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The Coldest Girl in Coldtown

Holly Black (Goodreads Author)

3.85 · Rating details · 54,790 ratings · 8,080 reviews

Tana lives in a world where walled cities called Coldtowns exist. In them, quarantined monsters and humans mingle in a decadently bloody mix of predator and prey. The only problem is, once you pass through Coldtown's gates, you can never leave.

One morning, after a perfectly ordinary party, Tana wakes up surrounded by corpses. The only other survivors of this massacre are h ...more

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Hardcover, 419 pages

Published September 3rd 2013 by Little, Brown Books for Young Readers

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Mar 01, 2018 Miranda Reads rated it it was amazing

Shelves: audiobook, ya-series, best-of-decade, dystopian-us

Holly Black is my Queen

But if you didn't believe in monsters, then how were you going to be able to keep safe from them?

Tana lives in a world where vampires are no longer creatures of myths. Only Holly Black can take such a worn out trope and breath fresh life into it.

Even from the beginning, that was the problem. People liked pretty things. People even liked pretty things that wanted to kill and eat them.

And, like any good government, the US immediately banished the "new" citizens to ...more

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May 20, 2013 Khanh, first of her name, mother of bunnies rated it it was ok

Shelves: tstl, on-the-run, horror, mary-sue, why-do-i-hate-myself, urban-fantasy, twins-triplets-clones, high-school, ya, romance

Stop being stupid, [Tana] told herself, even though it was much too late for that. She’d been a hundred kinds of stupid already.

I mean, I can hardly be accused of being excessively judgmental on a character's idiocy when she repeatedly realizes she's being dumb, right? :|

I know that Twilight is standard for the vampire book we love to hate. It's often been the butt of my jokes, and I often find myself mocking Bella Swan for her stupidity. With that said, I would read the Twilight series three times over before reaching for this book again. Yes, I mock Twilight, but at least it has a plot (however simplistic) that is rational and easy to follow. The writing is nothing special, but it is easy to read and easy to understand. Above all, however we tend to mock Bella, she is at best naive, foolish, completely and utterly clueless and without personality---but at least she's smarter than the incomprehensible pile of TSTL poop that is Tana. I cannot find any sympathy, I cannot find any respect, I cannot find any enjoyment, and I cannot find myself liking a character who behaves in such an astoundingly foolish manner.

Bella may be inactive. Bella is immobile. She is catatonic. Bella waits, while the world revolves around her. However boring Bella is, however irrelevant her character, Bella's actions are still more tolerable than the main character in this book, who, at every turn, has the urge to run headfirst into death.

The best thing about this book is the writing. Holly Black is a good writer, the writing in this book is poetic...it runs excessively so at times, but I enjoy that sort of writing, so it didn't bother me too much. What did not work was the plot, and the excessiveness of the book. This book was overly long for the material that it contained. You could have easily removed a good 25% of this book without losing relevant, without losing much of the plot. There was too much needless introspection, too many flashbacks, and memories, and characters' POVs that felt largely irrelevant to the main part of the story.

The concept of Coldtown was interesting at first, but ended up being a mess with a lot of holes and inconsistencies that my mind could not comprehend. This book's type of vampirism does not break any mold, but it was well-conceived enough. Overall, the reason why I disliked this story is because of the characters. I either hated or disliked every single character, with the majority of my loathing directed towards the main character and her incomprehensible stupidity: Tana Bach. The vampires in this book were uninspired, they're a mix between goth-punk-wannabes, or exaggeratedly suave and evil Lestat/Louis-types of Anne Rice's Interview With a Vampire fame.

Setting: Roughly 10 years ago, the world discovered vampirism because an idiotic vampire's mission to just drink blood from his victims, and not kill them. I think we know enough from zombie movies to know that things don't turn out the way he planned. There's no such thing as a little bite. Before he knew it, hundreds of new (and uncontrollable) baby vampires were formed, who then in turned infected thousands more, and well...in short: tons of people died, and vampires are now a presence in the world. Within the US, there are six Coldtowns, populated by vampire and humans, and those who are Cold (bitten by a vampire but not yet turned, with a ferocious desire for human blood). The concept of Coldtown is a mess, and the existence of vampires as both villains and celebrities doesn't quite work for me. It's the equivalent of having hundreds of thousands of people killed by terrorists, and then watching a reality show titled "The Real Housewives of Osama Bin Laden."

This world glorifies vampires, who are murderers, at the same time it glorifies the people who hunt vampires (Hemlok: Vampire Bounty Hunter is a popular reality show). Vampires have their own reality show feeds directly from Coldtowns, the world gathers to watch vampires party, dance, go to raves, suck on other people's bloods, chill out in sumptuous beds and making out with each other, dressed in glorious velvet clothes soaked through in blood.

It doesn't make any fucking sense. Coldtown's population and its rules for entrance and exit are inconsistent and again, nonsensical. It is an interesting concept, poorly executed.

Death is meaningless in this book, because there is so much of it. There is no emotion in seeing a character die, at all.

Summary: Tana Bach wakes up from a party, hung over, in a bathtub, and finds herself surrounded by the corpses of her friends.

The tan carpet was stiff and black with stripes of dried blood, spattered like a Jackson Pollock canvas. The walls were streaked with it, handprints smearing their dingy beige surfaces. And the bodies. Dozens of bodies. People she’d seen every day since kindergarten, people whom she’d played tag with and cried over and kissed were lying at odd angles, their bodies pale and cold, their eyes staring like rows of dolls in a shop window.

Tana is no stranger to vampires. Her mother was bitten and turned Cold before little 10-year old Tana decides it was a good idea to free her crazy mother from her chains in the basement: result, dead mother, scarred-for-life-but-not-much-the-wiser-from-the-experience 17-year old Tana. The corpses were clearly victims of vampires: they all have puncture wounds. There are blood everywhere. Tana herself might have been bitten. What should she do? Call the police? I mean, THERE ARE A TON OF CORPSES. Call her dad? Run away screaming for help? I would understand if she were to run away screaming for help. According to the government:

if you do come into physical contact with a vampire, you are legally obligated to report yourself to the authorities. Do not attempt to wait to see if you’ve become infected. Do not attempt to self-quarantine. Call 911, explain the nature of the attack, and wait for further instructions.

What does Tana do?

Tana started giggling, which was bad, she knew, and put her hands over her mouth to smother the sound. It wasn’t okay to laugh in front of dead people. That was like laughing at a funeral.

Ok, fine. She laughs. It's ok, hysteria is fine. I can understand that.

BUT THEN. BUT THEN. Tana runs into a chained vampire (who might have been the murderer), and her douche of an ex-boyfriend, who has clearly been bitten and is now Cold. What does she do? Why, FREE THEM BOTH. It's of no importance whatsoever that the vampire (Gavriel) might have been the murderer. It's of no importance at all that the ex (Aidan) may spring on her to suck her blood any minute (which he does, repeatedly). Aaaaaaaaaand off we go to Coldtown!

And along the way, let's just pick up a couple of twins goth web celebrities with a vampire-centric blog who are just dying (no pun intended) to go to Coldtown and become vampires themselves. They conduct video interviews! They ask Tana about her experience as a survivor of the now-deemed Sundown Tragedy. Tana is going to be Youtube sensation!

And we only have 200 pages to go.

Fuck me.

The Characters: On a scale of marry-me to you-need-to-be-drawn-and-quartered-and-burned-and-not-necessarily-in-that-order, the characters in this book range from I-want-to-punch-you-in-the-balls to kill-it-with-fire.

All kidding aside, there is not a single main or relevant side character in this book whom I would like, whom I would befriend. I've said it before, I've said it many times before in many books, and I will say it again: I cannot understand how the main character in this book can be so mind-numbingly dumb. Tana KNOWS how dangerous a Cold person is. Her mother literally RIPS her arms apart when little 10-year old Tana somehow felt the urge to be a do-gooder and free her mother from her chains in the basement. Being Cold, having a thirst for blood is like an cocaine addict needing a fix, only 10 times worse because you might actually kill a person and rip their throat out in your desperate need and thirst for human blood. It doesn't matter whom. A Cold person's bloodthirst transcends friendship, love, rationality.

Tana KNOWS this. She IGNORES it yet again when it happens. Not only does she choose to trust the vampire Gavriel, knowing nothing about him, despite his veiled threats and warnings for her NOT to trust him, she tags along with him and rescue him from his chains anyway. When she learns his true identity, she STILL trusts him. Tana's foolishness, impetuousness, idiotic decision making never, ever stops, and I could not enjoy this book considering she is the main character.

Not to mention this particularly foolish moment: YOU WANT TSTL? YOU GOT TSTL. LET'S JUST DELIBERATELY BAIT A HUNGRY VAMPIRE WITH BLOOD.

He bent helplessly toward her.
She bit her tongue. Bit it hard, the pain chasing through her nerve endings and alchemizing into something close to pleasure. When her mouth opened under his, it was flooded with welling blood.
He groaned at the taste of it, red eyes going wide with surprise and something like fear.

NO! NO! NO!

Aidan is, as Tana admitted, the worst boyfriend ever. He is also the worst ex-boyfriend ever. As a human, he is a waste of air. As her boyfriend, he cheated on her, he flaunts his open flirtation with her, and he doesn't discriminate. Boys, girls, he kisses them all. More than one, more than once. He is a master at mind games. He is a smooth talker, a smooth charmer. Aidan has been bitten by a vampire. Aidan is cold. Tana doesn't learn from her lesson. Aidan is now not just a douchebag, he is a dangerously bloodthirsty douchebag. Before their journey, during their journey, after their journey, Aidan makes repeated attempts to rip out Tana's throat. Tana does nothing but admonish him. All Aidan has to do is smile, say something charming and wittily clever, and Tana will forget all his past wrongs. Tana is a fucking doormat on top of being an idiot.

And then we have Gavriel. The powerful, stunningly beautiful ages-old vampire who inexplicably, suddenly falls for Tana. His reason: she saved him. Gavriel has a penchant for overdramatization. He does not speak so much as make a statement. He opens his mouth to spout such gems of wisdom as:

“Fine, fine, everyone’s fine,” said the vampire, a mad gleam in his red eyes, crossing his arms over his chest as Bela Lugosi did in black-and-white films. “Fine as scattered pieces of sand.”

“You bid me to bide, but if I’m to burn, then surely you will let me put that fire to some use.”

"I promise I will repay you. [With] jewels, lies, slips of paper, dried flowers, memories of things long past, useless quotations, idle hands, beads, buttons, and mischief.”

Screw you.

Gavriel is at best, pretentious. At worse, a Louis/Lestat combination that never entirely works.

There a a pair of Goth Vampire-wannabe web celebrities and video bloggers who aren't even worth mentioning because they're just so fucking random. The twins, Winter and Midnight (real name Jack and Jen) serve no purpose other than to make Tana into a fucking Youtube sensation.

The Romance: There's a hint at a love triangle, and the romance doesn't quite work for me. Beyond the incomprehensible fact that Tana would feel anything towards the waste of air that is her ex, Aidan, her romance with Gavriel is equally implausible.

And then there is this.

“Allow me to explain how my whole life has prepared me for this moment. I am used to girls screaming, and your screams—your screams will be sweeter than another’s cries of love.”

How about you go fuck yourself, Gavriel? ...more

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Dec 10, 2014 Patrick rated it it was amazing

Full disclosure, listened to this on audiobook, as I do more and more these days.

Looking back on the book, I suppose that I'm not really the target demographic. It could be that this is YA, and probably targeted toward young women instead of men. (And by "Targeted" I'm mostly talking about the marketing, rather than Black's writing.)

That said, I really enjoyed it. And it only occurred to me right now as I was sitting down to write about it that this book might not be *for* me, technically.

I f ...more

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Sep 19, 2012 Emily May rated it it was ok

Shelves: paranormal-uf, dystopia-utopia, young-adult, coverly-love, 2013, arc

1.5 stars
Please note that I didn't manage to read the last thirty pages (approx) because, in short, I just couldn't do it. I feel really sad about The Coldest Girl in Coldtown as it was easily in my top five most anticipated books of 2013. Since the end of Black's Curse Worker series, I've been desperate to get my hands on anything and everything she writes and I confess to still loving a good vampire novel when it's being told by a capable author. And I gave this book every chance to turn it around. I really did. Because I wanted so badly to love it. I turned every page expecting the wow factor to be just around the corner... and it never was.

Some people have pointed out the similarities between The Immortal Rules and the goodreads description for The Coldest Girl in Coldtown, so I'd just like to clear that up: the books have nothing in common beyond the vampires. This book feels set in a world more like our own, in a future where vampirism has spiralled out of control and become an epidemic. Coldtowns have been set up to house these creatures of the night and humans are forced to exercise caution after night falls... or risk becoming infected or dead themselves. The protagonist is Tana, a teenage girl who carries the guilt of being responsible for her mother becoming a vampire. Sound okay? Yeah, I thought so too.

To give credit where it's due, the first chapter is excellent. It opens with Tana waking up in a bathtub after a night of heavy drinking and partying. Head banging, she stumbles across the house to discover the horrific fate that has befallen her friends and quickly realises that she could very well be next. The story after that moves at a snail's pace; in fact, one might argue that it is non-existent for the majority of the book. I really do hate a plotless novel. A huge percentage of the book is made up of world-building info-dumps and flashbacks to Tana's childhood and the time when her mother became a vampire. Even when I was 75% through the book, I felt like the story had gone nowhere.

The most exciting aspect of the novel - and something that might save it for some readers - is Gavriel. Why hello there dark and sexy vamp! Even I perked up for a page during that hot makeout session (what can I say? I'm something of a fangbanger) and, despite what seems to be a typical bad boy vamp cliche, Black does offer several chapters of background story on Gavriel so he becomes more fleshed out than other similar love interests. But I think the constant halting of the non-existent present day story was mostly what ruined it for me. As well as being annoyingly plotless, it didn't flow. They were all meandering about, pretending to be doing interesting things, when suddenly it was like CUT... and in comes the info-dump about Coldtowns and how they came about and CUT... here comes the story of either Tana or Gavriel's past.

Very little happened in the present of the story beyond Tana and Gavriel going at it like horny little bunnies (I exaggerate, that might have been a better book). In fact, what is the story here? I read somewhere that the ending is really good, so is that when Black gives us the goods and lets us know where she's going with this? Perhaps. But the thing is, I'm really not sorry that I missed it. I did not care where the characters were headed in this book and I do not care what happens in the sequel. Sad times. ...more

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Nov 23, 2016 Cristina Monica rated it it was ok

Shelves: vampires, did-not-finish

Vampires are… not so sexy anymore?

Objection! How dare you say such a thing? You know, I used to be so in love with vampires in my #preteenhood—after all, ‘‘The Vampire Diaries’’ was one of the first series I had ever read and I fell hard for it.

After that I read ‘‘Twilight’’ like almost every Edward fan on Earth and after that… I couldn’t stop. I would pick whatever vampire book I found.

But now… It’s not the same thing anymore. Things change. I changed. I feel like I know everything about vampi ...more

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Oct 24, 2013 Regan rated it it was amazing

Shelves: books-owned-read

A very interesting take on a very common topic (vampires). Also, I really enjoyed how the author included pretty much every type of relationship, gay/straight/bi/transgender. It was very modern, and I was happy to see it included in a YA book.

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Jun 04, 2013 Giselle rated it really liked it

Shelves: arc, own, signed

"What are they? Are they diseased or demonic? Are they citizens who have become ill, deserving hospitals and care, as some have argued? Or are they the bodies of our loved ones animated by some dark force that we ought to seek to destroy?"

And here I thought originality was gone from vampire stories! It takes none other than Holly Black to prove me wrong. Coldest Girl in Coldtown is not only unique, it's a fun, exciting story full of horror and blood with a little flair of post apocalyptic.

E "What are they? Are they diseased or demonic? Are they citizens who have become ill, deserving hospitals and care, as some have argued? Or are they the bodies of our loved ones animated by some dark force that we ought to seek to destroy?"

And here I thought originality was gone from vampire stories! It takes none other than Holly Black to prove me wrong. Coldest Girl in Coldtown is not only unique, it's a fun, exciting story full of horror and blood with a little flair of post apocalyptic.

Ever since a sudden outbreak of vampirism spread throughout the world, vampires are out and feared; even though they're kept quarantined in gated cities, you're never quite safe from the stray ones. Tana learns how true this is when she wakes up after a party to a house full of dead bodies. As far as book beginnings go this is not one I'll forget any time soon. Tana's tangible fear made this even more engaging. From page one I could tell she would be a protagonist with whom I would connect and enjoy the ride. I was right: Holly has fashioned a fresh and compelling narrative voice in her that persuades you to keep flipping the pages until you realize it's 4am and you're passing out against your will. Though if you've read anything by Holly, you'll know she has a way of shaping characters into real, perfectly flawed, and down to earth individuals; Tana being no exception. She has cracks in her exterior that aren't hidden from us; I love how she giggles in the most inappropriate times. This girl is scarred and broken, and she knows it, but she's also selflessly determined. At the same time this makes us feel sympathy towards the situation she found herself in. A situation that sheer bad luck and a caring heart got her in.

The characters Tana meet throughout this story all shine with charisma, and the villains with atrocity. The latter are portrayed as sick, bloodthirsty bastards who are conniving and vengeful - exactly what true villains should be. And since the blurb kind of hints at one, I can safely say there is no love triangle in this book. In fact, there is not much romance at all - which I was really ok with. What romance there is is mainly introductory, so I'm thinking we'll get more of it in the sequel (for those romantic at hearts). Either way, I trust Holly to balance it all flawlessly. We did meet the ex-boyfriend mentioned in the blurb who is really just that: an ex-boyfriend - if I even want to call him that; I still giggle at the kind of relationship they had. Gavriel is the one who steals the hearts in this book (probably even figuratively). I wasn't sure of him at the beginning, but by the end I was won over!

After the thrilling first half, the story does slow its pace. I never found myself losing interest, however, as it let characterization and world building shine through. The story is told through Tana's point of view, but we do get treated to a few glimpses of her sister's as well which is great to get an idea of how the story is moving outside this Coldtown. Then we get few flashes from the past that tells the heartbreaking story of Tana's childhood, as well as the history of vampires - simultaneously explaining the reason behind the "apocalypse". I found this incredibly interesting. The vampire lore itself is awesomely unique and scary with their 80 days crazy inducing "infected" period. I was also fascinated - and terrified - by the Coldtowns. Think of them like uncontrolled dog pens. How Coldtowns are active online as a sort of popularity contest gives them an aura of mystery, awe, and power. Thus, people are drawn to them, not knowing they're not nearly as glamorous as they seems from the outside. Poor, unsuspecting humans!

Also, the twist: Awesome!

Utterly original and completely badass, The Coldest Girl in Coldtown brings back classic vampires in this tale of revenge, love, and death.

--
An advance copy was provided by the publisher for review.

For more of my reviews, visit my blog at Xpresso Reads

...more

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May 03, 2015 Zoë rated it liked it

3.5/5

Not bad! I'm glad that I finally got around to reading this as it's been on my shelf for FOREVER. I really enjoyed the beginning of this book, but towards the middle it slowed down and I began to lose interest. The concept of vampirism in this book was also sort of confusing to me, with "the cold" and how you don't necessarily have to become a vampire if you get infected. I'm used to the straightforward "get bitten, become vampire" type of thing and this world with coldtowns and whatnot unf ...more

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Jan 07, 2012 Melissa Marr rated it it was amazing

Straight up brilliance! I thought I couldn't be more impressed with Holly's writing than I already was, but this book was EXACTLY what I wanted years ago when I finished her short story (which evolved into this novel). I'll be buying copies of this one for friends & family. Highly recommended. ...more

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Nov 04, 2017 Riley rated it it was ok

I really liked the first 50 pages but after that everyone and everything annoyed me.

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Jul 01, 2013 ♥Rachel♥ rated it really liked it

The Coldest Girl in Coldtown was a deliciously creepy and dark story, one that made my heart race and thrill.

Tanna lives in a world that seems not too far off from our own; a time when vampires are no longer myth but present and a threat. These vampires have been contained in our modern world into cities, Coldtowns, guarded but connected by live feeds, blog posts and news stories. Sensationalized and romanticized, but Tanna knows the darker side of the story. She has a sad, frightening tale of i The Coldest Girl in Coldtown was a deliciously creepy and dark story, one that made my heart race and thrill.

Tanna lives in a world that seems not too far off from our own; a time when vampires are no longer myth but present and a threat. These vampires have been contained in our modern world into cities, Coldtowns, guarded but connected by live feeds, blog posts and news stories. Sensationalized and romanticized, but Tanna knows the darker side of the story. She has a sad, frightening tale of infection gone horribly wrong in her family’s past.

When we meet up with Tanna, she’s like any normal seventeen year old spending her summer at parties and having fun. This all comes to an end when she wakes up to a horrific scene, after she spent the night knocked out from drinking too much. Now she’s on the run with her ex-boyfriend, Aiden, and a boyishly handsome vampire, Gavriel, trying to make it to one of the Coldtowns before Aiden fully changes.

This was a dark, mesmerizing story, littered with gore and horror. Holly Black does not hold back painting beautiful and yet terrifying tale. I loved every uneasy minute.

Tanna was an easy character to latch onto and root for as she wakes up, and everything is basically full throttle ahead from there on out. She’s determined to do what’s right and yet stay human. Her bizarre and powerful connection to Gavriel surprises and thrills her at the same time. She knows he’s capable of monstrous acts, has probably committed them, but at the same time she sees what he is underneath.

"Tana's heartbeat seemed to have moved into her whole body and thrilled it with a single speeding pulse. Everything was a little blurred at the edges and she wanted---she wanted him to feel like she did, like he'd done something forbidden…"

The romance in this story was perfect, and not overwhelming, yet enough to speed your heart rate up in whenever Gavriel and Tanna are together. The thing about a romance that’s not in your face is that you spend time analyzing every move and glance, and every word spoke, until what you suspect and hoped for is confirmed!

This story has some twists and revelations, and danger at every turn. I think it was a perfect balance of plot and characterization! I was reminded a little of Sunshine by Robin McKinley (one of my favorite vampire stories) while reading this and I think it was because the way it portrayed vampires, a little strange and alien, fascinating and terrible at the same time. Somehow the relationship between Tanna and Gavriel felt similar, too. Can’t put my finger on exactly why, but I loved it!

Fans of horror will love this creepy, unsettling and romantic story!!

A copy was provided by Little, Brown Books for Young Readers in exchange for an honest review. Thank you!

*Quote taken from an uncorrected proof and may change in the final copy.

You can find this review and more at The Readers Den. ...more

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Jul 29, 2015 Maureen rated it liked it

3.5/5 stars
I'm torn because I really loved Holly Black's writing in this book, but the story still felt too rushed and put together for me. There was lots of insta-love and the characters didn't really get developed - Tana did a bit, but barely. I can understand the rushed feeling because it is a standalone paranormal book - which there are hardly any of - but I've read some great standalones that aren't rushed and include some great character development - I just think this one could've been be ...more

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Oct 06, 2018 Mara YA Mood Reader rated it it was amazing

Shelves: favorites, 5-star-reads, autumn-reads-halloween, halloween-tbr-2018

I never thought I’d ever read another YA vampire book again. But I’d also never read Holly Black’s YA vampires. And Holly Black’s vampires are freaking vicious and vengeful and gory and felt more real (like if this were to actually happen in real life, I could see it being like this), and much more true to legend.

~~I don’t know what made me pick this up after having sworn off vampires years ago.~~ (it was PhantomRin's amazing fanart). I was so over them that I’d literally role my eyes anytime I hea ...more

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Nov 12, 2018 Candace Robinson rated it it was amazing

I've been on a Holly Black binge lately, reading all her books. Pissed at myself for not starting this journey farther back. But we can't turn back time, now can we? So, vampires are hit or miss for me when it come to books. I mainly dig the blood thirsty movie kind.

As for characters, I loved Tana! In pretty much all the vamp books I've read, I've pretty much come across annoying female leads. And thank goodness, she was not. Oh, and Gavriel, you are just the cutest piece of chocolate I ever did ...more

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Jun 20, 2015 Melissa ♥ Dog/Wolf Lover ♥ Martin rated it it was amazing

Shelves: favorites, fantasy-all, library-book

www.melissa413readsalot.blogspot.com

I freaking loved this book! I am going to buy this for sure! I haven't read a vampire book such as this one yet. It was unique and the storyline was terrific!

Tana wakes up in a house with dead teenagers all around her. She had went to a part with her ex-boyfriend Aidan. He had been bitten and strapped to a bed, he was also in a room with a very old/young vampire named Gavriel. So you can imagine that Tana was just a wee bit freaked out.

She has to break them ...more

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Sep 07, 2013 Sarah Elizabeth rated it really liked it

Shelves: romance, vampires, fantasy, read-2015, read-with-abbie, as, paranormal, young-adult, dystopian

“And I have feelings for you, too. Big, weird, crazy feelings.”

I have mixed feelings about this book, but overall I liked it.

Tana was an okay character, and it was valiant the way she didn’t leave a vampire behind to his fate! Even if the decision was likely to kill her!

The storyline in this was alright, although it reminded me quite a bit of ‘The Immortal Rules’, which is probably in part because I found the pace in both of them quite slow. But otherwise – dystopian setting, slightly differ ...more

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Oct 02, 2018 Noura Khalid (theperksofbeingnoura) rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: dystopian-and-sci-fi, 2018-reading-list, young-adult, standalone, 4-star-reads, fantasy, vampires

“Every hero is the villain of his own story.”

I made it my job to read every Holly Black book on the face of this earth. And what could be better than Holly Black and Vampires? damn, this book was good. I say this a lot but this was so incredibly different!

Vampires and modern technology. I mean imagine sitting in the comfort of your home and watching shows about Vampire hunters, Vampire wannabes and Vampires trying to lure you to the dark side. Crazy right? Truthfully, I really missed Vampire ...more

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Mar 10, 2020 Mizuki rated it really liked it

Pre-review:

I quite like the world building and the story is doing well so far. Vampire virus! The undead being locked in separated towns! Reality TV featuring vampires and vampire hunters! People who want to get bitten and be vampires! What's not to love!?

The ending isn't what I'd expected but I'm okay with it? I don't think there will be a sequel but if Holly Black decided to give us one, I'll be on board.

Ms. Black's writing never disappoints! Hope to read more of her books later.

PS: in the fa ...more

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Dec 22, 2018 Victoria ♡ rated it it was amazing

“Death’s favourites don’t die”

Didn’t think reality tv and vampires would ever work together but Black really did that!! I LOVED THIS SO MUCH!

This was the most unique take on vampires i’ve read in a longgggg time and i’ve read a lot of them! The world building was so well done, the characters were really interesting, I love Tana so much she was such a good main character. Somehow the insta-love worked well too, props to the author there wow, I found myself really hoping for Gavriel and Tana. Als ...more

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Sep 10, 2016 Ashley Daviau rated it it was amazing

It's rare that I come across a vampire book that I so thoroughly enjoy. The Coldest Girl in Coldtown was absolutely phenomenal and I adored it! It was such an interesting take on vampires, quite unlike any other book I've read with them. The world building was fantastic and I just loved the whole idea of the book. And as usual, Black brings to life characters that you can't help but fall completely in love with. The main character Tana is gutsy and doesn't let anything get in her way and I just ...more

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Jan 30, 2014 Elesia rated it it was amazing

Shelves: love-love-loved

*4.5 stars*

Ah, this book was so great! I really really thoroughly enjoyed it! It's like a zombie apocalypse but with vampires and I looooved it!! The main character Tana was so badass, but I really wish there was like an epilogue or something! Still, really loved this book and it was great to read about vampires again, it's been too long!

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Aug 11, 2017 alana ♡ rated it really liked it

Shelves: dystopian, paranormal

Vampire & dystopian theme all in one?! You had me at quarantine.

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Jul 12, 2014 C.G. Drews rated it it was amazing

Shelves: read-2014, paranormal, young-adult, 5-star

Oh wow. I haven't read a lot of vampire books, but this is completely different to what I've tried. I adored this! At times I was dubious...there were sections that made me think I wasn't going to rate it high. But then -- BOOM -- the beautiful writing, the epic ending, the horrible backstory. I'M SOLD. But in all honesty: this needs be a movie. It would be fabulous.

I admit! I was pretty dubious for the first 50%. I didn't understand a lot of the reasonsings behind the plot. So it felt weak ...more

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Mar 10, 2012 Brad Sells rated it it was amazing

Shelves: 2013-favorites, ala-2013, arc-own

The Coldest Girl in Coldtown is a unique and utterly fantastic take on vampires, with haunting and beautiful prose + a one-of-a-kind story. Easily a new favorite book of all-time!

Let's go ahead and address the elephant in the room: vampires? They've been used so many times, it's gotten quite old. But luckily, The Coldest Girl in Coldtown gives vampires a fresh and original spin - it's unlike anything I've ever read. And you know what I loved the most about these vampires? They're beautiful (thei The Coldest Girl in Coldtown is a unique and utterly fantastic take on vampires, with haunting and beautiful prose + a one-of-a-kind story. Easily a new favorite book of all-time!

Let's go ahead and address the elephant in the room: vampires? They've been used so many times, it's gotten quite old. But luckily, The Coldest Girl in Coldtown gives vampires a fresh and original spin - it's unlike anything I've ever read. And you know what I loved the most about these vampires? They're beautiful (their skin is described like marble in the book) and stunning to see, but they are truly monsters at their core. And Holly Black didn't hold back with the scary and terrifying scenes. I adored absolutely every single minute of this book. It's a true and shining gem.

The Coldtowns themselves are so awesome, yet freakishly eerie. Once you're in, there's no going back. And woah. I would love to see this novel on the big screen, simply for the reason to the see the Coldtown brought to life. Black's imagination is so vivid and lush (I thought the Curse Workers trilogy was great; The Coldest Girl in Coldtown blew it out of the water.), and she never held back on anything. There are loads of surprising and jaw-falls-open moments. The Coldest Girl in Coldtown will shock you, shake you, and never let you go. Plus side? You'll never want it to end.

That. Ending. I can't even compute what happened. Talk about a page-turner! While everything about this novel is awesome, the last 100 pages had me on the edge of my seat and looking behind my back - no joke. And this novel struck a chord with my paranormal side. I have never read a book like The Coldest Girl in Coldtown, but oh man, I adore this book to pieces. One of my favorite reads of the year... and of all-time!

And I'm sorry, but I have to talk about these vampires again! Vampires turn many people off immediately, since they've been done so many times. But trust me, The Coldest Girl in Coldtown is an absolute must-read - I cannot even stress that enough! Come September, run to your bookstore and pick up this magnificent new prize in YA. Eerie, chilling, and wholly captivating, The Coldest Girl in Coldtown is one of the best books I've read in a long time.

Overall, The Coldest Girl in Coldtown is mind-blowing and phenomenal in every way possible. This shattering new novel will have you in its captivating clutches and leave you begging for more! ...more

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Mar 28, 2017 emma rated it it was ok

Shelves: fantasy, unpopular-opinion, mystery-thriller-horror-etc, ya, magical-realist-urban-whatever, reviewed, eh, dnf, 1-and-a-half-stars

not terrible, just boring. i've been "currently reading" it (ha) for 2 months and i just...never want to pick it up.

so...DNF at a little over 50%

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Dec 21, 2012 Stacia (the 2010 club) rated it liked it

Recommended to Stacia (the 2010 club) by: February read for Rated YA-MA group

Shelves: young-adult, paranormal-romance, dark-or-taboo, vampires

Holly Black is one of those authors who I struggle with when it comes to putting her style of writing into a category. She's a little bit dark, a little bit snarky, and I get the distinct impression that she's going to write what she wants, the way she wants to, and screw anyone who doesn't like it.

Because of this, I have both a love and frustration with her work. Every time I pick up a book of hers, I read it and get caught up in the story. However, every time I pick up a book of hers, I find Holly Black is one of those authors who I struggle with when it comes to putting her style of writing into a category. She's a little bit dark, a little bit snarky, and I get the distinct impression that she's going to write what she wants, the way she wants to, and screw anyone who doesn't like it.

Because of this, I have both a love and frustration with her work. Every time I pick up a book of hers, I read it and get caught up in the story. However, every time I pick up a book of hers, I find myself annoyed with at least one of the characters; usually it's the lead female or one of the "sidekicks." Out of the five books I've read from this author, I've always found myself drawn more to the lead males than the females every single time, and it has nothing to do with their sex appeal. It's just that generally the male leads tend to have more dimension to them than the females do. And what is up with these side characters who seem to be weird ass parodies of people? In Tithe, it was Corny (that name still kills me). With this book, it was the strangeling twins (although the way their story ended was a sickeningly good shocker).

In some way, I feel like I'm doing a disservice to Black's kick-ass style of writing by not rating higher. This chick is a natural-born idea machine. She's also quite clever with her character banter and interaction. But outside the fabulous-ness of the Curse Workers series (which holds a special place in my heart), I find myself closing the pages of a Holly Black book ready to move on, no matter how much the story entertained me.

Where I give Black serious credit is with her bravery to write evil and gore in a genre saturated with a romanticized version of what vampires should be. Heads were rolling, blood was spurting, and the body count piled up. It would have been great to see the author just run with it and make this more of an actual horror story, instead of a romance with some dark elements.

If you're new to Holly Black and would like to try out her writing, I'd recommend to start with her Curse Workers trilogy. I have a certain fondness for Cassel and his mafia style family who can destroy a person with the touch of an ungloved hand.
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Jan 15, 2018 Justine rated it it was amazing

Shelves: 2018-read, audiobook, favourites-2018

I LOVED this book! I listened to the audiobook and the narrator did an amazing job. There isn't much new or fresh in the way of vampire lore here, but I thought it was an exceptionally well done vampire story. I loved Black's exquisite writing and excellent characterisation, which gave the story a feel of both modern and gothic decadence and decline. For me, it struck exactly the right balance.

I see that my GR friends are a bit divided on this one. I think if you are someone who really likes vam ...more

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Jun 08, 2012 Jen (The Starry-Eyed Revue) rated it really liked it

Shelves: audiobooks, vampires, 2018, paranormal-other, netgalley, arcs, signed, 2013, re-read

"If she was going to die, she might as well die sarcastic. She'd seen a lot of old movies, and that was definitely the way to go out."

Every time I think I'm done with vampire books, my favorite authors pull me back in with their own twist on this paranormal creature. Unlike The Immortal Rules, which I've seen this book compared to on occasion, The Coldest Girl in Coldtown occurs in a more present-day setting, not years from now when the vampire epidemic has already reduced the huma ...more

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Jun 02, 2013 Ashley rated it it was amazing

Shelves: bea13, physical-arc, arc

The Coldest Girl in Coldtown by Holly Black - I believe she gets to pick the weapon. I hope she picks me.

Nose Graze — Young Adult book reviews

The Coldest Girl in Coldtown is haunted and addictingly disturbing! This book starts off with a bang, and I promise it's a sign of what's to follow. It's dark, gruesome, and gory. After that, I'll admit that it took me a little while to get fully into the story, but once I did, OH MY WORD!!!

"They'll drink up the whole world if we let them."
Page 92

The Coldest Girl in Coldtown takes on an insanely horrifying vibe. There's lots and lots of blood, brutal ...more

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Aug 22, 2018 Steven rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: ya, fantasy, urban-fantasy-paranormal, read-in-2018, horror

Holly Black,

I don't know why I haven't read more of your stuff! I've read only The Darkest Part of the Forest before this one, a year or two ago, and really liked it, so I'm not sure why it's taken me this long to pick up another of your books. My mistake! I loved the flawed characters in this one, the depth of the worldbuilding without info-dumping, the creativity. Also, thanks for making sure you put representation into your book. Some people might call it "the liberal agenda," but I'll gladly ...more

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The Procrastinato...: The Coldest Girl in Coldtown (June 2020) Buddy Read Discussion - HeatherH & Katie	13	10	Jun 24, 2020 06:38PM
Drop Everything A...: The Coldest Girl in Coldtown	1	18	Nov 11, 2019 07:29AM
YA Buddy Readers'...: The Coldest Girl in Coldtown by Holly Black - Restarting September 7th 2019	171	319	Sep 02, 2019 01:59AM
Madison Mega-Mara...: #94 The Coldest Girl in Coldtown by Holly Black	1	1	Oct 20, 2018 06:12AM
Forgotten YA Gems: Coldest Girl Wrap-Up post	4	23	Apr 05, 2018 08:34AM

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About Holly Black

Holly Black

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Holly Black is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of over thirty fantasy novels for kids and teens. She has been a finalist for an Eisner Award and the Lodestar Award, and the recipient of the Mythopoeic Award, a Nebula, and a Newbery Honor. Her books have been translated into 32 languages worldwide and adapted for film. She currently lives in New England with her husband and son in a house ...more