I mostly loved this.

Part one deals with the mostly unnamed vampire. She gives a fake name to a lover and uses it for a time, Maria. She is in Buenos Aires during the yellow fever, which is an epic backdrop to the horror she creates. When a man, a short-lived lover, finds out her true nature, he captures her and takes a picture which haunts her into the very century we are in now

Part two follows a woman with a dying mother and a young son. This seems to take place in the present . This part was frustrating to me because I had all the earlier excitement with part one, and this just felt a bit too morose and was hard to get into. Plus, I really wish there was more explanation with the ending because that was especially interesting to me.

Out March 5, 2024!

Thank you, Netgalley and Publisher, for this Arc!

4.5 rounded up

Behind the beautiful vampire facade, this is really a literary exploration of grief, death, and what happens when the spirit is ready to move on but the body remains.

The first half follows our vampire, newly arrived from Europe in 19th century Buenos Aires where yellow fever has broken out. This part had the tenets of every good vampire story - incredible gothic atmosphere, longing, violence, etc.

Then we shift gears to modern day, following a woman who has recently gone through a separation and is grappling with her mother's illness which leaves her increasingly more and more paralyzed.

Though the two narratives eventually converge, my only complaint is that they weren't interwoven a bit earlier on. It took me out of the story a little bit when the perspectives shifted so suddenly.

I loved the writing and I loved the first third and a chunk of the final third, but the second POV fell a bit flat for me. I also am not the biggest fan of the ending. I would love an entire story following after the ending. The sum of it all ends up being a three for me. I do wonder if some things were lost in translation on this one.

First things first, that cover? To die for.

I really enjoyed this one! Thirst was truly a literary gothic horror gem. Expect themes of motherhood, womanhood, and mortality.

The book is split into two timelines, set in Buenos Aires. The first follows a vampire in the 1800s, freshly off the boat and navigating a new town after fleeing Europe to avoid detection. And boy is she thirsty. This half of the book was such a vibe and I loved how quietly terrifying it was. The writing was poetic and lyrical, and I honestly highlighted a good chunk on my kindle. The second half shifts gears to present day and follows a grieving woman who is watching her mother die. Her mother passes along a key to a crypt in the local cemetery. Guess who's in the crypt? I personally love books about grief and thought that added an interesting layer to the story. The second half didn't capture my attention as much, but I loved how they connected.

Heathy Cleary did a fantastic job with this one because the prose was so beautiful and powerful, I'm happy that didn't get lost in the translation. I love foreign horror and would eagerly read another translated novel by her.

Overall, this was a beautiful and haunting read. Highly recommend to fans of literary gems with a short page count and gothic horror about vampires.

I think there is something magical about the gothic South American writing style that speaks to me. Dual POV of two women during two different time periods. A beautiful allegory for grief and suffering. I was hooked from the start. A fascinating and engaging read!

Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Group Dutton for an advanced reader copy

Delightfully eerie and poetic. I devoured this book in one sitting. The fmc is riveting and hard to forget. The second half of the book left me missing the first part. I cared very little about present time Alma and finally realized it was like a bloodline love thing I forgave its dullness. I’m curious to read more of this author’s work.

DNF at 30%, This was not for me though I'm always down for stories of monstrous women and think they're worth giving a chance.

This book has two different POV. First half is about a vampire the second about a girl dealing with death and a sick mom. The first half of the book was so intriguing and I couldn't put it down but the second half felt a but rush and I just wanted more. More of a connection as well. But I absolutely loved the ending and the last few pages.

I received a digital advance copy of Thirst by Marina Yuszczuk (tranlated by Heather Cleary) via NetGalley. Thirst is scheduled for release on March 5, 2024.

Thirst follows two women. Maria is a nineteenth century vampire newly relocated to Buenos Aires from Europe. She is faced with a population plagued by yellow fever and her own insatiable thirst. Alma is a current day woman, faced with the mortality of her mother, and struggling to define herself as a mother to her own child. The two women are linked through a cemetery crypt, and their meeting changes them both forever.

This story is told in two parts. The first half is narrated by Maria, and the second by Alma. Both halves are written in a style that I found a bit distancing. The narrators are telling the reader what happened, but there are very few scenes. The result was a feeling of distance from the events of the story and the characters themselves. This distance also made some sections of the novel feel slow, as we were presented with large chunks of summary.

I did appreciate the new take on a vampire novel. The main characters here are women, which is a bit unusual in a vampire novel. These are women who are dealing with life’s issues, but are not waiting around to be rescued (or preyed upon) by a man. I do wish we had gotten to know both of them better, as that would have made the resolution of the novel more satisfying.

Overall, Thirst is a women-forward vampire tale that deals with desire, family, and mortality. I would recommend it to readers who enjoy a slower paced narrative novel.

This novel begins as a lesbian vampire story but switches narrators midstream. A sort of response to Interview with the Vampire, this story tracks the life of a vampire over many places and years.

3.5 stars. "Thirst" by Marina Yuszczuk, translated by Heather Cleary, offers a compelling dive into the realms of sapphic vampire horror, weaving together the lives of two women across time in Buenos Aires. The narrative unfolds in two distinct parts: the first delves into the mysterious existence of the vampire Maria (not her real name), set against the backdrop of 19th-century Europe and the Yellow Fever epidemic of 1870 in Buenos Aires. Yuszczuk's portrayal of Maria's dark romance and gothic brooding immerses readers in a world brimming with suspense and intrigue.

However, the novel's momentum shifts in the second part, as the focus shifts to a modern-day mother grappling with her own struggles amidst her mother's deteriorating health. While the intrigue mounts as the threads of the two narratives begin to converge in the second half, the story ultimately falls short of the gripping intensity established in the first part.

"Thirst" explores profound themes of death, illness, and the essence of humanity in the face of mortality. While the novel's latter half may not live up to the expectations set by its more riveting beginning, Yuszczuk's exploration of these themes offers thought-provoking reflections for readers.

"Thirst" is a recommended read for enthusiasts of vampire horror, particularly those drawn to atmospheric storytelling and dark, brooding narratives. Despite its uneven pacing, Yuszczuk's novel offers a captivating glimpse into the complexities of existence, mortality, and the allure of the supernatural.

3.5 rounded up. I personally love gothic horror, vampires, and gothic horrors that feature vampires. With the blurbs and synopsis attached to this book, I knew I had to give it a shot. I absolutely loved the POV of the vampire. Her journey of surviving through the centuries was compelling and I found her to be a very interesting character. Her POV resonated with my love of gothic horror, and it felt so real and immersed in vampire lore while also keeping a fresh perspective. The POV of the human in part 2 was less interesting to me, and while I understand why her POV existed, it took away from the gothic feel. However, part 2 was only the final third of the book so it didn't drag on. Overall, the book is a quick read and I am very thankful I read it! A big thank you to Penguin Random House who gifted me the widget in exchange for my thoughts!

I made it about 25% through before I had to call it a quits. The prologue immediately lost me -- I am not a fan of wandering beginnings. I believe it could have been great with shortening and a little less confusion on why she was there. The first chapter did not sell me any better. I can appreciate an aspect of the vicious animality of the character but the sex / murder scene made me uncomfortable, as well as what followed in that scene. I am a huge fan of Carmilla and the Dowry of Blood so I suspected I would love this as well!

Unfortunately, I did not feel comfortable continuing because it became a little to grotesque for me. I think that could be highlighted more in the description. I am sad because I always desire more sapphic retellings or just queer characters in general but this one was not the right one for me. I am sure there will be plenty of others who adore this!

I really enjoyed the first half of Thirst, I found myself wanting to keep reading chapter after chapter. Unfortunately I started losing interest towards the second half, and I pushed through but was quite disappointed with the ending. I think the writing is beautiful, I found myself highlighting a lot of passages. And it felt very atmospheric, with great clear descriptions that I could picture so vividly in my head. I would read more from Marina Yuszczuk even though this one didn’t quite hit the mark for me.

“Beautiful and obscene.”

This quote perfectly describes the book. The prose was beautifully written. In the first half, we meet the vampire and see her journey from Europe to Buenos Aires. Unlike most vampire stories, the FMC is not tortured by ethical questions of her existence.
In the second half, we meet Alma and she is dealing with the declining health of her mother. We discover the connection between the two women, which was well done. The ending was almost abrupt, I wanted to keep reading.

Vampire story of the century; a realistic take on what a Vampire must endure to survive and lessons of morality learned along the way. Composed of essentially a before-and-after structure, the novel flows seamlessly through a clockwise sequence of events. The story unfolds at a rapid pace and slows at times during which our human main character is grieving her dying mother. Marina Yuszczuk captures the most complex elements of a mother/daughter/child relationship with such effortlessness that I found myself nodding my head in agreement whilst reading and discovering how to describe feelings I had never before been able to put into words. Details throughout the story are so clear and precise in such a simplistic way, it was glorious.
Thirst is a novel I will recommend to everybody for as long as I live. I have personal issues on the subject of death and dying that keep me from reading any material surrounding the subject, though Thirst never once made me cringe with fear at the mention of death; moreover, solace on the matter.

The ending was what I wanted though not what I was expecting in the BEST way.

Overall, this is an absolute example of what a story should be; constructed beautifully, full character development, and leaving you thirsting for more.

I've read my fair share of vampire themed books, but never one that centered on a female vampire. And while the protagonist was female, the themes to other vampire themed stories were similar:
*** The vampire's origin. This one was particularly disturbing and gave me a brief moment of sympathy for the vampire, whose real name was never known.
*** How she survived her endless need for blood within her new home, Buenos Aires, which was in the midst of a plague.
*** And who she used to satisfy her thirst.

The story takes a turn when she has had enough of this world and an assistant of sorts lock her in a coffin. Then someone's curiosity got the best of them, and the terror begins anew.

The one thing this story lacked was something to draw my sympathy or affection for the vampire. Usually that is with a love interest. And while this vampire does have some memorable interactions with several people over the course of time, it wasn't enough to make me invested in them or what happened to them.

Overall, while this was an interesting story, I missed having a connection to the story and a reason to care about the vampire's fate.

Thank you to the publisher for inviting me to read this title in advance!

I REALLY enjoyed the first half of this one. The historical settings and the storytelling in it was so lush and immersive for me that it really felt like I was sitting and listening to someone actually recounting their life and history. I found it suspenseful and engaging and once it truly started I struggled to put it down.

The second half left a little to be desired, I think, but I did still enjoy it. Our modern day narrator I found much less engaging to follow, especially since I just kind of found her unlikable. That could have easily been to display the levels of trauma she was experiencing, and I understand it, but she just wasn't the kind of unlikable that I enjoy reading. She was kind of weirdly mean sometimes? Some of the commentary about her elderly neighbor stuck out to me.

Once their stories fully combined I got much more into it again, but I did feel the ending was kind of stilted. I did overall enjoy it though, and I learned that I DO enjoy vampire stories! I'm just incredibly particular about them now!

Would definitely recommend to anyone looking for lush, sapphic, gothic horror!

Thank you NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

The writing in this is so beautiful - gothic, dark, and sensual - both the author and the translator are incredibly talented!

Thirst is a short vampire story told in 2 parts. Part 1 (the main story) is about a nameless woman who is turned by a male vampire in the 1500s (?). The master vampire has created a harem of women vampires and he provides bodies for them to feed on, but then he is killed, and the women have to learn how to hunt on their own. And THEN all of the lady vampires are brutally killed except for our heroine, who goes on to live in the shadows, hunting, occasionally making alliances, and sometimes taking lovers, for centuries.

The story is told from the heroine's POV with very little emotion. She relays her actions matter of factly to the reader, as if she is not even sure herself how she feels about everything she's doing.

Part 2 is told from the POV of a modern day heroine, Alma, whose story converges with, and in a strange way, mirrors the vampire heroine's story.

This isn't so much a book about queer vampires (although, the vampire heroine is queer), as it is a book that uses vampire lore as an allegory to queerness. Our vampire heroine is persecuted, hated, ostracized, and occasionally even fetishized because of her desires. The book explores themes of grief, loneliness, death, and desire in a very poetic way.

This novel is set up in two portions. In the first half, we follow a vampire (whose name we truly never know, apart from the one she uses for a brief while – Maria) and see her journey from the old world to the new (specifically Buenos Aires). I enjoyed reading about the vampire and how she tried to survive in an ever-changing and evolving world, one that she didn’t really understand or get accustomed to.

The second half of the novel takes place in present time Buenos Aires and it’s about a woman, Alma, who has to deal with the grief of her mother’s sickness and the dissolution of her marriage. Obviously, at one point the protagonist of the second portion of the book comes in contact with the vampire from the first half of the novel.

This novel was well written but it was marketed as a literary vampire romance, and well, I’m not sure if that’s entirely accurate because the romance part comes so very late in the novel, and when it does it rushes full speed. I guess I was expecting more of a slow burn (or at least it occurred earlier in the book).

Overall, I did enjoy the book and enjoyed the vampire character a lot. But if you’re looking for a romantic vampire book I’m not sure if this one exactly fits the bill as one might expect. If you wish to read a character study about a vampire and a woman dealing with grief, then this will be up your alley.

*Thank you so much to NetGalley and Dutton (Penguin Books) for the digital copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!