Final Thoughts

[Angie, YA lovin mod!!]

Now that you are finished with the book, what do you think? Is it a great new take on vampires? Or the same old same old?

[Ashlee]

I enjoyed this book - it was an easy, engaging read and I found the whole concept quite intriguing

Initially the constant breaks in action (filled by chapters of back story) annoyed me, but as the novel progressed, and particularly once we saw more of gavriel's backstory, I found these chapters more interesting.

[Yesenia]

I thought this was a new take on vampires and our world. I really enjoyed this book from start to finish it got better and better. I gave this book 5/5 stars

[Ashley Reading Stewardess]

I loved this book and the whole concept of going cold and the possibility that one could fight off the vampire infection and remain human. I'm a skeptic when it comes to authors wanting to introduce a new take on the vampire lore, but this one was a new perspective that I thoroughly enjoyed. I would love if Ms. Black were to write more stories in the world of the Coldtowns. This is a book I will be recommending to friends for sure.

[Sydney]

I listened to the audio book version. It has to probably be the best audio book I ever listened to (I am very picky with audio). I very much enjoyed it and would recommend it to anyone. 4.5/5 stars

[Charlie]

I loved this book so much. Normally I would enjoy a standalone, but I honestly want this to be part of a series... It's too bad.

[Diana]

My opinion on this book changed drastically as I was reading. When I started I was so excited because I thought it was amazing. It had just enough suspense, and what a great beginning!! As I continued reading I went from thinking: "this is gonna be kick-ass" to slowly losing interest to being plain bored and finally, painfully finishing this book. Though the world building was really strong, I found the plot and romance lacking, big time. Disappointing.

[Megan]

I did like like the whole take on vampires and how original it was, but for whatever reason I didn't click very well with any of the characters and there was just something lacking for me to really really fall in love with this book. It was still a good read, though, and I'm glad I gave it a try (although I doubt I'll ever read it again).

[Oscar]

I did enjoy this book as a whole. While it's become difficult to provide a new take on vampires, I would say that while this novel doesn't reinvent the genre, it does offer a new perspective. Approaching vampirism as a virus has been done, but here we get more of a progression that stops at different points for different people.

I also enjoyed the whole concept of isolated vampire communities and how media has made them spectacles to the rest of the world. The Coldtown concept can certainly be written about some more, including a focus on other characters.

And like a lot of good vampire novels, I thought this book also draws inspiration from previous novels in the genre while still maintaining its own voice.

[Angie, YA lovin mod!!]

Finished this book just in the nick of time for the month! I too enjoyed this book. At first I didn't know if I was liking it, but I think it really picked up. Plus it's a stand alone which I have been craving lately. Other stories in Coldtown might be fun though, Black could include them in an anthology or something. I agree with the other comments that this was a breath of fresh air as far as a new take on a vampire story. I like the ideas of Coldtowns.

I really liked how there was a new quote at the beginning of each chapter. I like how they started out saying death is great and peaceful and then as the book progressed the quotes started talking about how death is a bad thing. Though .. I started reading the ebook and finished reading with a physical copy. I the ebook the quotes are in the same print as all the other words but in the physical copy they are in a really pretty handwriting. Not sure why the ebook couldn't do this same font?

I do agree that the romance in this book falls flat. I never felt that Tana and Gavriel really had this epic romance and they did seem like a instalove type of couple. The whole media frenzy in this book was quite interesting. I can just see us glued to our tvs watching this world happening. Though it did bother me a little how everyone just had access to internet and cell phones without actually paying for them??? Plus... you may remember the part about when people die the town piles bodies by the entrance and the guards take them and then send the bodies home. That would be very expensive. This bothers me because you have to have a token to get out of Coldtown because it costs so much to do a test to see if you are infected or not. I feel like shipping a body to another state would be more expensive then a simple blood test. This just bothered me a little.

I did enjoy this book... I found it unique and just an interesting story. I have enjoyed Holly Black's books before.

Also... I think it's San Fransisco that also has a Coldtown. But that one is shut down with no media allowed out. What do you think is going on in this town? Makes me curious why they would just exclude themselves from the world?

[Nora]

Just finished the book. I liked it as well...I'm not exactly partial to vampires...and squeamish when it comes to anything with blood in it...but I did find this intriguing.. I agree with Angie about the media frenzy and how we'd be watching these Coldtowns play out.

Again with this whole human and vampire love deal...not a fan of that but other than that I really liked the book.

[Tejiri]

I just finished the book and I liked the take on the vampires.

[Sierra]

I loved that book. It was interesting and it made me look at vampires in a new way.