Let the Right One in

Hardcover, 528 pages

Published Nov. 3, 2007 by Quercus Publishing Plc.

ISBN:
978-1-84724-169-6
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Goodreads:
943402

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4 stars (2 reviews)

It is autumn 1981 when the inconceivable comes to Blackeberg, a suburb in Sweden. The body of a teenage boy is found, emptied of blood, the murder rumored to be part of a ritual killing. Twelve-year-old Oskar is personally hoping that revenge has come at long last—revenge for the bullying he endures at school, day after day.

But the murder is not the most important thing on his mind. A new girl has moved in next door—a girl who has never seen a Rubik's Cube before, but who can solve it at once. There is something wrong with her, though, something odd. And she only comes out at night....

6 editions

Actual is 3.5

3 stars

Håkan is an absolutely despicable and disgusting character and I hated every moment that he was brought up through this book. That's is. That's my review.

Haha.

This is a very bleak vampire story. It can be decently gruesome at times. A lot of sexual interactions, pedophilia, and bullying going on. I felt like there were a few too many characters and it made it drag on a bit. The overall concepts in this were interesting, though. I liked that while this takes place in Sweden, it's not the typical utopian town that we're usually seeing in the media.

There's nothing that's really hopeful or feel good through this book, so unless you're up for a long, bleak read, maybe skip on this one.

Review of 'Let the Right One in' on 'Goodreads'

5 stars

Like many of us, I had watched the highly acclaimed Swedish 2008 film and ignored Hollywood’s perplexing attempt to make a westernised version but, despite having the John Lindqvist book on my shelves for the past decade, and never quite got round to reading the original. Which is a pity, as the novel is a real treat and goes deeper and further than the film.

The first thing that strikes me about Lindqvist’s novel is its clear sense of space and location. This is a story that, in many ways, is first and foremost about a specific place and time in a particularly destitute part of Sweden. One reading of the novel could be that all the horror and supernatural elements of the story are a metaphor for the rotten core at the heart of this community, and read in such a way, the novel remains deeply uncomfortable. Regardless of …