There were things about the plot that confused me or, to an extent, annoyed me, but overall, I really liked the feel of the story: the detached, claustrophobic, confusing experience of geeky adolescense. The first brush with things that are too difficult to comprehend and deal with, even for adults. The adults themselves, present and there and in some ways ready to help, but just not close enough. They wouldn't understand, anyway. The gaps between who you'd like to be, and how you perceive yourself, and who you are. All the ways you can be taken advantage of by powers bigger than you are.

A vampire as the centerpiece for the horror part of this plot felt incredibly fitting. Vampires can be the perfect metaphor/vehicle for many bad things, and that definitely includes this brand of isolation.

What deserves a special mention is the depiction of the gradually falling apart D&D group the main character's a part of, and the difference in how the teenage GM treats the other guys around the table and the only female player. That was painfully realistic to me, as an AFAB person who spent a big part of their teenager years seeking escape in tabletop games. I was incredibly lucky to eventually, pretty early on, to stumble upon a group of queer misfits where no one was disadvantaged that way. But still. Familiar.

Things I didn't particularly like:

1. The cover. Don't get me wrong, the artwork is gorgeous, but I have no idea what it has to do with the plot. The vampire depicted on it looks like one of those gothic predators with feelings. The monster in the story is... not that.

2. The "woman in the fridge" trope, present in abundance. To be fair, I felt it was at least acknowledged by the narrative, but I find myself somewhat tired of it these days.