s In Nightfall breathes life into the vampire genre. Female villainess vamps reign supreme with the wittiest dialog since Buffy. Move over, Sunnydale: Nightfall is about to become the vampirecapital of the world.”—Diana Rodriguez Wallach, author of Small Town Monsters and Hatchet Girls I did like the setting. There is a unique contrast of Nightfall as a gloomy Oregon town but also as a tourist spot. So, it's foggy, chilly, and has an underlying sinister atmosphere, but there are also cute ice cream shops, an upcoming parade, and beach parties. Nightfall felt real and pulled me in. I was curious about the locals, the town's history, and the secrets everyone appeared to be hiding. Spoiler Alert: This review contains a major spoiler, but it’s also not something the book tries to hide very much. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

PS: Where the hell does Buffy come into this? The fancy dress and vampire-staking at the end? Bit of a stretch.Pure escapism reading which was nostalgic and fun. This book made my inner vampire loving teen self very happy. I was really rooting for Parrish and Theo. Who among us doesn’t want a good vampire romance?! Alas, it was wishy-washy, and the good guy vampire thing never lasts. Would I have liked some smooching and forbidden love? Yes. But all you get is a couple lingering looks and some sweet gestures. Blah. This was great. I loved the idea of a reverse [redacted.]. I don't want to spoil because I went in totally unspoiled and it was a great reveal. I loved how Young did the mini-twists and the ending. The two siblings (Theo and her brother Marco) had a great relationship and I found myself very invested in Theo figuring out what was going on in Nightfall and everyone getting out alive. Only reason I didn't give it a full 5 stars is the book drags here and there. Who is this book supposed to be for? Because when the blurb is using comps like The Lost Boys and Buffy, are today’s teens going to know what any of that is? Probably not, unless they have parents with taste. Those comps are for people my age, because this YA book isn’t really being sold to teens, now is it? Says the teen librarians themselves, books like this are being written for the adults who buy them, not the teens who read them. The thing is, IN NIGHTFALL is actually a great book to fit in that space. The MC doesn’t even have her license yet. This is actually a fantastic YA book FOR TEENS. But the marketing is targeting the nostalgia of the people with the bank accounts. I’m sure teen readers, especially younger teen readers, would love this book, but it has nothing to do with The Lost Boys or Buffy.

This book centers around Theodora’s experience at Nightfall, which includes Marco distancing himself, her close bond with Parrish, and her seeing odd things at night. Unraveling the dark truths of the girls, Parrish, her family members, and Nightfall, she processes her love for her mother, her bond with Marco, and her new bonds with her father and Nonna. Want Your Own Copy? Overall, this book is alright. I don't regret reading it, and it had some fun moments. I just didn't find it to be spectacular. And when you compare it to The Lost Boys, it does seem even less unique. I wish the author had used the film as more of a general inspiration, rather than as an outline of her plot. I do think teens will like this one, though. It's moderately well-written, and there are some interesting aspects of the story. If they haven't seen The Lost Boys, I predict they might even like it more. I'd recommend this to people looking for a gender-swapped retelling of the movie, to teenagers stepping their toes into supernatural books, and to folks who want a light, moody vampire read.

In addition to the new summer setting, they got to meet Nonna who seems very cautious, blunt, and superstitious about her own town. Theodora and Marco’s first impression of Nightfall was how welcoming the townspeople were. Right away she and her brother had acquaintances who wanted to invite them to the beach. However, the stark contrast between Nonna’s strict rule to come home before dark and her obsession with doll charms made her abnormal. Marco and Theo(dora) are punished by being driven through Nightfall-Oregon : a place in the middle of nowhere to spend their 4 weeks summer holiday with their estranged Nonna they have never met. Theodora ‘aka Theo’ and her brother Marco throw the biggest party of the year and get caught. Their punishment is to leave Arizona and go to a mysterious little town that has a population of over 800 souls. Their father grew up in this town, and after the divorce, he needed a change. Theo must endure this summer, her superstitious grandmother Nonna, and the rainy beachside. This dark, enthralling, fast pacing, addictive book absolutely promises so much fun and scares you sh*tless! You find yourself scream and laugh, questioning your well being! Microwave your popcorn, grab your favorite poison kind of drink and enjoy the full ride! Only relief for their nightmarish summer holiday to meet with young and friendly townies! Both of the siblings make friends in short time and they don’t care much about their grandmother’s threats and warnings till Theo meets with her favorite podcasters and realizes there’s nothing as it seems at this haunted town and something more dangerous is lurking around to put their lives of danger!