Speed Read Book Reviews
Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter
Seth Grahame-Smith
336 pages – First Edition, April 2011
Price: $10.49 (Meijer)
ISBN: 978-0-446-56308-6
Grand Central Publishing
Hachette Book Group
237 Park Ave
New York, NY 10017
Summary: Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter is the lost story of one of the greatest men in history, Abraham Lincoln. The story starts with a prologue from the author explaining his encounter with Henry Sturges and how he was presented with 10 leather-bound books, the journals of Abraham, Lincoln. His task is simple: write about the journals. The story continues as a biography of Lincoln’s life broken into three sections: Boy, Vampire Hunter and President. In the beginning, young Lincoln is struck by grief at his mother’s passing. When his father makes a shocking confession, he makes a vow: to rid the world of vampires. His vendetta lasts well into his 20’s until he meets the beautiful Ann Ruthledge. When Ann falls ill and dies at the hands (or mouth) of a vampire, Lincoln’s hatred towards vampires intensifies which leads him to take up the hunt once again. Years later, he is introduced to his wife Mary Todd and they have two boys together. Obsessed to keep his family safe, Lincoln again hangs up his ax and ends his hunt. The story concludes Lincoln winning the presidential election and his final effort to remove vampires from America.
Social/Historical Context: Based in the 1800’s. The storyline twists reality (or does it?) of the life of Abraham Lincoln and all he endured. The story fixates mostly on slavery in the South and the Civil War leading up to Lincoln’s death at age 56.
Writing Style: The story starts with a narrative from the author on how he stumbled upon the lost diaries of Abraham Lincoln. Once the story begins to unfold, it is written in third person. There are diary snippets throughout the book along with drawings and pictures. The author sometimes puts a * next to certain parts of the story to explain what it means without actually putting it in the story. The story line grabs your attention, makes you wonder what is going to happen next and paints vivid images in your head.
My Thoughts: I thought this book was well-written and it flowed to the point that putting the book down was a sin because I wanted to know what happened next. I admit, I watched the movie before I read the book so already had my mind set on what was going to take place but it is completely different from the movie. The book had a lot of interesting twists and turns that really made me think – are/were vampires real? Do they still exist? This book also makes you crave a biography to compare. All-in-all, I highly recommend you read this book.
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