Description from Goodreads:
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.
ISBN: 9780316213103
Release date: September 3, 2013
Now the review!
I admit, I tried to quit this book. It was available on audio at the library, I needed a new audio, and I picked it up without knowing much about it. This was my first Holly Black novel as well, as none of her other works really ever caught my eye. So, I downloaded it, started it up, and actually enjoyed the beginning quite a bit: the house full of corpses, the suspense, the idea of glamorous Coldtowns. However, and maybe it was because I was haphazardly listening, I found myself lost rather quickly and quite confused, as if I had missed something that Tana hadn't.
So after a few chapters of meh, I quit.
Then, a few weeks later, I noticed a 5-star review by my BFF and book soulmate, and knew I had to try it again. I picked up the hard copy to refresh my memory of the first few chapters, and dove back into the audiobook.
It was much better the second time, but maybe because I had my friend's voice in my head the whole time: do it! it was amazing! and because I had taken the time to remind myself what had happened. Honestly, I'm not sure why I didn't catch on the first time, but it may have been something to do with the audio narrator's voice, which was pretty grim-sounding, and a little boring, although I hate to admit it. Aidan sounded way less annoying on paper, as well.
However, I gave the audiobook another try, and it worked out much better. The world is so similar to our own, like a parallel timeline where Instagram and Tumblr exist, but so do murderous vampires. I LOVED that. It made me think about what my life would be like, what I would choose, and how the world would be different if monsters were real.
I was wary of another vampire/mortal romance, and while the story totally goes there, it was developed and slow enough to make sense. I liked Gavriel.
Tana, on the other hand, did not shine through as a genre-shaking heroine like I'd hoped. I feel like we are left guessing about what kind of person she is, besides utterly reckless. Valentina, Jameson, and other supporting characters are basically gray, blobby blips on Tana's radar that sometimes help and sometimes get in her way. The entire world of characters could have died, and Tana would have climbed over them to find Pearl. I understand, but still, I felt the loss of connection to anyone besides Gavriel was a major down side of the book. She even leaves Aidan behind--admittedly for her own safety--with only a few regretful thoughts here and there which are drowned out by new boss fights in which Tana loses yet another dress.
That, I was annoyed by. I mean, a girl needs friends. So I was relieved by Pauline's off-stage character, a little. I wish she would have been in there, it could have been fun!
What I did like about Tana was her fearlessness. Or rather, her ability to ignore fear and go plunging toward doom with a crossbow. She gets some serious vampire slaying on. The fights, the danger, and the inner workings of the Coldtown were interesting to read about.
I also appreciated the flashbacks to Gavriel's past, which added a spicy layer to the vampire story casserole. The pieces of the puzzle were gradually laid out and only put together at the end. The end reveal was kind of abrupt, and I don't really know how Tana figured it out, but whatever. By that point I had to assume she was 100x smarter than I.
The action was constant, if confusing and bloody. I was definitely interested at all times, which is a major plus. The suspense is intense, especially when the audio accompanies tense moments with creepy music, and I am alone at night walking to school, for instance.
In summary, I enjoyed TCGiCT the second time, and I'm glad I gave it another chance. It wasn't my favorite vamp YA (Vampire Academy will forever hold that torch, perhaps), but it was a great take on the myths. The parallel world was eerily similar to ours, and the romance is well-developed, making for a beautiful, bloody read.
Rating:
Banyan tree (4/5)
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