REVIEW: Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter

When perusing my local bookseller for a fantastic and tasty read, I came across a new release called Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter. Needless to say I guffawed loudly and walked away from the rotating rack. Good old Abe? Vampires? No way. I like to keep my American heroes unsullied by Hollywood’s propensity for perpetually vomiting baddies.

In fact, I walked out of the shop without a copy. I picked up a Danielle Steel novel instead. When I went home and cracked open my recently purchased novel, I found myself wondering just how someone could pull off the terrors of the night and meld it with Honest Abe. I tossed and turned that night, pictures of long toothed women and a stake wielding president dancing through my head. The next morning I went back and picked up a copy in the hopes that even if the book sucked I could get a real nights sleep again.

The book did not suck. In all honesty, the book is expertly crafted and unyielding in it’s persuasion. I read this book and wondered if it was all true. Alas, it is but a finely woven tale that follows the same style of Seth Grahame Smith’s Pride and Prejudice and Zombies. A hair raising, truth questioning, expertly planned horror story that leaves you breathless and enthralled in the end. His use of facts and photographs only adds to the seemingly believable story of a president plagued by the knowledge that vampires DO exist. The lingering question in my mind is of course ” Why didn’t he bother to tell the American people?” Probably something like the Roswell weather balloon I suppose.

You must have a sense of humor to read this and any of Mr. Smith’s other novels.They are definitely fiction and will likely piss your history teacher off. I do highly recommend this book however, for Lincoln and vampire fans alike. I plan to keep an eye out for the next eye-popping historical extravaganza Mr. Smith publishes!

Abraham Lincoln. Vampires. Enough said.

• Hardcover: 352 pages
• Publisher: Grand Central Publishing; First Edition/First Printing edition (March 2, 2010)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0446563080
• Amazon Link