💭Thoughts:
I I was first drawn to this book because it takes place in a fictional town in Oregon. I always enjoy seeing how authors portray Oregon in their stories. This is a fun YA about vampires. The author says its The Lost Boys meets Buffy the Vampire Slayer. I’ve actually never seen either of these, so I can’t speak to that part.

I really enjoyed the way the story unfolded. The MFC didn’t know the town was full of vampires for a good portion of the story, which I think really added to the suspense. This was a quick read. I found myself reading late into the night to find out what happened next. The book was full of engaging side characters, including Theo’s grandmother Nonna. The author did a great job with her character and leaving the reader unable to decide until the very end which side she was on.

Overall, this is a fun and engaging story for readers who enjoy YA, fantasy, and vampires.

I really really wanted this book to work. I love vampires and this premise was a side idea but the pacing was just soooo slow. It took over half the book for anything to happen then it was all just rushed through.
Quite honestly nothing about this worked for me. The main character was annoying and down right stupid most times. The brother was honestly just as bad if not worse. I hated the love interest. I basically hated all the characters except the mean old grandma.
This book is a definite skip. There are plenty of great vampire books out there so do yourself a favor and read one of those.

Actual rating is somewhere between 3.5-4 stars.

There were things I both liked and disliked in this book. Firstly, can we talk about how gorgeous that cover is? That's one of the things that definitely drew me in!

In Nightfall comps itself to the Lost Boys, and fans of the movie will be able to easily spot references in this novel, which I thought was really fun. I liked Theo and Marco as characters, and I think it was easy to fall into the rhythm of their story.

I also enjoyed the vampire lore in this. It was definitely a fresh take on "this is how vampires come into being." And I don't think anyone is going to be able to guess that ending!

On the other hand, the pacing of this book was a lot slower for me than I had hoped; it's a lot more talking than anything. Then around the 70% mark things picked up, but it still wasn't enough to keep me hooked unfortunately. (I hate to say "it wasn't believable" in a vampire novel but... it wasn't.) That, and there are times when this book feels more like telling rather than showing.

Overall, I would recommend this book to anyone looking for a good vampire novel, and for fans of the Lost Boys!

This was a lot of fun to read. I love a good vampire story. I definitely got The Lost Boys vibes from it.

Theo and Marco are going with their dad to stay with their grandmother in Oregon for a month. They've never met her and think it's weird that their dad wanted to visit all of a sudden. But their parents just got divorced and they hope it will be good for him. The town of Nightfall is very small and it's almost always cloudy. That's tough for Theo who loves her Phoenix sun. Their grandmother (Nonna) is really odd. She wants them home before dark and is very strict about that rule. Theo finds a little stick and herb doll in her stuff. It's all weird. Theo and Marco meet a lot of local teens right away. Minnow seems to like Marco a lot and Theo finds a friend/possible boyfriend in Parrish. Weird things start happening and Theo can't explain it. She meets some horror podcasters and they tell her a terrifying story about their town history. She doesn't believe it, but then she finds a body. Marco is sick a lot and acting weird. Things just aren't right. Theo needs to find a way to stop the things that have been happening in Nightfall before she loses her family.

I gave this book 4 1/2 stars.

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for my earc.

I really wanted to love it but this was a rip off of THE LOST BOYS. They just changed the sexes (instead of a mom and 2 boys going to her dad's it was a dad and his 2 kids (M/F) going to his mom's. Instead of male vampires, female vampires. Even the dad was dating the queen when in the movie mom was dating the king vampire). Maybe because I am an 80's kid I was kind of pissed as I kept reading because it was almost a full retelling. She even recast the FROG brothers as a gay couple podcasters. Really??? its a thumbs down from me.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for aloowing me to revie this book.

After being busted at a house party gone wrong, Theo and her older brother Marco are in major trouble. Their dad decides to take them to Nightfall, Oregon for the summer to visit their grandmother, who they've never met. The town is strange, and the teens are cautioned not to be out after dark, but that doesnt last long. When Theo and Marco meet an interesting and beautiful cast of locals, they start stretching the rules. What can go wrong?

I enjoyed this book. I like the misdirect, making the reader think one thing might be going on when it's actually something else. I enjoyed the history of the town and how it fit into the present goings on. I thought the narrative was well oiled and cohesive and it made for an interesting read.

The Lost Boys is one of my favorite movies so a modern gender bent take on it was a no brainer for me. There was so much great humor in this. The opening scene of Theo, Marco and their dad was delightful. And NONNA. What a treasure! I also really liked Felix and Elijah. I did feel like the story dragged a lot in the middle. I wasn’t necessarily bored, but I was waiting for the action to really start. Obviously I knew where the story was going, but it almost felt like it stalled a bit until that reveal. I thought Theo was a great MC. She was funny and sarcastic and strong. I loved her relationship with her brother. I did find Minnow really interesting as well. And of course, the final reveal was one I saw coming, BUT I thought it was so cool. I definitely recommend if you enjoy Buffy or The Lost Boys. I had a fun time reading it overall!

Thank you to NetGalley, Random House Children’s and Delacorte Press for an advanced digital reader’s copy in exchange for an honest review.

#netgalleyarc Oh how I wanted to LOVE this, but it was just okay. The Lost Boys was def way better. This is super similar to the Lost Boys, but with an updated twist and a gender switch, but it’s no where near as good as the OG. It was a fun read but not the book i wanted it to be.

Theo and her brother Marco have been caught throwing a party. As punishment, their dad is taking them to his hometown, a small town on the Oregon coast called Nightfall. The first day there, they meet Minnow and her crew. Theo is immediately intrigued by them. However, weird things start happening, especially with her brother. Theo soon learns that her new friends might actually be vampires, and she might have to fight harder than she thought to go home.

Overall, I enjoyed this book! It had enough suspense to keep me intrigued but was not super spooky.
*Spoilers below*
I did think her brother magically being ok at the very end felt a bit weird. And I was hoping they would actually be sirens like Theo briefly thought! Vampires are cool (and I figured it’d probably be that from the cover), but I was like ooooh sirens??? Alas, no. However, the vampire lore here was cool and a bit different!

I received my copy from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

There is something spooky happening In Nightfall!

In Nightfall by Suzanne Young is a story about Theo and her brother Marco as they spend the summer with their dad in his mysterious hometown, Nightfall. Their grandmother, Nonna, has a list of rules they have to abide by that seem very strange and include making sure they are home by dark. But when Theo and Marco meet a group of teens at an ice cream parlor, they decide rules are meant to be broken and it may be the worst mistake they can make.

I was very interested in this book based on the blurb in which it is compared to The Lost Boys and Buffy and I have to say, it delivered…kind of. Young spends a lot of the first half of the book building an unsettling atmosphere which is nice but it makes a lot of it drag by. After the 2/3rds point, this book really takes off and becomes a super fun and slightly campy good time. This book has an excellent balance of humor and mystery that I really enjoyed and characters that I was intrigued by. I can see this being a huge hit with a young adult audience.

I just wish so much that this would have been an adult book. That’s just a personal preference and doesn’t affect my review at all but this has the potential of being a favorite of all time of it would have just had a little bit more to it. That being said, I do think it’s a book that fits perfectly into the young adult age range. If I would have had this as a teenager, I would have been properly obsessed.

Rounded up from 3.75 stars.

This was a fun YA horror. I felt that the author really successfully built tension although there were a few inconsistencies in the story. This was definitely a fun vampire book and I loved Theo, the main character. Will definitely recommend to YA readers.

Going into the book, with the description making comparisons to The Lost Boys and Buffy the Vampire Slayer, I knew that it was going to be about vampires. So I was a bit let down by how long it took for the vampire content to actually be blatantly put on the page. Yes, I as the reader could tell what was going on with the hints and subtext, but I was frustrated by it taking until 70% into the book for the main character to be in the know. So the beginning of the book felt very drawn out and then the end felt rushed.

I did really enjoy the setting of the town of Nightfall. A small, rainy beachside town in Oregon with a weird history, odd traditions, and where it’s not safe to be out after dark. The plot of Theo, her dad, and brother having to come to the town for the summer and getting involved with the locals was definitely interesting in the beginning. But then it started to feel a bit repetitive. I really liked the grandmother character, Nonna. Her personality and her motivations that get introduced later on were some of the more compelling parts of the book.

Overall this was a fine read. I just went into it with high expectations and ended up not being satisfied with the amount of vampire content in the book. Yes, the vampires are there all along. But I wanted more time with Theo being aware of what was going on.

I thought this was a good read. At first you wonder why this town is so strange and why everyone is acting weird. And then once the plot twist happens everything makes since. I thought this was a good YA read.

If you’re looking for a fun and fast paced vampire book, this is for you! It follows Theodora and Marco, whose father takes them to his hometown of Nightfall, Oregon for the summer. The population is less than a thousand people and there are many legends about the place, including missing girls and things that come out after dark. When they start hanging out with some of the townspeople, they quickly realize that something is amiss.

I loved following Theo as she uncovered clues about what was really going on in the town. The spooky vibes were great and there were some good side characters, including a badass grandmother and two famous murder mystery podcasters. There were some good reveals and action packed moments and this can easily be read in less than a day. Overall really enjoyed!

Thank you to Random House Children’s and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to Random House Children’s, Delacorte Press, and Suzanne Young for this free advanced review copy of this book. The thoughts and opinions expressed below are honest and my own.

What I liked about the book:
1. I liked the sarcasm and the relationship between Theo and her brother Marco. It was genuine and believable.

2. I absolutely adored Nonna, especially after she told Theo her history in the town! She was a total badass.

What could have been better:
1. I was definitely lured by the cover and blurb on this one. Given The Lost Boys and Buffy the Vampire Slayer (the Kristy Swanson and Luke Perry version) were two of my favorite movies when I was younger, I figured this would be a slam dunk.

What I didn’t figure was the book would feel like someone took The Lost Boys and made it into a Mad Lib for the author to fill out. It was especially hard to ignore in the first couple of chapters that this was a gender swapped, shot for shot remake of the film at times. Instead of the references being a “cool! I get that one!” they were very…cringy. Maybe if I hadn’t just watched the movie 2 weeks ago, I wouldn’t have caught as many of the comparisons and my thoughts on this would be a bit different?

However, I also didn’t feel there was much Buffy the Vampire Slayer­-ness to it other than fighting a bunch of vampires in a prom dress. Perhaps I’m missing something because I’m over 20 years late watching the television show, but I honestly don’t think so.

2. I liked the podcast and mystery ideas within the story, but I didn’t feel they were utilized to their potential. I didn’t really understand what the point was of her even listening to the first episode of the podcast focusing on the town if she had already met the podcasters and formed a relationship with them. I also didn’t understand why they mentioned episode two would drop and then that never went anywhere.

I felt like this was a check-the-box exercise in throwing a podcast into a story, which I’ve seen a lot more of recently. Other than perhaps trying to create a vibe reminiscent of Serial for murder mystery books or trying to show characters as relatable by listening to podcasts, I’m not sure what the theory is behind including this trait now and rarely do I see it executed well.

3. Unfortunately, the book didn’t really get exciting for me until the big reveal we all knew was coming at around the 70% mark. The romance was bleh, the characters besides Nonna were bleh, and the plot was predictable. Overall, just not for me.

4. I hate being THIS PERSON, but this definitely could have used another round of editing. A couple slips are absolutely no problem for me, but constant sentences where you can tell a word was supposed to be deleted stagnate the flow and bring me out of the story altogether.

Final Thoughts: Overall, just not for me.

Final Rating: 2 stars

I was definitely interested in this book because of the book cover and the synopsis. The Lost Boys meets Buffy the Vampire Slayer? Yes! Here’s what I thought:

+ I like the mysteriousness of the Oregon town, Nightfall. Something seems off to Theo but she doesn’t know what it is. I love the setting and I did like the addition of the paranormal podcasters which sets the tone for something spooky and amiss possibly going on in Nightfall.

+ I like the Theo and Marco sibling connection. I got a good sense of their family bond and the recent challenges in their broken family. And I like how Theo fights for Marco when things start to hit the fan.

+ The story moves quick and I thought it was an easy read.

~ Some issues I had with the story was that I wanted more action, wanted more danger, and wanted more tension. The villains didn’t come off super dangerous until the end climactic scene. I like my vamps to be dangerous – I want to be scared, but I wasn’t.

~ I didn’t get why Theo’s grandmother was so hostile and couldn’t help them out by telling them more about the town. If it’s to keep everything mysterious, it didn’t work, it just made me frustrated. She comes through in the end but honestly a little heads up on some of the things going in town would’ve been helpful to Theo and Marco.

Tropes: small town

Why you should read it:
*set in a small town, a gender-bent The Lost Boys (vampires)
*quick, easy read, lots of mystery and in the end some vampire slaying

Why you might not want to read it:
*for me, I just wanted more from the story- more action, more danger

My Thoughts:

This was an okay read for me but I love the cover and the nods to The Lost Boys and Buffy. I just wish it had more spooky vibes and more danger but overall it was entertaining.

Unfortunately this book was a DNF for me. And while It wasn't bad, and I wouldn't sway anyone from reading it, it just didn't resonate with me. One of my fellow booksellers LOVED it however so I would def defer to them in hand-selling this title. Thank you for letting me give it a chance!

If you are looking for some true '80s nostalgia with a Gen Z twist, pick up Suzanne Young's In Nightfall. Young takes the cult classic from the 1980's The Lost Boys (starring a young Kiefer Sutherland) and brings it into the 2020's. Readers who have seen or at least familiar with the original storyline will be able to guess how the story will unfold, but those who aren't will not be disappointed. From strong females to eerie moments of dread, In Nightfall brings a highly enjoyable read on the typical teen vampire genre. When a brother and sister-duo are dragged unwillingly to their divorced dad's hometown, they have no idea what make the quaint seaside hamlet so appealing and yet spooky. After falling in with strangers their sassy grandma, Nonna, warns them about, Theo and her brother Marco struggle to fight the alluring "cool girls" led by Minnow. The story unfolds at a great, slow-burn pace that has the reader even questioning if Theo's mind is playing tricks on her. I highly recommend this to teens who are sick of the angsty teenage vampire faire and want some slick vamps who they might be dying to join.

This was great. I loved the idea of a reverse [redacted.]. I don't want to spoil because I went in totally unspoiled and it was a great reveal. I loved how Young did the mini-twists and the ending. The two siblings (Theo and her brother Marco) had a great relationship and I found myself very invested in Theo figuring out what was going on in Nightfall and everyone getting out alive. Only reason I didn't give it a full 5 stars is the book drags here and there.

Theo and Marco get in trouble after Marco does a huge summer party at their father's house. As punishment, their father has them all go to Oregon for the summer to visit their maternal grandmother they have never met. What follows is the two teens dealing with the mysterious town of Nightfall...where the residents don't stay out after dark.

I thought Young did a great job with developing Theo and Marco. I got that they were two siblings struggling with their parent's divorce, and their mom moving on without them. I also loved the other characters we get to meet and Theo's mysterious grandmother.

The writing was good, though the flow dragged towards the end. One reason why I gave this four stars was that by the time Theo figures things out, there's still like 40 percent of the book to go. I just thought it could have been cut down a bit more here and there.

I loved the setting of Nightfall. I had so many questions based on the reveal of the town and how it was founded.

The ending was great and I loved how Young did a call back to old [redacted] movies.

This retelling of The Lost Boys was a lot of fun! It brought back so much nostalgia. I absolutely loved sitting down with this book over the weekend. The mystery to the town of Nightfall was done perfectly. I only wish we could have gotten more details and development. Parts of the mystery and lore never went answered, and this is the type of stuff I sink my teeth into. I wanted more lore, more history and more vampires. A perfect retelling. I honestly wish we were going to get a sequel!