THE COLDEST GIRL IN COLDTOWN by Holly Black

December 10, 2017     jennzahbooknut     Book review

THE COLDEST GIRL IN COLDTOWN by Holly BlackThe Coldest Girl in Coldtown by Holly Black
on August 12th 2014
Pages: 422
Goodreads

Coldtown was dangerous, Tana knew. A glamorous cage, a prison for the damned and anyone who wanted to party with them.Tana lives in a world where walled cities called Coldtowns exist. In them, quarantined monsters and humans mingle in a decadently bloody mix of predator and prey. And once you pass through Coldtown's gates, you can never leave.One morning, after a perfectly ordinary party, Tana wakes up surrounded by corpses. The only other survivors of this massacre are her exasperatingly endearing ex-boyfriend, infected and on the edge, and a mysterious boy burdened with a terrible secret. Shaken and determined, Tana enters a race against the clock to save the three of them the only way she knows how: by going straight to the wicked, opulent heart of Coldtown itself.

As someone who grew up loving vampire books, I was a bit hesitant to read this as I heard that Ms. Black’s inspiration to write it came from THE VAMPIRE CHRONICLES by Anne Rice (which I have been a longtime fan of).

I ended up loving it. From the beginning of the story where Tana wakes up amongst a houseful of dead people – to the suspenseful ending — I LOVED IT.  It’s the first vampire novel in a long time that I’ve loved so much — and it doesn’t disappoint. It’s whimsical and gory and fabulous.

A good vampire story is always hard to write. You could end up with something fluffy like Twilight — or something dark and almost horrible like Carmilla.  Holly Black finds the ultimate balance between the two — writing a world where vampires are looked upon as gods by some, but everything is not as it seems. The story is a rich tapestry of blood, decadence, disgrace, and awesomeness. If you like a decent vampire story, I suggest reading THE COLDEST GIRL IN COLDTOWN immediately.

5 Stars

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