The Coldest Girl in Coldtown

Author: Holly Black

Publisher: Little Brown and Company

Published: 2013

Series: No

Acquired: Purchased

That first line: "Tana woke lying in a bathtub."

Rating: 

I don't even know where to start with this review. I just don't. Words, for the first time ever, have escaped me. 

If I was to describe it in one word I would use 'Unique'. I will explain more about that in a later, spoilery, discussion post. But that word does just about cover it. 

Tana wakes up in a bathtub after a wild party that got a little wilder than she really expected. 

Her friends have all been murdered in a very brutal, and extremely bloody vampire attack. Her ex-boyfriend is infected and there's a strange boy tied up in a bedroom corner. And let's not forget that the vampires are still nearby. 

She needs to get somewhere safe. That place being the Coldtown, a place where vampires are quarantined, wannabes go to get turned and the whole thing is streamed like a massive reality TV show. Not exactly my idea of 'safe' but I guess it wasn't me running. 

I expected some sort of cross between Twilight and Pretties with a lot of focus on the glitz and decadence. What I got was much grittier, messier and well... so far different to what I thought I was going to read. 

Holly Black has brought vampires back in a huge way. 

I couldn't put this book down from the first page to the very last. Hence the five star rating. I read it in the bath, in bed, on the bus... you name the moment and I can guarantee the book wasn't too far away from me. I would not only recommend it... I would happily tell you to stop reading this blog and go get it RIGHT NOW! Right this second... go on... scoot.

For a more in-depth analysis and spoilers see here