Rowan is excited to start his final year at Mockingbird Preparatory Academy and to make it his year however his plans are upended when he receives a new roommate in the form of Casper Bellamy. Casper is a prince in the vampire world and is excited to start his diplomatic tour of the world but first he needs to get through the year at Mockingbird and prove that he can control his thirst and keep his identity a secret; his new roommate might be an issue since he smells delicious.

I was so excited for this book and it did not disappoint. I loved the sweet budding romance between Casper and Rowan as they found themselves pulled to one another. I was particularly impressed by the way that vampirism and queerness were used almost interchangeably to explore the fear of “the other”. The unflinching way that Casper was persecuted for something he wasn’t able to change about himself hit really hard, especially when he was likened to a groomer at one point. This is a book that is likely going to land all the harder given the current political climate but there is also a really uplifting sense of hope to the story that change and better is possible.

I respected the way that Arnold didn’t shy away from hard truths especially with Casper’s back story. What happened to him isn’t explicitly spelled-out for the reader but we receive enough information to paint a horrifying picture. 

Honestly, I am just absolutely obsessed with this book and it makes my queer vampire-loving heart so happy to see the lore and genre used in this way.