Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for my free digital ARC of Thirst by Marina Yuszczuk, translated from the Spanish (Argentina) by Heather Cleary. I was drawn to this book because of its promise of moody sapphic vibes, and in the first part it definitely delivered. One of the editorial reviews praises the author for taking vampires, ‘a trivialised monster’, and bringing them to life in her own way. I both agree and disagree. Vampires thanks to Stephanie Meyer have been subject to so many jokes and memes that I found it difficult to see the vampire as ominous. She slotted right into all the vampire clichés, driven only by her need to feed and have sex. I think there was much more that could have been done with her character. 

The second half focuses on Alma, a human woman in modern day Buenos Aires who’s struggling with single motherhood and her own mother dying. Although we lose the moody gay vibes (temporarily), I did appreciate the mediation on grief and mental health.

The storylines don’t intersect as much as I’d hoped, and the ending completely blindsided me. Overall a mixed back, with the atmosphere and portrayal of grief making up for gaps elsewhere.