TILL DEATH

True love lasts a lifetime, even if that life isn’t mortal.

High school senior Howard, who’s cued white, volunteers in a retirement home, organizing a weekly craft night. When he invites new resident James to join the class, he’s greeted by the man’s guest, an incredibly good-looking teen boy. It turns out that George isn’t as young as he looks, however: He’s a vampire who graduated from high school in 1960 along with James. Over the decades, George participated in protests for queer rights and supported people who were dying of AIDS before he reconnected with his mortal high school sweetheart, and he’s sympathetic toward the struggle the Queer Student Alliance at Howard’s private school is having with the conservative board. Perhaps 18-year-old Howard’s revolutionary spirit and love of vintage clothing can score him a date with an octogenarian vampire? (The older couple are in an open relationship.) This book is a gay vampire romance with a social conscience. The dual narration allows the vampire’s perspective to shine through: How would it be for a gay white man to watch the world change for the better in some ways but not so satisfyingly in others? The story often reads like a wish-fulfillment fantasy in which righteous gay anger leads to the meting out of some morally satisfying consequences. Ultimately, the novel is less about sexiness and more about emotional connections and rebelling against heteronormativity.

A thoughtful paranormal love story offering a wide lens on queer history and community.