Let the Right One In, by John Ajvide Lindqvist
A victim of bullies makes friends with a vampire. People gonna die.
Thomas Dunne Books, 2004, 472 pages
Set in 1983, Let Me In is the horrific tale of Oskar and Eli. It begins with the grizzly discovery of the body of a teenage boy, emptied of blood. Twelve-year-old Oskar is personally hoping that revenge has come at long last - revenge for all the bad things the bullies at school do to him, day after day.
While Oskar is fascinated by the murder, it is not the most important thing in his life. A new girl has moved in next door - a girl who has never seen a Rubik’s cube before, but who can solve it at once. They become friends. Then something more. But there is something wrong with her, something odd. And she only comes out at night....
Gory, icky, sleazy, and atmospheric.
Verdict: A very good vampire story that can hold its own with the best of Stephen King, Let the Right One In is distinctly Swedish, yet doesn't lose much in the Americanized film version. Recommended if you like vampires who are a little ambiguous, but still quite dark, and you can handle a high gore quotient. The book and both of the movies deserve to be horror classics. 9/10.
My complete list of book reviews.
Thomas Dunne Books, 2004, 472 pages
Set in 1983, Let Me In is the horrific tale of Oskar and Eli. It begins with the grizzly discovery of the body of a teenage boy, emptied of blood. Twelve-year-old Oskar is personally hoping that revenge has come at long last - revenge for all the bad things the bullies at school do to him, day after day.
While Oskar is fascinated by the murder, it is not the most important thing in his life. A new girl has moved in next door - a girl who has never seen a Rubik’s cube before, but who can solve it at once. They become friends. Then something more. But there is something wrong with her, something odd. And she only comes out at night....
Gory, icky, sleazy, and atmospheric.
Verdict: A very good vampire story that can hold its own with the best of Stephen King, Let the Right One In is distinctly Swedish, yet doesn't lose much in the Americanized film version. Recommended if you like vampires who are a little ambiguous, but still quite dark, and you can handle a high gore quotient. The book and both of the movies deserve to be horror classics. 9/10.
My complete list of book reviews.