Published by: Little, Brown Books For Young Readers, September 17th 2013
Genre: YA, Paranormal, Urban Fantasy
Pages: 432
Format: Paperback
Source: Purchased
Tana lives in a world where walled cities called Coldtowns exist. In them, quarantined monsters and humans mingle in a decadently bloody mix of predator and prey. The only problem is, once you pass through Coldtown's gates, you can never leave.
One morning, after a perfectly ordinary party, Tana wakes up surrounded by corpses. The only other survivors of this massacre are her exasperatingly endearing ex-boyfriend, infected and on the edge, and a mysterious boy burdened with a terrible secret. Shaken and determined, Tana enters a race against the clock to save the three of them the only way she knows how: by going straight to the wicked, opulent heart of Coldtown itself.
The Coldest Girl in Coldtown is a wholly original story of rage and revenge, of guilt and horror, and of love and loathing from bestselling and acclaimed author Holly Black.
REVIEW
Heartfelt, opulent, deadly
The Coldest Girl In Coldtown is one of those rare books that takes a well-known lore such as vampires and does it well. It's inventive, enchanting, and driven by the need to survive.
Tana goes into Coldtown because she might be infected, because her idiot ex-boyfriend is infected, and because it's the safest place for her to be if she doesn't want to turn into a full-blown vampire. If she drinks human blood, the game's over and she's dead - then undead. Tana wants anything but to be a vampire.
But in her quest for somewhere safe to ride out the infection, she finds herself in the unknown and undocumented side of Coldtown. While glamorous eternal parties are broadcast on TV and streamed online for all to see, Tana finds herself immersed in the dangerous side of Coldtown and drawn to a vampire that might just be deadlier than any other.
This is probably the best vampire stand alone I've ever read. It's unique and well written. It doesn't fetishize vampirism which was a nice change. It spoke of the gritty side of being undead, the madness that comes with living eternally, the desperation of humans wanting to be turned, and had just the right amount of the luxury of vampire life inside the Coldtowns.
The characters are especially brilliant. Tana is fierce, loyal, and unwavering. She does whatever it takes to keep herself and the people she loves alive, consequences be damned. If something needs to be done, she does it. No dithering, no whining. I love Tana, and I rarely love the MCs of vampire novels. No predictable heroine in this book.
And if you're not convinced yet, there's Gavriel... Addictive, alluring, and dark, with just enough redeeming qualities to make you fall for him. Read this book for Gavriel if nothing else.
Characters ★★★★★
Setting/world building ★★★★★
Writing Style ★★★★☆
★★★★☆
(4.5 stars)
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