Queralt✨'s Reviews > Dead Collections

Dead Collections is a story about vampirism and transness following the love story between Sol, a vampire who is an archivist, and Elsie, a widow. It’s also a character story of Sol as he navigates vampirism, being trans, and archivism.

This is a strong 3 for me. I enjoyed reading it and it was a quick one to get through. However, there was a lot and nothing going on at the same time; it’s one of these books that you pick up and just go with the flow, rather than expecting strong plot lines. Some of the many subjects that the story brings up - besides the main themes mentioned before + the love story - are Internet fanfiction, ghosts, grief, discrimination, chronic diseases, etc.

What I’d say confuses me the most, and I think it’s mentioned in a few reviews, is how vampirism is used as an allegory of being trans, yet both collide in the same story. And you see the one character who’s ‘achieved’ both, and another one getting acquainted with both and starting their own journey (sort of). It felt strange, but it was nice that the story emphasized the possible fluidity of gender as opposed to the permanence of being a vampire.