Let Me In-John Ajvide Lindquist

Let Me In
John Ajvide Lindquist
Dunne, Oct 2007, $25.95
ISBN: 9780312355289

In the autumn of 1981 in Blackeberg, Sweden, his family, his schoolmates, and his teachers pick on twelve years old Oskar, an obese genius. Oskar is angry with being the victim of all these bullies especially those who call him “pig-gy” or “piggy” and dreams of one day avenging all the affronts he has to eat.

Moving next door to Oskar’s family is beautiful Eli and her “father” Hakan who seems to be fascinated with the overweight preadolescent. In fact Hakan is a mortal who abducts boys using anesthesia and drains them of their blood before presenting his chosen ones to his master, Eli a two century plus vampire. However, this time Hakan errs and a corpse drained of blood is found on the street even as Oskar believes Eli is his mechanism for revenge if he can rid her of her faithful servant.

This is an interesting Swedish vampire thriller starring three lost souls, who make up a relationship triangle from hell. Hakan lives to worship Eli; she is depressed and alone in spite of her submissive sycophant's loyalties, but her species also requires survival as the most basic hierarchal need; Oskar is the poster child for bully victim as those who should be helping him heap more abuse on him; his anger at the world has broken the dam. Vampire fans will enjoy this strong nail biter at the edge of the Arctic Circle.

Harriet Klausner