I enjoyed this, but yes, definitely some adulting fails and the ending felt a bit rushed. Love the concept! 3.5 stars.
Thank you very much to NetGalley and Random House Children's for the ARC!

I was really excited for this one!! I've been pleading and begging with the universe to have vampire books make a comeback and I was not disappointed! I absolutely loved the town of Nightfall, which felt like a character in itself than just a town. This seems like the perfect book to read in October/Spooky Season.

For being touted as a cross between The Lost Boys and Buffy the Vampire Slayer, I fail to find any meaning in such a comparison. I am all about small town monster stories and the premise is absolutely there. The writing, however, is so telegraphing it felt like holding hands when I wanted to be let go to unfold the characters on my own. Told in first-person present tense, I found myself skipping entire sections of exposition just to read the sparse dialogue. About halfway through the story, I realized the secret mystery of the small town simply wasn't worth the slow pacing and flat characters.

Were it not for the partying and alcohol, I would position this for the older end of middle-grade readers.

#InNightfall #NetGalley Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read and review this novel. I encourage you to check this one out!

Thanks, Netgalley, for the ARC of "In Nightfall." This one was sort of an emotional roller coaster. I teetered between being sad and mad as the story unraveled.

Theo and her brother Marco throw and epic party which dooms them to a summer in their father's home town, Nightfall, where they meet their strange grandmother for the first time and where they find love, loss, monsters and violence.

In some ways this is a coming of age story, but with vampires. I really liked Theo but wanted her to get there faster. Marco was mostly an idiot. The entire cast of characters is vivid, if a little wicked, and Nonna was a badass.

The writing is engaging and the story moves along at a brisk clip. I definitely sped through and certainly enjoyed my read.

There was just one thing that I wasn't sure made complete sense, having to do with the end and what happened to those left in town. I can't fully explain without spoiling it.

I haven't read anything by Suzanne Young before, but her Program novels are still very popular with teens at my library. I think I'll have a built-in audience for "In Nightfall," but I'll be hand selling it as much as I can! This was delightfully dark, and I was pleasantly surprised by the intensity of the horror in the last quarter of the book. With the whole gloomy seaside town thing, this could have easily skewed "Twilight," but it's nothing like that series. This is fresh and fun and the cover is truly SPECTACULAR.

First a huge thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with a copy of this ARC in exchange for a fair and unbiased review.

This book hits all the right notes: spooky YA, inspired by The Lost Boys, and an abundance of the supernatural at work! It was a fast-paced and gripping story that sucks you into the setting. Mean Girls meets The Lost Boys in this story where a group of female vampires pick and choose tourists they think worthy of becoming vampires to induct into their coven. A fantastic, gripping, supernatural YA thriller that any fan of vampires will enjoy.

Book #299
STRONG 5 ⭐️
ARC REVIEW: Publish date: March 28th 2023

Oh my god... I could not put this book down thank you netgalley for this one this cover caught my eye and trust me this was one of the best YA novels ive read in awhile the SUSPENSE and page turner aspect this book had was amazing. I just wanted to know about this town when i saw it said 900 spirits for the population of the town i was SOLD. The writing in this novel was great. The characters were AMAZING. i loved so many people?? Like i said i cant say anything bad about this novel. It follows 2 teenagers who threw a party without the parents being home and as a punishment the dad says they should go to nightfall Oregon for the summer and basically follows the main lead finding out about the town as they stay for the summer. But this town was filled with SO MANY SECRETS. Lots of betrayal this book had everything. The twist at the end gagged me! Yall please read this one when it comes out it was GREAT!

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.

@authorsuzanneyoung This book was AMAZING!

The Lost Boys is one of my favorite 80s films. So seeing a version of it done with females? Oooo. That I do like.

Finishing it, I enjoyed the book. There was many nods to the film, there was authenticity to the way the brother and sister acted with one another. I enjoyed the world of Nightfall and the various vampires in it.

The only issues I seemed to have with the book were how the grandmother and father were used. In the film Lost Boys, the grandfather was absent through most of the film and the vampires weren't known to the public. In here, the vampires have a stronger presence and the grandmother - I think - should have been better about telling Theo about the vampires. The father, too. I guess I understand the father went back to Nightfall because the curse calling him back, and also since he seemed to like how everything is artificially happy. But their lack of not cluing Theo or her brother in on anything was a bit of poor writing to me and it was not done as well as it was executed in the movie.

I also felt like that the presence of the pod-casters was held off to long and they should have arrived earlier than almost more than halfway through the book. But having them there and involved with Theo made up for some fun slaying in the last fourth of the book.

I am curious what those who have never seen Lost Boys would think of the book:? Would they find the same faults I had with the story? Or would it just flow better? I am all here for a female Lost Boys, if Hollywood ever decides to adapt one. This was a pretty imagining.

This is a story about lost girls.

I grew up in a California coastal town (that I miss daily) so spooky stories in those settings always make me happy. This one was reminisced of The Lost Boys, with a dash of Mean Girls thrown in- how delightful! My only complaint is that it ended very neatly & I was hopeful that there would be a sequel!

Thank you so much @netgalley & @delacortepress for the eArc!

I devoured this book. I read a fair amount of YA and I love anything supernatural. This was definitely a fun mean girl read about a group of female vampires who run the town of Nightfall. Choosing tourists that they think can withstand being turned to join them and expand their coven of vampires.

Theo and Marco are siblings who's father grew up in this Oregon town, but from the beginning Theo can tell that something is off. Theo notices that after joining a group of locals at a bonfire one night her brother is off. His looks, his behaviors, he's just not the brother that she knows anymore. While at this bonfire Theo meets Elijah, and Felix, a couple from Palm Beach who run a podcast about supernatural things. They fill her in on their theory about Nightfall. Vampires !

Immediately I knew Marco was in trouble, and it gripped me until the end to find out whether or not he was going to make it. I really enjoyed this book and appreciate the opportunity to have been able to read it early. Thank you Netgalley !

I absolutely loved this! It was one of my favourite reads of the year. I’m a big fan of vampire books, and In Nightfall played really cleverly with the tropes. The atmosphere and writing were gorgeous, and I couldn’t stop reading. I’ll definitely pick up more books by Suzanne Young.

Fright Night meets Twilight/The Lost Boys in this story about a girl and her brother moving back to their father’s hometown only to find that it is hiding monsters and that they are closing in on them. Theodora “Theo” and her brother Marco are leaving their life in Arizona for a summer with their grandmother in their father’s hometown in the rainy beachside town of Nightfall, Oregon. The town is cute at first but their grandmother is superstitious and strange... and the only rule is to be home before dark. Theo and Marco befriend some gorgeous local girls and boys who are much more than they appear and when Theo begins to learn about the dark past of the town coupled with the fact that her brother has begun acting strange she’s starting to realize that the beautiful girls who want her and her brother in their group might actually be bloodthirsty vampires... and they have their eyes set on her. This was unfortunately a miss for me, the premise was everything I normally love but it just fell so flat and felt boring. Theo was irritating and honestly so childish, I can empathize that she was going through some stuff but seriously? For a story about vampire girls out for blood, a town compliant to them, and a grandmother who literally slays, this one just missed. There was a bit of romance but that was even meh and honestly all the red flags and clues were there. Sadly this one didn’t work for me, but if you are looking for a vampire story set in a small town give it a go.

*Thanks Netgalley and Random House Children's, Delacorte Press for sending me an arc in exchange for an honest review*

3.25 Stars

This book was entertaining, but it was giving off massive Twilight vibes. A girl from Arizona goes to the Northwest because her mom chose her stepdad over her, and once she gets to this weird town the popular kids that we later find out are vampires take a liking to her. It obviously has major differences plot wise, but those were the vibes I was getting the whole book. I did enjoy the characters a lot, but I was a little irritated by how childish the main character was acting. I get that she was going through a tough time, but why was she yelling at people for the most random things. This book wasn’t bad, I just feel like it’s a book from the early 2010’s and shares a lot of those tropes and writing.

Thank you to NetGalley for sending me an e-ARC of this book!

I had to think for a bit what I actually thought about this one. On the one hand, Theo seriously aggravated me. Her refusal to believe in vampires until she actually saw it herself, and her consistent emotional outbursts made her a little annoying. But to be fair to Theo, if I was dropped into a small Oregon town right this minute, I would also have a very hard time accepting that vampires exist.

The majority of the story is the "mystery" part where Theo is trying to figure out what is going on with her brother and these eerily beautiful people. No one will talk to her and the girls are really manipulative? Like, super gaslight-y and make Theo feel both ostracized and special as she interacts with them.

My favorite part of the book is definitely the "Buffy" part. Seeing Theo go from "Vampires don't exist" to "LET'S SLAY SOME MONSTERS" was incredible. Theo really stands out as a character because of her strong bond with her family and her refusal to give up on any of them. It was nice to see.

Overall, this story is more supernatural mystery than vampire slayer, but it's pretty good all the same!

Reviewed for NetGalley:

In Nightfall was a wild ride.

Theo and Marco travel to their father’s hometown to meet the paternal grandmother for the first time after getting grounded for the summer.

But strange things happen in Nightfall, well when night comes. Theo teams up with a podcast duo to solve the mysterious and hidden disappearances of tourists over the years.

The suspense really moved the story forward, while I coudn’t stop reading until the big reveal that was both surprising and not.

Fun, fast paced read.

Gender reversed Lost Boys meets Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Salem’s Lot might be the briefest definition of the main plot! But I gotta say you have to get ready because your mind is about to be blown! I loved Suzanne Young’s previous works! This book is a little different than her other books! It’s more entertaining! I found myself guffawing aloud too many times! The smart ironies, sarcastic approach, amazing character development and world building, perfect Lost Boys references without rewriting Lost Boys won my heart!

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!
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!

Quick recap of the story:
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.

After their parents get divorced and their mother moves to her new lovers’ house to live with his kids. Finally their father accepts to live them alone at his house as he plans to visit his hometown. But rebellious siblings threw the disastrous party of the year which resulted of arresting of forty six people with the charges of underage drinking, disorderly conduct, public disturbance! Of course their lovely house also destroyed! As a last resort their father force them climb into his car and directly drive them his hometown where only 876 souls are populated !

Their grandma acts like she is not happy to see them, warning them to be at home before it gets dark! Poor siblings find sticky dolls attached their clothes at each morning and as Marco sleeps at an attic might be haunted by ghosts, Theo tries to sleep in a room filled with scary porcelain dolls!

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!

Did I get your attention? What are you waiting for? Urgently add this book to your reading list and enjoy full ride!

Many thanks to NetGalley and Random House Children’s / Delacorte Press for sharing this amazing digital reviewer copy with me in exchange my honest opinions.

I need to be very clear I love all things Lost Boys and Buffy so the my expectations were super high going into In Nightfall. I was almost worried they were too high and I was setting myself up for disappointment. BUT to my extreme delight, In Nightfall is a five star deliciously nostalgic and yet fresh ride on the vampire train.

The characters are quick, witty, and relatable. The sibling back and forth was excellent and funny. One major thing that I loved was that the teens in this novel sounded and acted like teens. It felt authentic in a way that some YA novels do not. There’s also a great balance between the horror elements and the comedic moments so neither feels like too much.

Overall, I highly recommend In Nightfall to anyone looking for a book that will keep them hooked from beginning to end.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for a copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

I was drawn in by the books synopsis. This story was well written. I enjoyed the world-building and the mystery. The characters were likable and I was able to read this as a steady pace. Not my usual read, as it is YA, but the cover looked interesting and it sounded like an exciting read.

This book had me hooked from the beginning! It drew me in and kept me wanting to read more to see what happened! There was a couple times when I thought the pace slowed down a bit but overall it kept my interest. A perfect vampire book for spooky season or just any old time. Really enjoyed this one! Thanks to Netgalley and the Publisher for a copy of the arc in return for an honest review!