If it's lit fic + vampires then I am guaranteed to read it! Thirst is a novel in translation told in two parts. In the first, we follow the life of a young woman who has been turned into a vampire. We follow her as she adapts to the world of her new life and the consequences of her action in 1800s Buenos Aires. In part two, we follow a young mother who navigates the grief surrounding her mother's terminal illness.

The writing in Thirst was absolutely beautiful. This is a bit of a slower burn, so even though it's not a particularly long novel it did take me a bit to become invested in the story. I almost wish we had spent the whole time following the POV of the vampire main character as I did not enjoy the second part as much as the first (and I usually love stories about grief).

If you liked books such as Woman, Eating by Claire Kohda and The God of Endings by Jacqueline Holland then I think you would enjoy Thirst.

Thank you to Dutton and NetGalley for a review copy. I'll definitely read from this author again in the future.

Thirst started quite interestingly but unfortunately didn't stick the landing for me. Each "half" had a fascinating dark tone throughout (more so in the past than the present). Ultimately, it read like two different novels that were almost connected successfully. Nonetheless, it was beautifully written and engaging and is a great introduction to Marina Yuszczuk's works.

Fully enjoying re-entering my vampire era. Loved the two parts. The first follows the vampire and her journey through time making her way to Buenos Aires, the second half follows a woman that lives in Buenos Aires dealing with her dying mother. Life and death. I am sure things were lost in the translation but I still really enjoyed both halves.

This was dark and mysterious. The words literally jump off the page. I highly enjoyed this! If you’re into cemetery vibes, this is for you.

Quick take: 3 stars. Into the vampire story, but couldn’t care less about this lady who loves long walks in cemeteries. The ending was 👎 💩 Unsatisfying and emotionally nonsensical. But the vibes 🧛‍♀️

I'm on the fence between a 3 and a 4 on this book. It's a very unique read that flowed and flowed and flowed together. Act 1 had me thinking this book would be 100% 5 stars, I was giddy with anticipation about what would happen next, and I yearned for the protagonist to shine, shine and shine on some more. So many more adventures to go on and trouble to get in! Such a great and gritty character. She was a dark delight. She could have filled the whole book, and I would have delightfully eaten every word and gone back for seconds.

But then Act 1 ended and the story went into a very different direction. I understand the authors point and reason for act 2, but it fell short for me. The focus of the second act did not capture my attention and I had to continually remind myself to keep reading. As bits of Act 1 entered the storyline, it felt different, not as fleshed out and not as captivating. Perhaps it was different for others. I was surprised when I looked down and the story was ending. It was like it was rolling down the road and then suddenly dropped off a cliff and I watched it go with all of my luggage inside. I just sort of sat there saying, "wait, what?"

So yes, somewhere between 3 and 4 stars is where I sit. Wanting to know more about the first MC, but also not wanting to know anything more about the second. LOL for real. I've chosen 4 stars because of how beautiful the first part of the book was written.

Thank you to the author and to NetGalley for the advanced readers copy.

Thank you to NetGalley and Dutton, an imprint of Penguin Random House for this ARC.

When I heard gothic sapphic vampire novel, I said "SIGN ME UP!" And overall, I was pleased with the story and the character development of our two main characters. But also, I feel like something was missing. At times, the vampire narrative felt very typical and didn't really delve deep into the emotions of our main character so when it came time to leap forward and meet Alma, it felt uneven. With her, we get a real sense of where she's at in her life and in her inner turmoil, watching her mother die before her very eyes. And I understand why she does make the ultimate choice but why did our vampy friend also make that same choice?

I am glad I read this book and I hope more of Yuszczuk's work gets translated so I can read it but I am not sure I'd urge friends to read this as an introduction to her work.

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

In Thirst, the streets of nineteenth-century Buenos Aires thrum with the throes of transformation as a vampire fleeing from Europe seeks refuge amidst the burgeoning chaos. Centuries later, a modern woman grapples with her own mortality, her mother's impending death a constant shadow. Through lush, exquisite prose reminiscent of Shirley Jackson and Daphne du Maurier, Yuszczuk navigates themes of fear, loneliness, and the haunting allure of immortality, and as the two women's lives intertwine, desires ignite, and fate plays out in interesting and unexpected ways. Thirst is a captivating exploration of female agency and the stories that happen in the shadows between life and death--and I thoroughly look forward to exploring this darkness further with this incredible, new-to-me author.

Thank you to Net Galley with providing a preview.
What a wonderful addition to the Latin American gothic genre- this work was an easy read, but compelling just the same with two timelines and interesting parallels between two women to find their respective places in the world.
A unique feature is the way in which the narrative elicited sympathy for the central vampire in the work, as she's clearly the victim, having endured abuse, exploitation and finally alienation through the centuries. While empowered in the last two centuries, she's ultimately destined for a solitude existence.
Well crafted, smart writing and a great translation as well.

2.5 stars

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

Alright, I really wanted to like this book, but it was a little confusing. This might have had some deeper meaning, but I was not understanding it. 😅

Thirst focuses the majority on a pov from this female vampire whose real name we never get. I loved this pov as her story is so compelling and interesting. Then we get to the female humans pov and that’s where it lost me. I didn’t care for the character and also didn’t understand her actions. 🤷🏻‍♀️ The ending is also ambiguous, which I’m not usually a huge fan of, but in this story it makes sense.

Thirst is a story of female empowerment, the power of desire, and the fragility of life and death. It will force you to be aware of monsters and what those look like. 🤍 Overall, I would recommend this to anyone who wants more lgbtq representation in horror, atmospheric writing, and strong female characters.

I was absolutely hooked by the first half! The historical setting was rich and immersive, and the main character's unpredictable, animalistic behavior kept me on edge, eagerly anticipating each twist.

A vampire story is never just a vampire story. Vampires can represent repressed desires, societal taboos, the shadow self, and more. In this story the vampire represents lesbian desire, the lurking presence of death, the animal nature within each human, and more. Sadly, I did not find this vampire to be very well written and/or translated.

The narration was written mostly in past tense first person. This had too many limitations for the complexity of the historical setting in Buenos Aires during the yellow fever plague. There was one section that read like a history book with dates, names and places all perfectly remembered (in a recollection of the remembering at that!). Then we switch to a present tense diary format where dates should make sense, but don’t really add very much. The two primary characters also seemed uncannily self aware and able to describe the symbolism in their own actions, yet also incapable of making fairly obvious connections. We’re supposed to believe a modern person would not clock a blood-thirsty fanged succubus as a murderous vampire? There were just too many leaps of faith for me.

What I realized when I was 85 percent into the book, was that this vampire was really constructed as a deus ex machina for a present day story about anticipatory grief and queerness. I wish we had gotten to that meaty part sooner. I could have done with far fewer descriptions of pale skin heaving in the moonlight.

The subplot about terminal illnesses from yellow fever to progressive paralysis was better developed in the last 15 percent of the book, but not enough for me to say I enjoyed the reading experience. I will be taking away the themes of resisting/embracing death and vampirism as its own kind of terminal disease.

I received a digital advance reader copy of this book from NetGalley and Dutton, an imprint of Penguin Random House, in exchange for an honest review.

This gothic sapphic vampire story started off super steamy and intoxicating. I literally could not stop reading it and read 50% of it in one setting. The writing was beautiful, storytelling was spell binding and I also loved how unlikeable our MC is. She is a creature of the night and is not shamed to say it.

On the other hand the second part i found myself bored and when i realized the plot of the second part i felt it was rushed. I did enjoy the fact that our original MC had a bit of redemption with the favor she did.

Overall I highly recommend this book.

This was a really interesting and quick read following a vampire and a single mom. I really loved the premise, but I found the writing style to be plain. It was told entirely in summary, which makes things boring fast. Additionally, the relationship between the two main characters is extremely rushed; I was shocked at the ending because there had been very little lead-up to it.

If you like stories about female oppression, sapphics throughout the centuries, and vampires, this book is for you.

Thank you to the publisher for my e-copy.

this was very atmospheric and the gothic vampire vibes were exactly what I needed while reading this. marina yuszczuk's writing makes this story similar to carmilla, dracula and even your typical shirley jackson novel and I really enjoyed this book about sapphic vampires with a sloooooow burn.

dnf @ 38% / Ch 7


Unfortunately, more literary in nature than I had expected, and not in a way that compels me to finish. I did really like how the vampire in this book is brutal and animalistic, and I feel like that could be used to some length in the literary aspects of this book. However, when the plot is this sparse, I prefer to have strong literary elements to balance that out (and visa versa).

I didn't have strong feelings of like or dislike towards this book, and I just didn't feel that interested to keep reading. While I didn't feel compelled to finish, I would definitely be curious to read more from this author if more of her work is translated into English.

Fleeing her discovery and the murder of her sisters, a vampire flees Europe in the Nineteenth century and lands in Buenos Aires to begin a new. As the village turns into a larger city, yellow fever plagues its residents, and the times begin to change, she’ll have to adapt and fit in with the humans to survive. In modern-day Buenos Aires, a woman struggles with the slow dying of her mother from a terrible illness and struggles with her own identity in relation to motherhood. Years ago, she waited for some fantasy to happen, something monumental that would change her life, and now, she’s faced with such a situation and will have to make a choice that will redefine her yet again.

I knew I was going to like Thirst when I read the summary, and I have to say, the text didn’t disappoint. It’s a beautiful, macabre blend of horror and literary fiction with two portraits of longing, of yearning, of unquenchable thirst if you will. It seems like women do a so much of those things, and I love how the author examined them in the context of horror. To me, horror lets us examine not only our own fears but also the dark recesses of ourselves, the darker parts of humanity.

Heather Cleary’s translation is excellent. I obviously could not read it in the original language, but I highlighted so many passages as I was reading, and the words resonated with me, making perfect sense but also presented in such beautiful language. Definitely recommend this one.

3.5. I enjoyed the pre-modern day part of this book so much more. The writing was gorgeous, but the plot fell flat for me. I wanted more of the vampire lore/vibes. I still think it's worth checking out. (Also wondering if some of the plot didn't translate well?)

I was hooked as soon as I heard this was queer and about vampires! That has been such my vibe lately. Let me just say the writing in this book is spectacular! It’s so rich in detail I genuinely felt like I was in the book! I really liked following both of the timelines and I think they intertwined really well. This is one of those stories that is not for everyone but boy is it for me. I just could not put this book down, and it’s a book where I can’t really explain why. I was simply enthralled and I can’t wait to read more from this author!

Thirst by Marina Yuszczuk is a Latin American vampire novel split into two parts. The first part is set in the 1800s and starts with a female vampire escaping her hunters in Europe by hiding on a ship. The ship lands in Buenos Aires, and she makes a good life for herself. The second part is modern day, where a woman is given a key to a crypt by her dying mother and meets the vampire. Both sections are good, but the first section is brutal, fast paced, and engaging. The second part is more about mortality, loneliness and longing, and the agony of watching the slow process of a mother dying. (It is never stated but the deterioration of her mother makes is feel like she has Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS), a neurodegenerative disease where the patient slowly loses function of both skeletal and smooth muscles, until the respiratory muscles finally fail). Both parts are good, but so different, with different tones and feelings.

The writing is sharp and beautiful. This is no doubt a novel from an Argentinian writer. The style of most Latin American writers are long paragraphs that tell the story more than show the story. There might be a year or ten years on one page, everything summarized. This is also why many Latin American novels are fairly short. The style of these novels means that you have to be a very good writer, someone who does not spare a single word, and you have to find a good translator. This translation by Heather Cleary is very readable and engaging. Yuszczuk’s talent is writing a story that is compelling in a style that should not work as well as it does.

When I was reading the first part of the book, I realized that I do not really read many vampire novels. I do not find them to be top of my list of horror subjects. I do have a list of top five vampire books and movies, but I do not consider myself an expert in the subgenre. I do know that I always have this feeling that vampires should be sexy, that biting someone on the neck is the way that they feed but also foreplay toward something more sensual. Many vampire stories that I have read hint at this or ignore it completely, but this sensuality is front and center in Thirst. The vampire story is a subgenre that has been written so many times that there are not many new things that can be done with this story, but Thirst does utilize the parts of the vampire mythos that really makes the story entertaining.

I received this as an ARC from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.