Not a bit horror reader, but I really, really enjoyed this all the same. A lot of, you know, horror. I loved how mundanely, boringly fucked up the normal characters were. ( )

A very compelling read. Nothing really new to add to the vampire mythos but an intriguing character study with sympathetic characters. Highly recommended. ( )

I've really enjoyed the consistent pacing and that there were no copouts on consequences.
All around this is a very well written book.
But the plot doesn't go anywhere. No tension arc, no goal, no nothing.
I at no point had the feeling that the story worked towards anything.

It's just a random slice of a drama enriched with unnecessary horror.

There is no consistent explanation of the supernatural elements either.
It's just what the author needed at the moment which sadly is much more apparent here than in the general case of this flaw because it is used just to draw horrific graphic scenes that don't even have some other point to them.

I was intrigued enough by the writing and the setting to keep reading. I usually drop a story quite quickly if it suffers from major flaws but this kept me hooked in an unusual way.
I can see why people might appreciate this kind of story but it just wasn't for me.
Maybe this is a bit like modern art. It is appreciated because it is different not because it is "good"? ( )

After watching the Swedish film (which I thought was excellent), and the American remake (which, amazingly, was very good), I decided to read the novel.

If you're here, on Goodreads, reading this review, you know that the written word can create a far more nuanced story-world than the movie, with additonal layers to filter through, and numerous nooks and crannies to be explored. You can only squish so much material into two hours of celluloid.

So we expect more from the original material.

And Let the Right One In doesn't disappoint at all. The MC here, Oskar, is faced with some ethical decisions, and he doesn't always choose wisely. In the movie I felt as if he was an impassive observer, content to let circumstances waft over him.

And the vampire, Eli - we learn far more about the vampire in the novel. I don't want to spoil things, but suffice it feels regret over some of the moral choices it makes, odd for a vampire!

Håkan, the vampire's familiar, is a much larger character in the book..He sticks around far longer, and causes more damage, both to himself and others.

There is a woman who becomes infected, I don't think I spoil things by saying this is a result of a vampire bite. Her story takes up a large portion of the last half of the book. In the film version, she is infected in one scene, and then in another there are consquences. That's about it.

This is not to mention several characters in supporting roles who fleshed out in the novel. The antogonists here face daily pressures, both at school and at home. Loved ones of the larger characters are given personalities and desires. The whole story-world is filled in, rather than alluded to.

All in all, an enjoyable read, one that will stick with me for awhile. ( )

Great movie ( )