In Nightfall

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Spoiler Alert: This review contains a major spoiler, but it’s also not something the book tries to hide very much. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ I received this book for free in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

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. This dark, enthralling, fast pacing, addictive book absolutely promises so much fun and scares you sh*tless! You find yourself scream and laugh, questioning your well being! Microwave your popcorn, grab your favorite poison kind of drink and enjoy the full ride! Theo and Marco soon make friends with alluring and bizarre local teens and get invited out by them to bonfires and parties. Theo also meets two young men who have a podcast on the history of Nightfall. A history that is dark and dangerous.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. In addition to the new summer setting, they got to meet Nonna who seems very cautious, blunt, and superstitious about her own town. Theodora and Marco’s first impression of Nightfall was how welcoming the townspeople were. Right away she and her brother had acquaintances who wanted to invite them to the beach. However, the stark contrast between Nonna’s strict rule to come home before dark and her obsession with doll charms made her abnormal.

Theo and her brother, Marco, threw the biggest party of the year. And got caught. Their punishment? Leave Arizona to spend the summer with their grandmother in the rainy beachside town of Nightfall, Oregon--population 846 souls. Only relief for their nightmarish summer holiday to meet with young and friendly townies! Both of the siblings make friends in short time and they don’t care much about their grandmother’s threats and warnings till Theo meets with her favorite podcasters and realizes there’s nothing as it seems at this haunted town and something more dangerous is lurking around to put their lives of danger!

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The small town is cute, when it's not raining, but their grandmother is superstitious and strangely antisocial. Upon their arrival she lays out the one house rule: always be home before dark. But Theo and Marco are determined to make the most of their summer, and on their first day they meet the enigmatic Minnow and her friends. Beautiful and charismatic, the girls have a magnetic pull that Theo and her brother can't resist. I was so, so hopeful that Young was going to do something different with it. Killer mermaids or sirens or selkies or something. Do something to make it actually her own story. Those were the vibes I was getting for the first, like, third of the book. NOPE. It’s The Lost Boys, slightly tweaked. Thank you to Random House Children’s, Delacorte Press, and Suzanne Young for this free advanced review copy of this book. The thoughts and opinions expressed below are honest and my own.

Divorced from its source material, it’s exactly the sort of YA horror I’ve been looking for in the current market. Not too deep, kind of kitschy, fun, spooky, underlying creepy. An all around good time. Doesn’t require too much thought and gives me exactly what I was looking for. In that aspect, it nailed The Lost Boys right on the head. I thought Young did a great job with developing Theo and Marco. I got that they were two siblings struggling with their parent's divorce, and their mom moving on without them. I also loved the other characters we get to meet and Theo's mysterious grandmother. I liked the sarcasm and the relationship between Theo and her brother Marco. It was genuine and believable. In the quaint town of Nightfall, Oregon, it isn't the dark you should be afraid of—it's the girls. The Lost Boys meets Buffy the Vampire Slayer in this propulsive novel from the New York Times bestselling author of The Treatment.

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Who is this book supposed to be for? Because when the blurb is using comps like The Lost Boys and Buffy, are today’s teens going to know what any of that is? Probably not, unless they have parents with taste. Those comps are for people my age, because this YA book isn’t really being sold to teens, now is it? Says the teen librarians themselves, books like this are being written for the adults who buy them, not the teens who read them. The thing is, IN NIGHTFALL is actually a great book to fit in that space. The MC doesn’t even have her license yet. This is actually a fantastic YA book FOR TEENS. But the marketing is targeting the nostalgia of the people with the bank accounts. I’m sure teen readers, especially younger teen readers, would love this book, but it has nothing to do with The Lost Boys or Buffy.

I liked the podcast and mystery ideas within the story, but I didn’t feel they were utilized to their potential. I didn’t really understand what the point was of her even listening to the first episode of the podcast focusing on the town if she had already met the podcasters and formed a relationship with them. I also didn’t understand why they mentioned episode two would drop and then that never went anywhere. Theo and her brother, Marco, threw the biggest party of the year. And got caught. Their punishment? Leave Arizona to spend the summer with their grandmother in the rainy beachside town of Nightfall, Oregon—population 846 souls.Overall, this book is alright. I don't regret reading it, and it had some fun moments. I just didn't find it to be spectacular. And when you compare it to The Lost Boys, it does seem even less unique. I wish the author had used the film as more of a general inspiration, rather than as an outline of her plot. I do think teens will like this one, though. It's moderately well-written, and there are some interesting aspects of the story. If they haven't seen The Lost Boys, I predict they might even like it more. I'd recommend this to people looking for a gender-swapped retelling of the movie, to teenagers stepping their toes into supernatural books, and to folks who want a light, moody vampire read. I did like the setting. There is a unique contrast of Nightfall as a gloomy Oregon town but also as a tourist spot. So, it's foggy, chilly, and has an underlying sinister atmosphere, but there are also cute ice cream shops, an upcoming parade, and beach parties. Nightfall felt real and pulled me in. I was curious about the locals, the town's history, and the secrets everyone appeared to be hiding. I loved the setting of Nightfall. I had so many questions based on the reveal of the town and how it was founded.