Let Me In...A Bloody Review

*Let Me In sent to Horror Stew courtesy of Diana Szu at Thomas Dunne Books/St. Martin's Press-Thanks Diana!

John Ajvide Lindqvist, author of the riveting vampire book, Let Me In, is said to be Sweden’s Stephen King, while having the poetic touch of Anne Rice. I disagree. Having read all of King’s material and Anne Rice’s as well, I consider myself a fair expert in being able to compare Lindqvist to the two horror giants. I believe he’s in his own class. Let Me In has its own flair, pacing, style, and subtle horror. It’s an excellent book; a great read, and I don’t give out those compliments lightly! There’s something eerie about a vampire child that’s centuries old living in a bleak apartment complex in Blackeberg, Sweden. I mean, common, I thought vampires lived in sexier places then a grungy apartment?!? Also, forget that vamps sleep in coffins in this story; they rest in bathtubs!

The sweet thing about the vampire in this book is that it knows what it is, what it does, how long it’s lived, and how it happened, but……it’s lonely. A vampire is a lonely existence, living for centuries and watching loved ones die. Loneliness is a trait of the living, one would assume, and not the dead, but here it’s tragic. Into this picture steps a boy named Oskar. Oskar is a kid that’s bullied by some of his classmates; Jonny, Micke, and Tomas. He’s called piggy, gets his head dunked in toilet bowls, and beaten on occasions. The hoods are piss mean with nothing better to do then pick on 12 year old Oskar. Oskar can thankfully retreat into his home life with his mother, deliver his papers, work on his serial murder scrapbook, and vainly attempt to solve his Rubik’s Cube.

One evening, on the playground outside of the apartment complex, Oskar meets Eli. There’s something strange about Eli. She smells dank. Her clothes are dirty. Her breath is bad. Oskar doesn’t judge too harshly because friends are hard to come by for him. He has his Rubik’s Cube which Eli solves without breaking a vampire sweat! It seems that Eli is excellent at all kinds of puzzles and Morse code. Also, Oskar’s amazed at the physical things that Eli can perform; long jumps from off the top of the jungle gym along with other apparently light bodied acrobatics. Eli doesn’t seem to even need a coat in the cold, only wearing a thin shirt. Oskar has made a friend that doesn’t know he’s bullied at school; doesn’t know that he’s considered a worm, and he’s happy. It’s strange that he doesn’t see her during the day.

A rash of murders has hit the area of Blackeberg. People are being found drained of blood, which is terrifying the locals and mystifying the police. Oskar’s mother is nagging constantly for him to be careful out there, but Oskar isn't listening. Oskar is busy with his new friend Eli and noticing more weird things about her. Sometimes she appears haggard looking with some strands of gray hair along with a drawn, pinched look. Tired, perhaps? After every murder Eli looks the picture of health again, with shining hair and a glowing complexion! It takes a while for Oskar to even correlate these things as relating to each other. He’s wondering who the overweight balding man is that lives with Eli? He’s strange. Meanwhile, the bodies keep piling up, drained of blood, and the town is on high alert. As Oskar learns the truth of whom and what Eli is, will he want to let her go? Or will he desire to go down in ashes only to be born anew to be her friend forever? Read this interesting and entertaining book by John Ajvide Lindqvist! Oh, uh, keep your light on at night, by the way……

About the Author: John Ajvide Lindqvist writes for stage and television in Sweden where he lives. This is his first novel.

Let Me In
By John Ajvide Lindqvist
Fantasy/Horror/Fiction *Hardcover
$25.95 416 Pages
ISBN:0-312-35528-9
Thomas Dunne Books
Publication: October 2007

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