Let Me In [book review]

I recently finished reading Let Me In (in which the 2010 movie was based), written by John Ajvide Lindqvist. the original title, Let The Right One In, was adapted into a Swedish movie in 2008. I was interested in watching the movie, and when I realized it was a book, I was thrilled to read it. 

Summary

Let Me In is the story of a young boy named Oskar, who lives in an apartment complex with his mother. he struggles with everyday life, being that not only is he completely friendless, but he is tortured by boys at school on a daily basis. when a new girl, Eli, moves in next door, Oskar is immediately drawn to her odd ways and her questioning nature, and they become friends quickly. 

Oskar soon start to realize that Eli is a little... strange... she doesn't leave her apartment during the day, and she walks around in the dead of winter wearing only a thin sweater. before long, he figures out what she is and all the while, there are murders happening in the area, which has everyone on edge. 

 

(source)

Review

this is not your typical vampire story, but it's not Twilight either. while it does focus on a younger character base, it contains numerous adult-like situations and language, which was a plus, in my opinion. there are a handful of terrifying, gory, and violent scenes that got my attention. and while there were definitely some creepy characters involved in the story, it wasn't scary enough for my tastes.

I found the characters, the settings, and even the plot to be sort of dreary and mundane. most of the characters were just so sad and lifeless, and I found myself wishing they were much interesting and animated. overall, I was a little bored, honestly. I knew I was disappointed in the book when it took me longer than 2 weeks to get through it. I wouldn't say the book was terrible... I did finish it, after all. it just wasn't my cup of tea, I guess.

I'll still probably see the movie, but I won't be expecting much.