I expected to enjoy this book more than I did. The story had potential, but it was undermined by overly dramatic narration and a frustrating habit of having characters pause in the middle of battles or tense moments to launch into full-blown conversations—completely killing the momentum.

The plot centers on Lalo, who sets out to avenge his parents' death at the hands (or fangs) of the vampire Maricela, only to be turned into a vampire himself. Hoping to do better next time, he eventually crosses paths with Carolina, a vampire hunter who intimidates him from the start.

Carolina has been raised in a family of vampire hunters who don’t believe she can cut it because she’s a girl. Trained by her grandfather, she proves them wrong by becoming a skilled and determined hunter.

The dynamic between Lalo and Carolina is predictable and occasionally entertaining, but Carolina often comes across as unnecessarily abrasive, which made it hard to root for her. The ending is disappointingly cliché, and overall, the book reads like it’s aimed at a very young YA audience—despite its darker themes.