Review Detail

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.