‘They Bloom at Night’ is a gorgeous fusion of a queer coming-of-age story combined with a fantasy/ folklore sentiment. Noon is a captivating narrator and the entire story felt really original in premise but still poignant and relatable in terms of the struggles she faces growing into herself.
Tran has constructed a brilliant story; layered with complicated family dynamics and the struggles of body identity, all set in this dystopian/ hurricane battered landscape. I wasn’t sure what to expect from this horror but more so a story that blurs the lines across so many genres but I was so impressed with the character arcs and the way Noon guides us through her story.
So many lines from this novel will haunt me in the best way for a very long time to come.
4.5 stars

If you’re looking to settle down with something a little spookier while the nights are still dark, They Bloom at Night by Trang Thanh Tran (Bloomsbury, £8.99) is a perfect choice. Set in Mercy, Louisiana, a small town which has been invaded by a red algae since a hurricane struck, this is an eerie and haunting tale. Noon and her mother live in Mercy, trying to navigate a life in the submerged town, where only mutated wildlife and a few humans remain. When they are approached by the town’s self-titled leader to help him, Noon must band together with a group of survivors to make it through as another hurricane approaches. This novel is dark and mysterious, a beautiful blend of modern horror and Vietnamese folklore.

Ahhhhhhhhh Trang Thanh Tran has done it again, and I loved it. They Bloom at Night is such a haunting, atmospheric way about it, and it is entirely unrelenting in its approach to the tension built throughout. I love atmospheric horror, especially anything set on the Bayou, and so this was an almost guaranteed 5-star read for me. Noon is a young lady fighting the monster beneath her skin while trying to keep her mum from falling apart, in the setting of a post-hurricane town full of mutated sea creatures. One thing Trang Thanh Tran does so well is allow her young characters to explore their sexuality against the backdrop of horrific situations, and I cannot wait for her next book already.


Thank you to the publisher and author for this book.

requested this to sell in and now I am just writing 100 characters so that I can submit my review. Side note, I loved this. So creepy!

This was brilliant. Incredibly atmospheric, a great cast of characters with fantastic LGBTQ+ rep and I loved the inclusion of Noon and her mum speaking their native language.

A plot and setting so unique that I've been recommending it to everyone.

Firstly round of applause for the cover!

Secondly I read this in 1 sitting! The powerful messages woven within this book were just incredible and absolutely make you think.

The mixture of genres was done so well I absolutely loved this!

3.5 stars. I know they say not to judge a book by its cover but this cover is truly captivating ane caught my eye immediately.

This was a really unique idea - I loved the links to Vietnamese mythology and this book touches on a lot of really key social issues - racism, gender identity, environmental and natural disaster concerns but a lot more. The relationships in this book are complex despite the length of the novel and it comes together well.
I did find myself struggling with this book towards the end as the pace suddenly changes but overall I enjoyed the experience reading this.

Thank you Netgalley for the ARC

Such a beautifully haunting book about identity, acceptance, culture and trauma.

I adored the writing style so much and found the book hard to put down. I was desperate to find out more about the characters and the troubles they faced both in their past and in the new world they are discovering after the hurricane.

A story of found family, found self and love of the sea.

Trang Thanh Tran’s novel presents a setting that sounds undeniably intriguing: a small Louisiana town overwhelmed by a toxic red algae bloom, mutated wildlife lurking in the floodwaters, and a protagonist grappling with both external monsters and her own internal turmoil. On paper, this blend of swampy atmosphere, horror elements, and personal struggles seemed like the kind of story I would normally enjoy. Unfortunately, it did not work for me in execution.

The central character, Noon, is weighed down by past trauma and a mother who believes their family members have been reborn as sea creatures. While that premise is unique, I struggled to form any real connection to Noon or the people around her. Even the mother’s eccentric beliefs, which might have been a captivating subplot, felt underexplored and distant. The introduction of Mercy’s menacing leader and his skilled hunter of a daughter initially hinted at a complex power dynamic, but the tension never fully developed into something I could invest in.

The constant threat posed by the mutated environment was described in detail, yet for all the novel’s focus on horror, it never evoked a strong emotional reaction. By the time Noon had to make her fateful decisions, I felt more detached than invested. While others may find the coastal lore and the eerie mood compelling, I personally found it difficult to latch onto any character or narrative thread. Despite its promising premise, the story ultimately fell flat and left me wanting more clarity and depth.

They Bloom at Night is a beautifully eerie mix of eco-horror, folklore, and deep emotional storytelling. Set in a flooded Louisiana town after a hurricane, the book follows Noon as she faces strange disappearances, mutated creatures, and haunting whispers in the rising waters. But beyond the supernatural scares, it’s really about identity, trauma, and finding the courage to fight back.

The writing is rich and atmospheric, pulling you into a world that feels unsettling yet mesmerizing. The story has a great blend of psychological tension and cultural depth. The horror isn’t just about monsters; it’s also about the fear of being seen, of confronting who you really are.

I enjoyed this slow-burn, character-driven horror with folklore and a strong emotional core , although you might want to leave the light on after reading it!

Gothic, eco-horror unevenly spliced with a brooding variation on a coming-of-age story. There are strange things in the waters surrounding Mercy, a small fishing community in Louisiana. In the aftermath of a near-apocalyptic hurricane, bizarre red algae have been growing at a ferocious pace, mutant sea creatures abound, people are disappearing, and there are rumours of a Lovecraftian monster lurking beneath the waves. Nhung aka Noon and her mother are all that’s left of their family, they travel through the red bloom in their boat, fishing and searching for answers. When Noon’s mother’s unexpectedly injured, Noon’s forced to team up with her boss’s daughter Covey, and they form a tentative bond. But Noon is struggling with the impact of a traumatic assault, sworn to secrecy by her mother, she’s filled with rage and self-loathing. And now, she too may be undergoing an intense process of transformation.

Trang Thanh Tran’s atmospheric narrative’s partly inspired by Laurie Halse Anderson’s Speak and partly influenced by the surreal, wilderness zone depicted in Annihilation. But Tran also weaves in aspects of Vietnamese myth and culture taking her story in unanticipated directions. However, I felt Tran was trying to tackle too many weighty topics here: environmental disaster, issues around gender, embodiment, and alienation through to the possibility of renewal or rebirth. The result’s definitely intriguing, lots of striking images and macabre, unsettling passages but it could be frustratingly slow. The style’s oddly dense, and I found the structure a little confusing, hard to follow at times. Noon's a sympathetic figure but the supporting characters need fleshing out – the villains are particularly cartoonish. But I relished the observations about aquatic life, and the queer rep’s well integrated.

An atmospheric horror novel full of thrills and monsters. Noon and her mother are wonderful characters who draws you in. Not for the faint hearted this is a well written book. I will be looking up more of this authors work.

I always love ocean horror stories, especially if they are queer. Nhung and Covey are two girls with complicated parental relationships - Covey's mother is missing, and Nhung's mother is obsessed with bringing back their dead family members. Also, there is some kind of red algae drowning the water, and people are disappearing.

I liked Noon and Covey and their friends as characters, they were a fun bunch and said interesting things about life and parents. So they were kind of the heart of the book for me. The other big theme is of course Noon being uncomfortable in her body, and trying to find her place. I couldn't figure out if she was meant to be nonbinary or simply rejecting humanity, but it was an interesting character arc.

There is a lot about rape culture, trauma, Vietnamese culture, climate change, weird gender feelings, and body horror, so if you're interested in those themes and also water monsters, then this might be the book for you.

They Bloom At Night by Trang Thanh Tran is a beautifully descriptive piece with a terrifying creature supposedly being the reason people are disappearing without trace.
In Mercy, Louisiana, after a hurricane ruined life there, a small number of determined families are trying to stay and make a living from a river that has sprouted red algae substance, and is creating mutated creatures. People also seem to disappear.
A local business man that literally runs the town his way by force, demands that a young girl called Noon, and her mum catch the creature that is causing all this mayhem. He also says they have to take his daughter Covey with them, to make sure that they do it!
I really enjoyed it, and loved the ending! The descriptive writing really helped me to visualise the scenes as the story unfolded. We learn about Noon and her life experiences, that are not all pleasant. It really makes you think about life.
Many thanks to Bloomsbury Publishing for the opportunity to read this arc copy via Netgalley. My opinion is my own.
#Netgalley, #BloomsburyPublishing, #NVTran_

An atmospheric horror novel full of thrills and monsters. Noon and her mother are wonderful characters who draws you in. Not for the faint hearted this is a well written book. I will be looking up more of this authors work. Thanks to Bloomsbury and Netgalley for this review ARC.

They Bloom at Night is a beautifully written novel exploring the complexities of the human condition, set against an eiree Louisiana backdrop.
It follows the journey of Noon and her mother, who have been hired to catch a ‘monster’, in a town full of hate and examines the concept of the often-misplaced fear of the unknown and how those with power use it to their advantage.
It is a novel about displacement not only within the physically environment but also the displacement of one’s identity and the pain we must sometimes endure to truly know who we are.
The descriptions of the landscape and ‘red bloom’ that engulfs it, are wonderfully evocative, it was a joy to read.
Thank you to Bloomsbury and NetGalley for providing an eARC of this book.

Coming of rage for sure! I adored this book, I'm always a big fan of nature reclaims violent apocalypse. Like the last of us? Cordyceps is literally the coolest ever, so this book was right up my alley and I adored it!

Noon is changing and nothing nor anyone can stop it.

Noon and her mum live from the ocean in the town of Mercy and one day, against their will they have to go on a quest to find the supposed monster that live in these red algae infested waters. The one they’ve been avoiding.

… and they are joined by Covey, the daughter of the man that is forcing them.

This an YA book that not just delivers body horror with supernatural elements but touches subjects like friendship, grief, abuse, gender identity and sexuality.

If you like slow burns, with a dark ocean setting, you will like this one.

Also, if you’re like me that builds an imaginary world while you’re reading, you’re going to see yourself lost in this town.

They Bloom at Night by Trang Thanh Tran made me so scared! This climate horror thriller for young adults had me on the edge of my seat. I felt genuine suspense, thrills, and surprising moments. It starts from page one, and it’s so chilling. You feel like everything’s already been set in motion, and there’s no stopping what will happen. Even in the new world, these entitled rich folks just want to exploit the Earth. It’s such a great book, and the anger it shows is completely justified. It’s a total breakdown of all those power structures, and it really shines a light on how they hurt everyone.

I was excited to read They Bloom At Night, based on the synopsis and that excellent cover art, but I'll admit to being hesitant when I'd seen it described as YA—not usually my thing. Fortunately, this is a dark, emotionally resonant piece of storytelling that has just as much to offer for the more mature reader.

Following Nhung—pronounced 'Noon' to those less familiar with Vietnamese—an inhabitant of Mercy, Louisiana. Taken over by a mysterious red algae that causes those exposed to it to begin changing, Nhung and her mother are recruited to try and find a suspected monster that's stalking the town and to try and discover why so many locals are going missing. Her relationships with her mother and with other local teenagers are stretched, tested, and taken in unexpected new directions as their mission continues, and it starts to feel like she won't escape it unchanged.

Thematically, Trang Thanh Tran manages to fit so much into this story. Through trauma and sexual assault, queerness and otherness, the desire to fit in versus learning to love the person you are, or the immigrant experience, we learn a lot about Nhung. These ideas are filtered through the lens of oceanic body horror, at times surprisingly grotesque for a YA book, as well as Vietnamese folklore. The end result is a book almost bursting at the seams with ideas and points to make—in lesser hands this narrative could split and become too much, but Tran manages to form it into a coherent whole.

The start of the story is a little slow, and I can understand some readers struggling with the pacing. There is a lot of world for Tran to build here, and the setup is vital for appreciating the back half of the book—despite the time spent on it, however, sometimes ideas feel a little confused or hard to follow. This isn't a major issue and certainly doesn't happen often, but I feel like some concepts weren't quite fleshed out enough for me to follow.

Overall, though, this is a very accomplished book, wonderfully written and with engaging and interesting characters. A sci-fi/dystopian thriller with elements of cosmic horror, at times reminiscent of a water-borne Annihilation, don't let the YA label fool you—They Bloom At Night is hiding some sharp teeth in its pages.