Author: Rachel Tafoya
Publisher: Month9Books, LLC
Publishing Date: December 9, 2014
But when Bianca meets James, a reclusive empath who feels everything she does, for the first time, she considers a life outside of the Night House and a someone worth living for. But Jeremiah has decided to keep Bianca for himself; he won’t allow her to walk away.
As she allows her feelings for James to grow, she struggles to contain nauth's strong hold on her life. If they are to have a future, James must make her see what she's worth and what she means to him, before Jeremiah and nauth claim her for good.
Book in One Word: Meh.
When I first heard about The Night House, I really wanted to read it. It's about vampires; therefore, I must read it. And it's not just about vampires; it's about a Night House, a shady place vampires go to so they can feed on humans. (Kind of like a brothel.) All in all, it sounded like an interesting and unique take on my favorite paranormal creature. Unfortunately, it fell short.
I finished this book a few days ago and can't remember how it ended. (That's not a good thing.) I know the big scene, but I can't remember what the last page was about. Except that there's bound to be a sequel, and I don't really have any interest in reading it. The idea for The Night House was good, but the execution could've been better. Really, the title is misleading, because it's not exactly about a Night House; there's more focus on Bianca and her addiction and having nowhere else to go, and her romance with James, the other POV, who has a "gift." And their whole situation was just a little too insta and unrealistic for my tastes. The writing itself wasn't bad, but it wasn't my cup of tea (not that I like tea, either). It lacked depth and had more tell than show, and my gosh, it need contractions. Saying "it is" all the time gives the book a bad sound. It is yellow. It is red. It is dinner. It is blah.
I didn't love the characters, either. I mean, I didn't hate them, but they were whatever. I don't understand Biana. I won't spoil her situation, but after what happened to her in her past, the last place she should be is in a Night House pimping out her blood. I didn't mind James, but their whole situation was a mess. Under the circumstances, they should look at each other and think, "You're weird and creepy and I never want to see you again," and run away. I preferred it when they were together in the book, but still, I wasn't hardcore shipping it or anything.
This review makes it seem otherwise, but I didn't dislike this book. I just don't feel anything toward it. The Night House could definitely work for other people, but for me, it didn't do much. The idea behind a Night House is super interesting and, if vampires existed (do they?), plausible (though I don't know how they'd hide them from the government and all that). It would've been nice if the book focused more on the Houses--the title--and just the girl working at one, and less on the POV of James, who may or may not have anything to do with the Night Houses except for liking a girl who lives there. Overall, I think this lacked a central focus and needed to show the story more. (Seriously, toward the end I started rolling my eyes way too much.) And that's really all I can think of to say about this.
Did I like it? I didn't dislike it.
Did I love it? No.
Would I reread it? No.
Would I purchase it? Eh.
Who would I recommend it to? Fans of vampire stories that are less about vampires and more about how they surviveish.
I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review, and that in no way sways my opinion of the book.
I've stopped reading Month9Books because they pretty much all seem "meh" to me, at least the ones I've read. Too bad, this one does have a great premise!
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