Till Death

Till Death is an emotional angst-ridden book of grief, acceptance, and moving forward. I do enjoy a good vampire novel every now and then and while many of the YA vampires I've read in the past glamorize the life of vampires this story felt grounded in humanity and social justice. Most paranormal stories focus on the cool aspects of vampires; superhuman strength and otherworldly powers. This story focuses on vampire's dangerous instincts while also showing it how incredibly lonely it is to lose everything you love while time seems never-ending for them. Through this lens it gave George additional depth to his character as he grieves he lingers in the past and tries to grapple with the modern world he's living in.

As for the romance, it seems believable (even with the large age gap) by Howard being an old soul. His connection to older media and volunteering with seniors makes him more appreciative and have respect for the past. This factor instantly connects the two, kickstarting their relationship, but there is still a difference between their maturity level throughout the characters as readers see through deeper conversations between the two. The romance is fast-moving and feels intense at times especially when it shifts towards the latter part of the book. The first part of the novel seems slow-moving while the second part of the novel seems to speed by. It felt a bit jarring and because of this, I felt the book could be longer and split into three parts instead.

What I liked most about this novel is that all of the characters felt relatable and the plot twist in the second half that threw me for a loop! My only critique is that parts of the narrative had information dumps that stood out among the story rather than blending into the plot. I do think readers of supernatural stories should seek out this novel if they are looking for a different niche in vampire stories.

What I Liked: This book opens up by sharing both George and Howard’s point of view before they encounter each other at Meadows. The relationship between George and James is beautiful and has you unable to put the book down even when you know that James is nearing his time. Throughout the book you can’t help but hope that there is a different ending for James so that he has more time with his grandson, Sue, or with George, or so he can develop some sort of relationship with Howard before George and Howard become a thing. While the story doesn’t center around James, he is a big portion of the story because many of George’s future actions are because of his past with James and the people that were in James’s life who impacted him negatively.

At first the relationship between George and Howard seems a bit quick paced and unnatural. The age gap between them is quite apparent when James is around or when George is bringing up things from the past. The only times in which the age difference doesn’t seem apparent is when they are on their own or when we are reminded that George was turned into a vampire when he was a teenager so visibly, he hasn’t aged.

There is a lot of complexity within this book, and I have mixed feelings about it because of the inherit age gap in the relationship between George and Howard. I don’t want to give any spoilers, but the ending of this book leaves you with a lot to think on. Along with this closing you also begin to recognize that while so many years have passed and George has experienced a lot in the world, his mentality hasn’t grown beyond one of a teenager and that is shown in his actions. Regardless of the mixed feelings between George and Howard, this book is an important read as it provides a lot of commentary regarding the queer community.

This book provides a lot of commentary on what it’s like for queer people now and how some of that is similar to the ways in which queer people lived in the past. Something else that makes you pause while reading the book is the commentary regarding how people’s hatred has indirectly caused many queer people’s deaths and how some of that hatred also directly causes queer people’s death, and where someone’s place is in all of that when given the opportunity to right those wrongs.

Final Verdict: Till Death is a chilling vampire book that tackles important topics such as death, queerness through the years, family, and friends. This book has a romantic plot that ties everything together and explains many of the character’s actions, but it isn’t the main point of this story. This book is perfect for young adults grappling with who they are and the choices they have to make or young adults who are finding themselves and struggling with what being queer means to them and for them.