Review: Let The Right One In
Let the Right One in by John Ajvide Lindqvist
My rating: [rating=3]
Summary:
Twelve-year-old Oskar is an outsider; bullied at school, dreaming about his absentee father, bored with life on a dreary housing estate. One evening he meets the mysterious Eli. As a romance blossoms between them, Oskar discovers Eli’s dark secret – she is a 200-year-old vampire, forever frozen in childhood, and condemned to live on a diet of fresh blood.
Review:
I’ve thought some more about how to review this book, and I somehow feel that I should give it more stars, but I’m still unsure. Because it falls in that category of novels that leaves me “I liked it a lot, but…” (and though the ‘buts’ aren’t so easy to explain, they still remain).
In terms of how I like my vampires, “Let the Right One In” stands on the right side of the fence: there’s blood, there’s horror, and creatures who’re not sappy and not part of humanity anymore. Definitely a horror story, yes. I think that what lessened my appreciation of it was the pace (I’d have liked it a little faster); some of the secondary characters (I couldn’t connect with Lacke, Virginia and a few others); and how bleak everything was (but the latter part probably has more to do with my mood these days, so don’t take it as close to objective at all). I’d have been content enough if the story had revolved around Oskar, Eli and Håkan only. Also, there were a few moments that made me wonder how they hadn’t been found out yet, given their blunders in terms of feeding; I’d have assumed that any vampire as old as Eli would have learnt to plan better. (Well, I guess you can tell I did play “Vampire: the Masquerade”, and consider practical aspects first, huh?)
Special mention to Håkan, by the way, because creepy guy is so creepy. Kind of like a train wreck: it’s so horrible, but there’s some dark part inside you that keep you watching all the same. And somewhat liking it, too. Yes, it’s deeply disturbing, I know.