I had a goal this year to read more books in translation, so I started this even though I am a little burnt out on vampire stories. That said, I enjoyed it a lot more than I thought I would! The story weaves between the past and present, which can be hard to balance, but neither storyline is neglected.

The premise of this book was promising; however, the writing and prose itself were underwhelming. For any author approaching a period piece, the writing should fit the period that they are going for otherwise, the story will fall flat as Thirst did for me, unfortunately,

The pros for me would be the writing / translation. Well written and well translated. It painted a picture of Argentina's past and present. The translator made sure the story was smooth.

I liked the first half of the book, and I liked the f/f vibes of the vampire and our female lead in the present. Then, when the vampire sealed herself away for years and we caught up to the present. The book went downhill. I was expecting a female Lestat. You didn't want to root entirely for the female vampire, but you wanted her to cause some trouble, have some sex / get into a relationship, adapt to the new world.

Nah. It just kind of ends and unfortunately you have no idea based on the ending how thing will go for the female lead of the present and her son.

3.5 stars

When I spotted this queer, vampiric, gothic horror on the netgalley shelves I just absolutely had to snatch it up. Unfortunately the description of the book and the lack of depth let me down a bit.
I'd say go in knowing it is more like two short stories that are woven together at the end of the book and the vampire-ness is only really in the first part ("short story') of the novel.

Firstly, the gothic vibes are on point here, and the idea behind the book is brilliant! I will definitely be keeping an eye out for Yuszczuk's next release.

I found a lot of the descriptions to be good, but the overall writing and length of the book could've been turned up a notch. I felt a lack of depth in the characters and a rush to get through the plot, so by the ending I still wasn't drawn to the characters or impacted by the final scenes. I think there could've been more emphasis and exploration around love, yearning and obsession, or grieving a loved one as they're coming to the end of their life. These literary themes mixed into a gothic literary horror spanning two points in time, with another 50-100 pages would've just been *chefs kiss*.

I will say, I did thoroughly enjoy the first story/part, following our vampire as she is trying to find her place in a constantly evolving and threatening time. It was gruesome, a little weird, eerie, sensual, intriguing and fast-paced. Probably a 4.5 for me, it's a shame the second half was so jarringly different.

Still, I enjoyed my time here and I wouldn't not recommend it if it sounds interesting to any readers!!

Queer vampires? Yes please. Story through time? YES PLEASE. Everything else about this book? Meh. I think maybe I just wanted more. It did not deliver.

I think it is safe to classify this as a certified ~weird girl~ book. More of a stream of consciousness situation.

Although the word is never used, this book is about a vampire. We follow her life as she tries to survive across many countries and centuries battling her thirst. There is sex, murder, plagues - what more could you want??

In seriousness this was a pretty good book. I admit it took me a long time to get through it because it wasn’t very exciting and I didn’t yearn to come back to it after putting it down. It was INTERESTING, but not ENTERTAINING if that makes sense? Glad I read it, it was a cool story, will probably never pick it up again.

Anyway if you are in your sad/weird girl era definitely add this to your list. I can’t say much about the plot but the vibes were great. 3.5 stars.

Centuries pass in the first half, while only a few short months elapse in the second half. Thus are the differences in the scale of time available to the undead and the mortal. Motherhood is explored in both directions-having one and being one- along with the various crises that impact one life ending, one in its middle, and one that is just beginning. If you want to read about those that feed on blood but want to stay somewhat removed from the viscera, this is a good choice. The prose feels quite cold and remote throughout, reflecting the worldview of a primal killer with the capability of feeling or expressing affection only in short bursts before succumbing to their nature.

atmospheric and gothic, with a lot of gorgeous imagery. i thought that the dual structure made for a really complex tale of bodily autonomy and womanhood. plus, who doesn't love lesbian vampires?

This wasn’t quite what I had expected but it was still an interesting story. It felt birth rushed and too slow at some parts and I did skim through some longer sections.

This was an excellent read. I loved the writing and the depth explored with each character. I would read this author again

This book caught my attention because of the cover (stunning!) and the premise. A Gothic sapphic story with a vampire and a human? Count me in! However, the execution left much to be desired.
In Thirst, we have two timelines and distinct points of view: first, we follow a vampire who flees Europe at the dawn of World War II and takes refuge in Buenos Aires. The descriptions of the city, its development throughout the decades, and the scenes set in Cementerio del Norte (nowadays called Recoleta), were definitely highlights of this book. However, the city seems more real, well-described, and with greater depth than the characters themselves.
I was very happy to read a book by an Argentine female author, but unfortunately, the writing did not stand out to me, and neither did the voices of the two protagonists, which were virtually identical. In the present, we follow a single mother dealing with her mother's degenerative disease. This part was the most engaging for me because I could clearly feel her pain and put myself in her shoes. However, I believe it was a marketing mistake to promote this novel as a queer romance, given that the characters only interact after 80% of the book, and a completely unbelievable instalove develops between them, which means the resolution at the end did not please me at all.
Having said that, the background of the book (a historical and then modern Buenos Aires), the gothic descriptions, and some specific moments (the plague that falls upon the city in the 20th century; Alma's human conflicts) made this book a 3-star read for me. I enjoyed reading it, I just expected more, and I'd recommend it to certain audiences.

A lush, gorgeous, engrossing story for anyone who isn't put off by the gruesome "reality" of the mind of a vampire. We follow a wife of Dracula (implied) as she continues her life on into into the modern world after her creator is killed. She discovers mortals that fascinate her, disgust her, and love her all while trying to navigate the changes that come to someone's mind after being alive for centuries. What are the limits of curiosity and cruelty? Then the story makes a huge shift and we are with a young mother navigating the grief of losing her mother to a debilitating illness and losing a bit of herself as she explores her inheritance and the temptation it offers. Did I like the way these women's stories ended - not really. But I loved the ride along the way and can appreciate that, while it wasn't the ending I would have chosen, it was an ending worth reading.

**Thank you NetGalley and Dutton for the eARC**

Very meh...the vampire POV was interesting, but it felt very disjointed combined with the other POV. A story about a vampire doing sexy vampire things, and then some non-vampire lady hijacks the story to tell me about her life that I really don't care about.

GORGEOUS WRITING omg. would read again in paperback just so i could annotate. it’s so atmospheric and dark but also delicate and violent and luscious idk man i really enjoyed this. the narrator’s are pretty detached from their stories through grief and trauma so it’s hard to connect with them but i still throughly enjoyed and would recommend to anyone who’s into prose, vampires, gay subtext, or likes a short book that can easily be devoured.
thank you netgalley for the advanced reader copy!

I had such a fun time reading this. An ambient character study that still manages to have lots going on, Thirst is for vampire lovers more fascinated with the psyche. Divided into two parts - one is a vampire's perspective, and one is a human's - the transition from the violent hunting of an aloof vampire to a sad, divorced mother who is grappling with her own mother's death is... jarring. And while it eventually meanders towards a crossroads where both women meet, I can't say it is as satisfying as I was anticipating. I can't help but wonder, though, on Yuszczuk's intentions for both POVs. While the vampire's is so clearly one of a predator, is that what causes a disconnect between the two parts? Is that intentional?

Regardless, I am so drawn to Yuszszuk's writing and hope she continues to apply her lush writing to more supernatural entities.

Thank you to NetGalley and Dutton for this eARC. All opinions are my own.

Thirst follows two women during different time periods, both undergoing big changes in their life. The first is newly arrived to Buenos Aires in the 19th century, fleeing for her life, trying to tame her inner beast. The second is a woman living over 100 years later trying to cope with many changes in her life, including her mother's terminal illness.

I really enjoyed Part 1. I liked the tone, it felt kind of airy, like a dance, even though the story was a bit dark. I liked how the MC spoke about her experiences but it felt like we were never getting the full story, so it lended the book a feeling of mystery. The MC for Part 2 had a darker, and more frantic voice. I was waiting for her to do something asinine the entire time. I personally didn't much like Part 2 because of all the talk of death; it was a bit triggering for me, but the book kept me captivated. I liked the flow of it and the bit of mystery surrounding parts of the story like not knowing MCs' names.

This book started out really strong with an engaging premise, and I loved the go this historical vibes. However, I lost interest about halfway when the plot failed to develop. It felt very meandering, and there was almost no character development or unique voice to carry the narrative. This would have made a great short story, but I just couldn’t get excited about it.

Thanks to NetGalley for the copy in exchange for an honest review. I DNF'ed at 10% of the way through.

Usually my rule is to read 20% of the way through before deciding to DNF but I had absolutely no idea what was going on in this book. It's genuinely so confusing and has so much info-dump it's hard to keep track of it all.

I had higher expectations for this one...

In the first half of this book, we follow our vampire fmc as she flees Europe and enters 1800's Buenos Aires. We get to understand her back story and what has led her to her final actions. Fast forward to part two, we follow a modern woman that is currently navigating life with her mother that is slowly dying. As you read more of part two, you get to understand how these two woman are connected.

I loved the concept. I wanted to love the first half but something just felt off. As for the second half, I really liked that part more than the first. Which was expected because I loved the prologue, and the prologue is told in the same POV as the second half. Her writing just showed more in the second bit for me. The writing just completely shifted and I loved it (I mean it is another POV). I absolutely loved the talk about death and grief (once again, in the second half) and I feel that it just ended beautifully. I just didn't like that you have to wait until the ending for the build up (writing-wise).

Themes: Vampire, Dual POV, Latine Author, Grief, Gothic LitFic

From the publisher:
Across two different time periods, two women confront fear, loneliness, mortality, and a haunting yearning that will not let them rest. A breakout, genre-blurring novel from one of the most exciting new voices of Latin America’s feminist Gothic.

It is the twilight of Europe’s bloody bacchanals, of murder and feasting without end. In the nineteenth century, a vampire arrives from Europe to the coast of Buenos Aires and, for the second time in her life, watches as villages transform into a cosmopolitan city, one that will soon be ravaged by yellow fever. She must adapt, intermingle with humans, and be discreet.

In present-day Buenos Aires, a woman finds herself at an impasse as she grapples with her mother's terminal illness and her own relationship with motherhood. When she first encounters the vampire in a cemetery, something ignites within the two women—and they cross a threshold from which there’s no turning back.

With echoes of Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein and written in the vein of feminist Gothic writers like Shirley Jackson, Daphne du Maurier, and Carmen Maria Machado, Thirst plays with the boundaries of genre while exploring the limits of female agency, the consuming power of desire, and the fragile vitality of even the most immortal of creatures.

My Thoughts: The first half of the book is the story of the vampire as she remembers it. She is very animalistic in her hunting and consumption. There is nothing really romantic about her at this point even though she has a dalliance with a young man.

The second half of the book takes place in current times. It's told from a young mother's point of view from before she attracts the vampire's attention to the end. Again there seemed to be little romance.Still, they are drawn to each other for whatever reason. Perhaps loneliness is the biggest motivator. I had trouble understanding the decision of the modern woman at the end though there was foreshadowing.

I gave this book 4 out of 5 stars. The prose is lush and descriptive, at times dreamlike. I think the translator did a great job. The theme of death is carried throughout. It's interesting to see the different deaths and the results. If you enjoy vampire stories this makes a good read. Just don't expect a romantic view of vampires.

Thirst by Marina Yuszczuk was published March 5th, 2024 by Dutton.

i received a copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley. This did not affect my opinion.