Let the Right One In
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4.7 • 17 Ratings
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- $19.99
Publisher Description
John Ajvide Lindqvist’s international bestseller Let the Right One In is “a brilliant take on the vampire myth, and a roaring good story” (New York Times bestselling author Kelley Armstrong), the basis for the multi-film festival award-winning Swedish film, the U.S. adaptation Let Me In directed by Matt Reeves (The Batman), and the Showtime TV series.
It is autumn 1981 when inconceivable horror comes to Blackeberg, a suburb in Sweden. The body of a teenager is found, emptied of blood, the murder rumored to be part of a ritual killing. Twelve-year-old Oskar is personally hoping that revenge has come at long last—revenge for the bullying he endures at school, day after day.
But the murder is not the most important thing on his mind. A new girl has moved in next door—a girl who has never seen a Rubik’s Cube before, but who can solve it at once. There is something wrong with her, though, something odd. And she only comes out at night. . .
Customer Reviews
Excellent
Creepy, sad, sweet, disgusting.
This has it all and the narrator is perfect.
Very disturbing but amazing story
Definitely do your research and check trigger warnings before diving into this book! I don’t scare or react easily to horror, but some of the themes and imagery in Let the Right One In forced me to take several breaks while reading.
That being said, beneath all the horror, Lindqvist writes hauntingly about the desperate desire for human connection and the psychological effects of isolation, particularly through Eli and Oskar. What sets this novel apart from typical vampire horror is its emotional depth—Eli and Oskar’s relationship is as tender as it is unsettling, filled with both innocence and darkness. The book doesn’t shy away from brutal and disturbing themes, but in my opinion, every scene serves a purpose, making the horror feel earned rather than gratuitous.
I also appreciated that the novel never glorifies its dark themes (which vampire media tends to do often). They’re meant to unsettle, to disgust, and to make the villains of the story feel truly irredeemable. I personally really enjoyed this book and would highly recommend it to those who are comfortable with this level of horror.
The only reason I give this 4 stars is because I think the ending in particular could have been expanded upon. But I’ve seen people talk about a slightly different ending online so maybe it is just this particular version of the book.
Don’t go in blind!
I can see why people enjoy this book, but it wasn’t for me. This book deals with extremely heavy and potentially triggering topics, which I did not realize going in. I unfortunately had to stop about 20% into the book because I couldn’t handle it anymore. This is of course a horror story, but in top of that—it’s an extremely disturbing and possibly distressing story. As long as you understand that, you should be fine.