this was terrifying and exciting ! such a deep dive into culture and very eye opening. totally scary.

They Bloom at Night takes place in Mercy, Louisiana and follows Noon and her mother as they try to survive ever since their town was hit by a devastating hurricane. A red algae bloom has taken over the town and something lurks in the water. People are disappearing. Can Noon and her mother make it out alive?

I was drawn to this book because of the cover. The cover rocks! This is the first book that I’ve read by this author and I really like their writing. I loved the creepy, dark atmosphere and the strong main character. There were some pacing issues in the middle of the story, but I really enjoyed the ending. I look forward to reading more from this author.

🩸Coming of Age
🩸Vietnamese Culture
🩸Queer Rep
🩸Body Horror
🩸Creepy

⚠️CW: sexual assault, body horror

3.5⭐️

I was instantly drawn into the eerie atmosphere created by the red algae bloom and the mutated wildlife lurking in the rising water. The setting was so vivid that I could almost feel the humidity and hear the ominous sounds of the submerged town. I was especially intrigued by Noon, the MC, and her complex relationship with her mom. Navigating their flooded town together while dealing with their unique beliefs about their dead family reincarnating as sea creatures added such an interesting layer to the story. I found myself rooting for Noon as she faced the pain of her past and the night that changed everything at the cove. As the plot unfolded, I was hooked by the tension created by Mercy's predatory leader and the demand to capture the creature responsible for drowning residents. I loved the dynamic between Noon and the leader's hunter of a daughter, as well as the old and new friends who joined the adventure. The suspense built up perfectly as the next storm approached, and I couldn't wait to see how Noon would confront her past and the monster within.

Overall, this book was an unforgettable journey filled with thrills, mystery, and unique characters. I highly recommend it to anyone looking for an exciting read that keeps you guessing until the very end!

Okay so first off, the cover is amazing! I was instantly drawn to this book because I loved the cover so much. The book also did not disappoint. I have never read anything by this author so I wasn’t sure what to expect but it definitely exceeded my expectations. The author flawlessly combined horror with mythology and a lot of other impressive topics/themes. I absolutely loved that there’s a sea monster but I don’t want to give too much away. This was a very unique, quick and fun read. I will definitely be reading more from this author.

I really enjoyed this one! I liked the complicated relationship between the MC and their mom. I really liked Covey. I don’t want to call her a LI because there wasn’t explicit romance, but they had a deep intimacy that was so special and meaningful.

I liked the setting. It truly felt post apocalyptic. And the body horror aspect was wild. Overall, I found this to be a great read that touches on many important themes and I recommend you check it out!

Trang Thanh Tran writes such creepy atmospheric novels. If you are a fan of horror then you have to read this author! They must be a must buy author for all horror fans. I absolutely loved every minute of reading this and will be buying a copy!

As soon as I start a Trang Thanh Tran, I'm locked in. They Bloom at Night is no exception. This was such an interesting study on trauma and familial relationships, while also being very thrilling and spooky. It's my favorite mix of things in a horror novel. This only made me more excited for Trang Thanh Tran's future in publishing. They have a real talent and this seems like only the beginning.

Thank you for the opportunity to read this in exchange for my honest review. Unfortunately I feel let down by this.

Pros: a great exploration of a mother/daughter dynamic, an interesting concept

Cons: it lacked an ingredient to hold my attention. Maybe not enough horror or I just didn’t feel immersed in the world. I was interested in the characters to an extent. But I still think it’s a book other people might really enjoy!

I think each of Trang Thanh Tran’s book covers deserves a special award! I can’t take my eyes off them. I loved her previous work, She Is Haunting, and she has outdone herself with They Bloom at Night by perfectly blending Vietnamese mythology, horror, sci-fi elements, powerful self-exploration, and messages about gender identity. It’s unique—something you rarely find—pure, refreshing, intelligent, innovative, and deeply emotional.

The story revolves around young Noon, who is navigating life with her mother, a woman traumatized by the loss of her son and husband. Noon’s mother believes they have reincarnated as sea creatures and forces her daughter to help search for them. This quest becomes increasingly urgent as a red algae bloom turns into a threat in Mercy, Louisiana, and people begin to go missing. Rumors spread about a mysterious sea monster hunting the townsfolk.

Unfortunately, Noon and her mother are in debt to Jimmy, a dangerous and powerful man who runs a shady sea emporium. He summons them for a mission: to find the sea monster that has been targeting people, including a group of scientists who vanished without a trace. Jimmy forces them to work with his daughter, Covey, a skilled and bookish young woman who knows how to wield knives and navigate the wilderness with ease.

Although Noon’s mother is opposed to hunting any sea creature—still holding onto the hope of finding her loved ones within them—Noon reluctantly agrees to work with Covey. This means returning to her childhood home and confronting the traumatic night at the notorious cove that changed her life forever. Along the way, Noon must also grapple with the changes in her body, her hallucinations of her dead brother, and the visions of massacred people trying to send her messages. To make matters worse, a hurricane is approaching, reminiscent of the one that once forced people to abandon their homes.

Can Noon learn to accept the changes within herself as she struggles to fit into the mold of an ordinary girl? Can she uncover the real threat lurking in the sea? What if the creatures in the water are not as dangerous as the greedy humans who hunt and exploit them?

Overall, They Bloom at Night is a one-sitting read with excellent pacing, vivid descriptions of the underwater world, and powerful messages of self-acceptance and empowerment. I highly recommend adding this mythological sci-fi meets LGBTQ+ teen horror to your reading list ASAP! It absolutely lives up to the hype, and I can’t wait to read more from Trang Thanh Tran in the future.

A huge thank you to NetGalley and Bloomsbury USA Children’s Books for sharing this digital review copy with me in exchange for my honest thoughts.

I think this just wasn’t for me. I love young adult books but this was more contemporary and juvenile than I was expecting. I think this will still resonate with other readers because the sea horror is something new and fresh I haven’t seen done before. I like horror and especially horror with fantasy elements like this one but I was just so bored. It wasn’t that there wasn’t action, there was a lot of things happening but I just could not connect with the characters at all. It’s mainly set in one place and the cycle of events started to feel repetitive. I stopped reading at about 40% to give it a fair chance and I don’t feel the urge to find out what happens next. I really hate DNF’ing ARCs because I was especially excited to read them early but I would rather DNF than waste my time finishing something I’m already not liking and inevitably leave a bad review.

this was such an emotional read. this was not your typical thriller with suspected supernatural algae, no, this was TRUE YA THRILLER. everyday occurrences young individuals experience including sexual assault, gender identity and general sexuality. it was so interesting to follow Noon on this journey to discover who they are in the world while simultaneously taking a journey to discover what the hell this red algae is. the writing style and overall sentence structure of this book really added to the reading experience, whether during happy times or sad, the wording and sentence structure changed with the plot and i loved that.

looking back at the book as a whole, i can understand the plot development well, but during the reading experience i was a little lost at times in regards to timeline and general content understanding. i still very much enjoyed this read, 10/10 recommend!

An atmospheric swamp horror story about a girl and her mother surviving in a destroyed town filled with mutated wildlife and strange algae.... and dangerous from the people all around them. Noon and her mother have survived the hurricane that hit the small town of Mercy, Louisiana and now live in a place where strange red algae has bloomed and has mutated both the people and the wildlife. Noon and her mother just want to get out and get back to the rest of their family.... but there is something lurking in the waters and the algae is creeping in. People begin disappearing and the harbormaster forces Noon to team up with his daughter Covey to find out what is causing the disappearances.... but sooner or later the place might force Noon to unleash the monster within her to survive. This was definitely a kind of apocalytic horror story with a slow slow barely there romance and more so focused on the setting of the place and the slow mystery. I adored the author's first book but this one just felt too slow for me. As someone who adores horror, this one still just didn't really hit the mark for me. I do think fans of more of an atmospheric vibe and not scary horror would enjoy this though.

Release Date: March 4, 2025

Publication/Blog: Ash and Books (ash-and-books.tumblr.com)

*Thanks Netgalley and Bloomsbury USA Children's Books | Bloomsbury YA for sending me an arc in exchange for an honest review*

3.5 Rounded up to 4.
This book has the creep factor and the ick factor that you look for in YA horror.
It is mysterious and post-apocalyptic.
It captures teenage feelings and wonderings as well.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publishers for the chance to review this book ahead of it's release date. I absolutely LOVED THIS ONE. I was on the edge of my seat the entire time, and I loved every minute. It was creepy, and brought me back to my post-apocalyptic reader era circa 2010 (but in the best way). I will certainly be reading more from this author!

I had never read a book by Trang Thanh Tran before, so I was super excited going into this book! I enjoyed the book and the building of the characters throughout especially Noon and Covey. I do sort of wish it ended differently, don't get me wrong I loved this ending, but I kind of wanted a full like runaway type ending. Either way I had a fun time reading this book and will look out for other books by Trang Thanh Tran in the future. Thank you NetGalley for letting me read this early.

I received an e-ARC of THEY BLOOM AT NIGHT by Trang Thanh Tran through a Shelf Awareness giveaway. Thank you for the early look, and have a safe and rebellious 2025!

I'm gonna be honest and say I was really apprehensive going into this book. Tran's first book was a bit of a let down for me so I was worried the same thing would happen here. I am so glad that this wasn't the case.
I really liked this book. I was a little confused at first and this book just throws you into the deep end from the start. That being said as the story progressed and we learn more about Noon and her mom and the world they are in things all start to come together.
This story is very bleak for most of it which I really appreciated. Often YA authors are afraid to make things bleak and gripping for to long but Tran definitely didn't hold back in this one. I really liked the dark and angry undertones this book had. I felt like the slow simmering anger that built throughout the whole book really brought some realism to the situation Tran set up.
When it was all said and done I really liked reading this book. I liked the character and the world. I liked what Tran did with the atmosphere and the slow boil this book came to. This had definitely convinced me to keep reading Trans books.

This one was so interesting, and feels unique too. There are some aspects to this book that felt like The Last of Us (Playstation, 2013), otherwise I felt like I was always guessing what would come next. The vibes get pretty eerie, and while this book starts out as a "I could see this happening" it ends up taking a bit of a fantasy vibe in the end.

Noon was such a well written character too, she goes through it and really has some great character development. She's dealing with sexual assault, losing her family members, gender identity crisis, and somehow changing into something.....other than human. It was really cool to see her go from a shy girl that wouldn't even speak up to her mom to someone that took down an entire Emporium of bad guys. Noon exhibited both internal and external changes throughout the course of this book, and I really loved it.

Some parts of this book were a bit slower than others, but the moments where Noon shows some changes and finds out a little bit more about herself, those were the moments I craved. Tran definitely did a good job of trickling in details over the course of the book - just enough to be pulled in, without ending up too info-dumpy all at once. The writing in this book really captured my interest, and I thoroughly enjoyed this.

Overall, this book was deliciously creepy and post apocolyptic-ish, and I was hooked from the very start. I thought about this book even when I wasn't reading, and used my day off to binge a bulk of the book in one sitting. I am excited for this one to enter the world so more people can enjoy it!
Content warnings: sexual assault, pedophilia (ages: 14 & 18, 17 & 20), loss of a loved one, grief, trauma, body injury, violence, self harm, child abuse, rape (mentioned/off page), death

Trang Thanh Tran is an absolute master at atmospheric horror. Throughout the entirety of the book, I could picture the surroundings of Mercy as if I were seeing it with my own two eyes. Though I struggled a bit with the pacing in the last 50-75 pages, I was invested enough in seeing what happened to the characters that I was able to push through. I am always a sucker for a queer coming of age story, but it was somehow made even better with the horror element.

This book was terrifying but also highly captivating. I enjoyed Trang Thanh Tran's first book more, but will still recommend it to teens who enjoy horror with sci-fi elements.