Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter (Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter, #1) in CPL's Book a Week Challenge

Mar 23, 2010 Desiree rated it really liked it

Shelves: read-in-2010

I picked up the book not knowing what to expect, since Grahame-Smith's writing style was obviously written to be similar to Jane Austen's in his previous book, Pride, Prejudice, and Zombies. From the first page I was pulled into the book, unhappy to put it down when sleep and other activities needed to be done. I really enjoyed the spin he put onto why Lincoln engaged in the Civil War, and disliked slavery (besides the obvious).

I thought it was well written, how journal entries intertwined so w ...more

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May 13, 2011 Allyson rated it liked it

Reading Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter was quite an experience. It was interesting and captivating while at the same time being ridiculous and silly. The writing was great; Grahame-Smith has a way with words. It was easy to get lost in his depictions of Lincoln's life and career. I would get wrapped up in the historical aspect of the book, only to read a passage about vampires that ripped me right out of my trance and, in a way, invalidated everything I had read. Of course, that is the point of ...more

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Feb 12, 2012 Karen rated it really liked it · review of another edition

I really didn't know what to expect from this one... I have not read Pride and Prejudice and Zombies so I didn't know what to expect from Seth Grahame-Smith. Couple that with my complete lack of history retention, and I assumed this one was not going to go so well for me. I'm happy to say I could not have been more wrong in my prediction. Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter is a fantastic book full of history, action, horror, loss, and hope. It's also full of some ridiculousness but you had to guess I really didn't know what to expect from this one... I have not read Pride and Prejudice and Zombies so I didn't know what to expect from Seth Grahame-Smith. Couple that with my complete lack of history retention, and I assumed this one was not going to go so well for me. I'm happy to say I could not have been more wrong in my prediction. Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter is a fantastic book full of history, action, horror, loss, and hope. It's also full of some ridiculousness but you had to guess that from the title!

The book starts out by introducing us to a very young Abe Lincoln who is about to lose his mother who he is extremely attached and devoted to. Later he learns that his mother's death was actually the work of a vampire. Yep, a VAMPIRE. Abe decides then and there that he will devote his life to the eradication of vampires in America. Early in his "hunts", he stumbles upon Henry Sturges, a vampire who decides to take him under his wing and teach him all there is to know about hunting and killing vampires. Henry says that not all vampires are created equal and hopes to see the more evil ones banished from the land.

The book treats us to a wide history that shows us how Abraham Lincoln became the greatest President of the United States. We see his rise in the legal field, his first dips into politics, and much much more. We also see his first experience of love, his eventual marriage, and the birth of several children. Unfortunately, Abe also deals with a tremendous amount of loss that is truly heartbreaking. Throughout all of this, we get to witness Abe's battle against the vampires. His numerous hunts and kills and his eventual alignment with the Union, a group of vampires intent on winning the Civil War for the North and destroying the South's most capable combatants.

I really, really liked this one. So much of this history had been lost to me. When I learned about Lincoln and the Civil War, I was one of those students who believed in memorization, then reguritation, and then it would all be lost to me not long after. Reading this book was like hearing these stories for the first time all over again. Then add into the mix the fanciful tales of the vampires and it became an engaging and interesting read that I struggled to put down. And the reality of slavery in the book? Horrifying!! It's easy to not think about those dark days of our country's past but being reminded about the things that went on back then was sobering. Once again, I am in awe of Abraham Lincoln and all the men who fought with him to turn things around.

So would I recommend this to a friend? I sure as heck would! I quite enjoyed the author's writing style and think this book would appeal to many. I think I owe it to myself to check out Pride and Prejudice and Zombies now! ...more

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