Theo and her brother Marco are off on an adventure with their father amidst their parents divorce to a freaky town paved with spooky stories of the past. Theo and her brother are not immediately welcomed by their grandmother, Nonna, with whom they are just now meeting as teenagers, which leaves Theo feeling unsettled. As the book continues, we find Nonna to be a remarkable character with some tricks up her sleeve.

There's a lot of random characters that pop in - which makes sense as teenagers are surrounded by all sorts of crowds of people. Theo and Marco have fun partying on the beach of Oregon and making friends - and she runs into two guys who run a spooky podcast that she is a fan of.... ! Theo allows herself to be curious and is on a mission to figure out what's going on here!!

I think I was expecting more vampire content from the get-go, and it took us a while to get to the exciting vampire bits and have the story progress from there. It's a quick read and easy read, but I was expecting a bit more depth with the character development and more vampires from the get-go. I think this book has the potential for an even deeper story (especially with the spooky podcast and side characters)

I think that this book would be enjoyed by a teenager or young adult. If you like fantasy mixed into contemporary story telling and don't mind predictability, you'll enjoy this story very much.

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC!

A thoroughly entertaining vampire adventure. The setting and characters kept me entertained the whole time. Now, not a single plot point would be possible if there were a truly responsible adult in the story, but perhaps that’s the fun of the genre

So much yes! The twist on the Lost Boys I never knew I needed! This was fast paced, fun and unputdownable!

I was excited to pick up "In Nightfall" because of the comparisons to Buffy the Vampire Slayer (one of my all time favorite shows) and Lost Boys - and I would say the comparisons are pretty accurate! Needless to say, this is a book about vampires - though I did think it took far too long for them to actually be on page aside from subtle hints. All in all, while this wasn't a new favorite, it was still enjoyable! I do feel it dragged a bit too much in the middle but I think people who love vampires and have wanted them to make a comeback will really like this one!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫 / 4.5 stars
Thank you to the author for providing me with an eARC of this book via TBR and Beyond Tours in exchange for an honest review!

In Nightfall is a fantasy standalone, where Theo and her brother Marco have to spend their summer in Nightfall, Oregon. A small, rainy town where you should always be home before dark.

“Welcome to Nightfall – population 846 souls.”

In Nightfall is a very fun, easy and quick read overall that I enjoyed. I really love these mystery books lately that are just easy fun reads, but do leave me guessing while reading it. I read this book fairly quickly and really enjoyed the feeling of getting lost in the world created.

The plot is quite straightforward and fun. I especially liked the vibe created with the locals and what happens after dark. The stark contrast between the older population, such as Nonna, and the local kids is quite fun to see and can correspond with how youth “has fun after dark” with bonfires and drinking.

The pacing is perfect, not to slow to lose interest and not to quick for it to feel rushed. It does pick up towards the end, but that is mostly because the stakes are getting higher and time is running out quickly, so it really fits. I liked the little bit of podcast as well, and wanted a bit more of that to be honest. It was a fun break and new view on the town that was given like that.

One thing I didn’t really remember before reading this book is what it was about. Most of the times, I read the synopsis beforehand, adding it to my “want to buy/read” list and later on, just start reading. It is marketed as The Lost Boys meets Buffy the Vampire Slayer, so I really should’ve known vampires would be in the story. I really liked the eerie feel and mysterious air around the locals and trying to figure out what they were, if it was supernatural or if it could be logically explained. That unknowing made me more emerged into the story and I really liked the reveal of it being vampires, but I do wonder if the reveal would’ve been better if little hints were dropped earlier on.

The characters were fun and I liked them. Theo is very focused and goal oriented. She knows what she wants or should do and goes for it. I liked that about her. I also wanted more of Felix and Elijah in the story, because I really liked their dynamics and found them to be original as well. Marco was a bit harder to pinpoint for me and the locals were quite similar to each other. While the cast of characters was diverse, the development was a bit stalled. I feel like there wasn’t any strong development, which I would’ve liked.

The romance was a bit fleeting and felt like a summer romance, which fits the story obviously. It was fun to see such a relationship grow on multiple fronts! A strong crush, acting on it and seeing where it’ll go was fun to see. While quick, it didn’t feel like insta-love thank god! The familiar bonds that we see were also really nice. Theo and Marco are truly a pair of siblings, biting each other’s heads of but always having each other’s backs!

The ending reveal was really nicely done and it came unexpected! I really liked how the story wrapped up, although it did feel a bit convenient how it ended. At the same time, that didn’t annoy me.

Overall, In Nightfall is a fun and quick read that is very engaging and kinda makes you want to visit Nightfall itself!

great book and such great characters. I enjoyed the mystery and some romance. I also enjoyed the journey of the characters. I didn't know what to expect with this book but I enjoyed it .

Thank you to the publishers and Netgalley for this e-ARC of In Nightfall!

𝐑𝐄𝐀𝐃 𝐓𝐇𝐈𝐒 𝐈𝐅 𝐘𝐎𝐔
🌊 live on the Oregon coast
🎧 enjoy scary podcasts
🫂 would do anything for your sibling
👵🏻 have a grandma you’ve never met

• 𝐐𝐔𝐈𝐂𝐊 𝐓𝐀𝐊𝐄

After a wild party goes awry, Theo and her brother Marco are forced to go to Nightfall, Oregon with their dad for the summer.

• 𝐖𝐇𝐀𝐓 𝐈𝐓’𝐒 𝐀𝐁𝐎𝐔𝐓

Growing up in Arizona, Theo has never once visited Oregon, even though it’s where her grandma lives and her dad grew up. But all that changes after an end of the school year party gets out of hand. Theo’s dad decides to take them to Nightfall, Oregon, to finally meet their grandmother and to visit the small coastal town where he grew up. But not all is it seems in this tiny town - and Theo is about to uncover all of its secrets.

• 𝐌𝐘 𝐓𝐇𝐎𝐔𝐆𝐇𝐓𝐒

I really enjoyed this YA story. I have read a few of Suzanne’s previous books and enjoy her storytelling. I had fun guessing where this story was going and had a few ideas but my first thought was of course correct! Theo and Marco have a great relationship and really made me miss my late brother. I would love to see In Nightfall made into a movie!

This was another great entry in the young adult novels by Suzanne Young, it had what I was looking for from Suzanne Young. It does a great job in creating a unique world that I was looking for and kept my attention. The characters worked well in the story and they worked well overall. I can't wait to read more from Suzanne Young.

"And you know,” she adds, “if you’re not too busy this week, it could be fun to have a girls’ night. Beatrice and Annemarie have been dying to get to know you better.” “Really?” I ask, surprised by the comment. “I wasn’t sure if Beatrice—” “Oh, that’s just Bea’s face,” Minnow says before I can finish. “Trust me,” she adds. “If she didn’t like you, you would know. It’s just the opposite really. We’re all fascinated by you. Plus, your brother is always bragging about you.”

3.5⭐️

I received this as an ARC from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

This was fun! Comparing it to Buffy is pretty accurate. It's irreverent, funny, dangerous, & weird.

I wish they'd solved the mystery sooner & had a little more action, but overall I'd recommend!

You know...could be gayer.
Could be gayer!

Like, this was a solid 4.5 for me. I loved the vibe, the pacing kept me interested, and I found the draw of saving ones family from an unknown danger while also dealing with realistic things like divorce and getting busted for throwing a party compelling. What let me down is that the romance (which again, I like that it wasn't like, insta-lovey, I MUST save him kind of thing) was second bananas to the story of a girl trying desperately to save her big brother and family.
But like. It could've been gay!
Would've been nothing at all to change Parrish to a girl. In fact, I often found him annoying in the make up of our main trio of vamp-ladies and while innocent enough there were times when it well and truly felt like he was included simply so the author didn't have to deal with a sapphic romance.
Anyways, I guess that's a small gripe but this novel is full of strong female badasses and it just seems like a bit of wasted potential.
I love the podcast couple of Elijah and Felix and cross my fingers that maybe we can get companion novels about them since they seem to imply that this isn't their first time dealing with real monsters. I will also say the last quarter introduces a secondary antagonist that's only been hinted at but if you are paying any attention you know what's going to happen.
I think this would be a great book to pick up for a summer time Halloween reads type reading challenge and I plan to out a copy in my classroom as it's gruesome enough to appease my horror lovers but not bad enough to warrant angry parent emails.
Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for an advanced copy.

This book absolutely blew me away. I was cackling from the first pages to the last, yet also managed to be on the edge of my seat throughout large portions of it. The perfect balance of comedy and catastrophe. I loved it.

Theo and Marco had a wonderful sibling dynamic, the kind everyone wishes they had. They're close enough to read each other with simple gestures, bicker in a loving way, and know each other's weak spots in both good ways and bad. When Marco wants to flirt on their first night in town, Theo allows herself to be banished out of earshot... and does a little flirting of her own.

There were so many brilliant characters in this story that worked like perfect ingredients to a wonderful dish. They each added that bit they needed to for the story to come together in culmination of action, emotion, and drama. The dynamic between Theo and the male love interest was cute as hell, allowing for moody moments, and keeping you questioning as to exactly what his motivation was. Then there were the three main girls in town: Minnow, Annemarie and Beatrice, each of whom had personalities who jumped off the page, grabbing you with talons and keeping your attention.

The other well planned and paced dynamic that really allowed for this story to play out as it needed to was the recent divorce between Theo and Marco's parents. As well as providing that little bit of angst that every teen fiction book needs, it truly united the siblings in being an "us against the world" pair, so that when things started to go wrong, we could see that very clearly through Theo's eyes.

Honestly, it's so hard to write about this book without just raving and spoiling it all, because there were so many moments that I'd like to shout about. What I will say to sum up is that if you are a fan of young adult lit, horror, paranormal, romance, found family and literal family, any and all of, you will find something for you in this book. It's powerful, witty, engaging, and an all around power-house of a book. I had no hesitation in giving this five stars.

in nightfall follows theo as she and her brother move to a new town where there's something monstrous happening underneath the surface. i liked the atmosphere of the book a lot-- it really had me feeling creeped out. however, the pacing wasn't the bst thing about this novel because i started to get bored towards the 50% mark, but it really picked up (and got a little too fast) around 80% of the way through. i also wish that the other characters would have been explored a bit more because while theo was a good narrator, i think the book would have benefitted if it highlighted some other characters for an interlude chapter or two.

Siblings Theo and Marco Maggione are in for the ultimate summer, left home alone while their dad visits his hometown, but then they throw a party that gets busted by the cops, and instead they find themselves along on the 936 mile journey to Nightfall, Oregon. But, in Nightfall, things are not what they seem and the siblings are in for some serious chills before their summer is over.

Theo doesn’t know much about Nightfall; she has never visited, even though her dad grew up there and her grandmother still lives there. When they arrive, the grandmother they have never met, gives them only two rules, “Be home before dark, and don’t talk to strangers.” Both seem strange to 16 year-old Theo and her older brother, but they agree to the rules only to break them both immediately. On their first night in town the siblings meet the alluring Minnow and her friends, Beatrice and Anne Marie, and Theo feels a spark with mysterious Parrish. The locals convince the siblings to join them on the beach for a nightly party, and that’s when things start to spiral out of control.

In Nightfall is a slow burn, taking it’s time to slowly build its thrills and chills. But, the slowness works here, allowing more of a focus on the Maggione family, the strange town dynamic, and the relationships building between the siblings and the locals. It makes for a more satisfying and well-rounded read once the book transitions into a vampire slaying thriller.

The family dynamics are a real highlight here. Theo’s relationship with Marco is genuine and refreshing. And it was fascinating to experience Theo trying to build a relationship with the grandmother she has never met, and who doesn’t seem to want them there. Theo is also struggling with a sense of betrayal from her mother, who she feels is abandoning her in the wake of the divorce. So, when she has to confront her father’s behavior following the revelation that he knowingly brought them into a vampire nest, it is a raw and emotional gut punch. Theo must learn how to manage her feelings of betrayal and forgive the actions of loved ones who believed they were doing what is best, a struggle we all can relate to.

In Nightfall takes the classic vampire story and turns it into an intriguing exploration of family. Vampire fans will be glamoured by this story, unable to put it down.

Note: I received an ARC of this from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I've enjoyed vampire shows and books since I was a preteen and this was described as being a mix of Buffy and The Lost Boys so of course I was interested. And it was readable enough. I finished it fairly quickly and was interested enough to know how it ended but I unfortunately didn't find it to be anything spectacular.

In Nightfall is a book where our main character (Theo) and her family (father and brother) end up going to Nightfall to visit the grandmother of the family. Due to mysterious circumstances, Theo and her brother Marco have never met their grandmother but she seems nice enough upon arrival. But then the grandma starts doing some very weird, superstitious stuff like placing smelly dolls made of twigs in their luggage and warning them not to talk to strangers or stay out past dark.

Obviously if you read the back of the book you already know where this is going. And one of the downsides is how incredibly frustrating it is when Theo doesn't piece it together until more than halfway through the book. I mean, I probably wouldn't go straight to vampires but so much weird stuff happens that she just brushes aside that it got to be annoying when she waited so long to finally ask questions.

And because of her not finding out until so far into the book, the pacing was very off. Her finally accepting the news and the resolution basically happened in the last 50 pages I think and that made it feel so off.

Overall it was a fine read but definitely not one of the better vampire YA books out there.

Thank you to Netgalley and Delacorte Press for my arc in exchange for my unbiased opinion.

"In Nightfall" follows Theo and her brother Marco as they are forced to relocate to Nightfall, Oregon for the summer. The pair had thrown a party that went too wild and as a result are now stuck in the small and quaint town of Nightfall with their dad and their strange paternal grandmother, Nonna. Compared to their home in Arizona, the rainy beachside town is too gloomy and grey but the up side? Minnow and her strange group of friends who seem to lead everything in the small town. Turns out everything is not as it seems in Nightfall.

Young's book has been marketed as a "Lost Boys" meets "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" so of course I had to request this. And it's not wrong necessarily but I think it would be more accurate to tout this book as a "Lost Boys" rip-off. Other than absolutely nothing of note happening in the first 60-75% of the book. I saw reviews that said this was fun and a good mix of "Lost Boys" and BTVS and I have to ask: How much are they being paid? Cause legitimately, this book was so boring and absolutely just followed the "Lost Boys" movie but genderswapped with the addition of some true crime/supernatural podcasters in place of the Frog brothers (THEY DESERVED BETTER). I was seriously so disappointed with this one.

As someone who grew up watching "Lost Boys" and BTVS (movie and show), I was getting kind of annoyed at the shameless copying. I would NOT recommend this book to anybody.

Think "Twilight", but with some actual teeth. (And if Bella possessed an ounce of common sense.) In Nightfall is a fun, spooky, campy YA mystery.

Theodora ("Theo") and her brother Marco are busted after throwing a huge year-end party, so their dad packs them up and makes them leave Arizona to go visit their grandmother for the summer in Nightfall, Oregon, a tiny town that boasts one of the rainiest climates in the country. But although it seems cute on the surface, Nightfall's hiding a lot of secrets, and Theo begins to wonder if her antisocial grandmother's warnings to always be home before dark are right after all....

Young does a great job building an unsettling, supernatural vibe where neither Theo nor the reader can quite trust what's going on. I'd definitely love to learn more about the history of Nightfall. The grandmother was definitely my favorite character - I'd honestly read a prequel just about her!

If you're an adult reader who sometimes dabbles in YA, note that this is definitely on the younger end of the spectrum - maybe high school - which is neither good nor bad, just information. I think my high school self absolutely would have eaten this up. The villains were deliciously fun. I'd recommend this if you're looking for an atmospheric yet not-too-serious YA horror/mystery!

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the eARC in exchange for my honest opinion .

The synopsis of In Nightfall by Suzanne Young touts it as Lost Boys meets Buffy. I would add Twilight to that mix, as there are pieces of all three in Ms. Young's latest. Did that prevent me from loving the hell out of In Nightfall? Absolutely not!

In fact, In Nightfall snuck up on me. One minute, I considered not finishing it because I could see the plot progression from a mile away. The next minute, I was swept away by Minnow's attempts to save her brother. The ending and the fate of at least one of the characters continue to haunt me.

Sure, In Nightfall is predictable to some extent. And the number of teenage vampire tropes in the novel is embarrassingly large. However, Ms. Young does enough to keep you guessing to make it feel like a refreshing new story. Some of this is due to Minnow and Theo. Their sibling relationship is fun yet relatable. Minnow's devotion to saving her brother takes the story to a new level. Her willingness to not just see the truth but confront it and face the odds in an attempt to save one person is every bit as impressive as it sounds.

In Nightfall is not the stuff of awards. There is nothing earth-shattering about it. The prose is decent, and the world-building is adequate. The plot is familiar enough to be comforting but different enough to make things exciting. There is the snappy, snarky dialogue I expect from a novel by Ms. Young. Most importantly, it has vampires. To me, it's an easy sell.

I received an ARC from the publisher via NetGalley and am voluntarily posting a review. All opinions are my own.
While I’m not super familiar with either The Lost Boys or Buffy, I was drawn to the concept of In Nightfall, and I think that allowed me to go into this book without much in the way of expectations, and I ended up being pleasantly surprised.
One thing I noticed right away was the eerie small-town atmosphere of Nightfall, and how it’s much more than it appears on the surface. While it is a vampire book, I like that there was a sense of mystery around it, with the reveal well-paced out and foreshadowed. While it takes its time to build, once the vamp-y-ness really kicks off, it’s a fun time.
The characters are pretty interesting. Theo is a pretty solid protagonist, even if it does take time for her to come to a realization of what’s going on. Her brother Marcos is kind of dense, and her father is a bit useless as well, but I couldn’t help but love Nonna, even though she also made some mistakes and withheld some key information.
This is a really fun book, and I’d recommend it to anyone who enjoys vampire stories or other campy horror.

Theo and her brother Marco threw the best party of the year, but got busted and now their dad is making them spend the summer at his mother's house in Nightfall, the tiny coastal Oregon town where he grew up. It's a far cry from the Phoenix where they have always lived, but soon the siblings meet some very interesting locals who sweep them off their feet and into the giddy teen nightlife of their new town. Marco falls fast for magnetic Minnow, but while Theo finds these locals fascinating (especially Parrish), she also feels like something is a little bit off... and when her brother and dad start to act differently from how she has always known them, she starts to wonder just what her feisty grandmother knows and isn't telling her.

The press blurb about this being related to The Lost Boys really does spoil the book's surprises for anyone familiar with the film, so I wish the publisher hadn't used that in their description, but even if you know what is coming, the ride to get there is a fun one and the book plays appropriate homage to the film. I liked Theo as a narrator and she feels like a teen in ways that some of the supporting cast sometimes doesn't - while I can accept the magnetic locals not behaving like teens, it is a little harder to believe that the podcast hosts are as young as they are said to be. The air of mystery and confusion around what is going on builds good tension, especially when Marco and Theo's dad starts to act differently and Theo starts to question what is going on around her in earnest. I would have liked more Nonna action though - she is an interesting character that deserved more page time! All in all, this is a fun read and it deals with the complexity of being a teen experiencing divorce in a way that resonated with me, plus you know, mystery and vampires are always fun.

Thank you to Delacorte Press and NetGalley for the opportunity to read In Nightfall early in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you, Netgalley and Publisher, for this Arc!!!

Yes! A Lost Boys retelling, except the ladies are the boss in this one?? What? Do you think I loved this? I want to stomp down in front of some kind of audience and just slam this book on the table... BOOM. This was so good!

It's witty, charming, fast-paced, and exciting. And, there were some real thrills and chills in this story! Theo and her brother Marco find themselves in Nightfall, Oregon, for the summer with their dad. They are staying with their grandma, who definitely comes across as a strange character. But, what's even stranger are the locals. Theo and Marco are both immediately picked up by some very attractive people. Somehow supermodel stage ready in this small rainy town.

One of the things I really loved were the podcasters. Two horror/reality podcasters were visiting and luckily Theo quickly befriended them. Theo is a great character. Her reaction to everything is super on par with how I would react, lol. She felt very real to me. So, I loved reading her perspective.

This was an absolute blast and I completely enjoyed this!

Out March 28, 2023!