Reviews with content warning for Torture - The Coldest Girl in Coldtown

I started this book with the notion that it would be another twilight. Oh no, I was very wrong. This is a great book. I loved the pacing, world-building, flashbacks, romance, and just the way vampires are written. The romance wasn't too much for me, and I would very much recommend it.

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sauvageloup's review

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adventurous dark emotional funny mysterious sad tense fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.75

Brilliant, gripping and highly enjoyable!

Pros:
- FINALLY FINISHED A FICTION BOOK AHHHHH. and this book made it easy - it was almost exactly what i enjoy, whilst still being fresh, with great writing and very engaging.
- I liked the explicit but casual inclusion of Valentina as a trans woman. Its not made a big point of, Jameson and Tana immediately accept her and it was just great to see in a book from 2013! Aidan is also bisexual and though he isn't a perfect guy (and yes kinda plays into the awful 'bisexuals are promiscuous' trope, is still a likeable and desirable character who is never shamed for liking guys too.
- Tana hits just right as a character trying to do the right thing most of the time,,, but also being human and messy. Her desire for Gavriel and his for her never tries to excuse itself as healthy or romantic, it just is. In fact, the book deals seriously with how media portrays dangerous situation and how it lures people in, the good, the bad and the misguided, with delusions about achieving your desires. It deals with how capitalism handicaps proper progress in how the Coldtowns still mainly exist because of how much money they bring in. The troubling abuses of this, especially in how Tana's sister is able to go there alone, is explored and how the underdogs (the humans, the poor) are the ones who have it worse. The vampires from old money, they aren't even bound to the Coldtowns at all. So yeah, the political commentary is subtle but fascinating and on point.
- Tana's trauma from that night is palpable throughout. It's never brushed away, but shows how she struggles to go on, how she suppresses it throughout. The violence never felt gratuitous but always hit right on with the horror of each bit. And if the reader ever got complacent with the gore, it's brought back home again.
- Overall, she just felt a lot like a real person, tryna do the right thing, keep herself human, protect her sister, whilst also dealing with own desires. I liked that there was no perfect ending, though it was still hopeful. Tana has a plan, a sister to go back to, Aidan's going to be okay and the big bad, Lucien, was defeated. Gavriel and Tana might have a future together or probably not, but he's what she needs in the moment, which is someone a bit too dark and fucked up to be healthy, but exactly what she needs to survive.
- The shots of humour in there were also great, and I liked the worldbuilding a lot. The premise isn't the most original thing, it's how it was carried off that really made it special.

Cons:
- Maybe i was never fully convinced by Gavriel's reason for being attracted to Tana, but there were reasons given and they weren't bad ones.
- I don't know?? maybe i didn't LOVE Tana or tear-up when the bad shit went down, but honestly I was racing through it and enjoyed every bit.

All in all, a thrilling angst-fest that definitely makes me want to read more Holly Black.

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