First of all, can we talk about that cover? Iconic. Gorgeous, Stunning. And the book itself? Equally as stunning. Give me everything from Suzanne Young -- I'll devour it in one go!

In Nightfall by Suzanne Young pulled me based on the cover/plot but it felt too generic to me and I could not get into it.

I really enjoyed this Lost Boys inspired story! This book was really entertaining and different from Suzanne's other work.

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.

*3.5 Stars*

I liked the overall vibes of this but there were overshadowed by a very stupid main character. It really kept me from getting into the book. I just didn't understand any of her decisions. She didn't listen to anyone who knew better and she got so charmed by a stupid boy so quickly?? I didn't see the sparks, I didn't even feel the fear... I just wanted her to make better decisions.
The side characters felt a little bland to me. All of them except the grandmother who was very cool but a lot of her decisions also didn't make any sense to me.
Still, the vibes were there, I liked the idea if the book, it was just the execution for me that was missing something but it might just be a me problem!

As always a big thanks to NetGalley and the publisher. I received an eARC of this book in exchange for an honest review. Let’s get into it.

In Nightfall was marketed as The Lost Boys meets Buffy The Vampire Slayer.

Yeah, this was not that.

Now, I’ve only seen The Lost Boys once and even from that single watch, this was way too similar. It felt like it ripped the opening of the movie right off. Which was genuinely shocking. How did no one think to maybe have her make more distinct changes to it? Instead of two brothers, it’s a brother and a sister but wow is the opening similar.

As for the Buffy element, there is none. I love Buffy. So when something says it’s similar, I’m excited. No matter where or how hard I looked, there was no Buffy to be found, unless you count the fact that there were vampires involved. Which I don’t.

If that were the only criteria then Twilight is also Buffy-esq and we all know that’s not the case.

So far, not so good, right?

Next thing that aggravated me was the fact the POC in this book were just white. And I mean it. The main character and her brother are both half Mexican. But there is no, and I mean no mention of their heritage, family traditions, or even how the other half of their family felt after their mother and father divorced.

The mom runs a Mexican restaurant and you wanna know what she’s famous for>

Nachos.

Yeah.

That rubbed me the wrong way. Immensely. Next, neither of them speak Spanish, which yes, I know isn’t a requirement and a lot of kids don’t learn Spanish from Hispanic parents. My partner is Cuban and even though his mother was fluent, she never taught him. So yes, I’m aware not everyone learns.

But it would have been the least the author could have done to provide some sort of insight into the characters; culture.

And as for the Black girl on the cover? I’m not even sure which character she was in the book. The POC are not it. She did not write POC. She wrote white characters and then told us they were something else while doing nothing to prove it.

Look, if you can’t write POC then don’t. If you want to, then learn how to. Other wise it comes off as shallow and racist that you can’t do the bare minimum to get even a little bit right.

When it came to the love interest, I didn’t really get why he was supposed to be the love interest. There wasn’t any chemistry, there wasn’t anything about him that made me think, “yes y’all belong together”. None of that. The romance was bland, and calling it a romance is being generous.

There’s also a podcast done by two boys who are talking about the history of the town. But the podcast only gets out one episode, and then they stop. They’re also supposed to be monster hunters. We’re told one of them has hunted monsters before. We don’t know how, what kind, anything like that. And honestly, it was a bit of a stretch for me to believe it.

Look, if you’ve seen The Lost Boys then you’ve read this book. But the movie is better. Straight up.

I gave this book 0 stars on The Story Graph if you want my real opinion of it. I want my time back. I can’t recommend it. At all.

This book hooked me from the first chapter! It was fast paced and I kept thinking about it when I wasn't actively reading. This book will definitely get high recommendations from me!

I was not a huge fan off this and really struggled to push through. It feels like nothing happens for 70% of the book. Even though I was expecting a lost boys and Buffy mix I didn’t feel like it was nearly that level of exciting.

Going into the book, with the description making comparisons to The Lost Boys and Buffy the Vampire Slayer, I knew that it was going to be about vampires. So I was a bit let down by how long it took for the vampire content to actually be blatantly put on the page. Yes, I as the reader could tell what was going on with the hints and subtext, but I was frustrated by it taking until 70% into the book for the main character to be in the know. So the beginning of the book felt very drawn out and then the end felt rushed.

While I wasn’t crazy about this book personally— I’ve grown a bit too old to appreciate some of the tropes pervading young adult literature, I would still recommend it to high school kids who are interested in fantasy, angst, drama and found family dynamics.

Growing up in the Buffy era has made me addicted to vampire books. This was my first Suzanne Young book and I loved it. The atmosphere was amazing, if there really was a town called Nightfall best believe I'd be there in a heartbeat (vampires or not). I loved Theo's character being the new girl in town and just trying to find her place among the other kids. Her and her brother Marco constantly had me cracking up with their witty banter and their general brother/sister relationship. The plot was excellent and definitely kept me engaged throughout the entire story. It was just so good.

Thanks to Delacorte Press for the gifted copy for my honest review!

I love a good teeny vampire story, so I was super excited to get the chance to read this one! Thanks NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read and review "In Nightfall" by Suzanne Young.

Though the writing might have some faults, overall this is a fun story about two teenage siblings who, as punishment for rebelling against their divorcing parents, get sent to "the middle of nowhere". Of course as such there is nothing to do except band yourself with the mysterious girls that you probably should stay far far away from...nothing could seriously go wrong, right?

But the town isn't what it appears and there are dangers hiding that are best left alone. Too bad they don't.

The cover And synopsis sounded up my alley but it fell short. I love the Lost Boys, even had a poster as a teen, but boy this did not do it justice. It felt contrived and didn’t add anything more or interesting.

Thank you to NetGalley who provided me with an eARC of this book in exchange for an honest review. All the thoughts and opinions are my own.

Someone said this book is like gender-flipped "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" meets "The Lost Boys" and if that doesn't get you interested, I don't know what will!

"In Nightfall" is a twisted and fast-paced book that follows Marco and Theo after their parents get divorced and they rebel. Now, they're driven to the middle of no where (Nightfall, Oregon) as punishment with an estranged grandmother who they have never met.

Of course, nothing happens there. Ever. Until it does. Something lurks in Nightfall after dark and it won't let them leave.

This book was frankly put - so much fun! I truly felt like I was a part of the group, getting to uncover the mysterious haunts of Nightfall and fall in love with the found family vibes. I also adored Theo and Marco - their sibling bond and contradicting thought processes felt realistic and were written beautifully.

This was spooky and witchy in all of the ways that I hoped it would be, with an absolutely stunning setting. The sibling relationship added another layer to this story that made it even more enjoyable.

In Nightfall is a coming of age story that keeps you up reading! I read this with a friend and she couldn’t stop talking about how this story is close to The Lost Boys - a movie I haven’t watched but added to my watchlist! That is how much we enjoyed reading this. The story happens during summer break in a small town of Oregon with fun scares and teenage angst. Its a story to read if you are looking for a quick read.

Thanks Delacorte press for the earc!

One of the most requested genres at my library is horror. At least once a week, a teen enters the library looking for something scary. Young’s newest book, a gender-flipped retelling of The Lost Boys is the perfect amount of creepy horror novel with teen angst and a little bit of coming-of-age drama. The book is fast-paced and cinematic and will appeal to younger teen readers.

This was such a fun twist on the vampire genre and now I need to pick up every book that Suzanne has written!

I am a super huge Suzanna Young fan and I just realized that I never sent my review in on this awesome book.
So I am a Gen Xer who grew up on awesome vampire movies with my favorite being Lost Boys. So, you may be asking yourself, is this chick going to tell us its a Lost Boys retelling?

Relax, its not. Its more of a love letter to Lost boys...well not love, but a tribute to Lost Boys is the best way to say it.

The main characters are a brother and sister who spend the summer with their dad and grandmother. ( I mean, come on....the brothers in the Lost Boys move in with their grandfather. Just saying! tribute my friends). Nightfall is a small down and there are always lots of rumors about what goes on. Let's just say, its a crazy ride.

As always with her books, I flew through it because it grabbed my attention. Its creepy at times which is perfect!

Thank you so much to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC!

Absolutely loved this one! It gave me all the spooky, Halloween vibes that I was looking for in the book. Loved the The Lost Boys aspect and that it took place in small town. I can't wait to reread this one again.