A Vietnamese folklore inspired body horror set on the waterways of Louisiana.
As a red algae starts clogging the water around the town of Mercy, the daughter of Vietnamese immigrants pairs up with the daughter of the local morally not-so-great man in charge to hunt a monster, all the while being aware that she herself is transforming.
This is YA, and not particularly subtle at times, but I enjoyed it quite a bit. There's an oppressive, swampy atmosphere, and I liked the empowering message.

Are you a horror reader?

I have never considered myself to be one, but I think this year I am having my horror renaissance.

This book was astounding - I could not put it down. I loved the horror of it, the folklore, the characters and the depiction of humanity and its depravity.

I am devastated this is only getting a paperback release because I would have paid good money for a beautiful but terrible special edition of this book.

The best horror book I've read this year by far, no notes.

Thank you to @netgalley and @bloomsburypublishing for my advanced copy of this amazing book.

#horrorbooks #yaficton #queerfiction

I was looking forward to this so much as the whole premise sounded wonderful.

I was really disappointed as the story was so slow and never really seemed to go anywhere thought the writing was well done.

For me a no but I could see how others may really like this.

DNF at 20%
This just hasn't grabbed me or caught my attention it's not for me nothing feels well fleshed out and I'm struggling to find a story to hold on to.

The tension in this queer body-horror was real, from the monsters unknown and the ones that are all too human. I was very invested in the relationships, as the book examines the ties of blood- and found- family and how they can save us or drown us if we let them.

A suitably creepy post-apocalyptic monster story but with human trauma at its core.

Tran tackles questions about gender, inter-generational trauma, sexual assault and various other ways that humans can be considered monstrous or 'other', and then she interweaves this with the notion of pollution causing evolutionary anomalies and creating actual physical monsters. This was reminiscent of one of my favourite films, Beasts of he Southern Wild, and I love the southern Gothic feel of it.

A great read for older teens but it definitely has challenging themes and it doesn't have mass appeal. Errs on the more literary side of YA. I'd particularly recommend it to A Level Lit students who want some stretch and challenge.

I really enjoyed this book, the descriptions of the dystopian world noon lives in was amazing, the constant underline threat of what lays beneath the water was brilliant, but also not all monsters are unseen. I also love queer representation in YA books.

After red algae invades Nhung’s hometown and people start disappearing, Nhung is forced by the local immoral businessman Jimmy to either hunt the monsters that are taking people or lose their boat that has became their home and more.

This YA novel was a fantastic mix of horror (especially body horror), mystery, queerness and Vietnamese folklore. It was very introspective, covering topics such as environmental issues, ‘soul-searching’ - a cheesy phrase - and belonging. I also loved that it spoke about the realisation that adults aren’t all-knowing and are just honestly winging it. The descriptions of the environment were incredibly beautiful and gave me Where the Crawdads Sing vibes. I also LOVE the cover design. If I’ve convinced you to pick this up, it comes out soon in early March! Thank you @bloomsburypublishing for sending this ARC!

TW: SA

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.