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sony08's review against another edition
3.0
My first book by this author and yes the similarities to Stoker's Dracula are very clear.
However, Dracula is more difficult to read. This book provides an easy, edgy read for any fan of the supernatural. Great Halloween book to get you into the scary spirit.
Some of the dialogues were slightly irritating as they made the characters seem much younger then they were. The relationship between Jo and Maddie was clearly flowed right from the start, but it was Maddie that was made to look like the bad one here?
I wish the author diverted from the classic Dracula story and gave it a new sense of life, the story-line was just a little too predictable.
However, Dracula is more difficult to read. This book provides an easy, edgy read for any fan of the supernatural. Great Halloween book to get you into the scary spirit.
Some of the dialogues were slightly irritating as they made the characters seem much younger then they were. The relationship between Jo and Maddie was clearly flowed right from the start, but it was Maddie that was made to look like the bad one here?
I wish the author diverted from the classic Dracula story and gave it a new sense of life, the story-line was just a little too predictable.
daryl_mystery's review against another edition
3.0
Born Blood is a gender-bending retelling of the Dracula story. This time the story revolves around college freshman Maddie, who's excited about starting her new life. She's accompanied to college by her girlfriend and terminally ill brother. When she meets the mysterious and beautiful Professor Valora Dulcara, all bets are off.
I enjoyed the well-plotted story line. I also thought the author's use of social media messaging a clever way to advance the plot. However, I had trouble connecting with the characters. With the exception of Professor Dulcara, the characters lacked definition and individuality. They were also exceptionally shallow and self-absorbed to the point of narcissism.
However, I'm a fan of Dracula and enjoyed the story, which kept me engaged to the end.
I enjoyed the well-plotted story line. I also thought the author's use of social media messaging a clever way to advance the plot. However, I had trouble connecting with the characters. With the exception of Professor Dulcara, the characters lacked definition and individuality. They were also exceptionally shallow and self-absorbed to the point of narcissism.
However, I'm a fan of Dracula and enjoyed the story, which kept me engaged to the end.
thewoollygeek's review against another edition
1.0
Unfortunately this book just wasn’t very good, it sounded so interesting but it just fails to deliver. The writing needs a lot of work, so I really struggled reading it, the characters were two dimensional, just not for me.
Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for a free copy for an honest opinion
Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for a free copy for an honest opinion
gothicvamperstein's review against another edition
2.0
I really wanted to love this book. An LGBTQIA+ retelling of Dracula? Sounds awesome. In reality? Well, for the most part the characters were a bit overkill (no pun intended) one-dimensional and there were quite a few times I wanted to slap several of the characters in the face because of their stupidity. There were also uneven character development, if at all, and the writing style was a bit too bland, flat and boring. And don't even get me started on the love triangle between Jo, Maggie and Valora (even though it to a certain extent mimicks the original novel, though Mina knew all along Dracula was the bad guy and she wasn't into him at all).
Now, I might add that I did actually like the genderbending and the LGBTQIA+ theme (especially being bi and getting comments about being indecisive). In addition, if one has read the original, Bram Stoker's Dracula, one can notice certain familiarity when it comes to some of the characters, as well as scenes and story-line. Oddly enough, I also liked Valora Dulcara a bit, even if she had some crappy character traits.
Now, I might add that I did actually like the genderbending and the LGBTQIA+ theme (especially being bi and getting comments about being indecisive). In addition, if one has read the original, Bram Stoker's Dracula, one can notice certain familiarity when it comes to some of the characters, as well as scenes and story-line. Oddly enough, I also liked Valora Dulcara a bit, even if she had some crappy character traits.
catsandb00ks's review against another edition
2.0
1.5 ☆
ARC received from NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review. All of my opinions are my own, and are in no way affected by the exchange.
I had a rocky time with this from the first sentence. The premise sounded interesting. It's a modern day LGBT retelling of Dracula in the most literal sense. My biggest issue with this book was the writing. It was terrible. Like really really bad. It read like a bad fanfic or an author's debut but like if they were in high school. There was several internal monologues that didnt make any sense. Like when was the last time you started at yourself in a mirror and talked about every single physical feature you have to your self? (Ie. "I looked at my mid length brown hair with my brown eyes and turned to the side to admonish the face that I am very pale and not at all the same shape or color as my family", ect.) I can promise you that that is not something you have done.
There were several instances in which I was completely baffled by the exchanges made between the characters, as well as several points in time where scenes didnt line up at all. One scene was between Maddie and the "Dracula" character. They are standing in a room talking and LITERALLY the next line is how they're making out??? Like when did that happen??????? Then that is followed up with Maddie having rug burn on her back. So like yall had sex in the span of 3 sentences? In the same paragraph????
Beyond the poor/juvenile writing, I hated LITERARILY every single character in this. They were all VERY bland and interchangeable. And also just awful people??
The only part I liked from the story was the concept/very loose plot. I think it could be awesome if done differently.
ARC received from NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review. All of my opinions are my own, and are in no way affected by the exchange.
I had a rocky time with this from the first sentence. The premise sounded interesting. It's a modern day LGBT retelling of Dracula in the most literal sense. My biggest issue with this book was the writing. It was terrible. Like really really bad. It read like a bad fanfic or an author's debut but like if they were in high school. There was several internal monologues that didnt make any sense. Like when was the last time you started at yourself in a mirror and talked about every single physical feature you have to your self? (Ie. "I looked at my mid length brown hair with my brown eyes and turned to the side to admonish the face that I am very pale and not at all the same shape or color as my family", ect.) I can promise you that that is not something you have done.
There were several instances in which I was completely baffled by the exchanges made between the characters, as well as several points in time where scenes didnt line up at all. One scene was between Maddie and the "Dracula" character. They are standing in a room talking and LITERALLY the next line is how they're making out??? Like when did that happen??????? Then that is followed up with Maddie having rug burn on her back. So like yall had sex in the span of 3 sentences? In the same paragraph????
Beyond the poor/juvenile writing, I hated LITERARILY every single character in this. They were all VERY bland and interchangeable. And also just awful people??
The only part I liked from the story was the concept/very loose plot. I think it could be awesome if done differently.
epilieaspiechick's review against another edition
1.0
Young adult fiction is a genre that is primarily written for those between the ages of 12 and 18 (even if us adults enjoy the genre as much as they do).
Now, I could talk about the poor writing style or uneven character development, but the real problem for me? A threesome being a part of the storyline. I've seen a lot of extreme content in YA, but this is one I can't condone.
Now, I could talk about the poor writing style or uneven character development, but the real problem for me? A threesome being a part of the storyline. I've seen a lot of extreme content in YA, but this is one I can't condone.
elmcmullin's review against another edition
3.0
*2.5 stars*
I was immediately drawn to this book because I definitely miss the era of Vampire books so much, but this one was a miss for me! It's also a modern-day LGBT retelling of Dracula so that also really grabbed my attention.
I think because I'm such a character-driven reader, I struggled a lot because I found pretty much all the characters in this book to be very plain, they did super outrageous stuff with no repercussions???? and I definitely couldn't connect to any of them at all. There was absolutely no character development, so many plot holes and the storyline jumped so much it was hard to keep up. I wish there'd been more info on the vampire aspect and background to this story! It focused too heavily on the drama between friends and relationships for me
I was immediately drawn to this book because I definitely miss the era of Vampire books so much, but this one was a miss for me! It's also a modern-day LGBT retelling of Dracula so that also really grabbed my attention.
I think because I'm such a character-driven reader, I struggled a lot because I found pretty much all the characters in this book to be very plain, they did super outrageous stuff with no repercussions???? and I definitely couldn't connect to any of them at all. There was absolutely no character development, so many plot holes and the storyline jumped so much it was hard to keep up. I wish there'd been more info on the vampire aspect and background to this story! It focused too heavily on the drama between friends and relationships for me
cynsworkshop's review against another edition
3.0
Blood Born is a good retelling that suffers from very poor characterization.
As far as the story goes, it does a solid job of retelling Bram Stoker's Dracula, adapting to fit the mold of a younger audience as well. But the biggest problem here is the characterization. Unfortunately, these characters are just so unlikeable. Jo is the worst girlfriend in the world, she treats Maddie like a child, undermining everything about her. So when Maddie breaks up with her, it was almost predictable, and completely within reason. In fact, the most likable character is the supposed villain in the story whereas all the other characters, they just fall through the cracks. They just aren't personable, and come off as jerks for the most part.
Now, as far as the story goes, it's an interesting adaptation while also bringing in some new twists and turns to keep the story interesting. The history of Dulcara is also interesting, and the fact that her history is brought to life in the novel as a book is both interesting and unique. it leaves some questions unanswered at the end.
It takes the highlights of Stoker's classic work and adapts it well young for a younger audience, however, the characterization is lackluster.
As far as the story goes, it does a solid job of retelling Bram Stoker's Dracula, adapting to fit the mold of a younger audience as well. But the biggest problem here is the characterization. Unfortunately, these characters are just so unlikeable. Jo is the worst girlfriend in the world, she treats Maddie like a child, undermining everything about her. So when Maddie breaks up with her, it was almost predictable, and completely within reason. In fact, the most likable character is the supposed villain in the story whereas all the other characters, they just fall through the cracks. They just aren't personable, and come off as jerks for the most part.
Now, as far as the story goes, it's an interesting adaptation while also bringing in some new twists and turns to keep the story interesting. The history of Dulcara is also interesting, and the fact that her history is brought to life in the novel as a book is both interesting and unique. it leaves some questions unanswered at the end.
It takes the highlights of Stoker's classic work and adapts it well young for a younger audience, however, the characterization is lackluster.
tbhonest_uk's review against another edition
Blood Born is a modern-day retelling of Dracula by Renee Lake.
It centres around College freshman Maddie.
Maddie is excited about the new adventures college life will bring. She dreams of rallies, weird roommates and exciting courses of study. She's living with her girlfriend and making new interesting friends while watching out for her terminally ill brother. What she doesn't expect is mystery, tragedy, and heartbreak to befall her within the first semester. Is there a monster preying upon the people at her college? Will she betray her friends and succumb to temptation? Can they band together and fight the darkness? Or is the darkness that surrounds her not the enemy...but her only ally?
The story of Dracula has been retold to death (pun not intended), but the premise of the book had us really interested in reading it. You don't have to have read the original Dracula to read this book. The author pays homage to the original novel a lot, Dracula you will know what we mean. For us, it all helped us to enjoy the story even more.
While we loved the plot, we sometimes struggled with the authors writing style, it made certain parts of the story feel a little flat and it caused the story to lose momentum.
Overall Blood Born is a dramatic, dark and a gripping read. The way the author uses devices like social media and diary entries etc, really add depth and layer to the characters, immersing you more in the story.
If you like Vampires, Supernatural and Romance then this a book you have to read!
It centres around College freshman Maddie.
Maddie is excited about the new adventures college life will bring. She dreams of rallies, weird roommates and exciting courses of study. She's living with her girlfriend and making new interesting friends while watching out for her terminally ill brother. What she doesn't expect is mystery, tragedy, and heartbreak to befall her within the first semester. Is there a monster preying upon the people at her college? Will she betray her friends and succumb to temptation? Can they band together and fight the darkness? Or is the darkness that surrounds her not the enemy...but her only ally?
The story of Dracula has been retold to death (pun not intended), but the premise of the book had us really interested in reading it. You don't have to have read the original Dracula to read this book. The author pays homage to the original novel a lot, Dracula you will know what we mean. For us, it all helped us to enjoy the story even more.
While we loved the plot, we sometimes struggled with the authors writing style, it made certain parts of the story feel a little flat and it caused the story to lose momentum.
Overall Blood Born is a dramatic, dark and a gripping read. The way the author uses devices like social media and diary entries etc, really add depth and layer to the characters, immersing you more in the story.
If you like Vampires, Supernatural and Romance then this a book you have to read!
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