Sapphic gothic vampires! I am wondering if part of my issues are translation because it feels stilted in some areas.

I'll admit that at first, I was thrown off by the change of pace at the start of the second part, which made things feel a bit rushed initially. As the story unfolded however, I did enjoy the journal-like entries used to move the story along. Without giving too much away, I do wish there was a bit more character development and background in the second half of the story however, I did enjoy how the overall story came together at the end.

Overall, I enjoyed this one! Would recommend and will likely read from this author again in the future.

My favorite part of this book were the description of historical Buenos Aires and how it evolved over time. I didn’t love the structure but I think it’s a worthwhile entry in lesbian vampire canon.

Loved this book and can't wait to see more from the author. Thanks to the author and the publisher and Netgalley for the opportunity to read an ARC.

Unfortunately, this isn’t for me. There’s a disconnect for me with the writing and I just had the hardest time getting into this story.

This is a classic vampire tale, gore and all. Vampire stories will be told forever (much like vampires themselves) so I am always amazed with authors who can still bring something fresh to the genre and make it feel new. This one had a unique take on queer relationships while being set in an area with an interesting backdrop. I recommend this one to vampire lovers everywhere.

This is sad because it should not be so difficult to make queer vampires interesting but the storyline and narration was dull especially in the second part once the narrator switched. I just did not feel any investment in what was going on and for such a short book it was hard to get through.


thanks to netgalley and penguin dutton for the arc!

I enjoyed the dual timeline in this novel. It was very visceral so if gore is something you're opposed to, maybe skip this one. It didn't bother me though. The writing was beautiful and striking!

Queer Vampires? YES PLEASE!!!
The writing was *chefs kiss* beautiful! soooo mesmerizing!!! I was so invested in the story throughout the entire book. I just loved everything about it.

I received an ARC via Netgalley for Thirst by Marina Yuszczuk published March 5th 2024. Thank you so much for the chance to read this one!

I had heard very little of this book before getting into it. I have been putting it off because, on second thought, I didn't think a sapphic vampire novel would really be my thing after all. But this book was so much fun. I wasn't expecting to be so enraptured by the gothic style chapters. I started to get slightly disappointed when we were focusing so much on present-day in the latter half because I loved the first 1/2 so much. But the second half helped in winning me over. The takes on anticipatory grief felt so poignant and raw. By the time we get to the climax of the story (no spoilers!) you can really feel the urgency our MC experiences in all of her panic.
And now, I desperately need a physical copy because the cover is GORGEOUS.

Written in two parts. Part one, yikes. Part two was better.

I'd summarize part one as a vampire vampiring in olden times. The setting, Buenos Aires during a plague, was the only thing bringing originality. The rest felt like borrowed ideas from other novels. Well written, but not unique. It was also too fantasy melodrama for my taste. I couldn't have read part one for too much longer.

Enter part two to save me from DNF. Part two takes place in modern times. It links up with the vampire from part one, but it centers a new group of human characters. As a human, I found this section more relatable. It felt fresher. More creative. I enjoyed it way more.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing me an ARC of this book for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

I'll admit, this book is not what I was expecting. I was expecting more shock factor, but this book ended up pleasantly surprising me with a slower, thoughtful, and emotional exploration of life, hunger, and grief.

The first half of the book goes through the centuries that a nameless vampire woman has lived through, and her debilitating thirst for blood. I really enjoyed this portrayal of vampirism, with none of the weaknesses that most vampires fall prey to (sunlight, garlic, holy water, etc.) save for the need to keep the deaths hidden. I thought it was very interesting that this novel explored how much more difficult hiding her crimes got for the vampire after so many centuries.

The second half of the book follows a woman whose mother is slowly dying from a terminal illness and how she grieves this excruciatingly slow loss. I don't think I've ever read a book that dealt with the feelings associated with a slow decline, rather than a fast one, and this book showed those emotions so beautifully.

I really enjoyed the connection of the two storylines. I have seen other readers describe it as forced, but I found it to be quite beautiful and organic. The intertwining of these two storylines was clearly intricately plotted out.

All this to say, I greatly enjoyed this introspective, literary fiction take on the vampire story. I would love to see more vampire lit take this approach, and I eagerly await more novels by this author!

I took a chance on Thirst— the last time I read a vampire book was Twilight and I know, I know, that was almost 20 years ago.

The first half of the story is a seductive and atmospheric story about an unnamed vampire who is forced to find her place in an ever-changing world that is hostile to vampires. She has an insatiable thirst for blood and relentlessly kills for it, as any good vampire should. After finding herself in a precarious situation, she travels from Europe and settles in Buenos Aires in the nineteenth century.

The second part of the story is about a modern woman who is burdened with taking care of her terminally ill mother. Death is always at the forefront, but slower-paced and drawn-out due to the nature of her mother’s failing body. She finds a family heirloom, a key to an old tomb and thus, the vampire and woman cross paths.

This story creates a semi-interesting look at vampires, death, and queerness. I did not expect the story to go this route or the ending itself, but it was short enough to read to stay slightly engrossed. I wanted more blood and seduction, less mom dying and withering away.

This book had such strong potential since it had parts of being a sexy sapphic vampire story. The plot was interesting enough but it just really dragged and didn't do much. The change in POV was also so abrupt and really shifted the vibe of the whole book into a depressing path. There wasn't enough done to make the ending decision not feel out of left field.

a story told in two parts with two different main characters. we have our vampire at the beginning of the story, and we can see how she struggles through the years to survive and find a way to feed but also with the need to connect to people and find company while being considered a monster. it shows a different kind of grief, i think it kinda shows her grief for herself and for parts of her past, and the many lives she has to live and take to survive.
menawhile in the second part we have another woman grieving the lost of her mother while she's still alive, seeing how someone you love slowly dies it's a different kind of grief, slower, more intense in my opinion. the way these two characters come to cross paths felt so right for our second main character, she needed her in a way nobody else could understand.
they both had to make decisions during their lives that would alter their future based only on the feelings they were feeling at the moment.
it's a short read and easy to understand and enjoy.
3.5 stars.

The story is told in two parts, the first part focuses on the vampire with past timelines set in the 19th century in Buenos Aires. I enjoyed this part the most, I found the vampire to be mesmerizing, side note- I love that she is an unnamed character, it adds an element of mystery to her. It was very interesting entering the mind of a vampire that had to adjust to life alone and learn how to feed without being noticed and hunted. She is very calculated and violent, honestly if she were to choose me as her next victim I wouldn't stand a chance, that's how in awe I was of her lol There is beauty to her brutality. I enjoyed the pieces of history throughout and it flowed well with the life of the vampire as she is witnessing all of these events and changes, it shows how time and time again she is quick to adjust to a new normal. I did feel bad for her at times because she is living this eternal loneliness and there are moments where she has that want for companionship but the risk was always too great. I loved the ending of part one and it was a great bridge to the second part.

Part two happens in present time Buenos Aires and we follow a woman that is not handling life well, her mother has a terminal illness and she also shares custody of her son with her ex. In both parts there is a theme of grief but in this part it is strong. To grieve a parent that passes is extremely hard, but to grieve one that is still physically here and to witness the deterioration right before your eyes is indescribable. Overall our girl is just not in a good headspace to deal with life, friendships and work have taken a backseat and she is doing her best to stay present for her son. The vampire comes into play when part two FMC gets some limited information from her mother and has the key (literally) that can change the course of her life.

Dual timelines, horror, gothic vibes, history, Sapphic, blood thirsty vampire!! Yes please! If you are a fan of literary fiction or want to explore a new genre I would definitely recommend this page turner of a book!

Thank you Net Galley for the eArc! This is my honest review.

"They could never understand this insatiable thirst. Much less this extraordinary, indomitable instinct for survival, which can only be explained by the fact we are beasts."

It began as much did, children led up a mountain to a castle overseeing the land & left as suitable offerings to the beast who resided there. One woman outlasted her maker & then soon lost her sisters before fleeing from the life she had learned to live. Aboard a boat, racked with the loss of her only familial bond & stepping into a new land she soon realizes that the thirst in her will never be satisfied.

As time moves around her, she witnesses the beginning of the city & the fever that nearly took everything away. Told throughout the perspective of our beast, we see what it was really like as they piled bodies on carts & the living became shells of themselves as the sickness took everything from them. Bonds are not easy for her, we see the strain of trying to contain a thirst & keeping the beast within in check. Hundreds of years are never easy, especially when you cannot be left to rest.

Special thank you to NetGalley for this ARC!
I was first intrigued by the cover, then I found out it was vampires & that's all I needed to know before I slapped my hand on the counter ready to get it going.

This story was incredibly interesting, my knowledge of Buenos Aires before this was basically nill so getting not just a history lesson but also a chaotic hot vampire who is in turmoil over where she is supposed to fit in this world. But then to find out that there's a whole other half of the story, another woman who like our vampire, is struggling with life in all its twists & turns. Her mother is deteriorating in front of her eyes, the spark of life going dull as the disease ravages her body & strips the memories of before with her. As her mother falls further into the end, she advises her of a key & soon all of that is the catalyst for the changes in her life.

Loved this book, it was truly vibes over a very strict structure & frankly, I appreciate that. It was a book I had no issues leaving & coming back to as I had other things going on. The characters were wispy illusions of feelings I think are real & that to me is what made this book so good.

I'm not really sure how I feel about this book. I loved the cultural references - from when the unnamed vampire is "turned" till she goes into hiding, lots of references regarding women's roles and how she kept herself hidden.
Present day highlights the tragedy of a young single mom balancing life and her mother's slow progression to death from a terminal illness. Her mother passes onto her the family secret - a key to a crypt. Neither women posses any information - the daughter delves into the mystery.

For me, the book left me wondering which is the life of horror - watching your mother whither and in pain from terminal illness? A vampire wandering the burgeoning city of Buenos Aires?
A very intriguing read.

THIRST is the feminist gothic vampire novel I didn’t know I needed. I loved how Yuszczuk brings together these two women, one who has witnessed centuries and another dealing with her mother’s impending death. The writing has impeccable vibes and uses the vampire story in a way that feels new. I love a complex female character, and this novel gives us two.. As these two characters move closer together, I found myself needing to read to the end. Thank you to NetGalley and Dutton Books for access to THIRST.

This first part of this book kept me guessing. The main character led us through her beginnings to her unhinged present. I had no idea what she would do or what would be next, but I was thoroughly entertained throughout! Thank you for the ARC!