Thank you to the publisher for an eARC to review! 

Arriving at Saint Perpetua’s College in Massachusetts, far away from her comfortable Mississippi home and religious roots, Laura Sheridan is looking forward to making new friends and building her skills as a poet. But quickly, she’s thrust into an academic rivalry with Carmilla, the star pupil of the ever-intense Ms. De Lafontaine, their poetry professor. A tale of obsession and secrets unfolds, bringing Laura further into the darkness than she could have ever imagined. 

 

I devoured this novel. S.T. Gibson’s prose is beautiful—lush and vocab-rich without ever feeling inaccessible or confusing. It was poetic in its own right, which helped center both Laura's and Carmilla’s points of view throughout. The storytelling and setting were also rich, helping transport me into the late-60s New England girls’ college, with all its dark corners and secrets. Plus, it was sapphic and sexy, with a solid balance of spice, plot, and character to keep it interesting. 

 

There were some things that made this fall short of 5 stars for me. Particularly, I felt like there was something to be desired in the realm of the gothic. As a retelling of Carmilla, I expected there to be more uneasy or unsettling parts to the story. Despite some gruesome events, it never really felt like there was true danger for the characters. The plot beats were largely predictable, and I found myself wanting just a little more of the “scare” or uncanny that vampire tales often have. 

 

Instead, I think the novel shines a heavier light on the characters and their relationships, which are fraught with lust, obsession, hatred, jealousy, and desire. From Chapter 1, Laura is enamored by Carmilla, and we discover the obsession and reverence between De Lafontaine and the girls shortly after. But at times, the characters seemed a little inconsistent. I found myself questioning some rapid shifts in desire from Carmilla, and I was confused by De Lafontaine’s drive through most of the book. The latter, especially, never really felt clear to me. I almost wish there was more development on the professor/student manipulation and jealousy aspects, which were very prominent in the center of the novel but fizzled out toward the end. 

 

Despite these things, I really enjoyed the book and found it very engaging. I’m looking forward to reading Gibson’s other works soon!