Harbor by John Ajvide Lindqvist

Domaro, an isolated little island in a Swedish archipelago, is home to a handful of local families -- the descendants of fishermen -- and an ever-returning group of summer folk. On the shores of Domaro, a young boy and girl begin to fall in love as they contemplate the enormity of the sea, which has been gradually reclaiming its islands -- bit by bit -- since the Ice Age.

Years later, on a winter afternoon, Anders and Cecilia take their six-year-old daughter Maja across the ice to visit the lighthouse in the middle of the frozen channel. While the couple explores the lighthouse, Maja disappears -- seemingly into thin air -- leaving not even a footprint in the snow. 

Two years later, Anders returns to the island, shattered and dependent on alcohol to get through the day. He reconnects with his grandmother, Anna-Greta, a native of Domaro, and her lover Simon. Odd things begin to happen in the house Anders once shared with his wife and daughter, and he senses Maja's presence. Then other strange things begin to happen, and some of them are reminiscent of ugly secrets from Anders's adolescence.

Anna-Greta and the other inhabitants of the island are hiding secrets of their own, including a dark secret that's centuries old. As more and more strange, tragic things take place, she must share these secrets with Simon and Anders so they can survive and Anders can try to find Maja and bring her back.

This novel seized my interest from the first few pages. First and foremost, Lindqvist is a master at exploring human psychology. Everything -- from the tender, budding feelings of a 13-year-old boy falling in love for the first time to the raw, crippling grief of a bereaved father -- felt vibrantly real. Lindqvist is also brilliant at creating fear and guilt, including guilt triggered by the ambivalence some parents feel toward their own children. This is largely what drew me in, eager to be part of the characters' lives, and what made this story work on a visceral level.

I was intrigued by the cast of quirky characters. This included a widowed young mother who survived through trading with World War II soldiers and occasional bootlegging, a professional magician, and a lighthouse keeper with an endless thirst for solitude who studies the Bible and greets visitors with the word of God -- because nothing drives people away as quickly as preaching at them.

I especially enjoyed the relationship between octogenarians Anna-Greta and Simon. It's rare -- at least in our culture -- to read about an intimate romance between two older people. I found this believable, interesting, and refreshing.

Lindqvist also captivated me with his elegant use of language and lovely imagery and the way he uses language and imagery to create an eerie mood. 

     The trees felled by the storm lay there like long-necked, thirsty dinosaurs, stretching out all the way to the water's edge ...

... the fallen fir trees were still there, dark, gloomy tree trunks lying across the rocks, with the odd branch sticking up out of the water here and there like the arms of skeletons pleading for help, ignored and rejected by one and all.

     The moon had begun to tire and shrink, balancing helplessly on the branches of the few firs still standing. Veils of cloud drifted past, and as Anders drew closer Kattholmen was bathed in a light with no luminosity, like aged aluminum. He rounded the northern point where a concrete buoy marked a shipping lane that was no longer used, and continued along the rocky shore on the eastern side of the island. (p. 448)

The only thing that disappointed me was the ending. Most of the novel moved rather slowly, with great attention to detail. I appreciated this, because it allowed time to develop the various threads of the story. But after all that, I expected a richly satisfying conclusion. However, the novel ended abruptly. The supernatural threads of the story were never completely woven together, and I was pushed quickly out of this world, without time to gain closure with the characters with whom I'd lived for 500 pages. Perhaps the author intended to leave us with a sense of mystery and unanswered questions? I don't know, but it didn't work for me.

Overall, this was an absorbing novel, and in some ways it was even richer than the author's previous books: Let the Right One In and Handling the Undead. The thing Lindqvist does best, seamlessly blending psychological and supernatural horror, is what really shines here. This created characters and scenes that will be hard for me to forget.

Read More Review of this Novel: Mad Bibliophile; Book Banter; Killin' Time Reading;

Rating: 4

5- Cherished Favorite	4 - Keep in My Library	3 - Good Read	2 - Meh	1 - Definitely Not For Me

Let the Right One In by John Ajvide Lindqvist

In a suburb of Stockholm, Sweden, 12-year-old Oskar is cruelly bullied by some of his schoolmates. Lacking the strength to stand up to his tormenters, he fantasizes about murdering them. He even compiles a scrapbook of news clippings about homicides. As he gleefully collects these gruesome snippets, he keeps this hobby a secret from his affectionate but somewhat fragile single mom.

Are you creeped out yet? Well, it gets better. Oskar meets Eli, a mysterious girl who lives with her "father" in a neighboring apartment. They form an intense bond of friendship and affection, and Eli inspires Oskar to build up his physical strength and face the bullies. Eventually, he learns that Eli is a vampire, crystallized in a child's body since medieval times. Her "father,"Hakan," is a pedophile with whom she cohabitates. They have an eerie symbiotic relationship. In return for her chaste companionship, which he hopes will develop into something else, Hakan becomes a murderer to help Eli procure human blood.

Oskar and Eli are surrounded by a wide array of supporting characters. These include a small gang of adolescents -- disconnected from their families and community -- who hang out at their apartment building and a loose-knit group of alcoholics who meet at a local bar. This novel is as much social commentary as it is paranormal horror. It gives readers a glimpse of the anomie in a suburban community and of the alienation many people feel, even when surrounded by neighbors and companions.

If you like vampires in their raw form, not morally correct ones who avoid devouring human blood and not vampires who shimmer in the sunlight -- and if you have a strong stomach for violence and disturbing sexual content -- this novel might be for you.

Despite my own squeamishness, I enjoyed this book. The author has a knack for creating intriguing, three-dimensional characters who, while they may seem wholly unlikeable at first, end up drawing you in and inspiring interest, sympathy, admiration, or at least pity. And while the raw brutality might make you cringe, or even turn your stomach, you can't look away. This author also knows how to build tension and suspense. In these respects, he reminds me of Stephen King at his best.

This writer also has a gift for sensory detail. I could feel the bitter Swedish winter and the crunch of snow under my feet, and I could see the imagery, which was sometimes bloody and brutal. I could also feel what it was like to gradually become a vampire.

So while I didn't fall in love with this book, it did hold my attention, and the characters, events, and imagery will probably stick with me for a while. I recommend this for horror lovers who want a slightly different twist on vampire folklore.

Rating: 4

5- Cherished Favorite	4 - Keep in My Library	3 - Good Read	2 - Meh	1 - Definitely Not For Me

Shiver by Maggie Stiefvater

Shiver is the newest addition to the thriving genre of romance with supernatural creatures.

Seventeen-year-old Grace is pragmatic and bookish, reading strictly non-fiction. Unlike her mother, an eccentric artist, she likes facts. She is also a bit reclusive and has difficulty reading people. It is not surprising that she falls in love in an unconventional way.

Sam is 18, an intense, kind boy who plays guitar and composes song lyrics. He is very intuitive and reads people easily. He and Grace are like yin and yang, or winter and summer. Sam also turns into a wolf in the winter and lives with a pack of other werewolves. As he grows older, he spends less and less time in human form, and he fears he will soon lose himself altogether.

Their connection goes back six years. When she was 11, Grace was dragged from a tire swing by a wolf -- a werewolf in animal form. Another member of the pack saved her, a beautiful wolf with golden eyes. From that moment on, she has loved the creature who saved her, waiting for him to emerge from the woods in the frigid Minnesota winters. When she meets Sam, a handsome guy with striking yellow eyes, she immediately recognizes him as her wolf in human form. He recognizes her too, and they realize they're already in love.

The werewolf bite did not cause Grace to become a werewolf, but it did change her. Her senses are heightened -- she can hear and smell much more acutely than a human -- and she can communicate with Sam in an unusual way. Why didn't the bite turn her into a werewolf? And if she understood that, would it unlock a cure to Sam's condition?

The author created this world -- populated with humans and werewolves -- in such detail that it is easy to suspend disbelief. It is a very sensual book, not only because the romance is sexually charged, but in the richly described sights, sounds, smells and sensations woven in throughout the story. I could feel the cold of approaching winter, see the brilliant colors of the autumn forest, and experience the sounds and smells Grace perceived with her canine senses.

The story also flowed smoothly and was charged with suspense. It was a page turner. However, the ending was too abrupt, no doubt designed to pique the reader's interest in a sequel. And it didn't end the way I'd hoped it would. :-)

This was a thoroughly enjoyable book, beautifully written and suspenseful, enriched with references to poetry, music, and art woven throughout. I recommend it to fiction lovers, especially teen girls, and I look forward to the sequel coming out next year.

Check out more reviews of Shiver:

• Review by Abby the Librarian
• Review at The Compulsive Reader
• Review at Presenting Lenore
• Review at The Well-Read Child
• Review at GreenBeanTeanQueen

Rating: 4

5- Cherished Favorite	4 - Keep in My Library	3 - Good Read	2 - Meh	1 - Definitely Not For Me

The Historian by Elizabeth Kostova

What if an evil leader with an infinite thirst for power -- such as Stalin or Hitler -- could live forever? This question arises in The Historian by Elizabeth Kostova, a bestselling novel that garnered a $2 million advance and sold the movie rights for seven figures before it even hit bookstores.

Vlad Tepes, better known as Count Dracula, was a 15th century Wallachian ruler who was legendary for his cruelty. This novel explores his history, then slips smoothly into fantasy, as it is revealed that Dracula -- true to the legends -- gained immortality by becoming a vampire.

The story unfolds in layers. First we meet the protagonist, a 17-year-old girl being raised by her diplomat father in Amsterdam in 1972. As she travels around Europe with her father, she learns about his past -- bit by bit. His story begins with finding a puzzling book printed with a dragon, while working on his history dissertation, which puts him on the trail of Vlad Tepes. We learn his story, which includes a journey through Europe during the 1940's, through their conversations and his letters. This is peeled back to reveal the tale of his mentor, Rossi, and his quest to learn the truth about Vlad Tepes. This, in turn, reveals more stories, including the mysterious disappearance of the protagonist's mother. Finally the reader finds herself at Dracula's tomb.

Following these characters on their travels, we explore France, Romania, Hungary, Turkey and Bulgaria. What shines most in this novel, for me, is the author's knowledge of these settings and her skillful attention to detail. We can see the landscape, cities and people of Cold War Europe, vividly painted.

The writer also reveals knowledge of European history and of how historians work, as scholars search library archives, ask questions, and explore historic places. The history of the Ottoman Turks' conquering the Balkans, which foreshadows the brutal war that will take place there 20 years later, flows alongside the atrocities of World War II and communist oppression of Eastern Europe during the Cold War. I loved these layers of medieval and contemporary history.

I got into this novel expecting to love it, and it was worth reading for the history and the scenery. However, I felt a growing sense of disappointment toward the end. Unfolding the many carefully constructed layers of this long, slow-moving book seemed to promise both deep knowledge of the central characters and a spectacularly suspenseful and satisfying conclusion. Yet I never felt I really got to know the characters, and the conclusion felt hollow.

I also felt the novel lacked the mixed sensuality and sense of horror that should accompany a vampire story -- Kostova's vampires felt dry to me. Her Dracula was revealed to be a bookish egotist. I began to wish the author had left out the vampires -- intriguing as these mythical creatures are -- and just written a colorful travelogue laced with history. As it was, I was left with the anti-climactic sense that The Historian promised more than it delivered.

Rating: 3

5- Cherished Favorite	4 - Keep in My Library	3 - Good Read	2 - Meh	1 - Definitely Not For Me

Living Dead in Dallas by Charlaine Harris

 

Sookie is working at Merlotte's Bar, in a small Louisiana town, when Deputy Sheriff Andy Bellefleur staggers in, drunk as a skunk. He's in no condition to drive home, but when he comes back to pick up his car the next morning, someone has left a corpse in it. With no viable clues pointing to the perpetrator -- only the rumor that the victim had been to a "sex party" that night -- Andy is the prime suspect.

He's not the only one with problems. Working full time in a bar is not an easy life, but for 26-year-old Sookie Stackhouse, it's doubly difficult. She's a telepath, and she's spent most of her life learning to shield her mind from other people's thoughts. At moments, she lets her guard down, and she has to "hear" all the lustful and spiteful thoughts bar patrons are afraid to say aloud. That's one of the things that attracted her to her boyfriend, Bill, who is at times sexy and sweet and at other times dark and creepy. She can't read Bill's thoughts because he's not human -- he's a 150-year-old vampire.

Vampires have always existed, but they've only been out of the closet -- or out of the coffin -- for a short time. Since the Japanese invented a form of synthetic blood that can conveniently be heated in a microwave, vampires have come out of hiding. But they are still a very different race, with their own hierarchical system of rule, their own laws, and their own ways of doing things.

Sookie has agreed to use her telepathic abilities to help the vampires of Dallas, who are struggling with an unsolved mystery of their own. This leads her on a strange adventure that includes being surrounded by vengeful vampires, visiting a violent, fanatical church, and an encounter with a shapeshifter.  

Living Dead in Dallas, the second in Charlaine Harris's popular Southern Vampire series, is an unusual mix of genres. It has elements of a hot bodice-ripper romance, a genre I actively dislike. It didn't really work for me as a mystery. There weren't enough clues and intriguing possibilities strewn throughout the book -- the solutions to the mysteries just kind of presented themselves. And the vampire lore, in itself, is not all that compelling.

So why did I enjoy this novel? While none of these elements, by itself, worked for me, the combination of all of it, woven together by Charlaine Harris's gift for storytelling and edgy but good-hearted sense of humor, makes a great read. Her unique take on vampires, and their ambivalent, often salacious, relationships with humans, is hilarious. The story, with all its twists and turns, is thoroughly unique. While I never fell in love with the Bill/Sookie pairing, it does have elements of a real relationship. And this author's world, populated with vampires, shapeshifters, a maenad, and -- apparently -- werewolves, seamlessly joined to the world we know, seems believable and is a lot of fun.

 I definitely recommend this novel, for imaginative, funny light reading, to folks who enjoy supernatural creatures.  

Read More Reviews: Avid Book Reader; Rhapsody in Books; Fyrefly's Book Blog


Rating: 3

5- Cherished Favorite	4 - Keep in My Library	3 - Good Read	2 - Meh	1 - Definitely Not For Me

Southern Vampire Series Picks Up Steam

Cursed with the gift of telepathy, Sookie Stackhouse, a native of the small Louisiana town of Bon Temps, has never been accepted by normal mortals. Her abilities frighten people, so the sexy, blond 26-year-old waitress is viewed as a freak of nature. However, there is much more to the world than meets the eye, and Sookie befriends -- and is romanced by -- various supernatural creatures, including vampires, werewolves, and shape shifters.

The three sequels to Dead Until Dark and Living Dead in Dallas continue her story, adding a new mystery -- and some new supernatural twists -- in each novel. Sookie's romantic adventures, and the occasional steamy sex scene, are fun, but not enough to hold my interest. The mysteries are intriguing, but often predictable. And the characters, while quirky and delightful, would not be richly developed enough to stand on their own, without the paranormal mystery and romance. None of these elements, on its own, would make a particularly good novel. But somehow the blend of all of them, illuminated by a liberal amount of humor and local color, creates stories that are unique, imaginative, and tremendous fun, not to mention dangerously addictive.

Sookie is a warm, funny and likable character. Despite the suspension of disbelief required to become absorbed in her story, full of wild adventures and supernatural twists, she is a believable character. She's full of vitality, compassionate, brave, flawed and very "real." I think this seamless combination of a believable heroine -- along with humor and the minutiae of everyday life -- with wild paranormal adventures is part of what makes this series work. It's easy to slip into Charlaine Harris's fantasy world and go along for the ride.

 

Club Dead by Charlaine Harris (Southern Vampire Mysteries, Book 3)  Bill, a 150-year-old vampire, has been Sookie's first love in every sense of the word. But he's been immersed in a major project, a computer registry for vampires, and has been distant and preoccupied. Then he leaves the state, and his boss Eric, who was a Viking in his mortal life, suspects Bill was kidnapped. Sookie has reason to believe Bill may have betrayed her, but she still feels she owes it to him to find him and bring him home safely.

This quest takes her to "Club Dead" in Jackson, Mississippi, a nightclub for supernaturals. She's accompanied by Alcide Herveaux, a kind, sexy man with a supernatural quirk of his own. There she tries to peek into people's minds, probing for information about Bill. This investigation leads her into a dangerous vampire's lair, as well as into betrayal and heartbreak.   

 

Dead to the World by Charlaine Harris (Southern Vampire Mysteries, Book 4) Sookie is estranged from her former boyfriend, Bill, though things are far from resolved. And her life is becoming much more complicated. She finds a man wandering at the side of the road, half-naked, disoriented and confused. It is none other than the dangerous, sexy vampire Eric. A witch has hexed him, causing him to lose his memory.

Sookie takes him under her wing, keeping him safe until his memory and personality can be restored. He amuses himself, in her house, by watching taped episodes of Buffy the Vampire Slayer. And Sookie find this Eric -- gentle, confused, and grateful -- hard to resist.

To make matters worse, Sookie's brother Jason -- her only living family member -- disappears. Jason is not particularly bright, and he's a womanizer to boot. But when he's been gone several days, Sookie starts to worry. Is his kidnapping connected to what happened to Eric? And why are these witches preying on the community?

This novel, which was my favorite in the series, introduced new elements to the story. This includes the nearby town of Hotshot, a small, in-bred community whose residents are all a little "different," which has a rather Lovecraftesque quality. And I loved the way Charlaine Harris blended facets of the rural South which I know and love, in a gently satirical way, into the story. In this passage, Bon Temps residents are searching for Jason:

The search party was the popular activity for the day in Bon Temps. Not only do people like to help in our small town -- but also rumors had inevitably begun circulating about the mysterious wild animal footprint ... most of the men had come armed -- well, actually, most of the men were always armed. Hunting is a way of life around here, the NRA provides most of the bumper stickers, and deer season is like a holy holiday.

I loved this combination of humor, the supernatural, and the quirky, familiar rhythm of small-town Southern life.   

 

Dead as a Doornail by Charlaine Harris (Southern Vampire Mysteries, Book 5) A sniper is pursuing local shape shifters, and for reasons I'd prefer to let you discover for yourself, Sookie's brother Jason is likely to be a prime suspect. Still struggling with her unresolved romantic attachments to vampires Bill and Eric, Sookie is anxious to help solve this mystery before the next full moon, when shape shifters are likely to seek revenge.

She is also worried about her friend Tara, who is involved with a dangerous vampire. And to complicate matters further, she is drawn into a campaign for leader of a werewolf pack, a brutal contest that's likely to be decided by treachery and sheer ruthlessness.

Like all the other books in this series, this novel blends wildly imaginative elements with the details of quotidian life, making it easy to slip into this author's world. And like the rest of the series, it is both disturbing and laugh out loud funny, and it's definitely not for the squeamish.


Rating: 3.5

5- Cherished Favorite	4 - Keep in My Library	3 - Good Read	2 - Meh	1 - Definitely Not For Me

Dracula in Love by Karen Essex

 

Ah … Dracula. The vampire who held his English solicitor, Jonathan Harker, hostage in his Transylvanian castle and preyed on innocent virgins, imbibing their blood. The eerie, unforgettable villain of Bram Stoker’s Victorian classic and a staggering number of film adaptations.

Legends about revenants who drink human blood seem to span across many times and cultures. The Victorian versions of these stories ooze subliminal sexuality. In an era when some respectable folk covered piano legs, so it wouldn’t remind people of the curves of a woman’s legs and provoke untoward thoughts, perhaps it was easier to write about fanged undead preying on virginal girls that it was to discuss actual sex.

These stories glean a lot of power from their deep folkloric roots and from the subliminal sexuality. Today vampire stories have dumped the subliminal aspect — the vamp-sex is right out there. This defuses the tales a bit, but they are still great fun.

"The truth is we must fear monsters less and be warier of our own kind," the narrator says, in the introduction to this novel. Like Dracula, My Love by Syrie James, this novel re-imagines Bram Stoker's famous story, telling it from Mina's point of view. In many ways, it's a darker, edgier story than Dracula, My Love. While there are supernatural elements, the focus is on human evil, particularly the treatment of women in Victorian England.

While Stoker's tale is laden with subliminal sexuality, Dracula in Love makes it overt -- several scenes are hot -- and exposes the ugly fear and repression that women faced, especially when expressing their sexuality. "(Dracula) is often read as a cautionary tale against the unbridling of female sexuality at the end of the nineteenth century," Essex wrote. "In this vein, I wanted to turn the original story inside out and expose its underbelly or its "subconscious mind," by illuminating the cultural fears, as well as the rich brew of myths and lore, that went into Stoker's creation."

In Dracula in Love we see the budding women's movement, with ladies taking to the streets to protest their disenfranchisement. We also see various ways women were controlled, including mistreatment in mental asylums. Unwanted wives, or women who refused to cling to the asexual role society proscribed for them, found themselves institutionalized as "lunatics" and subjected to horrific treatments. This piece of the story reminded me of Fingersmith by Sarah Waters.

 Dracula in Love also incorporates an imaginative re-creation of Celtic myths, offering -- among other things -- an interesting contrast between the patriarchal nature of Christendom and female-centered "pagan" religions. This facet of the book reminded me a bit of Avalon by Marion Zimmer Bradley. And English folklore, from ghost stories to miraculous tales, is strewn throughout the book.

Like Dracula, My Love, this novel fills in some of the gaps left in Stoker's story. This makes a more fully fleshed out story, with more richly developed characters -- particularly the women. However, it often weakens the story. Isn't it those shadowy gaps, and the things left unsaid, that lend the tale a creepy sense of mystery? For example, Essex's account of the creation of vampires, including Dracula, was imaginative and unique but didn't appeal to me. And Dracula himself, who was intentionally portrayed as not evil, lacked a lot of his edge.

In Dracula in Love, the male characters were flawed but fundamentally decent. In this novel, Jonathan is irredeemably weak and gormless, and his cohorts are warped and a bit sinister. This makes sense, as this is a very different story, one that focuses on the dark side of history and human nature. Somehow this makes the novel both less compelling, as I didn't feel a connection with the men in the story, and more compelling, as it drew me into a gritty reality.

Overall, this is a well crafted blend of historical fiction and paranormal romance and a good read -- at times it's painful and compelling, and at other times it's delightfully fun. I think it will be quite popular with vampire lovers and historical fiction aficionados who don't mind the raunchy bits.

 Read More Reviews: Misfit Salon; Life in the Thumb; Reading With Tequila; Devourer of Books; Books and Movies; Book, Line and Sinker; Patricia's Vampire Notes

Rating: 4

5- Cherished Favorite	4 - Keep in My Library	3 - Good Read	2 - Meh	1 - Definitely Not For Me

Nocturne by Syrie James

Nicole Whitcomb is an intelligent, gorgeous, independent woman, spending a weekend at a dear friend's wedding in snowy Colorado. She is carrying a painful secret, and her personal and professional life is stagnant. While the weekend has been a delightful escape for her, we sense she's carrying a heavy burden. As she rushes over mountain roads, trying to beat a snowstorm on her way to the airport, her car runs off the road. A reclusive stranger, Michael Tyler, comes to her rescue. As Nicole takes refuge in his house, waiting for the storm to blow over -- unsurprisingly -- they kindle a romance. But Michael is hiding a dark secret of his own which is likely to send her fleeing in terror.

I am quite a fan of Syrie James' last novel, Dracula, My Love, so I was excited to have the opportunity to review Nocturne. To be honest, while Nocturne was eloquently written with interesting characters, I didn't find it nearly as captivating as Dracula, My Love. It didn't have the same richness, and the story was predictable. Of course romances are often predictable, and that's part of the reason they're like literary comfort food. :-) But as Trisha pointed out -- and I'm trying hard to avoid spoilers here -- there were several twists that seemed a bit too coincidental.

On the other hand, I liked Nicole and enjoyed the story, and it was a light, sexy read. It's a bit like Twilight for grown-ups, but more concise and well written, without the annoying sparkly vampires, and-- thank God -- lacking the icky, creepy quality of Edward's relationship with Bella. It also had some interesting literary touches which I enjoyed; I wished they had been developed in more depth.

 I think this novel, by a gifted author, will be quite popular. The reason I didn't love it is probably that I am the wrong audience for this book. I generally don't enjoy romance novels. I chose Nocturne because I'd thoroughly enjoyed a previous, more literary novel by this writer.

For readers who enjoy escaping in a well written, hot romance, with a strong female heroine and touches of classical music, literature, and history woven in, I recommend this book. Read More Reviews: Bookalicious; Eclectic Eccentric; Miss Remmers' Review; Babbling About Books, and More


Rating: 3

5- Cherished Favorite	4 - Keep in My Library	3 - Good Read	2 - Meh	1 - Definitely Not For Me