Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter Book Review

Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter Book Review

About the Book: Indiana, 1818. Moonlight falls through the dense woods that surround a one-room cabin, where a nine-year-old Abraham Lincoln kneels at his suffering mother's bedside. She's been stricken with something the old-timers call "Milk Sickness."

"My baby boy..." she whispers before dying.

Only later will the grieving Abe learn that his mother's fatal affliction was actually the work of a vampire.

When the truth becomes known to young Lincoln, he writes in his journal, "henceforth my life shall be one of rigorous study and devotion. I shall become a master of mind and body. And this mastery shall have but one purpose..." Gifted with his legendary height, strength, and skill with an ax, Abe sets out on a path of vengeance that will lead him all the way to the White House.

While Abraham Lincoln is widely lauded for saving a Union and freeing millions of slaves, his valiant fight against the forces of the undead has remained in the shadows for hundreds of years. That is, until Seth Grahame-Smith stumbled upon The Secret Journal of Abraham Lincoln, and became the first living person to lay eyes on it in more than 140 years.

Using the journal as his guide and writing in the grand biographical style of Doris Kearns Goodwin and David McCullough, Seth has reconstructed the true life story of our greatest president for the first time-all while revealing the hidden history behind the Civil War and uncovering the role vampires played in the birth, growth, and near-death of our nation.

Our Take: The author of this book, Seth Grahame-Smith, is the same mind that brought us the hilarious and innovative genre-creator 'Pride and Prejudice and Zombies'.   That was a fantastic book (you can read our 2009 review of that title HERE), but we were skeptical about whether this new genre of blending history / classic literature with monsters could survive one or two novelty titles.  Upon delving into Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter, we quickly arrived at our conclusion....

The real life of Abraham Lincoln was riddled with misery and despair.  He had tribulation after tribulation.  Author Grahame-Smith masterfully works in an almost disturbingly realisitic account of how Vampires were involved in almost every facet of Lincoln's life.   Everything from his mother's death to the Civil War and the collapse of America, those bloodsuckers are everywhere!  This re-telling of history is not only fun, but its engaging.  My only fear is that I'm going to start forgetting that this isn't the way it really happened!  Or isn't it?...hmmm....

Bottom line..this concept isn't just a one-hit wonder.  In fact, we feel that its applications may be endless.  I'm looking for Shakespeare vs. the Space Aliens and Genghis Khan: Wolfman next!  Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter is a great read and definately worth picking up!

How to Buy: Amazon.com or the Hachette Website

Links: Book Trailer and the iTunes App

The Lovely Bones Book Review

The Lovely Bones Book Review

About the Book: Once in a generation a novel comes along that taps a vein of universal human experience, resonating with readers of all ages. THE LOVELY BONES is such a book -- a #1 bestseller celebrated at once for its artistry, for its luminous clarity of emotion, and for its astonishing power to lay claim to the hearts of millions of readers around the world.


"My name was Salmon, like the fish; first name, Susie. I was fourteen when I was murdered on December 6, 1973."

So begins the story of Susie Salmon, who is adjusting to her new home in heaven, a place that is not at all what she expected, even as she is watching life on earth continue without her -- her friends trading rumors about her disappearance, her killer trying to cover his tracks, her grief-stricken family unraveling. Out of unspeakable tragedy and loss, THE LOVELY BONES succeeds, miraculously, in building a tale filled with hope, humor, suspense, even joy.

The major motion picture version of THE LOVELY BONES, directed by Peter Jackson and starring Rachel Weisz, Susan Sarandon, Mark Wahlberg, Stanley Tucci, and Saoirse Ronan is scheduled for release on December 11, 2009.

Our Take: I know that this is a book that I should've read many years ago.  My wife read it long ago and we discussed it, but I had forgotten about the Lovely Bones, until I heard about the recent movie being made.   I don't know why I avoided it, I guess the subject matter was a bit heavy.   Reading about the death of a child, especially in a brutal fashion, isn't my idea of fun.  That being said, I do think that this book serves a greater purpose, especially to those that have experienced loss.

This book is about connections more than anything.  The victim, a young teen girl named Susie Salmon, is murdered by her neighbor Mr. Harvey in the beginning of the book.  From that point on she becomes a fly on the wall, watching her loved ones deal with her death in the coming years.  She has to watch her family struggle and fall apart emotionally, all the while she is longing for things she missed out on in life.  I have never in my life read such an emotionally poignant piece of fiction.  This story takes you through a rollercoaster of emotion.  Its a wonderful story of grief and acceptance, and it can really give you a good healthy perspective on appreciating the ones that you love in your life.  All too often we take our lives for granted.

I have to highly, HIGHLY recommend this book.  Read it before you see the film if you can.  If you've already seen the film, read the book.  Its even better.

Where to Buy: Amazon.com or The Hachette Book Group Website