Let the Right One In, by John Ajvide Lindqvist

Let the Right One In by John Ajvide Lindqvist is creepy horror writing done right. If I end up doing one of those best-of-the-year lists, this would make mine.

And let's get this out of the way first: alcoholism, politics, bullying, and vampires. All this and more are in this story. And yes, vampires. But wait - I don't mean vampires with pretty eyelashes and perfect outfits.

Set in 1981 and taking place over a three week period in Blackeberg, a subdivision of Stockholm, the story weaves in the occasional newspaper article of murder, obscure acts throughout the area, along with a description of  the physical process of turning into a vampire. Using Sweden's vision for planned neighborhoods from the 1950s as a vilified backdrop for the monstrous events and combined with an occasional non-fiction feel, the creepy atmosphere was heightened.

Oskar is a twelve-year-old boy living in these suburbs and is bullied almost every day. He returns each night to a small apartment and to his mother, who loves him, but it's just not enough. He is alone and feels it; the life of the  bullied is a lonely one. To keep himself company, Oskar is a little bit obsessed with serial killers and practices killing his bullies by attacking trees in a forest by the Vällingby neighborhood with a sharp knife. When the brutal murder of a young boy is discovered in these woods, hung upside down and seemingly drained of all blood, Oskar collects the articles of the investigation and looks through the details by himself. Always alone.

But then he meets his next door neighbor, a young girl his age, who shares his interest in puzzles and they seem to click. Building a friendship on Morse code tapped between their bedroom walls, Oskar finally feels he has a friend. Sure, she's a little bit different - after all, what person in Sweden goes outside without a coat in the winter? Who can see in the dark like it's the middle of the daytime? And is that really her father she lives with? But this is a real friend, his first. And it means everything to him.

Fear not, fellow readers. As I mentioned before, this is not just another vampire story with glitter and angst and trivialities overlapping with evil authoritative figures. Deliciously disturbing and frighteningly graphic, it is what horror fiction should be.

Layered into the story are significant secondary characters that are skillfully tied in together. There is the older teenager, Tommy, who doesn't care for his mother's new boyfriend, a police officer investigating the odd murders and attacks in the area. There are the alcoholics who get together as often as they can to drink and commiserate over politics, life, and the like. When one of their own goes missing, it's a tough to believe that a friend saw...a very young child lure him into the woods, never to be seen again.

Normally when characters casually crop up in a storyline as a plot device to move things along, it's annoying. Not so much with this book. In fact, it artfully builds with expert pacing that kept me gripping the book in those last fifty pages.  And although there are multiple characters and story lines, it  isn't confusing; instead, it is masterfully organized and there are no loose ends at all. While graphic and not for the squeamish, Let the Right One In satisfied every urge I had for creepy reading. I highly recommend it and look forward to more horror fiction from this author.

About the Author (from his website)

John Ajvide Lindqvist was born in 1968 in Sweden. After a career as a magician and stand up comedian, he finally became an author of horror stories. His books are published in 29 countries - among them China, USA, United Kingdom, Brazil, Denmark, and of course, Sweden.

Click here to visit the author on his website (English version coming soon).

About the Translator
Excellent translation written by Ebba Segerberg. While I can't read it in Swedish, I feel fairly confident that she efficiently communicated the exact level of tension and discomfort that is in the original. Segerberg is an adjunct lecturer at Washington university in St. Louis, Missouri and noted translator. She has translated seven novels, including books by John Ajvide Lindqvist, Henning Mankell, Kjell Westö, and Kjell Eriksson.

This is my fifth selection for Stainless Steel Droppings' hosting of the RIP Challenge VI. You can read more RIP reviews from other participants by clicking here.







FTC Disclosure: This book comes from my own personal library.