3.75 Stars. WOW. The first part of this book was incredible. I was so excited for this story from the first chapter. It gave everything I was hoping for when I think of gory gothic vampire novel. Marina's writing captured my attention from the get go and had me thinking about this book every time I put it down, just waiting until I could pick it up again.

Unfortunately, she lost me in the 2nd half. I struggled with the slow pace and storyline of the mother's illness as well as the mundane every day routine of Alma's life. I understand the need for build up and setting the scene for the ending to come but it felt a little rough reading. It doesn't help that I don't love the ending, even if it makes sense in the context given.

The novel as a whole was a good read. While I think I would've loved if the entire novel followed the path of the first part, I would still recommend Thirst to anyone interested in something a little different from your typical vampire novel.

An atypical vampire tale, this is one I will be recommending to my friends for years to come. Vampires are such a universally beloved monster, yet so often their mythology seems to be totally fleshed out, unable to be reinterpreted or re-energized. What Marina Yuszczuk does here is so amazing because she does something entirely new with that mythos and it is a breath of fresh air for this horror reader. An easy 5 star read!

More Vampire liftfic please! I would say this one is 4.5 stars from me!

I really enjoyed Thirst. The two halves of the story felt so different, with the beginning being so gothic and gory, while the second half so real, desperate, and devastating. But despite the appearances, the two characters’ stories were very much the same at their core with their frustrations with grief and sexuality. They each held such mourning—one for the sisters she had lost so long ago and the other for the mother she was so close to losing—and such longing to find someone they could be with truthfully, wholly.

Vampires are typically depicted as creatures of death and sexuality, the two elements interwoven in a way that feels real only to fantasy, but that isn’t necessarily true, and it was interesting seeing those mixed elements embodied in a real world example through our second main character and her troubles with her own sexuality, as well as the loss she is dealing with. It was even more enticing how the vampire, who for centuries longed for a companion without even truly realizing it, could sense these same feelings in Alma without even speaking with her.

My only complaint would be because of the nature of the two stories, the second story felt a bit slow compared to the first half, so I wonder if this one might have been faster paced if they chapters had alternated POVs instead.

Thank you to Dutton and NetGalley for providing me with an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

The first half of this book is fabulous. A queer vampire in Buenos Aries has to deal with the city being terrorized by Yellow Fever.

The second half....not so much. A dying woman gives her daughter a key to a crypt.

I wish the first half of the book was expanded and the entire book. I found the character fascinating and wanted to follow them for years and years. [ a la Interview with a Vampire ]

Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for the opportunity to read and review.

A beautifully woven tale of grief and death centered around 2 women. One is a centuries old vampire who has fled Europe due to persecution and the other is a modern day woman who has to watch her mother slowly die with a terminal illness.
Set in Buenos Aires with two parts and dual POVs you are introduced to these two women who otherwise in regular circumstances would never meet are now interlocked for eternity.

This is so so tender and sad and sweet and I don't want to spoil anything but watching how these two happen to meet feels like fate.

Little disclaimer but the first part of the book is very gory but honestly if you are going to read a vampire novel you need to be ready for that. We support women's wrongs here.

Thank you to NetGalley and to the publisher for the eArc!

Thirst is a short, but slow paced read - and I mean this in the utmost positive way - nearly hyperfixating on our two main characters lives. A largely character development and character study based novel, Marina Yuszczuk (and therefore Heather Cleary) employs literary techniques that just... worked. From near purple-prose in specific areas (but not all the time), to not much dialogue, and the fact that we don't ever know either woman's true names, combined with the first person narrative, and questions left unanswered, I almost felt as though I were intruding on something intimate and unfamiliar. I only have one main critique which is why the second narrator used the key - as I did not feel as though there was a good enough reason for her to do so, other than plot dictated that she had to. I adored the ending, with its open ending despite knowing how it will all end, and contemplating all of the reasons that the modern day woman has made the choice that she did.

Thank you to Netgalley for the ARC!

Unfortunately this was a DNF for me! The writing just felt a little overdone, and the story beats felt too familiar to me. I think I'd come back to it at a later time

If I had to describe this novel in one word, it would be atmospheric. From the very first paragraph, it is so easy to picture the settings, cities, cemeteries and abandoned mansions. It is almost possible to smell the rot and the wood. The language is poetic and beautiful. This is a great novel that, unfortunately, was not for me. I enjoyed the first part a lot. It is the story of an ancient vampire, from her human childhood, her transformation into a monster, and her fight for survival. The second part, however, seemed too slow. This is the story of Alma, in present day Buenos Aires and it’s clear that it will connect with the first half, what is not clear is how. My issue was that there was too much emphasis on Alma’s daily life and struggles and I was looking for vampires. Thirst reminded me a little of The Historian in that there is a lot of historical detail, which makes this an ideal read for fans of historical fiction. I liked the novel, it was just a little slow for me, but its high quality will appeal to many other readers.
I chose to read this book and all opinions in this review are my own and completely unbiased. Thank you, #NetGalley/#PENGUIN GROUP Dutton, Dutton.

thirst is an undeniably beautiful story told in two timelines. the writing is lyrical and decadent, and carries you through both the slow passage of time of an immortal creature as well as the fleeting life of a grief-stricken human. i really loved the contemplations on mortality from both the vampire and human (who both remain nameless), but overall the first timeline felt stronger as it was rich, moody, and gothic. the themes of loneliness and female desire were executed so well as i could feel through the pages how numb our vampire was to the world and destruction around her.

i wanted to give this book five stars for the writing alone, but unfortunately it couldn’t always hold my attention. at some points it was nearly unputdownable, while others i had to drag myself through the pages. i liked both storylines equally however i found they weren’t totally cohesive. both timelines could’ve held their own as individual books and there really only felt like a brief moment where the two clicked into place. overall, this book is beautiful in it’s darkness and i am really glad it’s been translated so that i could have the privilege of reading it.

I loved, loved this book. It’s overwhelmingly passionate and steeped in grief. The writing is lush and violent. The length and pacing and characters are fantastic. The intimacy of the writing makes you feel like you’re reading a diary.

I was very excited to read Thirst. I don’t turn down a chance to read anything with vampires, and I was very intrigued by the opportunity to read a translated work. Thirst is split into two parts. The first follows a 19th century vampire as she navigates the world in solitude. The second follows a present-day woman who becomes preoccupied with death as she witnesses the decline of her mother from a terminal illness and navigates the resulting grief. I found the beginning of Part 1 really engaging. It begins with the character’s vampire origin story and follows her through decades as she attempts to survive without leading a trail of death to her doorstep. While the story started out strong, I quickly became bored. I think it’s largely because the character has little to no meaningful interactions with other characters, neither human nor vampire. None of the few human characters she interacts with stick around long enough to spark any character development. They all quickly die at her hand and it becomes repetitive. Once I got to Part 2, my interest picked up again. The second protagonist’s story is a lot more dynamic and her interactions with the vampire are quite intriguing. I don't quite get her character motivations but I wonder if this was something lost in the translation process. Overall, Thirst was an interesting reading experience and it’s got me eager to pick up more translated work.

Thank you to NetGalley for this e-ARC. All opinions are my own.

3.75/5

Actual Rating 2.5

TW: Suicide/Attempted Suicide, Terminal/Degenerative illness

In the nineteenth century, a vampire left Europe and traveled to Buenos Aires, looking for a place to call home. She watches the small village transform into a metropolis and tries to learn to adapt to the changing times. In present-day Buenos Aires, a woman struggles with her mother’s terminal illness and raising her son alone. When she sees an odd-looking in the women and feels her intent gaze, she doesn’t realize that her life is about to change forever.

Based on the first half of the book I was certain this was going to be a 4- or 5-star read for me. I loved the atmosphere and the setting – the author excelled at bringing historical Buenos Aires to life (and to death because plagues). The characters were strong and engaging, even secondary ones who weren’t that involved with the plot. The melancholia of the writing and monologue of the protagonist was excellent and fit the setting wonderfully.

When the book switched over to the “Now” timeline was when it quickly went downhill for me. The tone just wasn’t there, and the setting didn’t feel immersive. It was difficult to connect with the new protagonist. There were a few times when it got weird and even more times when it was simply boring. I did like how the book ended, which was a plus.

This was a decent read overall. I think it was worth it simply for the historic vampire plot, though the last 30-40% of the book was skim-worthy for me. If you enjoy melancholic vampires, themes of loneliness and fear, and lesbian/bisexual encounters, then you’ll likely enjoy this one. My thanks to Penguin Group and NetGalley for allowing me to read this work, which will be published March 5, 2024. All thoughts and opinions based in this review are my own. And congratulations to the author for this being her first publication in the U.S.!

Ohh this was different and deliciously strange! Broken up into 2 parts, the first is a historical timeline where we follow our unnamed vampire temptress as she tries to integrate into life in Argentina. Her story was dark and gory and sexy - the vibes were immaculate. Part 2 is a present day timeline, in the same city in Argentina. We follow Alma who is dealing with her mother’s poor health, a divorce, parenting, and some potentially supernatural visits??

I definitely loved part 1 more than the present day timeline. It felt very gothic and dreamlike, and the reader isn’t given a lot of information which added to the mystery. The present day timeline dragged a bit for me at the beginning but picked right up towards the end.

This wasn’t dense by any means but it felt like the prose had weight if that makes sense. It was beautifully written and immaculately translated. We love a literary vampire novel, and this really struck the right notes for me.

I quite enjoyed this book! I got confused at points tho because of the time skips but other then that I was hooked and I was in love!

I enjoyed how the book has two perspectives, each of them having its own part of the book where the focus is on them. I truly enjoyed reading Part 1 of the book and wished there was more of the female vampire. The beginning of Part 2 was a little slow, but it does pick up pace.

I was a bit nervous going into this book, as the vampire lit fic market can sometimes tend to feel a bit oversaturated and isn’t usually my favorite to read. However, I truly feel this take is unique and found myself unable to put the book down. I love the merging of two histories, the seamless incorporation of LGBTQ+ themes, and the parallels drawn between death, the macabre, and eroticism.

A few things felt slightly unresolved when I reached the end of the novel. It seemed like the second part had a slower buildup but then ended very rapidly without addressing some loose ends. However, I don’t think these loose ends take away from its quality and allure.

The writing is exceptionally beautiful yet readable and definitely mirrors that of Shelley and other classical gothic horror novels. I am a huge fan of the cover art as well. Definitely recommend all to indulge in this book when it is available in March of this year. I may even buy myself a non-preview version!

This was such a strange and fun read! I think if you are a fan of a gothic novel and you don't shy away from a little bit of violence you might really enjoy this. It felt very fresh, though I don't read a ton in this genre (or not often enough anyway to make a strong enough comparison or declare any superlatives). This would be a great recommendation for a friend who has read everything - I hope this makes it on a lot of to be read lists!

Thank you to NetGalley and publisher for this arc in exchange for an honest review!

I have many many thoughts - first of all, there definitely wasn't enough queer vampirism, but I still appreciate the beauty of what was there. Second of all, I was not expecting to spend the second half of the novel in tears.

The first half - talented, brilliant, incredible, amazing, show stopping, spectacular, never the same, totally unique - I would recommend this book purely because everyone needs to experience what this woman does in a church and specifically to a priest (talk about acting on your religious trauma).

If the first half was wild and sexy and thrilling, dare I say dark fantasy, then the second half was a pure dose of a harrowing reality. Meeting Alma seemed boring at first in comparison to our vamp in Part 1, but as someone who is very close with their mother, this was incredibly hard to read. I felt nauseous with sadness, sick with vicarious grief, and very few books have made me feel so deeply. If you are close with your mother - approach with caution, or prepare her for an onslaught of "I love you" texts.

Many reviewers are saying they were bored going in to Part 2, which I can understand after the thrill ride of "Europe’s bloody bacchanals, of murder and feasting without end", but the juxtaposition and how the two women's paths join at the end elicited a bittersweet kind of melancholy. I only wish we would've gotten more time of them together.

Thirst is a short, but incredibly atmospheric story by Marina Yuszczuk, and translated by Heather Cleary. It follows two women, one a vampire who must adapt as cities rise and technology advances, the other a mother whose own parent is dying. Through the centuries, our vampire keeps doing what is needed to survive the violence and cruelty of "good men". She eventually makes a connection with a doctor who is exhausted by the work of caring for those affected by the plague that consumes the city. Meanwhile our single mom finds a link to a place that will change her life.

I enjoyed the beautiful translation and the dreamy prose.

I don't think I knew what to expect going into this, but it was beautiful and poignant in ways that I did not expect. I could have read at least another 100 pages if the author had written them. Heartbreaking and bittersweet, and gorgeous in the way that things die and decay and the circle of life is gorgeous.