So Thirsty by Rachel Harrison is a 304 page standalone novel published by Berkley in 2024.
Genre
Horror, Paranormal
Opening Line
Sunlight severs me from sleep.
My Thoughts
Sloane and Naomi have been friends for a long time despite their differences. Naomi likes to live in the moment, to do what feels good, consequences be damned. Sloane prefers to be practical and cautious, and likes the comfort bred from familiarity. The two stay at a Finger Lakes resort for a long weekend to celebrate Sloane’s 36th birthday when things take a wild turn at a party with an eclectic group of mysterious strangers. Will they continue sticking to the paths they’ve each chosen for themselves now that “lifelong” might very well mean eternity? Can their friendship survive now that their new circumstances have changed everything?
I really enjoy Harrison’s writing – I find her work so eminently readable. And so for a good portion of this book, I thought it might wind up being a 5 star read for me. But over time, I got so annoyed with both Sloane and Naomi. There were times when they were both just the worst. (Sloane would be into staying in the cottage wrapped up in cozy robes and enjoying some girl talk for her birthday, but Naomi plans a surprise for her – dragging her along to a big sexy party at the house of the guy she just met at the bar the night before, and then has the audacity to be all like, “Try being more grateful, I did this for you!” No, girl, you did not.) And while I was into the romance bit, it was definitely too “insta” for my liking.
There was a lot here about living a meaningful life versus settling, the trepidation of approaching middle age, vampires and blood lust, but mostly it was about friendship during a time of crisis. The story didn’t quite take it home for me, but I (mostly) enjoyed the ride, and look forward to reading more of this author’s work.
🔥🔥🔥🔥 This book includes some descriptions of group sex, although from the viewpoint of a bystander
🔪🔪 There is definitely some violent and gruesome content in this vampire novel, although nothing that made this reader uncomfortable
Jessica Crawford 