The Strain by Guillermo Del Toro and Chuck HoganI don't usually do this, but I am going to use the blurb from the back of the book for the summary, just because I don't want to give anything away...
"They have always been here. Vampires.I was really excited about getting this book and had been anxiously waiting to find time to read it. When I finally opened it up and got started I became a bit worried that I had built it up a little too much in my head. My expectations were a bit high. I was expecting something similar in style to Pan's Labyrinth but didn't get it.
Nesting and feeding.
In secret and in darkness. Waiting.
Now their time has come.
In one week, Manhattan will be gone.
In three months, the country. In six months-the world."
Now, I did enjoy it, but the beginning was a bit slow. Nothing really captured my interest until page 125 and that was quite a way in. The events leading up to the characters' realization of what they are up against were dragged out, minute by minute. A trip to the medical examiner finally speeds things up and the book gets much more interesting, creepy and fun.
This is a slightly different take on the vampire invasion story. A bit similar to I Am Legend... but, before Will Smith is left all on his own. (I have only seen the movie, haven't read the book yet). The vampires were different than the norm and quite scary which I liked.
This is the first book of a trilogy so I suspect now that characters have been introduced and story begun, the next two books should be much quicker to get started and full of vampire fun.
The book comes out June 2nd.
3/5
3/5
Thanks for the informative review! I'm not into vampire books, so the blurb let me know right away that this one's not for me. I hope you enjoy the rest of the trilogy when it comes out!
ReplyDeleteAlyce-I hope so, too. :) Vampire books are definitely a like them or hate them genre.
ReplyDeleteI got a copy of this but my brother stole it from me. I need to get it back!
ReplyDeleteI like scary vampires and comedic vampires but not vampire romance.
I'm just starting this one (about 40 pages in) and I was so worried about over-hyping myself. Knowing that there would be a trilogy makes me not mind the slow going so much.
ReplyDeleteI've read a few vampire books...this one sounds interesting.
ReplyDeleteI attended Guillermo del Toro and Chuck Hogan's book signing for The Strain in NYC last week. Guillermo is awesome...such a sweet and FRIENDLY guy! He mentioned that the series of three books will each address a different aspect of the story, the first one covering origin/epidemiology...subsequent ones will address nesting, religion, etc.
ReplyDeleteI very much enjoyed the first book, but I'm thinking that this might be a series best judged as a whole and not necessarily on one piece of the story. I can only IMAGINE what del Toro will do with a movie version of this...disturbing I'm SURE!