Book Review - Brutal Boys Cry Blood by Steffanie Holmes

Brutal Boys Cry Blood by Steffanie Holmes

Brutal Boys Cry Blood is the sequel to Pretty Girls Make Graves and I started it immediately after finishing the first one. I literally could not put down the first book, but this book just didn't grip me as much as the first one did.

Brutal Boys Cry Blood continues George's story where Pretty Girls Make Graves left off, with George being kidnapped. But after freaking out in captivity, she finds out that it was her initiation into the Orpheus Society. Now as a full member, it is easier for her to get closer to the society members so that she can uncover secrets about her roommate Keely's death. But as she starts to befriend the Orpheans, she starts to question if they are capable of killing one of their own.

I will say that the mystery element of this book was still very much interesting and basically kept me interested enough to finish the book. I really enjoyed that we got to see more into the Orpheus society and the events and rituals that they do. *Spoiler incoming* I didn't like the cannibalism aspect though. I find it so hard that anyone, even spoiled, rich brainwashed kids, would be willing to eat raw human meat to become closer to a god. I just found that too unbelievable. And the plot twist villain was too much and a little predictable. Of course, it would be a person who George never expected. I really started to dislike the romance too. This is my first book that involves a throuple but I don't think it was that well done. If I remember the first book correctly, Sebastian is a decade older than George, and George and William are around the same age. In this book, Sebastian reveals that William was 15 when they first started having relations. Sebastian was basically an older brother figure for William, a person he should have been able to trust, and a priest nonetheless. Does no one else see a problem with this?? The poor boy was groomed by Sebastian. I really liked the idea of an older hot priest being involved in a romance, but Sebastian was just creepy. 

Putting aside everything I've complained about, I still mostly enjoyed this series and don't regret reading it. It had the perfect dark academia vibes that I was looking for, and some weirder vibes too that I didn't just outright hate.