books about vampires are never really about vampires, are they? and this book isn't any different. it's about exploitation and abuse and gaslighting -- the vampire exploits adults and children alike, the husbands abuse their wives, the vampire convinces the husbands to gaslight their wives, and the wives exploit the lone woman of color in this book.

the first half of the book is not at all like the second half, and while i understand the disparity, i liked the first half more. i think the characters had so much potential, especially the women of the book club, and they fell soooooo flat. like, quirky Kitty with her wild outfits? how could she not be a super fun character to explore? maybe if literally every single man in this book wasn't a gaslighting abusive asshole he'd have had the time and space...?

and i think the Black representation is problematic -- that missing Black folks are basically ignored by the police is a serious issue, and Black women also came together to try and raise awareness about the Atlanta child murders fifteen years before this book is set. i think something definitely could have been done that integrated both the real issues Black people face in getting institutional help protecting their children while not making them seem in need of their white savior. the one Black character never moves beyond the role of caretaker, and that's disappointing.

huuuge trigger warnings:

gore, gaslighting, physical abuse, suicide attempt, grooming, child sexual abuse, rape