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Young Gothic #2
Children of the Night
Filled with deadly secrets and the monsters you thought only existed in your mind ...
You've heard of Jekyll and Hyde, you've heard of the Invisible Man, but have you heard of Castle Bran? Eve, Griffin, Hal and Ren are whisked away to Transylvania, to the supposed home of Dracula himself. Lured there by a desire to understand more about their true natures, our foursome are instead plunged into the midst of a deadly mystery.
Children are going missing, townspeople are being brutally killed and a suspicious stranger keeps appearing from the shadows. Meanwhile, Ren is trapped in Castle Bran, where his fate lies in the hands of a strange - yet oddly familiar - host.
With terrifying twists and turns around every corner, can the group uncover the answers they seek, or will this be the end of the Young Gothics?
Perfect for fans of Wednesday and Stranger Things.
You've heard of Jekyll and Hyde, you've heard of the Invisible Man, but have you heard of Castle Bran? Eve, Griffin, Hal and Ren are whisked away to Transylvania, to the supposed home of Dracula himself. Lured there by a desire to understand more about their true natures, our foursome are instead plunged into the midst of a deadly mystery.
Children are going missing, townspeople are being brutally killed and a suspicious stranger keeps appearing from the shadows. Meanwhile, Ren is trapped in Castle Bran, where his fate lies in the hands of a strange - yet oddly familiar - host.
With terrifying twists and turns around every corner, can the group uncover the answers they seek, or will this be the end of the Young Gothics?
Perfect for fans of Wednesday and Stranger Things.
406 pages, Paperback
Published February 13, 2025
5 people are currently reading
181 people want to read
About the author
M.A. Bennett
17 books304 followersM. A. Bennett is half Venetian and was born in Manchester, England, and raised in the Yorkshire Dales. She is a history graduate of Oxford University and the University of Venice, where she specialized in the study of Shakespeare’s plays as a historical source. After university she studied art and has since worked as an illustrator, an actress, and a film reviewer. She also designed tour visuals for rock bands, including U2 and the Rolling Stones. She was married on the Grand Canal in Venice and lives in north London with her husband, son, and daughter.
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Displaying 1 - 28 of 28 reviews
January 19, 2025
Thank you to Netgalley, Hachette and M.A. Bennet for a free digital copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
This is the second book in the Young Gothic series, the first book which came out last year in 2024. It's a YA Horror, which leans into more historical links in both it's subject matter and writing style, though with four modern day teenage protagonists. I read Young Gothic upon it's release last year and whilst I loved the concept and overall plot of that book I did have a few issues mainly with some of the more problematic themes and in the way some of the characters were written. M.A. Bennet really knows her lore though and any fan of gothic and classic horror will find so much to love in both the first book and its sequel. It plays around with classic gothic tropes, and blending them with more modern takes also - our protagonists are incredibly media literate and there is a lot of fun to be had with how the more monstrous and mysterious elements of the book played out.
In this second book, we pick up a few months after the first with our four protagonists - Eve, Ren, Griffin and Hal being irrevocably changed forever by what happened to them the previous summer. They are struggling to continue on with their lives (and navigating their own romantic relationships amongst the group), with varying difficulty and its clear that things are not over and their new powers are changing and strengthening day by day.
Ren is more the focus of this book in terms of the plot as he is the one who is invited personally by the 'Count' to the castle of Dracula in Transylvania with the other three left behind in the local village. Things are not as they seem however both in the castle and down in the village, and as children start to disappear, it's clear it's going to take all four of our misfit Young Gothics to try and save them - and themselves!
Let's start with the good points of this book then - we get some fun new characters in the village and getting to hear more from the Count is pretty interesting given how much of an enigma he was in the first book. The characters still act as we would expect them to and are generally fun and intelligent, though the division between Ren and the others is really felt. I liked the new setting and once again M.A.Bennet takes things at the slow burn pace which is suited to gothic texts - although much with the first book I can't help feeling like this is a bit over-long.
The mystery however is not as engaging as in the first book as our protagonists are so much more in the know now and besides finding out some tidbits about vampire and werewolf lore and various urban legends, there isn't much new and exciting to be discovered here - it's obvious fairly early on where the missing children are and that certain people are not to be trusted. I still have the same issues with some of the 'teen speak' as I did with the first book, with Ren's parts once again still being the most egregious and it really takes me out of the story whenever these instances happen or Griffin mentions his 'baby mama.'
The plot is also just not as interesting to me as in the first book and the book feels rather too slow - it feels like this could have been much tighter paced given how few events actually happen and what we do get generally is a lot of the Gothics sitting around and talking about the lore and that they need to rescue Ren without doing very much about it and just waiting until the day they're invited to go up to the Castle. It felt pretty frustrating and the plot definitely felt like it was lacking. I found Hal to somehow be more irritating in this book with his jealousy over Eve and he seemed somehow to regress character-wise with most of his arc being about his fear of switching into his 'other self.' Once again I really disliked some elements of Eve's arc, with us seeing repetition of some things such as her once again getting naked in front of a bunch of people and being taken advantage of and it's not something I like to see for our only main female character in the group.
Overall, whilst again I think this book had some great and very fun ideas and I still enjoy the characters a lot, I found a lot of the same issues I had with the first book were still present and the plot didn't grip me. I believe from some hints that were placed throughout that we may be seeing more books in this series but I think for me, I'm going to leave it with this one.
- 3.25 rating
This is the second book in the Young Gothic series, the first book which came out last year in 2024. It's a YA Horror, which leans into more historical links in both it's subject matter and writing style, though with four modern day teenage protagonists. I read Young Gothic upon it's release last year and whilst I loved the concept and overall plot of that book I did have a few issues mainly with some of the more problematic themes and in the way some of the characters were written. M.A. Bennet really knows her lore though and any fan of gothic and classic horror will find so much to love in both the first book and its sequel. It plays around with classic gothic tropes, and blending them with more modern takes also - our protagonists are incredibly media literate and there is a lot of fun to be had with how the more monstrous and mysterious elements of the book played out.
In this second book, we pick up a few months after the first with our four protagonists - Eve, Ren, Griffin and Hal being irrevocably changed forever by what happened to them the previous summer. They are struggling to continue on with their lives (and navigating their own romantic relationships amongst the group), with varying difficulty and its clear that things are not over and their new powers are changing and strengthening day by day.
Ren is more the focus of this book in terms of the plot as he is the one who is invited personally by the 'Count' to the castle of Dracula in Transylvania with the other three left behind in the local village. Things are not as they seem however both in the castle and down in the village, and as children start to disappear, it's clear it's going to take all four of our misfit Young Gothics to try and save them - and themselves!
Let's start with the good points of this book then - we get some fun new characters in the village and getting to hear more from the Count is pretty interesting given how much of an enigma he was in the first book. The characters still act as we would expect them to and are generally fun and intelligent, though the division between Ren and the others is really felt. I liked the new setting and once again M.A.Bennet takes things at the slow burn pace which is suited to gothic texts - although much with the first book I can't help feeling like this is a bit over-long.
The mystery however is not as engaging as in the first book as our protagonists are so much more in the know now and besides finding out some tidbits about vampire and werewolf lore and various urban legends, there isn't much new and exciting to be discovered here - it's obvious fairly early on where the missing children are and that certain people are not to be trusted. I still have the same issues with some of the 'teen speak' as I did with the first book, with Ren's parts once again still being the most egregious and it really takes me out of the story whenever these instances happen or Griffin mentions his 'baby mama.'
The plot is also just not as interesting to me as in the first book and the book feels rather too slow - it feels like this could have been much tighter paced given how few events actually happen and what we do get generally is a lot of the Gothics sitting around and talking about the lore and that they need to rescue Ren without doing very much about it and just waiting until the day they're invited to go up to the Castle. It felt pretty frustrating and the plot definitely felt like it was lacking. I found Hal to somehow be more irritating in this book with his jealousy over Eve and he seemed somehow to regress character-wise with most of his arc being about his fear of switching into his 'other self.' Once again I really disliked some elements of Eve's arc, with us seeing repetition of some things such as her once again getting naked in front of a bunch of people and being taken advantage of and it's not something I like to see for our only main female character in the group.
Overall, whilst again I think this book had some great and very fun ideas and I still enjoy the characters a lot, I found a lot of the same issues I had with the first book were still present and the plot didn't grip me. I believe from some hints that were placed throughout that we may be seeing more books in this series but I think for me, I'm going to leave it with this one.
- 3.25 rating
April 3, 2025
“Before this summer I’d have said that werewolves don’t exist but in the last few months I’ve become a vampire, made out with The Invisible Man and become best friends with a zombie and a Jekyll and Hyde.”
A few months after the wild events at Villa Diodati, the Young Gothics, determined to find out more about their natures and powers, embark on a trip to Transylvania, the home of Dracula himself. While Ren gets trapped by their creepy host, Griffin, Hal and Eve begin to investigate the mystery of disappearing children, brutally murdered villagers and a beastly wolf that haunts the woods.
It was a lot of fun to be back in this world. Even though I did not love this quite as much as I did the first book (I don't think any book in this series will rival that first book and the sheer joy/surprise I felt when I figured out what was going on), I had a great time. Children of the Night develops the world in a cool way and offers new questions while answering some old ones. It's creepy, funny and heartfelt, a wonderful balance of a YA adventure and a Gothic horror novel. I enjoyed the setting of Transylvania and Dracula's castle, and all the callbacks to Bram Stoker's classic novels as well as the allusions to other notable horror stories or archetypes.
The characters all developed in a satisfying way. Even though Ren is, I'd say, the central figure of the story (he has his own separate plot line and it is his vampiric nature that seems most debated and explored in the book), all the Gothics had their moments: they got to know their powers better and figured out new stuff about themselves. I like how they all have their own struggles not all about their Gothic natures: Hal and Eve are grappling with their feelings for each other and how to be together, Eve has a lot to think about when it comes to her daughter, Griffin is dealing with internalised homophobia and whether he can ever be brave enough to be with Ren openly, and Ren is still grappling with his religious trauma. They are not just their powers; they have human problems too. But, since Ren is my favorite, I have to talk about him a bit more. I find him so fascinating and funny and sweet and sad, and I like how this book challenges him: he doesn't want to be evil or a killer, but he knows his nature is to kill, and he wants to be a more selfless person, but he also wants to survive and be with the boy he loves. I like characters who tiptoe that line between human and monster (it is no wonder I love all these characters) and within Ren that balancing act, that teetering, is done so well. I also just absolutely live for his sass, his flamboyant style and how he can be, at the same time, both so heartbreakingly sad and so savagely funny.
The romances move forward well. Neither love story feels too rushed or forced, and I can see why both pairings would be drawn to each other. Both couples are given challenges, obstacles, moments both cute and agonising, and it was wonderful seeing them navigate them. I'd say this book is more focused on the romances than it was on the friendship of the Gothics, which was a slight shame, since I loved the group as a quartet so much in the first book. One of the main things that led me to giving this book "only" 4/5 stars is that lack of quartet scenes - Ren is away from the others for most of the book! But, luckily, I really dig the romances and cannot wait to see how they develop in the future books. This story ended, for both pairings (and the group as a whole), in a really cool, intriguing way.
There were some new characters introduced, and while no one can rival the Gothics in my affections, I did quite like them. Necker is not a new character, but we got to know so much more about him, which I liked. He also became a bit more human (ironically, since he, too, is a monster) in this book and stopped being just this antagonistic mastermind of a shady organisation. Some of his motives are still a bit confusing to me, but I guess those will be revealed in future stories. Andreas was a fun addition to the world, even though I did very soon guess who he was and why he was in the story. Lucia Foc, the local teacher in the village they visit, was also an interesting addition to this story and world.
One thing I love about this series is how closely tied the horror is to the personal and the intimate. The threats are not just outside forces or unseen killers or monsters - the horror is tied to who these characters are and what they have been through. Ren's vampirism is tied to his trauma regarding religion and his internalised fears of shame, sin and damnation, and Griffin's invisibility mirrors the way he feels unseen in the world, how he feels like he has to hide and how unable he is to be open about who he is to those around him. These characters are all outsiders in some way, people who have been lonely and who have felt like they are monsters even before their Gothic natures were revealed to them: their powers and natures only further strengthen that sense of otherness. All this makes the friendships and relationships they have formed even better and lovelier: even in the midst of all the horror they have been through and all the confusion they feel over who they are, they have found themselves a family.
But now, more on why this is not a 5/5 like the first book. Well, as I said, I think the story suffered a little bit in my eyes from the gang not being together but for a few moments. Ren is such a vibrant character and an integral part of the quartet's vibe, so with him missing, it felt like something was off. I understand why Bennett chose to separate him - he had his own thing to do and deal with - but it still saddened me a little bit. I also think that now that I know what this world is like and what I can expect from it, I will never be quite so surprised as I was in book one. That surprise and shock I felt - that sense of "I SHOULD HAVE SEEN THAT COMING" - is a huge part of why I gave it 5/5 stars. This book has its surprises and twists, but nothing that rivalled the reveals of the first novel.
But overall, this was a worthy continuation in this series. It stood on its own legs and had its own vibe, but it also developed all the mysteries left open in the previous story. I still love these characters a whole lot. I'm left eagerly waiting for the third book in this series - hopefully it will be announced soon!
A few months after the wild events at Villa Diodati, the Young Gothics, determined to find out more about their natures and powers, embark on a trip to Transylvania, the home of Dracula himself. While Ren gets trapped by their creepy host, Griffin, Hal and Eve begin to investigate the mystery of disappearing children, brutally murdered villagers and a beastly wolf that haunts the woods.
It was a lot of fun to be back in this world. Even though I did not love this quite as much as I did the first book (I don't think any book in this series will rival that first book and the sheer joy/surprise I felt when I figured out what was going on), I had a great time. Children of the Night develops the world in a cool way and offers new questions while answering some old ones. It's creepy, funny and heartfelt, a wonderful balance of a YA adventure and a Gothic horror novel. I enjoyed the setting of Transylvania and Dracula's castle, and all the callbacks to Bram Stoker's classic novels as well as the allusions to other notable horror stories or archetypes.
The characters all developed in a satisfying way. Even though Ren is, I'd say, the central figure of the story (he has his own separate plot line and it is his vampiric nature that seems most debated and explored in the book), all the Gothics had their moments: they got to know their powers better and figured out new stuff about themselves. I like how they all have their own struggles not all about their Gothic natures: Hal and Eve are grappling with their feelings for each other and how to be together, Eve has a lot to think about when it comes to her daughter, Griffin is dealing with internalised homophobia and whether he can ever be brave enough to be with Ren openly, and Ren is still grappling with his religious trauma. They are not just their powers; they have human problems too. But, since Ren is my favorite, I have to talk about him a bit more. I find him so fascinating and funny and sweet and sad, and I like how this book challenges him: he doesn't want to be evil or a killer, but he knows his nature is to kill, and he wants to be a more selfless person, but he also wants to survive and be with the boy he loves. I like characters who tiptoe that line between human and monster (it is no wonder I love all these characters) and within Ren that balancing act, that teetering, is done so well. I also just absolutely live for his sass, his flamboyant style and how he can be, at the same time, both so heartbreakingly sad and so savagely funny.
The romances move forward well. Neither love story feels too rushed or forced, and I can see why both pairings would be drawn to each other. Both couples are given challenges, obstacles, moments both cute and agonising, and it was wonderful seeing them navigate them. I'd say this book is more focused on the romances than it was on the friendship of the Gothics, which was a slight shame, since I loved the group as a quartet so much in the first book. One of the main things that led me to giving this book "only" 4/5 stars is that lack of quartet scenes - Ren is away from the others for most of the book! But, luckily, I really dig the romances and cannot wait to see how they develop in the future books. This story ended, for both pairings (and the group as a whole), in a really cool, intriguing way.
There were some new characters introduced, and while no one can rival the Gothics in my affections, I did quite like them. Necker is not a new character, but we got to know so much more about him, which I liked. He also became a bit more human (ironically, since he, too, is a monster) in this book and stopped being just this antagonistic mastermind of a shady organisation. Some of his motives are still a bit confusing to me, but I guess those will be revealed in future stories. Andreas was a fun addition to the world, even though I did very soon guess who he was and why he was in the story. Lucia Foc, the local teacher in the village they visit, was also an interesting addition to this story and world.
One thing I love about this series is how closely tied the horror is to the personal and the intimate. The threats are not just outside forces or unseen killers or monsters - the horror is tied to who these characters are and what they have been through. Ren's vampirism is tied to his trauma regarding religion and his internalised fears of shame, sin and damnation, and Griffin's invisibility mirrors the way he feels unseen in the world, how he feels like he has to hide and how unable he is to be open about who he is to those around him. These characters are all outsiders in some way, people who have been lonely and who have felt like they are monsters even before their Gothic natures were revealed to them: their powers and natures only further strengthen that sense of otherness. All this makes the friendships and relationships they have formed even better and lovelier: even in the midst of all the horror they have been through and all the confusion they feel over who they are, they have found themselves a family.
But now, more on why this is not a 5/5 like the first book. Well, as I said, I think the story suffered a little bit in my eyes from the gang not being together but for a few moments. Ren is such a vibrant character and an integral part of the quartet's vibe, so with him missing, it felt like something was off. I understand why Bennett chose to separate him - he had his own thing to do and deal with - but it still saddened me a little bit. I also think that now that I know what this world is like and what I can expect from it, I will never be quite so surprised as I was in book one. That surprise and shock I felt - that sense of "I SHOULD HAVE SEEN THAT COMING" - is a huge part of why I gave it 5/5 stars. This book has its surprises and twists, but nothing that rivalled the reveals of the first novel.
But overall, this was a worthy continuation in this series. It stood on its own legs and had its own vibe, but it also developed all the mysteries left open in the previous story. I still love these characters a whole lot. I'm left eagerly waiting for the third book in this series - hopefully it will be announced soon!
July 17, 2025
As entertaining as it was, it simply didn't measure up to the first book.
I couldn't get over the feeling that the main characters lost their voices in their respective POVs – and in dialogues. I was especially saddened by the new calmness of Ren's POVs. His excitement, sass and boldness that made me love him from the first page in Young Gothic simply wasn't present in Children of the Night, but I will write it up to the fact that he's getting used to his new life and predicaments that come with it. Not much to be excited about when you don't know how long you'll survive.
The characters sometimes seemed to have information that they shouldn't have – or forget information that they literally obtained in the last chapter or that were very well established. (eg. Ren asking Neckcer about Clara when talking about the hereditary research of Gothic traits instead of Hideo – he had no idea Clara turned up in Transylvania AND he forgot about the child of his something-like-a-boyfriend?! Ren, baby, I know you were having a hard time but be for real. Also, Hal [or at least I think it was Hal] confronting Andreas about being a vampire hunter even though he had no way of knowing since it wasn't discussed before and the reader only knows because of information from one of Ren's earlier chapters.)
I also felt like there was a lot of exposition happening in the dialogue that didn't feel natural and didn't flow well. While it is a nice tool to remind the reader of what's happened in the first book, it felt quite jarring to read the characters remind each other what happened like four months ago.
As a whole, I unfortunately am not as thrilled as I was after reading the first book. Some of the magic and mystery that was present in Young Gothic was lost but on the other hand Children of the Night serves well as a start to a much more dramatic finale.
I couldn't get over the feeling that the main characters lost their voices in their respective POVs – and in dialogues. I was especially saddened by the new calmness of Ren's POVs. His excitement, sass and boldness that made me love him from the first page in Young Gothic simply wasn't present in Children of the Night, but I will write it up to the fact that he's getting used to his new life and predicaments that come with it. Not much to be excited about when you don't know how long you'll survive.
The characters sometimes seemed to have information that they shouldn't have – or forget information that they literally obtained in the last chapter or that were very well established. (eg. Ren asking Neckcer about Clara when talking about the hereditary research of Gothic traits instead of Hideo – he had no idea Clara turned up in Transylvania AND he forgot about the child of his something-like-a-boyfriend?! Ren, baby, I know you were having a hard time but be for real. Also, Hal [or at least I think it was Hal] confronting Andreas about being a vampire hunter even though he had no way of knowing since it wasn't discussed before and the reader only knows because of information from one of Ren's earlier chapters.)
I also felt like there was a lot of exposition happening in the dialogue that didn't feel natural and didn't flow well. While it is a nice tool to remind the reader of what's happened in the first book, it felt quite jarring to read the characters remind each other what happened like four months ago.
As a whole, I unfortunately am not as thrilled as I was after reading the first book. Some of the magic and mystery that was present in Young Gothic was lost but on the other hand Children of the Night serves well as a start to a much more dramatic finale.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 6, 2025
True Rating: 3.25
Content/Trigger Warnings: Strong language, mentions of [racism, child loss, abortion, child endangerment, sexual assault, and nonconsenting (nongraphic) cannibalism], Details of actions during consensual sex turned nonconsensual (not the sexual content, but the harmful actions), Graphic depiction of religious self-flagellation, Internalized homophobia, Murder, Some gore
Representation: Black MC, Bisexual and Gay MCs, MC with chronic disability and expansive scarring
"When people are mad, or bad, and they do evil deeds, that's in their nature. But if people still have a moral compass and ignore it, or override it, well, they are the most dangerous to know, and the worst of the lot."
Review TL;DR
As a sequel, it does that job of not introducing us to the characters and instead building on the lore that was introduced in the first book. Lore that, in this case, is gathered from a plethora of books, films, and existing legends and superstitions. The atmosphere, the core mystery, and the overall use and discovery of powers and lore makes the book extremely readable and perfect for the Halloween season. Unfortunately, the antagonist is boring, only one of the romances is interesting, and many of the important themes and messages that are brought up are smoothed over or just obviously shoved to the side for a possible next installment. Not quite as good as the first book, but a worthwhile read if you enjoyed the first one.
Full Review
Although I'm not as broadly read in the realm of Gothic fiction, it's an area that I love and plan to slowly explore the rest of my life. A love that was started in college when I took a Gothic Lit course and it opened with the short story "Bleeding Stones" by Harlan Ellison and I got to see my vegan, Buddhist teacher wax poetic about the gruesome deaths.
This series is a love story to the Gothic. Whether it's the classic novels or the many film adaptations, the characters are living and breathing the Gothic. The author's love for the genre is obvious on every page, and it's part of what makes this series so readable. Honestly, I never would have picked up this second book if the author didn't have an obvious love and dedication to the genre and the primary monsters. But that love makes me interested in seeing what more the author can add to this story and how she'll play with the lore in the future.
Unfortunately, this sequel didn't do much to lift the story.
First of all, the antagonist is boring. There's no question about who the antagonist is, as it was clear as day from the ending of book one and the very first page of this one. What's disappointing is that a character who was intimidating and creepy when he was barely on page in the first book is dull and obvious in everything he does in the second book. It would have been better to create a new antagonist to take center stage than to continue using the same one if there was nothing too new to be done with him.
The story was also ruined by at least one of the romances. The one between Griffin and Ren is interesting because it's been in limbo since book one and there's still a lot to figure out and discuss. So tell me why the majority of the book is taken up by the lukewarm romance between Hal and Eve? While theirs can start a good conversation, it's a conversation that needs an entire book on its own, not one that needed to be had here. For me, it took a lot of time away that could have been spent adding to the plot.
Which leads to my other main issue: the main themes. There are themes of trauma, of Othering people, of coming out to both yourself and others, and that's not even mentioning the themes of morality that come in with the nature of one of our characters. All of these themes are very important and deserve to be fully discussed and represented on page. The best way would have been to have this book focus on Ren and the themes that go with him, then have the themes related to Hal and/or Eve in another book. Instead, all of these themes were smashed into a book that also has so much plot and details to be introduced that the themes are either barely explored or pushed to the side or rushed through.
Also, for a book where the antagonist is focusing primarily on Ren, Ren himself is absent for a ton of the story. And given that he's one of my favorite characters, I wasn't too happy about that.
However, this book wasn't all bad. There were actually parts of it I loved.
As I stated earlier, the author has a clear love of the Gothic genre and it really shines in this book. Between Hal's knowledge of different horror films (including those based on Gothic novels), Eve's knowledge of literature and the history behind it, and the history (false and real) given of the Dead Poets mixed with the lore that's brought into the story -this is a very interesting read and a great introduction to Gothic ideas for mid to older YA readers. I especially liked that Bennett included true Romanian superstition and lore into the book. It added to the atmosphere and brought some truly creepy scenes to life.
Which was aided by Bennett's writing. It's not especially lush or whimsical, in fact the tone is very straight forward. But there were some paragraphs or lines I had to mark simply because the imagery it provoked or the way it was said really hit hard. There's a moment when Ren is confronted with the reality of what it means to be a vampire and the paragraph explaining his take on immortality hit in a way that others don't because it uses a lengthy metaphor instead of the usual "I'll watch the people I love die." There's another scene involving a graveyard and the villagers that was written so well I saw the image in my mind very clearly and I briefly wanted this to be a novel.
The core mystery was also pretty well done. The "what" and "why" of the mystery was pretty obvious, but there were other unknown factors that kept gripping me. Especially towards the end, when I wasn't sure how anything would happen or possibly go wrong, and I desperately wanted to know. I had to put the book down at work because I wanted to be able to read the actual ending without being interrupted.
Overall, this is a decent addition to the series. It's not quite as good as the first book, and it's still a very middling YA series in my opinion, but it remains a pretty good introduction to classic Gothic tropes and stories for readers who may not have the attention span for the main ones. Just if you're a younger reader yourself or an older one thinking of giving this to a younger reader, have conversations as needed with the book and definitely look up full content warnings.
Content/Trigger Warnings: Strong language, mentions of [racism, child loss, abortion, child endangerment, sexual assault, and nonconsenting (nongraphic) cannibalism], Details of actions during consensual sex turned nonconsensual (not the sexual content, but the harmful actions), Graphic depiction of religious self-flagellation, Internalized homophobia, Murder, Some gore
Representation: Black MC, Bisexual and Gay MCs, MC with chronic disability and expansive scarring
"When people are mad, or bad, and they do evil deeds, that's in their nature. But if people still have a moral compass and ignore it, or override it, well, they are the most dangerous to know, and the worst of the lot."
Review TL;DR
As a sequel, it does that job of not introducing us to the characters and instead building on the lore that was introduced in the first book. Lore that, in this case, is gathered from a plethora of books, films, and existing legends and superstitions. The atmosphere, the core mystery, and the overall use and discovery of powers and lore makes the book extremely readable and perfect for the Halloween season. Unfortunately, the antagonist is boring, only one of the romances is interesting, and many of the important themes and messages that are brought up are smoothed over or just obviously shoved to the side for a possible next installment. Not quite as good as the first book, but a worthwhile read if you enjoyed the first one.
Full Review
Although I'm not as broadly read in the realm of Gothic fiction, it's an area that I love and plan to slowly explore the rest of my life. A love that was started in college when I took a Gothic Lit course and it opened with the short story "Bleeding Stones" by Harlan Ellison and I got to see my vegan, Buddhist teacher wax poetic about the gruesome deaths.
This series is a love story to the Gothic. Whether it's the classic novels or the many film adaptations, the characters are living and breathing the Gothic. The author's love for the genre is obvious on every page, and it's part of what makes this series so readable. Honestly, I never would have picked up this second book if the author didn't have an obvious love and dedication to the genre and the primary monsters. But that love makes me interested in seeing what more the author can add to this story and how she'll play with the lore in the future.
Unfortunately, this sequel didn't do much to lift the story.
First of all, the antagonist is boring. There's no question about who the antagonist is, as it was clear as day from the ending of book one and the very first page of this one. What's disappointing is that a character who was intimidating and creepy when he was barely on page in the first book is dull and obvious in everything he does in the second book. It would have been better to create a new antagonist to take center stage than to continue using the same one if there was nothing too new to be done with him.
The story was also ruined by at least one of the romances. The one between Griffin and Ren is interesting because it's been in limbo since book one and there's still a lot to figure out and discuss. So tell me why the majority of the book is taken up by the lukewarm romance between Hal and Eve? While theirs can start a good conversation, it's a conversation that needs an entire book on its own, not one that needed to be had here. For me, it took a lot of time away that could have been spent adding to the plot.
Which leads to my other main issue: the main themes. There are themes of trauma, of Othering people, of coming out to both yourself and others, and that's not even mentioning the themes of morality that come in with the nature of one of our characters. All of these themes are very important and deserve to be fully discussed and represented on page. The best way would have been to have this book focus on Ren and the themes that go with him, then have the themes related to Hal and/or Eve in another book. Instead, all of these themes were smashed into a book that also has so much plot and details to be introduced that the themes are either barely explored or pushed to the side or rushed through.
Also, for a book where the antagonist is focusing primarily on Ren, Ren himself is absent for a ton of the story. And given that he's one of my favorite characters, I wasn't too happy about that.
However, this book wasn't all bad. There were actually parts of it I loved.
As I stated earlier, the author has a clear love of the Gothic genre and it really shines in this book. Between Hal's knowledge of different horror films (including those based on Gothic novels), Eve's knowledge of literature and the history behind it, and the history (false and real) given of the Dead Poets mixed with the lore that's brought into the story -this is a very interesting read and a great introduction to Gothic ideas for mid to older YA readers. I especially liked that Bennett included true Romanian superstition and lore into the book. It added to the atmosphere and brought some truly creepy scenes to life.
Which was aided by Bennett's writing. It's not especially lush or whimsical, in fact the tone is very straight forward. But there were some paragraphs or lines I had to mark simply because the imagery it provoked or the way it was said really hit hard. There's a moment when Ren is confronted with the reality of what it means to be a vampire and the paragraph explaining his take on immortality hit in a way that others don't because it uses a lengthy metaphor instead of the usual "I'll watch the people I love die." There's another scene involving a graveyard and the villagers that was written so well I saw the image in my mind very clearly and I briefly wanted this to be a novel.
The core mystery was also pretty well done. The "what" and "why" of the mystery was pretty obvious, but there were other unknown factors that kept gripping me. Especially towards the end, when I wasn't sure how anything would happen or possibly go wrong, and I desperately wanted to know. I had to put the book down at work because I wanted to be able to read the actual ending without being interrupted.
Overall, this is a decent addition to the series. It's not quite as good as the first book, and it's still a very middling YA series in my opinion, but it remains a pretty good introduction to classic Gothic tropes and stories for readers who may not have the attention span for the main ones. Just if you're a younger reader yourself or an older one thinking of giving this to a younger reader, have conversations as needed with the book and definitely look up full content warnings.
February 27, 2025
We pick up with the Young Gothics - Eve, Hal, Griffen and Ren - after the revelations in book one where they all found about more about what they are
But what they still need to know more about is who they are, and what they can do.
Invited by Necker to a feast at his castle, separated from Ren in the preparations for this, and add in the myself of local townsfolk dying and kids going missing, the Gothics have their work cut out for them.... working with friends new and old....
Really enjoyed this continuation, definitely found its feet and still really enjoyed all the pop culture references throughout. Would love to read more in this series as so many tales left to tell
Thank you to NetGalley and Hachette for the review copy. Out now!
But what they still need to know more about is who they are, and what they can do.
Invited by Necker to a feast at his castle, separated from Ren in the preparations for this, and add in the myself of local townsfolk dying and kids going missing, the Gothics have their work cut out for them.... working with friends new and old....
Really enjoyed this continuation, definitely found its feet and still really enjoyed all the pop culture references throughout. Would love to read more in this series as so many tales left to tell
Thank you to NetGalley and Hachette for the review copy. Out now!
March 3, 2025
This twisty sequel to Young Gothic follows the quirky found family you meet in book one as they journey to Transylvania at the request of their patron. It’s full of classic horror references and develops the characters as they learn their new powers.
Perhaps my favourite thing about this series is how memorable the characters are. Each one of the four central POVs has a unique way of perceiving and describing things, so you’d know them by the way they narrate, even without names at the start of each chapter. New characters are introduced in this volume, and they quickly become just as interesting, from a modern Van Helsing to the superstitious townsfolk, to a host of enthusiastic vampire cosplayers.
There’s less action in this book than the first, but intrigue and mystery throughout. The magic system stays sound, the mythology is interesting and the sharp wit and humour made me laugh more than once. It must be repeated that this series confronts a lot of dark themes, so don’t be fooled by the young characters or the YA covers. But for those who favour gothic literature, old horror movies or folklore, it brilliantly brings their themes into the modern day, and it’s well worth a read if that’s your thing.
A massive thank you to @mabennettauthor and @hachettechildrens for my copy (and a bunch of spooky goodies) in exchange for an honest review.
Perhaps my favourite thing about this series is how memorable the characters are. Each one of the four central POVs has a unique way of perceiving and describing things, so you’d know them by the way they narrate, even without names at the start of each chapter. New characters are introduced in this volume, and they quickly become just as interesting, from a modern Van Helsing to the superstitious townsfolk, to a host of enthusiastic vampire cosplayers.
There’s less action in this book than the first, but intrigue and mystery throughout. The magic system stays sound, the mythology is interesting and the sharp wit and humour made me laugh more than once. It must be repeated that this series confronts a lot of dark themes, so don’t be fooled by the young characters or the YA covers. But for those who favour gothic literature, old horror movies or folklore, it brilliantly brings their themes into the modern day, and it’s well worth a read if that’s your thing.
A massive thank you to @mabennettauthor and @hachettechildrens for my copy (and a bunch of spooky goodies) in exchange for an honest review.
March 11, 2025
I enjoyed the story and like all the main characters (I disagree with some reviews here that are critical of some of the teen speech - I teach teenagers and find it pretty authentic).
The key negative for me is the fairly frequent Harry Potter referencing, which I would much rather not come across - there are other cultural touchpoints, more in keeping with the gothic/horror vibe and I particularly don't think LGBT+ characters would be making these references anymore (yes, I know it's set in 2016, but still, have some respect for LGBT and ally readers).
The key negative for me is the fairly frequent Harry Potter referencing, which I would much rather not come across - there are other cultural touchpoints, more in keeping with the gothic/horror vibe and I particularly don't think LGBT+ characters would be making these references anymore (yes, I know it's set in 2016, but still, have some respect for LGBT and ally readers).
May 13, 2025
Compared to the first book, this was a let down. Hal and Griffin has no real development in this one, and they feel very 2D in the background the whole time. This book should have been a focus on Ren, but most of the time he is in the castle and adds nothing to the story. As always, Eve is at the centre of attention, and I'm really tired of her.
It starts waaaay to slow and everything happens at the last 100 pages. I felt bored most of the time. There was no rush of excitement like in the first book, most of the plot twists were too predictable. I'm sure that M.A. Bennett will write two more books in this series, or even three, and maybe that is the reason why the characters are showing so little growth, but I'm not sure stretching this young gothic story is a good idea.
I originally liked the idea of them going to Transylvania, but these weak rewrites of classics are taking me out. It did not make any sense for them to play out the book Dracula. Do we really think that a hundred year old werewolf would play pretend with teenagers? The first book made sense with the experiment, and I hoped there would be a better story here too. Also, putting the literal Devil in it? What are we even doing? The fist half of the book was painfully slow, then the last few pages there are so much happening. Then immediately cut. End of the book.
This is why I like standalone books better.
It starts waaaay to slow and everything happens at the last 100 pages. I felt bored most of the time. There was no rush of excitement like in the first book, most of the plot twists were too predictable. I'm sure that M.A. Bennett will write two more books in this series, or even three, and maybe that is the reason why the characters are showing so little growth, but I'm not sure stretching this young gothic story is a good idea.
I originally liked the idea of them going to Transylvania, but these weak rewrites of classics are taking me out. It did not make any sense for them to play out the book Dracula. Do we really think that a hundred year old werewolf would play pretend with teenagers? The first book made sense with the experiment, and I hoped there would be a better story here too. Also, putting the literal Devil in it? What are we even doing? The fist half of the book was painfully slow, then the last few pages there are so much happening. Then immediately cut. End of the book.
This is why I like standalone books better.
August 2, 2025
*I was sent an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review*
Children of the Night is a very decent sequel to what was one of my favourite horror books of 2024. The horror was toned down quite a lot, possibly because most chapters were about Ren and his narrative is a little all over the place. The capitalisation of random words still confuses me. However, I do think Griffin’s narrative was much better. Less racial stereotypes were used and he sounded way more intelligent in this book. A big issue I had with the first book was that he sounded really dumb. He had a lot of development in Children of the Night, which he was severely lacking before.
I’m a little sad that Eve is once again a victim of sexual violence. It’s an important part of her backstory, so hearing about that again was fine, but there really didn’t need to be another instance–this happens at the end of a chapter and you have to wait about three chapters to see what the outcome is. It’s especially upsetting as she is the only female member of the group and she’s been abused and been made to get naked in front of strangers multiple times. Hopefully this trend doesn’t continue.
I’m also completely over books in 2024/25 referencing Harry Potter, especially ones that feature LGBTQIA+ characters. These references were completely pointless as they were mostly used to describe a character’s glasses. You could just say they were wearing round frame glasses. We don’t need reference to a book by a transphobic author.
Ok, so that’s all of my negatives out of the way. Now onto the positives. The best part of Children of the Night was learning more about the Young Gothics and the new powers they possess. I wouldn’t say I know everything about their original stories, so it was really interesting to find out about their powers and the reasons why they manifest.
The development of their friendships into a found family was so sweet–nothing builds a found family quite like shared trauma. The romantic relationships were also great. Each had its problems but I’m hoping, especially for Hal and Eve, that they can work through these. I’m assuming based on the ending there’s a plan for more books, hopefully each character gets one centred around them as this was very much Ren’s book.
The creepy vibes were definitely there but I do think Children of the Night lacks the tension that made the first book so unsettling. I know that most of this tension came from the Young Gothics not knowing about their true natures, but I had high hopes for this book as it’s set in Transylvania. The setting was done pretty well though. I don’t know anything about Romanian culture, but apparently it was done justice in Children of the Night–from what I could tell nothing was offensive.
I could tell straight away that something was up with the Scholomance, but I never would have guessed what was actually going on. The twists were very well thought out, even if one in particular was obvious from the start. I found Children of the Night an easier read compared to the first book (it only took me two days to finish), but that’s probably because I already knew the characters. I’d say this one isn’t as good as the first book but it is still a very good and entertaining read.
Children of the Night is a very decent sequel to what was one of my favourite horror books of 2024. The horror was toned down quite a lot, possibly because most chapters were about Ren and his narrative is a little all over the place. The capitalisation of random words still confuses me. However, I do think Griffin’s narrative was much better. Less racial stereotypes were used and he sounded way more intelligent in this book. A big issue I had with the first book was that he sounded really dumb. He had a lot of development in Children of the Night, which he was severely lacking before.
I’m a little sad that Eve is once again a victim of sexual violence. It’s an important part of her backstory, so hearing about that again was fine, but there really didn’t need to be another instance–this happens at the end of a chapter and you have to wait about three chapters to see what the outcome is. It’s especially upsetting as she is the only female member of the group and she’s been abused and been made to get naked in front of strangers multiple times. Hopefully this trend doesn’t continue.
I’m also completely over books in 2024/25 referencing Harry Potter, especially ones that feature LGBTQIA+ characters. These references were completely pointless as they were mostly used to describe a character’s glasses. You could just say they were wearing round frame glasses. We don’t need reference to a book by a transphobic author.
Ok, so that’s all of my negatives out of the way. Now onto the positives. The best part of Children of the Night was learning more about the Young Gothics and the new powers they possess. I wouldn’t say I know everything about their original stories, so it was really interesting to find out about their powers and the reasons why they manifest.
The development of their friendships into a found family was so sweet–nothing builds a found family quite like shared trauma. The romantic relationships were also great. Each had its problems but I’m hoping, especially for Hal and Eve, that they can work through these. I’m assuming based on the ending there’s a plan for more books, hopefully each character gets one centred around them as this was very much Ren’s book.
The creepy vibes were definitely there but I do think Children of the Night lacks the tension that made the first book so unsettling. I know that most of this tension came from the Young Gothics not knowing about their true natures, but I had high hopes for this book as it’s set in Transylvania. The setting was done pretty well though. I don’t know anything about Romanian culture, but apparently it was done justice in Children of the Night–from what I could tell nothing was offensive.
I could tell straight away that something was up with the Scholomance, but I never would have guessed what was actually going on. The twists were very well thought out, even if one in particular was obvious from the start. I found Children of the Night an easier read compared to the first book (it only took me two days to finish), but that’s probably because I already knew the characters. I’d say this one isn’t as good as the first book but it is still a very good and entertaining read.
September 17, 2025
Actual rating: 4.5 / 5
I was so excited when I saw a sequel to Young Gothic was coming out, even more excited when I nabbed a sample at last year's YALC, and positively trembled when I saw it in the library... Only, it took me this long to actually crack open the book and dive back into the macabre lives of Hal, Griff, Eve and Ren.
I think the hesitation was caused by a combination of knowing I was going to love this and wanting to savour the reward and being a little worried it wouldn't live up to my love for the predecessor... Yes, I truly do talk myself into circles over the littlest things, but here we are.
This ended up being a really great sequel and I thoroughly enjoyed learning with the Young Gothics more about their strange dispositions and what they could do with their powers.
Being set in Transylvania, in the lead up to St. Andrew's night really set the gothic atmosphere up a notch and the dark ambience really felt amplified and well utilised against the forestry, cold and snow backdrop of the small village. Think of the behemoth of the mysterious castle looming every present just above and it really did create the perfect Dracula scene, with the cast of characters we have.
I was sad that poor Ren was kept away from the main group for so long, but I loved seeing how he figured things out on his own.
Hal started to remind me of Okurun and Evil Eye, but I think that maybe I've been watching too much DanDaDan!
Eve and Clara have me questioning even more and I think that Griffin seems to have found peace and happiness in himself.
There were definitely some bits of the story that stuck out to me (other than a couple of times where it seemed that the author may have accidentally switched pov's during a chapter briefly and it wasn't edited out).
The three main plot hole things that were frustrating for a reader was the 'who are you bit' with Andreas. This dragged on way too much for my tastes. It was quite clear, I thought, who his character was from very in depth conversations the Young Gothics had already had with him, so the reveal near the end wasn't as gut punching as I think it was intended to be. Pretty much as soon as Andreas discussed his family business it was pretty obvious, so I was confused as to why characters were sometimes seeing it too and other times tip toeing around the hints.
The other plot development which I thought was holey, was regarding Necker. I don't want to say too much about this part because I do think it will spoil it easily in very few words. But he blatantly told/showed Ren something and Ren still kept going on with the notion that something else was true... It didn't make much sense and left me again scratching my head in confusion.
I do think that Eve and Hal needed a deeper conversation after a particular event because that shit must have been traumatic and Eve was way too chill about it??
Outside of the above, I adored this story and had such a great time being back in the world of Young Gothics!
Pick it up, give it a go & enjoy!
I was so excited when I saw a sequel to Young Gothic was coming out, even more excited when I nabbed a sample at last year's YALC, and positively trembled when I saw it in the library... Only, it took me this long to actually crack open the book and dive back into the macabre lives of Hal, Griff, Eve and Ren.
I think the hesitation was caused by a combination of knowing I was going to love this and wanting to savour the reward and being a little worried it wouldn't live up to my love for the predecessor... Yes, I truly do talk myself into circles over the littlest things, but here we are.
This ended up being a really great sequel and I thoroughly enjoyed learning with the Young Gothics more about their strange dispositions and what they could do with their powers.
Being set in Transylvania, in the lead up to St. Andrew's night really set the gothic atmosphere up a notch and the dark ambience really felt amplified and well utilised against the forestry, cold and snow backdrop of the small village. Think of the behemoth of the mysterious castle looming every present just above and it really did create the perfect Dracula scene, with the cast of characters we have.
I was sad that poor Ren was kept away from the main group for so long, but I loved seeing how he figured things out on his own.
Hal started to remind me of Okurun and Evil Eye, but I think that maybe I've been watching too much DanDaDan!
Eve and Clara have me questioning even more and I think that Griffin seems to have found peace and happiness in himself.
There were definitely some bits of the story that stuck out to me (other than a couple of times where it seemed that the author may have accidentally switched pov's during a chapter briefly and it wasn't edited out).
The three main plot hole things that were frustrating for a reader was the 'who are you bit' with Andreas. This dragged on way too much for my tastes. It was quite clear, I thought, who his character was from very in depth conversations the Young Gothics had already had with him, so the reveal near the end wasn't as gut punching as I think it was intended to be. Pretty much as soon as Andreas discussed his family business it was pretty obvious, so I was confused as to why characters were sometimes seeing it too and other times tip toeing around the hints.
The other plot development which I thought was holey, was regarding Necker. I don't want to say too much about this part because I do think it will spoil it easily in very few words. But he blatantly told/showed Ren something and Ren still kept going on with the notion that something else was true... It didn't make much sense and left me again scratching my head in confusion.
I do think that Eve and Hal needed a deeper conversation after a particular event because that shit must have been traumatic and Eve was way too chill about it??
Outside of the above, I adored this story and had such a great time being back in the world of Young Gothics!
Pick it up, give it a go & enjoy!
October 22, 2025
4.25⭐
Children Of The Night picks off right where Young Gothic left off and for fans of Dracula reading this book during the spooky season is the perfect kind of campy treat that the chilly autumn air invites. This time our "Scooby-Doo gang" as Hal quotes sets off for Transylvania at Dracula's Castle in search of answers about their own natures. Without revealing much of the plot as it is a direct sequel, there are pretty big troubles thrown in their way as they attempt to uncover Necker's motives.
The whole book is divided into parts, in turn complemented by short chapters which keep the pages turning and the progression very smooth. There are four perspectives just like Young Gothic and I'm still amazed as to how the author accomplishes the task of making each voice uniquely stand out. The characters are still in their teens and yet they are never overtly annoying or cringe in their actions. The highlight has to be their romances which are so sweet and yet inevitably heartbreaking. So many complex themes like motherhood, identity, folklore and other darker themes are discussed not in an overtly explicit way but more on a level of the younger audience. It was equal parts a mystery romance and equal parts a homage to the cult classic Dracula being represented in all forms of media.
However does it stand as high as Young Gothic? I'm not sure. Young Gothic had a creeping fear, a tension among the players. It was heavily dark in structure as well as themes but never sensationalist. At times Vila Diodati itself felt like a character. However as a direct successor to that masterpiece of young adult storytelling, Children Of The Night falls short. It's not sensationalist but it lacks a certain urgency and fear that the first book had. My hunches regarding the mystery were quite spot on and I had predicted the plot twist quite early on. A new character Andreas was introduced but the story could have benefited from his separate perspective and again it's totally a subjective opinion not actually a criticism. The lack of fear is the main gripe I had with the book and the gothic elements were heavily muted since majority of the action takes place in the village rather than the castle itself.
Overall I would still recommend it as the book ends on a random cliffhanger and most importantly Hal's last line of his perspective has me wrecked. I was lucky enough to read Young Gothic and Children Of The Night in the same year as I found out about the first book only recently, and now I have to wait a long while for the third book to be released.
Children Of The Night picks off right where Young Gothic left off and for fans of Dracula reading this book during the spooky season is the perfect kind of campy treat that the chilly autumn air invites. This time our "Scooby-Doo gang" as Hal quotes sets off for Transylvania at Dracula's Castle in search of answers about their own natures. Without revealing much of the plot as it is a direct sequel, there are pretty big troubles thrown in their way as they attempt to uncover Necker's motives.
The whole book is divided into parts, in turn complemented by short chapters which keep the pages turning and the progression very smooth. There are four perspectives just like Young Gothic and I'm still amazed as to how the author accomplishes the task of making each voice uniquely stand out. The characters are still in their teens and yet they are never overtly annoying or cringe in their actions. The highlight has to be their romances which are so sweet and yet inevitably heartbreaking. So many complex themes like motherhood, identity, folklore and other darker themes are discussed not in an overtly explicit way but more on a level of the younger audience. It was equal parts a mystery romance and equal parts a homage to the cult classic Dracula being represented in all forms of media.
However does it stand as high as Young Gothic? I'm not sure. Young Gothic had a creeping fear, a tension among the players. It was heavily dark in structure as well as themes but never sensationalist. At times Vila Diodati itself felt like a character. However as a direct successor to that masterpiece of young adult storytelling, Children Of The Night falls short. It's not sensationalist but it lacks a certain urgency and fear that the first book had. My hunches regarding the mystery were quite spot on and I had predicted the plot twist quite early on. A new character Andreas was introduced but the story could have benefited from his separate perspective and again it's totally a subjective opinion not actually a criticism. The lack of fear is the main gripe I had with the book and the gothic elements were heavily muted since majority of the action takes place in the village rather than the castle itself.
Overall I would still recommend it as the book ends on a random cliffhanger and most importantly Hal's last line of his perspective has me wrecked. I was lucky enough to read Young Gothic and Children Of The Night in the same year as I found out about the first book only recently, and now I have to wait a long while for the third book to be released.
February 16, 2025
I literally cheered aloud when I got my advance copy of this book! 'Young Gothic' was one of my Top Reads of 2024, so I was beyond eager for the next part of the story. What could possibly happen to our messed-up band of monsters next?
MA Bennett does not disappoint. We take a moment to catch up with the protagonists before being whisked off across the Carpathians to Dracula's castle, where the Big Bad of the previous books has reappeared for more insidious plots. He's not going down without a fight, and he's had centuries to plan...
This could so easily have been Halloween-cartoonish, and the Scooby Doo comparisons were lampshaded in the last book. Fortunately the very real and modern characters make everything seem plausible. I was more than willing to suspend my disbelief because each of our four leads is struggling with the difficulties of being a 'monster' in a manner that's entirely relatable. The reader is virtually asked 'what would YOU do in their situation?'
Eve, Hal, Ren and Griffin each have clearly defined voices and it was a true pleasure to spend time with them again. I felt for each in turn, as the equally-difficult non-supernatural challenges they face are also entirely understandable - from past abuse to loss of a child, religious trauma and simply discovering one's sense of self. These are young people thrown into another bizarre situation, and I was absolutely with them as they fought to win through.
The atmosphere is fast-paced and creepy and as before, while certain events were telegraphed simply because they were nodding to a past influence (in this case, the novel 'Dracula') that's never a problem. As the ending approached, I had no idea how the Villagers Storming the Castle tactics would succeed, and the pages flew past as a result.
A great second outing for the Young Gothics. I sincerely hope we see them again in another instalment of bringing traditional horror to the modern day.
I was kindly sent an early copy of this review by the publisher, but the above opinions are entirely my own.
MA Bennett does not disappoint. We take a moment to catch up with the protagonists before being whisked off across the Carpathians to Dracula's castle, where the Big Bad of the previous books has reappeared for more insidious plots. He's not going down without a fight, and he's had centuries to plan...
This could so easily have been Halloween-cartoonish, and the Scooby Doo comparisons were lampshaded in the last book. Fortunately the very real and modern characters make everything seem plausible. I was more than willing to suspend my disbelief because each of our four leads is struggling with the difficulties of being a 'monster' in a manner that's entirely relatable. The reader is virtually asked 'what would YOU do in their situation?'
Eve, Hal, Ren and Griffin each have clearly defined voices and it was a true pleasure to spend time with them again. I felt for each in turn, as the equally-difficult non-supernatural challenges they face are also entirely understandable - from past abuse to loss of a child, religious trauma and simply discovering one's sense of self. These are young people thrown into another bizarre situation, and I was absolutely with them as they fought to win through.
The atmosphere is fast-paced and creepy and as before, while certain events were telegraphed simply because they were nodding to a past influence (in this case, the novel 'Dracula') that's never a problem. As the ending approached, I had no idea how the Villagers Storming the Castle tactics would succeed, and the pages flew past as a result.
A great second outing for the Young Gothics. I sincerely hope we see them again in another instalment of bringing traditional horror to the modern day.
I was kindly sent an early copy of this review by the publisher, but the above opinions are entirely my own.
November 6, 2024
Everything M. A. Bennett writes turns to gold, or deadly silver in this case. Picking up 2 months after Young Gothic left off Children of the Night is a brilliant spin on the Dracula story. All four of our protagonists are back and they’re straight back in deep, dark, spooky end as they find themselves whisked off to Transylvania. Separated from Ren, who is the very special guest of Florian Necker and his Diodati foundation, they are immediately caught up in the machinations of the foundation, Necker, and the shadowy boss they serve.
Full of fascinating actual Romanian lore, incredible twists, and creepy mystery the found family continue to discover more about their supernatural sides, try to reconcile their darkness and their light whilst also navigating their relationships with each other. Hal and Eve are utterly heartbreaking as they navigate their trauma and fears and Griffin and Ren made me squee on multiple occasions- honestly G’s faith and trust in Ren is inspiring. Both relationships are so wholesome (even when Ed isn’t) in the way they TALK to each other and work things out - not that Hal doesn’t have his toxic moments but that he recognises, acknowledges, and tries to prevent himself from being so again.
This is arguably Ren’s book - it is in Transylvania after all but all 4 are equally the stars and I cannot wait to see what they do next. Please tell me there’ll be more?
Full of fascinating actual Romanian lore, incredible twists, and creepy mystery the found family continue to discover more about their supernatural sides, try to reconcile their darkness and their light whilst also navigating their relationships with each other. Hal and Eve are utterly heartbreaking as they navigate their trauma and fears and Griffin and Ren made me squee on multiple occasions- honestly G’s faith and trust in Ren is inspiring. Both relationships are so wholesome (even when Ed isn’t) in the way they TALK to each other and work things out - not that Hal doesn’t have his toxic moments but that he recognises, acknowledges, and tries to prevent himself from being so again.
This is arguably Ren’s book - it is in Transylvania after all but all 4 are equally the stars and I cannot wait to see what they do next. Please tell me there’ll be more?
November 24, 2024
🌟 4.5 🌟
Children of the night is the highly anticipated sequel to Young Gothic.
In it we rejoin the young gothics & find how they've been coping or not in some cases with their new powers.
Positives -
I enjoyed the story & was happy to be reunited with these characters. I think there was great foreshadowing throughout the book for the keys points of the finale of this book. I loved following the relationships of the main 4 characters. The development of Hal & Eves relationship is everything! They really care for each other & try to be the best they can be for each other.
I found the new characters really added to the world that's being created in these books. I am eagerly anticipating the next one. There must be more!
Negatives -
Over referencing Harry Potter. It's 2024 & J.K Rowling does not need anymore publicity considering her stance on Trans rights.
Hals overuse of calling Eve Wednesday Adams - I feel like this was overdone & became tiresome.
Even with those in mind, I cannot wait for M.A Bennetts next novel!
Children of the night is the highly anticipated sequel to Young Gothic.
In it we rejoin the young gothics & find how they've been coping or not in some cases with their new powers.
Positives -
I enjoyed the story & was happy to be reunited with these characters. I think there was great foreshadowing throughout the book for the keys points of the finale of this book. I loved following the relationships of the main 4 characters. The development of Hal & Eves relationship is everything! They really care for each other & try to be the best they can be for each other.
I found the new characters really added to the world that's being created in these books. I am eagerly anticipating the next one. There must be more!
Negatives -
Over referencing Harry Potter. It's 2024 & J.K Rowling does not need anymore publicity considering her stance on Trans rights.
Hals overuse of calling Eve Wednesday Adams - I feel like this was overdone & became tiresome.
Even with those in mind, I cannot wait for M.A Bennetts next novel!
February 19, 2025
I started this book with terribly high expectations, as per the standard “Young Gothic” set in my mind. Most of the story follows the inner torment of the four protagonists while having to come to terms with their newfound identities. Some pretty heavy topics were addressed, and I admire the mindful manner in which everything was handled, though I have to admit I would’ve liked to dive a bit deeper into the character’s minds. The only reason this book ended up not being a five-star for me is the lack of tension throughout the book. Unlike the first book, we already know of the existence of monsters and the supernatural, so I found that most things were less shocking because of it; however, towards the end, everything is redeemed by the unexpected plot twists.
All in all, this was yet again a great book, and I am eagerly waiting for a sequel, as I feel we are not done with these characters quite yet.
All in all, this was yet again a great book, and I am eagerly waiting for a sequel, as I feel we are not done with these characters quite yet.
April 2, 2025
Oh my goodness I absolutely LOVED this book! I haven’t read the first book (although I fully intend to now) but it was fine as I was very quickly drawn to this dark tale and was invested in the young gothics pretty much straight away. So many film and book references, the story has more Easter eggs than the bunny himself! I hope there’s going to be more tales to come, still plenty of loose ends to be tied up.
July 3, 2025
Beautiful, Stunning, Exquisite, 10/10. This is just as amazing as the first book, beautiful writing, beautiful story, have no complaints.
I loved Griffin so much in this book, he just has so much love for Ren. Ren's self acceptance with him being a vampire was such a nice thing to see developing in the story. Eve is just as awesome as ever, and I want to give Hal a hug, he's trying so hard to keep Eve safe from Ed.
I loved Griffin so much in this book, he just has so much love for Ren. Ren's self acceptance with him being a vampire was such a nice thing to see developing in the story. Eve is just as awesome as ever, and I want to give Hal a hug, he's trying so hard to keep Eve safe from Ed.
July 11, 2025
I'm not sure how to feel , I really enjoyed reading this book as I did the last one but yet again the ending left me feeling torn. now mind you I think the ending was better compared to the first book, but my pont stands. kudos are due tho that I think the characters are really great, and I find them both interesting and strangely relatable . saying all that I did really enjoy this book and would read any coming sequals
September 14, 2025
four teenage 'monsters' that share one braincell but that braincell is completely useless and incompetent and makes it impossible for them to have any critical thinking skills whatsoever, which makes it impossible for them to see what's going on although it's painfully obvious from the very beginning - (surprisingly) I oved it
October 7, 2025
Enjoyable read in parts but definitely had some pacing issues and was not as good as the first book. Might give the next one in the series a try when that comes out and let that be the decider on how I feel about this series!
February 21, 2025
4 stars
Not as good as the first one but still really good
Not as good as the first one but still really good
March 9, 2025
Just as good as the first one.
July 10, 2025
The second book is as bad as good was the first one . It’s hard to believe the same person wrote both. Don’t waste your time on it
October 19, 2025
Bello quasi quanto il primo.
VOGLIO. IL. TERZO.
ora
VOGLIO. IL. TERZO.
ora
October 22, 2025
Six Harry Potter references is too many in the big year of 2025. Three in the first 65 pages is obnoxious
October 22, 2025
ah yes found family my favourite trope...I hope nothing happens to them (need part 3 asap)
May 12, 2025
M.A. Bennett can do no wrong. Every book is a 5 star read for me. Children of the Night is another book that proves this rule.
An amazing sequel that continues the brilliantly conceived gothic, academia, classic horror storyline from book 1 (which is also absolutely flaming marvellous!). I have been raving about this series to my friends and many of them have quickly gone out to purchase their own copies and have loved it just as much. I snagged myself a signed copy because I am that much of a fan girl.
Thank you to M.A. Bennett, Hachette Children’s Group and NetGalley for this eARC in exchange for my honest review.
An amazing sequel that continues the brilliantly conceived gothic, academia, classic horror storyline from book 1 (which is also absolutely flaming marvellous!). I have been raving about this series to my friends and many of them have quickly gone out to purchase their own copies and have loved it just as much. I snagged myself a signed copy because I am that much of a fan girl.
Thank you to M.A. Bennett, Hachette Children’s Group and NetGalley for this eARC in exchange for my honest review.
July 7, 2025
I loved this book just as much as I loved the first one! It was fantastic reading these characters again and all the gothic/horror themes throughout were excellent yet again!
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