This was an fascinating concept interweaving queer identity and body horror that I enjoyed but the plot was a little baggy in places.

After a hurricane has devastated the town of Mercy in Louisiana and red algae bloom has taken over. The wildlife has been mutated and there are fears of monsters preying on the few remaining residents. Vietnamese American teen Noon is dealing with trauma that happened long before the storm, struggling with her identity and trying to navigating life with her Mum who is convinced their family has been reincarnated as sea monsters. Then the town's sinister leader demands they bring him a monster

I did love the writing, there is a growing sense of foreboding throughout much of this and the central relationships between Noon and her mother (very complex) and of Noon and Covey, the daughter of the town's lead predator, were really well crafted. And the body horror also worked for me, which was a surprise as I'm not a natural horror reader. Noon is beginning to transform mentally as well as physically and believes there maybe a monster itching to get out of her skin. And there are some fairly detailed body transformation descriptions in here but it's very much in the service of the story. It's connected to the mythological elements of the story as well as the broader theme of transformation. And in this book the most dangerous monsters are very much the ones walking on the land, not the ones coming from the sea.

What worked less well for me was how everything was brought together. There is a lot of great rep in here, it's very queers, it examines identity, sexuality and has references to SA, but it didn't always flow with the story and some of the connections felt a little forced or seemed to come from nowhere. The friends that become the side kicks to the action always seemed very tacked on although they did have a role to play in Noon growing awareness of her own identity, but it never quite worked for me. But having said all that I still really enjoying this, I just wanted it to be a tighter, with a less cumbersome flow. If you enjoy queer horror and books that are on the darker side then it's definitely worth a read.

4 Stars!

Synopsis: The Bloom changed everything. Now Noon must hunt the monsters in the Bloom, for freedom, for peace, but Noon knows that sometimes people are the worst monsters of all.

CW/TW: Drowning/Violence/Death/Loss/Rape (not explicitly detailed)/Dysmorphia/Discomfort in Body/Body Horror/Gore/Threats/Blood/Diaspora references/Others may be present.

Rep: Vietnamese MC, Queer MC and cast, Trans side character, bi and sapphic side characters.

Other books by Trang Thanh Tran: Book Review: She Is A Haunting, by Trang Thanh Tran

They Bloom at Night is an atmospheric, touching, beautiful and hauntingly horrifying read.

Trang Thanh Tran has, once again, given us a captivating and haunting horror that is just an absolutely gorgeous read overall. I have read both of their books so far and I have firmly landed in the realm of them as a ‘must buy, must read’ author.

I don’t read much YA anymore, but I make an exception for Trang Thanh Tran‘s stories. They Bloom at Night is a complexly woven tale of what it means to be a monster and to be yourself. They perfectly weave together personal and supernatural stories that compliment and develop each other. This creates a depth to the stories that is incredibly touching and relatable.

The horror aspect is divine. The tensions, the creepiness, the monsters, the Bloom, the transformations. It all comes together beautifully to give you a creepy but captivating horror that you can’t help but be drawn into.

Trang Thanh Tran‘s writing flows wonderfully. It is descriptive and detailed, painting gorgeous and horrifying scenes while still being a smooth and easy read that is well paced. They write with an emotional depth that you can feel radiating from the page. It is hard not to love their writing and stories.

Overall, this was a brilliant, haunting, touching, and compelling read and I will forever pick up any of their books in the future!

Thank you to Bloomsbury Publishing Plc (UK & ANZ) | Bloomsbury YA for the eARC in exchange for an honest review

They Bloom at Night is a wonderfully creepy book about family, queer love and sea monsters. It is an amazing blend of body and water horror (which I’ve grown to appreciate more since reading Our Wives Under the Sea) which will give you a chill. And the cover is absolutely gorgeous, that can’t be refuted.

What I love about this and Tran’s previous book is the focus on character development amid all of the horror. Like in She is a Haunting, she creates complex characters who are haunted by their own past, family history and coming to grips with their own sexuality. All of this tension is only compounded by the horrible monsters they encounter.

I also love the focus on more nature based horror in her work. In the previous book there were bugs and in this book there is red algae and slimy things that crawl in the water. Nature can be terrifying, let’s face it, so it’s great when we expose the dark underside and see all the creepy crawlies beneath the surface. I wouldn’t say this is so scary that you won’t be able to sleep at night, but it certainly instils a dread in the reader.

I have really enjoyed seeing how Tran’s writing has developed and I look forward to reading her next book!

Thank you to Netgalley for a free copy in exchange for a review

In a word: visceral. Body horror at its finest, locked in with a end of the world scenario or at least surviving in a disaster zone. And then we have Song, and its terrifying. YA horror does not hold back and I loved the message about how adults fear the wrong things. Identity, gender and race gets ramped up as people find themselves hampered by things far outside of their control and I loved it.

Would definitely read from this author again.

They Bloom at Night is a creepy, dark mystery infused with supernatural folklore and set in the atmospheric swamp-like backwaters of Louisiana, USA. Noon's world is the water and the fishing boat she lives and works on with her mom. The water was infested with a red algae after a violent hurricane and the wildlife became infected and mutated. Mom obsesses about finding her missing husband and son, convinced they are in the water somewhere and neglecting the needs of her daughter. In debt to the local kingpin they are forced on a dangerous journey, with his daughter, who is more concerned about finding her own missing mom. Lots of small community dynamics, regrets, questioning loyalties and identities and a cracking plot to keep you guessing.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publishers for this advanced reader's copy and the opportunity to this early. Review has been posted on Waterstones and Amazon.

They Bloom at Night, was a fantastic book full of suspense and errieness. Once I started reading it, it was difficult to put down. I was transported to the hurricane ravaged Mercy and quickly grew to love the characters as they felt like real authentic people. I also really enjoyed the Vietnamese culture and language that was shared in the novel. The novel cleverly examines real life issues through the lense of a suspenseful creature feature. I held my breath in anticipation until the last page was read.

I am a big fan of world horror novels. The creepier the better. This one is CREEPY!

Noom is a bewitching protagonist and I was engrossed in watching her change as she learned to grow in a world after trauma.

Definitely will be re-reading to review properly. I don’t think I got everything I could from the story the first time around. It has so many layers!!

Recommended to anyone who enjoys good horror, eerie worlds, characters with depth and folklore!

Well this was quite horrifying! I read an eARC of this book on NetGalley so thank you to the author and the publisher.

There are some images created by this book that are haunting! A particular section of this book was so horrific that it’s hard to forget. I found this tale highly unnerving so well done to the author for creating something so atmospheric and freaky.

I loved the way the sea was so integral to this book. Water is pervasive and essential to the character’s lives. They’re dependent on it for their food, but the water is being overcome by a strange red algae and further afield there are monsters below the surface. Even on land there’s a constant sense of dampness and a feeling like the sea is taking over, rotting everything gradually.

The book does an excellent job of navigating the balance of what is a monster? The things in the water or the humans on the land? Our main character simultaneously suffers and is saved by some of the ‘monsters’ in different ways. But there’s no place to feel safe, neither on sea or on land.

This really did feel like something quite special and unique. I’ll be seeking out more from this author.

Many thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for providing an eARC copy of this book in exchange for a review. I was not paid for this review and all opinions are my own.

Ever since a hurricane devastated the small town of Mercy, Louisiana, a red algae bloom has taken over. Mutated wildlife lurks in the water that rises by the day, but Mercy has always been a place where monsters walk in plain sight. Especially at its heart: the Cove, where Noon's life was upended long before the storm at a party her older boyfriend insisted on.

Now, Noon is stuck navigating the submerged town with her mom, who believes their family have been reincarnated as sea creatures. Alone with the pain of what happened that night at the cove, Noon buries the truth: she is not the right shape.

When Mercy's predatory leader demands Noon and her mum capture the creature drowning residents, she reluctantly finds an ally in his deadly hunter of a daughter and friends old and new. As the next storm approaches, Noon must confront the past and decide if it's time to answer the monster itching at her skin.

There was body horror and horrible descriptions galore. It was absolutely disgusting to read, I loved it. Plenty of female rage throughout as well, it wasn’t just horrifying imagery. I’m definitely buying a copy when it comes out, as I will inevitably forget what happens (I have ADHD lol).

Following a hurricane, Vietnamese Noon and her mother are trying to navigate the new Mercy.

You follow Noon's challenge to discover exactly who they are in this dark, eerie horror. Check trigger warnings!

I was surprised by how much I enjoyed this book. It deals with so many teen topics in a sensitive and thoughtful way. Yet the plot only adds to this and doesn't suffer because of it. It was creepy and unnerving, everything you want from a Horror book!

Interesting plot. With the way the setting is described and with the narrator’s inner thoughts, the plot becomes something that you also want to investigate. Throughout you keep wondering if there is actually something out there or if it’s all just a flood with people leaving.
As for the narrator, are they really reliable? Don’t think so, especially if you consider the fact that we’re getting descriptions from someone who has horrible eyesight and who is either constantly losing their glasses or wearing the wrong prescription.
As for the writing style, I would say it’s basic but creepy. Sometimes it’s hard to follow what is going on but overall it’s well done. It’s interesting to learn facts about the Vietnamese culture. And it’s a great way to depict grief, loss, rape and self-discovery.
We have a book full of unsettling, creepy and sometimes disgusting descriptions.
As for the characters, it was great to see a thorough character development in all of them as well as a genuine connection building.
Overall, it’s a coming of age story that depicts a very creepy development of the main character finally accepting themselves for how they are. It’s a found family full of characters that just want to be accepted for who they are and not why/who they should be. A beautiful, yet disturbing, story about fighting and accepting inner monsters.

Thank you NetGalley for this arc in exchange for an honest review!

Reading this book was like a fever dream. I’m still not sure what I just have read, to be honest. But within all some also made sense.

The author is great in writing scenes, in taking you to this whole other world. I can see precisely what she describes and I appreciate that a lot in a writer! There are many beautiful sentences I loved. Like:

“Why haven’t I considered that I might be the dangerous thing? Jailbait since puberty, monster since ruined. I am the hateful witch whose wish right now is for sharp claws. Let’s get the murdering over with.”

Or

“Even violated, I am loved and should love. “

And

“Adults having their shit figured out is an illusion of childhood.”

I could quote so much more. The way the author describes things is just beautiful. They could have been a poet if the would wanted that.

The story takes you with Nhung and her mother after a hurricane destroyed their house and lost their father and brother. A journey she doesn’t want to be on, but is forced to. But she also gets to know herself, meet friends, old and new, to bring her where she is meant to be. Her inner voice, her journey and pain is so relatable. But don’t let this fool you, this story takes dark turns and has gruesome parts.

Like I said in the beginning, this story is like a fever dream. There is so much happening that I have this feeling I forgot a lot. It also took me a long time to get through this book. I could have dnf-ed it because of this. But somehow the story is also too interesting with a lot of dark twists, it keeps you with a longing want to know what is going to happen. Because of that ( and the beautiful writing of particular sentences) I kept reading and it got a 3,5 stars

I lapped this book up like the algae infested water Trang Thanh Tran writes about in ‘They Bloom at Night’. I was completely and utterly absorbed in this epic ocean horror featuring beautiful prose, introspection, queerness, trauma, climate change and so much more - my words don’t do this coming of age, horror novel justice.

This is such a beautifully unique horror book, it hurt my heart and healed something inside too. I found myself highlighting whole paragraphs, something I rarely do. The writing flowed beautifully, calmly, even when Noon was posed with threat. I don’t want to go into the plot - I think this should be something you go into blind and just let it take you in. A gorgeous, will stay with me for a while, easy to give, 5 stars.

A very big thank you to NetGalley & Bloomsbury Publishing for the eARC of this book!

Trang Thanh Tran's sophomore book is GOOD, y'all. REALLY good.

She Is a Haunting was actually a let-down for me when I read it, but every single issue I'd had with that book was not present here.

The characters were rich, the pacing was excellent while still letting the plot and relationships breathe, and the book in general was seeped in an incredible ocean horror/climate horror atmosphere. I looked forward to reading it every time I put it down, and I was never disappointed with what happened on the page.

I can see that some people may struggle with the villain being, for the lack of a better world, too villainesque, or say that some people (like MC's mother) weren't present enough, but I personally didn't care at all. It swept me off my feet and carried me quite like it was a wave. It also pulled off a really great ending for me.

The only reason it didn't get a five star for me is that I wished for slightly more character development. It shined through in a couple of scenes, but I definitely wanted to see more.

Thank you to Netgalley and Bloomsbury for this arc.

They Bloom at Night was truly a unique horror, exploring identity and the societal reinforcement and ultimately the repercussions on relationships, all whilst providing intricate world building and dimensional characters. Overall a fantastic horror that I would easily recommend to those who love the genre.

"They Bloom at Night" is a wonderful YA, queer coming-of-age speculative tale, blending body and ocean horror with incredible depictions of climate change, biological mutations and Vietnamese folklore. The writing is calm and balanced, highly introspective rather than descriptive, even when the situation calls solely for description: all happenings are filtered through the main character's mood, the traumatized Viernamese teenage girl Nhung (called "Noon"), whose highly ambiguous sensibility makes for a tale heavy with emotion and unsettling moments of self-doubt.

The book has a very eerie atmopshere, almost as if everything has been already decided and we're just going through the motions; a feeling of tension combines with an underlying sense of resignation, as Noon's body slowly changes, her mother is seemingly losing her marbles, and the local loan shark (and his right hand, a predator on teenage girls) starts asking for the impossible. In older cultures, this young Vietnamese girl would have been portrayed as a saint: she finds herself facing so many existential challenges, her experience brims with metaphysical anxiety and environmental terror affecting her personality in revelatory ways, forcing her to re-examine her life choices vis-a-vis her mother's crumbling authority and the collapse of her community. In fact, the sense of community is very strong in the book, though the community itself is actually absent: the small town she lives in has been devastated by a hurricane, and is being haunted by mutated red algae ("Mother Nature's menstruation," as the book puts it), monstrously transformed sea life, and the erosion due to the loss of entire families.

Noon's essentially alone, and, inevitably, not even her found family (one member of which is the loan shark's own daughter) will be enough to provide her with a place in the world. She's essentially called upon to create one of her own, and the hurdles she meets on the way drive the plot of the book forward. That said, there are some awkward YA moments (for example, when you see a name referenced enough, you know the character will eventually appear in the novel; initial conflict often leads to romance; trauma is concelaed by bravado), but the author treats the subject-matter with such empathy, attention to detail and insight, it's easy to ignore the typical YA features and enjoy the book irrespective of age, class, and gender: Noon's story is humanity's own story, or it will most probably be so, in the near future.

Though this book is a ya horror, I did find myself feeling unsettled and haunted by the content, which doesn’t always happen with ya. This book was so much more than I thought it was going to be, it explored identity, family, and pressure / expectations. The use of folklore and the haunting ambiguity of the ocean creates a very immersive story that crawls into your brain and clings to you. The relationships and found family in this book were beautifully crafted, developed, and complex. There were moments were the pace slowed, however it does then quickly pick up again.

Overall my expectations for this book were exceeded and I thoroughly enjoyed this read!

Thank you to Netgalley and Bloomsbury for allowing me to read and review this book before publication.

Very unique and different book, slow in some places but often quickly picked up, enjoyed it never the less.

a haunting queer ocean horror infused with Vietnamese folklore and finding your place in the world. a hurricane devistates a small town, causing rising sea waters, mutated wildlife and a red algae bloom. when people start to disappear, Nhung is tasked with finding the sea monster responsible. it's eerie and atmospheric and filled with terror from the environment and those who live there. it weaves together climate change, class, gender, queerness, and found family and though this book isn't out for 5 more months, I can't wait for the authors next tale.


thanks to netgalley for an arc of this book which will be published in March 2025