Before I start reviewing this book, I have a confession to make. I started out really biased against this book. I first heard about this title while sitting in a theater and watching the trailer for the movie that is coming out based on the book.
My initial impression was that someone must have chosen randomly drawn topics out of a (top)hat and decided to write a novel about it.
The fact that it was based around Abraham Lincoln made me feel even worse about it. Abraham Lincoln! A vampire hunter?! It just felt so irreverant and disrespectful towards such a wonderful man. A man who had done so much to contribute to our way of life in this country.
I thought, surely he must be rolling in his grave at this very moment. Needless to say, I had no intention of reading the book OR watching the movie.
Then, one day, I was talking to my local barista. (I have a Starbucks habit that keeps them in business and their stockholders happy.) He happened to mention that he had just finished the Hunger Games trilogy.
I didn't know he was a reader, so when I found out, I recommended the Molly Fyde series by Hugh Howey as a follow-up. Especially if he was looking for something somewhat similar and equally satisfying.
While he seemed happy to take my recommendation, he mentioned that he'd already started another book, which just happened to be Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter.
I'll admit, my first thought was one of disdain. It's not something that I'm proud of, but I find that I can be a bit of a book snob. Not openly, of course! I was polite. However, my inner nose turned up a bit at the mention.
So, I just smiled and nodded, grabbed my coffee and went on my way.
Well, the very next day, Hugh Howey (the very same author that I had been recommending to my barista friend) posted a link to Enphy's blog review of his Wool book. I happily followed the link and found that we had both been equally impressed with Howey's book.
This made me want to see what else he had read recently, and wouldn't you know it? Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter was the most recent review. Not only that, but it was pretty positive.
Now I'm thinking I might have to check it out, because it's already been established that we have similar taste in books. So, I started toying around with the idea of reading it. However, I wasn't wholly convinced.
Later that week, I came back from another one of my coffee jaunts, and happened to mention to my co-worker that my barista recommended this book (as a continuation of our previous conversation.)
Now, my co-worker and I don't have a lot in common, but the one thing we DO have in common is we're both readers and tend to gravitate towards the same kind of books. In fact, it was he that referred me to both the Hunger Games trilogy last year and Ready Player One. In turn, I recommended Wool to him (which he loved.)
As I'm telling him about my follow-up conversation with my barista he says, "Oh yeah, actually, that book was pretty good."
That was it, I made up my mind right then to read it, keep an open mind, and decide for myself what I thought of it.
Almost despite myself, I found that I was captivated by the storyline. The introduction takes on the tone that this is a real accounting of events by the author. Similar to the tactic used in the Blair Witch Project.
(Do you remember that movie? The whole lead up to the premier of that movie they tried to get everybody to believe the video was real footage taken by a couple of kids in the woods and was "discovered." I think it was the first time that method was used to promote a movie.)
The history of Abraham Lincoln, and that entire time period, is so interesting on it's own, that the underlying vampire theme actually seemed superfluous at times. That being said, the author did a remarkable job weaving the two worlds (both real and fanciful) together.
In fact, the amount of research and historical knowledge was so impressive that I found myself thinking, "Wow! I didn't know that!" on more than one occassion. It inspired me to do a bit of fact checking and searching on my own; whether it was to verify something, or just because my own curiosity was spurred to learn more.
(Slight spoiler ahead; although I don't think it really counts as one, since we all know how Lincoln dies.)
For example, one of the things I didn't know was that the body guard, John F. Parker, hadn't even been at his post the night that Abraham Lincoln was assassinated. Amazingly, he had left his chair to find a better seat in which to watch the play.
Not only that, but he left the theater entirely during intermission and had actually gone over to the saloon next door to have a few drinks. No one knows for sure if he even returned for the second act! However, it is very clear, he was not sitting on his chair and guarding the hallway at the time Boothe went to assassinate the president.
I thought this seemed so remarkable; surely the author was embellishing the story! So, I looked it up, and read an article on the the Smithsonian's website that confirmed it was true! Can you believe it?!
Nowadays with how strict our security is surrounding the President, it seems almost preposterous that only one, drunkard guy would be in charge of Lincoln's safety. I don't know, maybe that's just illustrating my own deficiency in history.
What I thought was brilliant is how Grahame-Smith weaves our nation's history of slavery and vampires together. The outcome of this struggle would decide the fate of our country and whether or not all of us (not just slaves) would be allowed to be free, independent humans- or a country of livestock for our vampire owners.
Another thing I liked was that the vampires in this book were not the stereotypical, over-sexualized creatures that we've all come to expect. These were as varied as the humans they fed upon, but not romanticized in the usual fashion.
Overall, the story that Grahame-Smith puts together is a quick, entertaining read. In the end, I couldn't help thinking- like a spoonful of sugar- if vampires can cause people to access more history, then I look forward to another installment!
George Washington the Werewolf, perhaps?
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Customer reviews
I was unhappy with the condition of this book. The cover and spine has a stickiness to it.
Reviewed in the United States on October 27, 2021
I intended to donate this book to a library, but because of the condition, I decided not to. It did not come in the condition in which I believed it should have come in. Very dissappointed.
Reviewed in the United States on October 27, 2021
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Top reviews from other countries
V. G. Harwood
Another fabulous treat from Graham-Smith
Reviewed in the United Kingdom 🇬🇧 on June 16, 2013
Natalie
Interesting twist on biography
Reviewed in the United Kingdom 🇬🇧 on July 29, 2011Kindle Customer
Fact or fiction?
Reviewed in the United Kingdom 🇬🇧 on July 29, 2011
