Note: I received an ARC of this from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I've enjoyed vampire shows and books since I was a preteen and this was described as being a mix of Buffy and The Lost Boys so of course I was interested. And it was readable enough. I finished it fairly quickly and was interested enough to know how it ended but I unfortunately didn't find it to be anything spectacular.

In Nightfall is a book where our main character (Theo) and her family (father and brother) end up going to Nightfall to visit the grandmother of the family. Due to mysterious circumstances, Theo and her brother Marco have never met their grandmother but she seems nice enough upon arrival. But then the grandma starts doing some very weird, superstitious stuff like placing smelly dolls made of twigs in their luggage and warning them not to talk to strangers or stay out past dark.

Obviously if you read the back of the book you already know where this is going. And one of the downsides is how incredibly frustrating it is when Theo doesn't piece it together until more than halfway through the book. I mean, I probably wouldn't go straight to vampires but so much weird stuff happens that she just brushes aside that it got to be annoying when she waited so long to finally ask questions.

And because of her not finding out until so far into the book, the pacing was very off. Her finally accepting the news and the resolution basically happened in the last 50 pages I think and that made it feel so off.

Overall it was a fine read but definitely not one of the better vampire YA books out there.

Thank you to Netgalley and Delacorte Press for my arc in exchange for my unbiased opinion.

"In Nightfall" follows Theo and her brother Marco as they are forced to relocate to Nightfall, Oregon for the summer. The pair had thrown a party that went too wild and as a result are now stuck in the small and quaint town of Nightfall with their dad and their strange paternal grandmother, Nonna. Compared to their home in Arizona, the rainy beachside town is too gloomy and grey but the up side? Minnow and her strange group of friends who seem to lead everything in the small town. Turns out everything is not as it seems in Nightfall.

Young's book has been marketed as a "Lost Boys" meets "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" so of course I had to request this. And it's not wrong necessarily but I think it would be more accurate to tout this book as a "Lost Boys" rip-off. Other than absolutely nothing of note happening in the first 60-75% of the book. I saw reviews that said this was fun and a good mix of "Lost Boys" and BTVS and I have to ask: How much are they being paid? Cause legitimately, this book was so boring and absolutely just followed the "Lost Boys" movie but genderswapped with the addition of some true crime/supernatural podcasters in place of the Frog brothers (THEY DESERVED BETTER). I was seriously so disappointed with this one.

As someone who grew up watching "Lost Boys" and BTVS (movie and show), I was getting kind of annoyed at the shameless copying. I would NOT recommend this book to anybody.

Think "Twilight", but with some actual teeth. (And if Bella possessed an ounce of common sense.) In Nightfall is a fun, spooky, campy YA mystery.

Theodora ("Theo") and her brother Marco are busted after throwing a huge year-end party, so their dad packs them up and makes them leave Arizona to go visit their grandmother for the summer in Nightfall, Oregon, a tiny town that boasts one of the rainiest climates in the country. But although it seems cute on the surface, Nightfall's hiding a lot of secrets, and Theo begins to wonder if her antisocial grandmother's warnings to always be home before dark are right after all....

Young does a great job building an unsettling, supernatural vibe where neither Theo nor the reader can quite trust what's going on. I'd definitely love to learn more about the history of Nightfall. The grandmother was definitely my favorite character - I'd honestly read a prequel just about her!

If you're an adult reader who sometimes dabbles in YA, note that this is definitely on the younger end of the spectrum - maybe high school - which is neither good nor bad, just information. I think my high school self absolutely would have eaten this up. The villains were deliciously fun. I'd recommend this if you're looking for an atmospheric yet not-too-serious YA horror/mystery!

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the eARC in exchange for my honest opinion .

The synopsis of In Nightfall by Suzanne Young touts it as Lost Boys meets Buffy. I would add Twilight to that mix, as there are pieces of all three in Ms. Young's latest. Did that prevent me from loving the hell out of In Nightfall? Absolutely not!

In fact, In Nightfall snuck up on me. One minute, I considered not finishing it because I could see the plot progression from a mile away. The next minute, I was swept away by Minnow's attempts to save her brother. The ending and the fate of at least one of the characters continue to haunt me.

Sure, In Nightfall is predictable to some extent. And the number of teenage vampire tropes in the novel is embarrassingly large. However, Ms. Young does enough to keep you guessing to make it feel like a refreshing new story. Some of this is due to Minnow and Theo. Their sibling relationship is fun yet relatable. Minnow's devotion to saving her brother takes the story to a new level. Her willingness to not just see the truth but confront it and face the odds in an attempt to save one person is every bit as impressive as it sounds.

In Nightfall is not the stuff of awards. There is nothing earth-shattering about it. The prose is decent, and the world-building is adequate. The plot is familiar enough to be comforting but different enough to make things exciting. There is the snappy, snarky dialogue I expect from a novel by Ms. Young. Most importantly, it has vampires. To me, it's an easy sell.

I received an ARC from the publisher via NetGalley and am voluntarily posting a review. All opinions are my own.
While I’m not super familiar with either The Lost Boys or Buffy, I was drawn to the concept of In Nightfall, and I think that allowed me to go into this book without much in the way of expectations, and I ended up being pleasantly surprised.
One thing I noticed right away was the eerie small-town atmosphere of Nightfall, and how it’s much more than it appears on the surface. While it is a vampire book, I like that there was a sense of mystery around it, with the reveal well-paced out and foreshadowed. While it takes its time to build, once the vamp-y-ness really kicks off, it’s a fun time.
The characters are pretty interesting. Theo is a pretty solid protagonist, even if it does take time for her to come to a realization of what’s going on. Her brother Marcos is kind of dense, and her father is a bit useless as well, but I couldn’t help but love Nonna, even though she also made some mistakes and withheld some key information.
This is a really fun book, and I’d recommend it to anyone who enjoys vampire stories or other campy horror.

Theo and her brother Marco threw the best party of the year, but got busted and now their dad is making them spend the summer at his mother's house in Nightfall, the tiny coastal Oregon town where he grew up. It's a far cry from the Phoenix where they have always lived, but soon the siblings meet some very interesting locals who sweep them off their feet and into the giddy teen nightlife of their new town. Marco falls fast for magnetic Minnow, but while Theo finds these locals fascinating (especially Parrish), she also feels like something is a little bit off... and when her brother and dad start to act differently from how she has always known them, she starts to wonder just what her feisty grandmother knows and isn't telling her.

The press blurb about this being related to The Lost Boys really does spoil the book's surprises for anyone familiar with the film, so I wish the publisher hadn't used that in their description, but even if you know what is coming, the ride to get there is a fun one and the book plays appropriate homage to the film. I liked Theo as a narrator and she feels like a teen in ways that some of the supporting cast sometimes doesn't - while I can accept the magnetic locals not behaving like teens, it is a little harder to believe that the podcast hosts are as young as they are said to be. The air of mystery and confusion around what is going on builds good tension, especially when Marco and Theo's dad starts to act differently and Theo starts to question what is going on around her in earnest. I would have liked more Nonna action though - she is an interesting character that deserved more page time! All in all, this is a fun read and it deals with the complexity of being a teen experiencing divorce in a way that resonated with me, plus you know, mystery and vampires are always fun.

Thank you to Delacorte Press and NetGalley for the opportunity to read In Nightfall early in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you, Netgalley and Publisher, for this Arc!!!

Yes! A Lost Boys retelling, except the ladies are the boss in this one?? What? Do you think I loved this? I want to stomp down in front of some kind of audience and just slam this book on the table... BOOM. This was so good!

It's witty, charming, fast-paced, and exciting. And, there were some real thrills and chills in this story! Theo and her brother Marco find themselves in Nightfall, Oregon, for the summer with their dad. They are staying with their grandma, who definitely comes across as a strange character. But, what's even stranger are the locals. Theo and Marco are both immediately picked up by some very attractive people. Somehow supermodel stage ready in this small rainy town.

One of the things I really loved were the podcasters. Two horror/reality podcasters were visiting and luckily Theo quickly befriended them. Theo is a great character. Her reaction to everything is super on par with how I would react, lol. She felt very real to me. So, I loved reading her perspective.

This was an absolute blast and I completely enjoyed this!

Out March 28, 2023!

💭Thoughts:
I I was first drawn to this book because it takes place in a fictional town in Oregon. I always enjoy seeing how authors portray Oregon in their stories. This is a fun YA about vampires. The author says its The Lost Boys meets Buffy the Vampire Slayer. I’ve actually never seen either of these, so I can’t speak to that part.

I really enjoyed the way the story unfolded. The MFC didn’t know the town was full of vampires for a good portion of the story, which I think really added to the suspense. This was a quick read. I found myself reading late into the night to find out what happened next. The book was full of engaging side characters, including Theo’s grandmother Nonna. The author did a great job with her character and leaving the reader unable to decide until the very end which side she was on.

Overall, this is a fun and engaging story for readers who enjoy YA, fantasy, and vampires.

I really really wanted this book to work. I love vampires and this premise was a side idea but the pacing was just soooo slow. It took over half the book for anything to happen then it was all just rushed through.
Quite honestly nothing about this worked for me. The main character was annoying and down right stupid most times. The brother was honestly just as bad if not worse. I hated the love interest. I basically hated all the characters except the mean old grandma.
This book is a definite skip. There are plenty of great vampire books out there so do yourself a favor and read one of those.

Actual rating is somewhere between 3.5-4 stars.

There were things I both liked and disliked in this book. Firstly, can we talk about how gorgeous that cover is? That's one of the things that definitely drew me in!

In Nightfall comps itself to the Lost Boys, and fans of the movie will be able to easily spot references in this novel, which I thought was really fun. I liked Theo and Marco as characters, and I think it was easy to fall into the rhythm of their story.

I also enjoyed the vampire lore in this. It was definitely a fresh take on "this is how vampires come into being." And I don't think anyone is going to be able to guess that ending!

On the other hand, the pacing of this book was a lot slower for me than I had hoped; it's a lot more talking than anything. Then around the 70% mark things picked up, but it still wasn't enough to keep me hooked unfortunately. (I hate to say "it wasn't believable" in a vampire novel but... it wasn't.) That, and there are times when this book feels more like telling rather than showing.

Overall, I would recommend this book to anyone looking for a good vampire novel, and for fans of the Lost Boys!

This was a lot of fun to read. I love a good vampire story. I definitely got The Lost Boys vibes from it.

Theo and Marco are going with their dad to stay with their grandmother in Oregon for a month. They've never met her and think it's weird that their dad wanted to visit all of a sudden. But their parents just got divorced and they hope it will be good for him. The town of Nightfall is very small and it's almost always cloudy. That's tough for Theo who loves her Phoenix sun. Their grandmother (Nonna) is really odd. She wants them home before dark and is very strict about that rule. Theo finds a little stick and herb doll in her stuff. It's all weird. Theo and Marco meet a lot of local teens right away. Minnow seems to like Marco a lot and Theo finds a friend/possible boyfriend in Parrish. Weird things start happening and Theo can't explain it. She meets some horror podcasters and they tell her a terrifying story about their town history. She doesn't believe it, but then she finds a body. Marco is sick a lot and acting weird. Things just aren't right. Theo needs to find a way to stop the things that have been happening in Nightfall before she loses her family.

I gave this book 4 1/2 stars.

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for my earc.

I really wanted to love it but this was a rip off of THE LOST BOYS. They just changed the sexes (instead of a mom and 2 boys going to her dad's it was a dad and his 2 kids (M/F) going to his mom's. Instead of male vampires, female vampires. Even the dad was dating the queen when in the movie mom was dating the king vampire). Maybe because I am an 80's kid I was kind of pissed as I kept reading because it was almost a full retelling. She even recast the FROG brothers as a gay couple podcasters. Really??? its a thumbs down from me.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for aloowing me to revie this book.

After being busted at a house party gone wrong, Theo and her older brother Marco are in major trouble. Their dad decides to take them to Nightfall, Oregon for the summer to visit their grandmother, who they've never met. The town is strange, and the teens are cautioned not to be out after dark, but that doesnt last long. When Theo and Marco meet an interesting and beautiful cast of locals, they start stretching the rules. What can go wrong?

I enjoyed this book. I like the misdirect, making the reader think one thing might be going on when it's actually something else. I enjoyed the history of the town and how it fit into the present goings on. I thought the narrative was well oiled and cohesive and it made for an interesting read.

The Lost Boys is one of my favorite movies so a modern gender bent take on it was a no brainer for me. There was so much great humor in this. The opening scene of Theo, Marco and their dad was delightful. And NONNA. What a treasure! I also really liked Felix and Elijah. I did feel like the story dragged a lot in the middle. I wasn’t necessarily bored, but I was waiting for the action to really start. Obviously I knew where the story was going, but it almost felt like it stalled a bit until that reveal. I thought Theo was a great MC. She was funny and sarcastic and strong. I loved her relationship with her brother. I did find Minnow really interesting as well. And of course, the final reveal was one I saw coming, BUT I thought it was so cool. I definitely recommend if you enjoy Buffy or The Lost Boys. I had a fun time reading it overall!

Thank you to NetGalley, Random House Children’s and Delacorte Press for an advanced digital reader’s copy in exchange for an honest review.

#netgalleyarc Oh how I wanted to LOVE this, but it was just okay. The Lost Boys was def way better. This is super similar to the Lost Boys, but with an updated twist and a gender switch, but it’s no where near as good as the OG. It was a fun read but not the book i wanted it to be.

Theo and her brother Marco have been caught throwing a party. As punishment, their dad is taking them to his hometown, a small town on the Oregon coast called Nightfall. The first day there, they meet Minnow and her crew. Theo is immediately intrigued by them. However, weird things start happening, especially with her brother. Theo soon learns that her new friends might actually be vampires, and she might have to fight harder than she thought to go home.

Overall, I enjoyed this book! It had enough suspense to keep me intrigued but was not super spooky.
*Spoilers below*
I did think her brother magically being ok at the very end felt a bit weird. And I was hoping they would actually be sirens like Theo briefly thought! Vampires are cool (and I figured it’d probably be that from the cover), but I was like ooooh sirens??? Alas, no. However, the vampire lore here was cool and a bit different!

I received my copy from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

There is something spooky happening In Nightfall!

In Nightfall by Suzanne Young is a story about Theo and her brother Marco as they spend the summer with their dad in his mysterious hometown, Nightfall. Their grandmother, Nonna, has a list of rules they have to abide by that seem very strange and include making sure they are home by dark. But when Theo and Marco meet a group of teens at an ice cream parlor, they decide rules are meant to be broken and it may be the worst mistake they can make.

I was very interested in this book based on the blurb in which it is compared to The Lost Boys and Buffy and I have to say, it delivered…kind of. Young spends a lot of the first half of the book building an unsettling atmosphere which is nice but it makes a lot of it drag by. After the 2/3rds point, this book really takes off and becomes a super fun and slightly campy good time. This book has an excellent balance of humor and mystery that I really enjoyed and characters that I was intrigued by. I can see this being a huge hit with a young adult audience.

I just wish so much that this would have been an adult book. That’s just a personal preference and doesn’t affect my review at all but this has the potential of being a favorite of all time of it would have just had a little bit more to it. That being said, I do think it’s a book that fits perfectly into the young adult age range. If I would have had this as a teenager, I would have been properly obsessed.

Rounded up from 3.75 stars.

This was a fun YA horror. I felt that the author really successfully built tension although there were a few inconsistencies in the story. This was definitely a fun vampire book and I loved Theo, the main character. Will definitely recommend to YA readers.

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.

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.

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.

I thought this was a good read. At first you wonder why this town is so strange and why everyone is acting weird. And then once the plot twist happens everything makes since. I thought this was a good YA read.