To begin I will say this: I am a nerd. I am history nerd. I love historical fiction. If you can write a book that takes place in any time other than the time I've lived in - it is likely that I will at least be mildly entertained by your book.
Mr. G-S (I give up on your name, Seth) does character development like no other. He also entices growth and a new level of understanding in his readers along with his characters. Abe was set on hating and killing all vampires and I was right there with him. I was right there with him until we meet Henry Sturges. Henry ends up being Abe's mentor and lifelong friend. He also provides the ancient wisdom that blind hatred for all people of a certain race, religion or persuasion is the most backward and ineffective way of moving through life. The explanation of how Henry came to be a vampire and his choice to eventually live his eternal life helping mankind survive throws a rather large wrench into Abe's plan to kill all vampires. Henry wasn't born a vampire and didn't choose to become one. Much like people do not choose the color of their skin - which brings us full circle to having Abe end slavery. Henry explains that "we all may deserve hell, but some sooner than others." This quotation not only makes the reader reconsider their feelings toward vampires along with Abe, but it also requires the reader to think about all people/animals/mythical creatures. If you choose to believe there is a god and in Abe's case you choose to believe in the Christian god, you have to consider the fact that all people make mistakes, sin and ultimately deserve hell on the surface. You have to consider what a person is as a whole and really get to know them before deciding that one identifying factor determines whether the good outweighs the evil in a person.
Mr. G-S uses this book, in my opinion, to compare slavery to vampire-ism in the version of history without actual vampires. Choosing a group of people who bleed, breathe and live the same as you do and considering them to be so low that sucking the life out of them is acceptable is heinous whether it is done by fictional vampires draining the blood from a person or by those that came before us who stole the life of slaves by whip, noose, starvation, etc. This book serves as a way to teach the monstrosities that have occurred in our history when we attempt to hate an entire group of people for nothing more than the color of their skin. Mr. G-S even brings the story full circle at the end and presents another time in history when white people in United States attempted to portray black people as beneath them and undeserving of the same life they enjoy. The fact that vampires could explain all of these occurrences is a unique version of history that some people, like me, wish was the true version.
I want to ruin the ending for you because it is amazing, but I won't. Please read this book and enjoy the horror, action and history.
P.S. The best thing about this book of all is that it most certainly is not anything like 50 Shades of Grey. You're welcome.
It is time to review Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter.
Well, the first thing I have to say about this is that these vampires don't sparkle. Point to you, Mr. Seth Grahame-Smith. I was reluctant to read this book because I was severely disappointed by the novel Pride and Prejudice and Zombies. My issue with that novel had a lot to do with the attempt at using Jane Austen's words intertwined with Mr. Grahame-Smith's. (Seth, your name is exhausting.)
Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter was all Mr. Grahame-Smith's own and it worked WONDERS for him. Abraham Lincoln is an exceptional character. This book is written so that the reader has absolutely no reason to think that every event in Honest Abe's life wasn't caused by vampires. The writing blends historical events, horror and fantasy together seamlessly and keeps the reader wanting to know more about Abe's life. The development of Abe's character through the book and the use of vampires as these terrifying, evil creatures that accounted for every event leading up to and including Abe's assassination was well executed to say the least.
Soft-spoken but eloquent, soft-hearted, smart and sneakily bad ass are all qualities everyone loves in a hero. Choosing one of the most beloved presidents of our young country's life and altering the story to include society's current love/hate relationship with vampires was genius. Then, using sympathy/empathy (depending on what has happened to the reader in their lifetime) for the losses in Abe's young life to make the reader even more attached to him and to pave the way for a million readers to be on Abe's side when he starts hunting was phenomenal. I was completely on his side after what happened to his mother and then to his first love. As a matter of fact, I was halfway out to the garage to see if we had a hatchet or, at the very least, a large hammer when I remembered I couldn't jump into the pages of the book to assist Abe on his hunts. Even if I could jump through the pages, I considered that I am terribly out of shape and I get winded taking the stairs. I don't know how much help I would have been . . .
Soft-spoken but eloquent, soft-hearted, smart and sneakily bad ass are all qualities everyone loves in a hero. Choosing one of the most beloved presidents of our young country's life and altering the story to include society's current love/hate relationship with vampires was genius. Then, using sympathy/empathy (depending on what has happened to the reader in their lifetime) for the losses in Abe's young life to make the reader even more attached to him and to pave the way for a million readers to be on Abe's side when he starts hunting was phenomenal. I was completely on his side after what happened to his mother and then to his first love. As a matter of fact, I was halfway out to the garage to see if we had a hatchet or, at the very least, a large hammer when I remembered I couldn't jump into the pages of the book to assist Abe on his hunts. Even if I could jump through the pages, I considered that I am terribly out of shape and I get winded taking the stairs. I don't know how much help I would have been . . .
Mr. G-S (I give up on your name, Seth) does character development like no other. He also entices growth and a new level of understanding in his readers along with his characters. Abe was set on hating and killing all vampires and I was right there with him. I was right there with him until we meet Henry Sturges. Henry ends up being Abe's mentor and lifelong friend. He also provides the ancient wisdom that blind hatred for all people of a certain race, religion or persuasion is the most backward and ineffective way of moving through life. The explanation of how Henry came to be a vampire and his choice to eventually live his eternal life helping mankind survive throws a rather large wrench into Abe's plan to kill all vampires. Henry wasn't born a vampire and didn't choose to become one. Much like people do not choose the color of their skin - which brings us full circle to having Abe end slavery. Henry explains that "we all may deserve hell, but some sooner than others." This quotation not only makes the reader reconsider their feelings toward vampires along with Abe, but it also requires the reader to think about all people/animals/mythical creatures. If you choose to believe there is a god and in Abe's case you choose to believe in the Christian god, you have to consider the fact that all people make mistakes, sin and ultimately deserve hell on the surface. You have to consider what a person is as a whole and really get to know them before deciding that one identifying factor determines whether the good outweighs the evil in a person.
Mr. G-S uses this book, in my opinion, to compare slavery to vampire-ism in the version of history without actual vampires. Choosing a group of people who bleed, breathe and live the same as you do and considering them to be so low that sucking the life out of them is acceptable is heinous whether it is done by fictional vampires draining the blood from a person or by those that came before us who stole the life of slaves by whip, noose, starvation, etc. This book serves as a way to teach the monstrosities that have occurred in our history when we attempt to hate an entire group of people for nothing more than the color of their skin. Mr. G-S even brings the story full circle at the end and presents another time in history when white people in United States attempted to portray black people as beneath them and undeserving of the same life they enjoy. The fact that vampires could explain all of these occurrences is a unique version of history that some people, like me, wish was the true version.
I want to ruin the ending for you because it is amazing, but I won't. Please read this book and enjoy the horror, action and history.
P.S. The best thing about this book of all is that it most certainly is not anything like 50 Shades of Grey. You're welcome.
Okay, and now I want to read this book. And maybe go see the movie to see how it compares. Because, let me tell you that when I first heard of this I thought it was the stupidest idea for a book/movie. Perhaps I will give it a chance.
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