This is Not a Vampire Story

I really enjoyed this story. I absolutely didn't know what I was in for with This Is Not a Vampire Story, but I was pulled in by the title alone, and the cover and description sold it. The storytelling definitely made this a worthwhile read, and I'm going to be looking out for more from this author.

thank you to netgalley and nightsgale books for the ARC!

i cannot give enough praise to this book. "this is not a vampire story" is a beautiful and heartbreaking story about love, grief, regret, and acceptance. i was fully weeping by the last page.

each chapter alternates between the past and present of our main character, victor, and the two narratives marry together perfectly - they are woven together in such a satisfying and masterful way. the prose is refreshingly earnest, with a perfect balance of poeticism and straightforwardness. for a novel under 300 pages, this was a surprising slow burn. i felt like it really took its time opening up to the reader, but not in a way that was confusing.

the title "this is not a vampire story" is truly accurate. the vampire/paranormal aspects take a backseat to the much more visceral and important story of grief and loss. that isn't to say that the book is without its levity - there were so many times i found myself grinning along with victor and his friends. the comraderie between all the boys, the giddy nerves of a teenage romance, the bittersweet humor of men on the verge of death - all of the joy in this novel is just as tangible as the sorrow.

i cannot recommend this book enough. anyone who has ever grappled with the big feelings of love and loss will resonate with this beautiful story.

This is a story about a vampire but, as the title says, this is not a vampire story—it’s an exploration of life, death, grief, and love that’s equal parts beautiful and heart-wrenching.

Victor Callahan, a suspiciously pale "seventeen"-year-old, works as a night porter in a quiet nursing home along the Irish coast. Here he helps care for a group of elderly men he knew long ago under the watchful gaze of Gloria, a nurse harboring her own secrets. Victor could be recognized and outed as an immortal being, but it’s worth the risk. He needs to see his old friends while he still can—one of whom, James, used to be far more than a friend.

Chapters alternate between modern day and seventy years ago. In the past, we see the characters meet, grow to care for one another, and discover meaning and direction for their lives. In the present, they’ve been deeply changed by more than age. What happened? Why did they part ways? Why, now, have they been brought back together? Questions like these propelled me ravenously from chapter to chapter. I’m a slow reader, but I tore through this book in two nights.

There’s excitement and action—the threats of destruction and discovery are near constant companions for these characters—but it’s the quiet moments that struck me and have continued to stay with me. Simon Doyle writes about friendship, love, isolation, fear, and pain so authentically and intimately, I fell for his characters faster than I thought possible.

At its heart, this is a beautifully written love story. It provides refreshing takes on many vampire classic tropes and the writing is quick-witted, often using humor to alleviate heavy moments. If you’re a fan of romance, vampires, LGBTQ+ characters/stories, or want to get punched in the feels so hard it may take you days to recover, then I HIGHLY recommend this book!