Spanning the 1530s to 2019, V.E. Schwab’s novel introduces us to three sapphic vampires. For two of them, immortality offers an escape from the boxes they’ve been forced into and an outlet for their pent up rage. For the third, becoming a vampire feels like a constraint rather than a release. Maria, Charlotte, and Alice are all desperately seeking something that will make them feel whole, as they connect with each other, will they find it?
They say these interwoven stores are about insatiable hunger: hunger for love, hunger for power. But I think it’s about choice. Women who have been denied choice for so long and what happens when they rage against the expectation of submission. This book lives in the morally gray. Just because you stand up for yourself and your right to be heard by your partner doesn’t mean a relationship – or the “hero” – is any less toxic. These women are strong, but they’re complicated. They are to be pitied; however, just because their respective foils are bad, they’re not necessarily “good.”
3.75 out of 5 stars. (Note: I debated giving this a higher rating but found it to be a little slow to start – I really enjoyed it, but it was a toughie to rate!)
Pair with: Kir Royale
Peaches to Apples 