Book: Let the Right One In by John Ajvide Lindqvist
Recommended by: Austin Clapp
Conversation 1: Before the Read.
When Austin Clapp arrived at my house, he was holding four books. One of them was non-fictional, and the other three were fictional. We started talking about the four books, and it became clear that he was least passionate about the non-fictional book. After casting that book aside on the table, we went further into discussion about the three other books in front of him. He looked at the books, looked at me, and shook his head. He said he hadn’t realized before, but the three remaining books were all too similar. I asked him to describe each plot to me, describe each book’s impact on him, and explain each book’s connection to him. I could immediately tell which book he most valued.
Let the Right One In by John Ajvide Lindqvist is an international bestseller about a young boy’s obsession with a murder that leads to an encounter with an odd girl, who, strangely, only comes out at night. Based on the conversation Austin and I had, I am bracing myself for a doleful adventure with the vampire next door. When describing the differences between the three books he had brought for me to choose from, Austin seemed to have been impacted by this book the most. His words were, “I felt like the relationships in this book were actually real.” He admires the book so much, that he now compares all other vampire books to this one.
I hope to feel the excitement, sadness, and vulnerability of the horror that this novel promises. My impression is that this story will give me chills and be a true classic thriller.
The Read.
My, oh my, what a bizarre book! Even after everything Austin had explained to me about what my expectations should be for the book, I still expected much more of a classic vampire story than what this turned out to be. There were so many characters and stories happening in this book that I really was not confident in a way to have them all come together in the end. The ending definitely impressed me, and at the same time, left me wanting more of the boy’s story and what really happens to him later.
In Let the Right One In, the relationships are very real, just like Austin had said they would be. None of them were perfect, and that made it very believable. Each relationship had their problems, and because of that, they were all possible to relate to. I enjoyed the inclusion of the ‘cliché vampire’ as well. There were, of course, murders, blood-suckers, killers, hunters, and bystanders who turned a blind eye, but the best part was how all of them started out as regular people in the story, and eventually were forced to become these loaded characters. One of the more main characters in the story, the boy, was just a bullied teen that discovers a new world after meeting a girl from the building next door. The entire story is clearly very well thought out from the beginning, and I am very pleased with the storyline: both as it begins, develops, and plays out in the end. I hope to read more books by John Ajvide Lindqvist, and I will be on the lookout for more high-class vampire stories, with my standards higher than ever.
Conversation 2: After the Read.
Austin and I have very similar views on this book in terms of the realizations of the relationships in this book, and we agree that it sets very high standards in the world of vampires. The only question I had about the book was about the main vampire, Eli. Once Eli and Oskar were dating, Oskar would have still been straight. Once he found out Eli was a boy, though, what happened? I got confused with what their relationship ended up looking like. Did Oskar still have feelings for Eli? And did that make Oskar gay? Doesn’t that mean Eli would have been gay in the first place, too?? Austin’s response: he doesn’t understand either. In his words, “Maybe it’s a friendship love thing,” but neither of us know for sure. I have a feeling that the author wanted it to be unclear, something for the reader to ponder. Thank you, Austin, for another good read.
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