Title: So Thirsty
Author: Rachel Harrison
Publisher: Berkley
Publication date: September 10, 2024
Length: 304 pages
Genre: Horror
Source: Purchased
Rating:

Rachel Harrison’s books are always a (gruesome) treat, and So Thirsty is an absolute gem. This book lets us know right up front — hey, it’s on the cover! — that this is a vampire story. But the how and why of it all are just so perfectly developed that it’s not at all what you’d expect.

If there is a happy medium between being a resigned, mildly depressed thirty-six-year-old woman with a thankless job and cheating husband, and being an immortal vampire indulging her lust for blood and sex and her desire for love and excitement, it sure would be nice to find it.

We start with Sloane, a woman in her mid-30s, whose life is snug, secure, and unsatisfying. She’s committed to her multi-step daily skin routine, but the signs of aging keep creeping in anyway. Her husband Joel is a cheater, but she chooses not to confront him, preferring to avoid having to actually so something about it. When Joel sends her off on a surprise birthday weekend with her best friend Naomi, she’s startled and a bit disconcerted that he planned this for her… and rightfully suspicious that he has ulterior motives. (Note to cheaters: Don’t forget about that doorbell camera!)

Naomi arrives at their ultra-posh lakeside resort and immediately shakes things up. They’ve been best friends since their teens, but their lives have taken very different directions since then. Naomi works for an up-and-coming rockstar — who is also her boyfriend — and she’s impulsive, glamorous, and impatient with Sloane’s safe (boring) life. This is not the Sloane she once knew, and she wants to force her out of her complacency.

She does so by taking Sloane to a party with strangers they’ve just met. Behind the gates of their remote mansion, the strangers are welcoming and wild. Sloane fears they’ve stumbled into an orgy; Naomi urges her to unwind and let things happen. One of the men in particular seems to have an intense, instant connection to Sloane, but she’s skittish and reluctant to risk the safety of her cocooned life, no matter how much temptation is staring her in the face. However, all choice is soon taken from both Sloane and Naomi, as a terrifying moment leads to their transformation and the start of a new life for both women.

As I mentioned earlier, the fact that Sloane and Naomi become vampires isn’t particularly surprising, given the cover and blurb. What makes this interesting is their response and experiences. The need for blood is described as an intense thirst, and the thirst represents not just the literal requirement for blood as a life-sustaining substance, but all the elements missing from Sloane’s former life — the passion for excitement, taking risks, grabbing all that life has to offer. The thirst is what Sloane will need to both embrace and control if she’s to have any sort of future at all, and to do so, she’ll have to break down the careful barriers she’s put up over the years.

I loved the insights into both Sloane and Naomi as individuals, as well as their shared dynamic. Their bond is threatened to the point of almost breaking, but ultimately it’s their love for one another that keeps them going, even in the worst of moments.

My main quibble with So Thirsty is that the vampires they encounter are introduced as a group, and there isn’t all that much to differentiate one from another. Beyond that, a few seem a bit too stereotypically vampire-y — are they intentionally aping a vampire vibe, or is this just who they are? (And also, I could definitely have done without the orgy… )

Quibbles aside, I thought the complicated relationship between Sloane and Naomi was particularly well done. Their shared history means they know each other better than anyone else, but also leads to possibly unreasonable expectations. They each want the other to pursue better options and live their best lives — but their perspectives on what that might look like aren’t actually in sync.

Does that sound less bloody than what you’d expect in a vampire novel? Never fear! Those looking for classic horror elements won’t be disappointed — yes, there’s introspection and a focus on relationships, but there’s also plenty of blood and gore. Really, lots and lots of blood and gore. Violent incidents are used to startling, scary effect, and there are a few characters met along the way who are simply terrifying.

So Thirsty is a totally absorbing read, and such a blast for readers (like me) who’ve read tons of vampire stories already, and are hungry (thirsty?!) for a new twist. So Thirsty is not quite as great as Such Sharp Teeth or Cackle, but I still enjoyed it immensely. A bloody good read for these creepy days of late October!