Customer Reviews

iDrakula

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(6)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

First off this was a really quick read for me, which is exactly what I needed this month. It's November which means it's NaNoWriMo which means my already crazy life just got crazier. I think it took me about 3 hours in total to read.

For me that was three very enjoyable hours. Bekka Black has taken one of my favorite classics and turned it into a book that is completely modern. I loved the format and I sincerely hope she is planning on doing this again; maybe with a different classic?

The characters stayed pretty much true to themselves, the dialogue back and forth between the characters was entertaining and easy to read.

This was extremely original and utterly modern. The only thing missing was Mina, Van Helsing, Jonathan, and Lucy's twitter updates!

My only real criticism of the book was that it just wasn't scary like the original was, but maybe that wasn't the author's intent.

So I'm giving this four out of five stars. For me the originality and humor I found in the book pushed it from a three star (liked it) to a four star(I really liked this book). It might have gotten five stars had Ms. Black managed to also convey the utter creepiness and scare factor the original had.

Bram Stoker's tale gets an innovative update in Bekka Black's iDrakula. While she remains true to the heart of the story, Black firmly places the characters in the 21st Century by tossing out Stoker's letters and journal entries in favor of text messages and emails. The modern presentation makes this a quick read but it doesn't suffer from a lack of depth. Black has maintained the complex relationships created by Stoker and given them her own spin. Everything fans love about the original Dracula is here but with a fresh coat of paint, and Black's bold writing style adds flair to an otherwise well-known classic.

Fun, innovative, and more than a little twisted, iDrakula is a perfect for anyone -- young or young at heart -- looking for something new in the vampire world.

Welcome to the next generation of books. How the author manages to write an updated retelling of Dracula entirely in the parlance today's teens (email, texting) is nothing short of amazing. The landmarks are there from the classic story but this is a bold new way of writing a book. Of course, if the storytelling wasn't there it would be little more than a gimmick, but Bekka Black brings the goods.
Know a teen who is into vampires? Yes. You do. Slip them this book or even tell them to download the app (!) and invite them in to a brave new world of storytelling.

Every time I think, "Man, I'm so OVER vampires." I seem to pick up yet another book that features more mythological blood-sucking creatures of the night. Perhaps I'm just not as over them as I imagine myself to be. Perhaps they are my peculiar form of bookish Kryptonite. In any case and for whatever the reason, I'm glad I picked up iDrakula.

Ashamedly, as much as I read about vampires, I've never actually read Bram Stoker's Dracula. I've seen movies, I know the plot and the players, but I've never actually picked it up and read the granddaddy of all vampire books. An oversight I hope to rectify soon. So that stated, as far as in depth comparisons go for the purists among you, Dear Reader, I won't be able to give any. However, based on my knowledge of Stoker's Dracula, Black has written a smart and innovative homage to this gothic classic. Originally written in an epistolary format (i.e. letters, journal entries, etc.), Black has modernized the story, making it relevant for 21st century teenagers by telling her vampire tale via text messages, emails and occasional iPad web browsing. Not only is the novel cleverly written, but the way the story is presented visually is extremely appealing to my inner wanna-be graphic designer and provides the reader with an aesthetically pleasing reading experience.

Clocking in at 150 pages even, iDrakula is a quick, but intense read. Black keeps the plot moving at a fast clip and the text/email formatting style sucked me right in. It gives off a vibe of the forbidden and taboo, not only from the feeling that I'm snooping in someone's private correspondence, but also from the sensational events and subject matter of the book. It is creepy, dark and edgy. The twists Black incorporates into the story keep it interesting so that the novel is not merely a predictable, straight retelling. Instead it's something different while still remaining true to the tone, themes and basic plot of Stoker's original novel.

The formatting and length of the book had me a little worried that the character development might suffer - I was worried that the stylization and advancement of the plot might take center stage over the characters. Yet, that is not the case. Taking into consideration how easily tone can be misconstrued through electronic forms of communication, Black does an excellent job of bringing her characters to life and giving them individuality and nuance. This is true, especially in the character of Mina who is the main protagonist of this novel. While still an example of goodness and devotion, Black's Mina subscribes to a bit more girl power. She's a strong, independent young woman who's a Jujitsu champion and doesn't allow herself to become anyone's doormat. I really enjoyed her character and the direction that Black developed her.

If I had any complaints about this novel it is only that the last third seemed a bit rushed. There is a lot of build up and then the climax just rushes by. I feel like some of the emotional significance got a little lost in the dash to the end. But as I said before, I'm not sure how the original novel was paced since I haven't read it yet, so it could be mirroring the original in pacing and I'm just not aware of it.

Overall, with a cleverly re-imagined plot, an updated cast of characters, and a gorgeously visual presentation that gives a nod to our 21st century obsession with electronic connection, iDrakula is a wonderfully dark and creative homage to Bram Stoker's gothic classic.

this book is juts awsome realy it got me so stuck in it and i need to keep reading i finish this book in 3 hours it was juat fantastic....this book realy got me in to reding more...and if all books are like this one ill will read them all no matter what..i will whant that all readers in the world will read this is juat so interesting and if your one of does persons that like misteries,getting scared reading,and like paranormal thing read <drakula> and you will see what im tolking about!!!!! ps=love the book!!!!

I like this book because:
1. it is short,it didn't make me yarn while reading not like the others did.
2.plots are catching, and you read the story from different characters' point of views,but somehow it is cleverly sorted.
3.vampire topic, still, but with new format that has msg and email to telling the whole story, which makes me feel very interesting.

Mina, Lucy, and Jonathan are in the here and the now. Mina and Jonathan are a couple. Their friend, Renfield, has been admitted to the hospital after attacking animals. The friends are concerned for him, and Jonathan has agreed to attend to a job that Renfield was supposed to do. He's soon off to Romania to help the Count with some matters.

Jonathan and Mina try to stay in touch through messages, but they each realize that none of their messages are reaching the other. Soon, Mina learns that Jonathan is battling a strange illness and flies to Romania with Mr. Harker. In the meantime, Lucy has a new man in her life, Abe, but she too has come down with strange symptoms.

It's only when Mina and Abe start to work together to discover what has happened to Lucy and Jonathan that the true sinister nature of the Count comes to life. The two realize that they are the last hope to cure their remaining friends. Will they be too late to destroy the Count?

Okay, I'll be the first to admit that I've never read Bram Stoker's DRACULA. So I can't say if Ms. Black keeps to the general synopsis or not. I do know that some of the characters' names are the same, but other than that, I'm hopeless. But IDRAKULA jumps on the bandwagon of novels written using text messages, emails, and web pages.

The concept works for this story, and the reader is quickly transported into a nightmare of vampires and intrigue and mysterious illnesses. IDRAKULA is a good choice for the reluctant reader, as well as those who are into the paranormal genre. It won't disappoint.

Reviewed by: Jaglvr

I enjoyed this new approach to a classic story line. It's set in modern day with electronic neworking as the conduit. I hope to see more adaptations of classic stories from Black. The Mummy? Frankenstein? A good zombie tale? Congrats to Black for being bold and imaginative! I admire her pioneer spirit!

While I've sort of been put off paranormal lately, iDrakula called to me, with it's unique way of storytelling and I'm so glad I picked it up! Not having read the original of even seen a movie version of Dracula (which I did so afterward and of the two iDrakula wins) it was fun to experience the story in one of my favorite ways, through emails, text messages, web pages etc. I've heard that the original is told in letters and diaries, so I think it's really fun to see how that was modernized in this book too!

It really sucked me in and I finished it in about 2 sittings which never happens for me. I definitely thought it was creepy and mysterious. But at the same time I felt sort of removed from the situation, but I think that is just the case with this story because of the way it's told, even the original. One thing I would have liked was just more, the story moves at such a quick pace it's over like THAT. So maybe a little bit more detail would have been nice!

Reading iDrakula has opened me up to exploring other versions of the story and that I'm definitely excited about!

Having been a fan of the original Bram Stoker's Dracula, and hearing the hype on Twitter and other networking sights, I figured I'd pick up a copy on my Kindle and take a look at Miss Black's version of the age old classic. I found myself engaged in the use of modern technology instead of old phonographs and typewriters, but something within the book was amiss.

In the original, you were able to feel each character. Learn about their traits and come to love or hate who they were. In iDrakula the book is so short that characterization seems to be second rate to getting the story out. Plus it misses much of the creepiness the original book gave.

She runs the show from 2010 New York instead of 1897 England, which is fine with me, but we never truly know who Mr. Jonathan Harker is. When he is carted off to Romania, she misses entirely the scene where the driver stops because of howling wolves, and leaves him to worry and torment. Instead, she leads Mr. Harker straight to the castle where even then the horror of having day to day contact with the Count is put on the wayside.

E-mails are sent to Mr. Harker's love Mina, but after a while they are bounced back to him, saying they cannot be delivered. I can understand this, as a way the Count is pulling his strings and tightening his hold upon his guest. However, she misses quite a bit of their conversations within the castle that give it the creepiness this book deserves.

On the other side of the ocean, Lucy--the young and ambitious harlot--pulls Mina away from her one true love in many ways in the original book. In Miss Blacks book, this does not happen. After the Count has moved from Romania to now New York, there is no explanation as to how Lucy had been bitten. We just take it for granted she was randomly picked, when in the original, that is not true.
The love affair between Mina and Jonathan has been demolished by way of his inability to be monotones. Whereas in the original, that is the truest love story of the book. Also, you can forget about Professor Van Helsing being the hero of the story as in iDrakula his role has been downplayed to a simple med student.

For those that do not know the Bram Stoker's version of Dracula, you may find this interesting, but do not expect to find yourself engrossed in any one character at any time. For those who have read the original, I would pass this by as it will only make you wonder what was going through the authors mind as she wrote it.

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