Initial thoughts: “Goddess bless the Stoker family. Bram’s Dracula story is a gift that keeps on giving. There is nothing I did not love about this collaboration between Dacre Stoker and J. D. Barker. As a prequel, it has everything I love about the original Dracula story without messing with it. As a stand-alone, it is cleverly and convincingly portrayed to be the real story behind the story with the reasons for the 102 missing pages of Bram’s original manuscript abundantly clear. Creepy, intense, gory in the right places, great characters – it is the perfect blend of storytelling elements. Plus, like his previous novel, the Stoker family authorizes this prequel. I am most definitely a fan!”
Now: I stand by my gushing. Dracul is a genuinely entertaining and scary story that works for both Dracula fans and those who may have never read the original story. Personally, because I am a superfan, I love the idea of Bram Stoker meeting vampires and that his personal experiences are what fueled his novel. I love that a distant relative attempted to fill in the gaps of the missing manuscript. I love the “Is it true?” aspect of the authors’ notes. I especially love how formidable Bram’s sister is. Seriously, that girl did not let convention dictate anything she did. I adore how Mr. Stoker and Mr. Barker turned on their head the characteristics of the original cast of characters and played with all of the roles. Plus, I had way too much fun with the little nods to the original; it felt like my own Easter egg hunt. Still, I do think that someone who is not as familiar with the original tale will find Draculintense and enjoy it just as much as I did.
(I loved this format of shorter, less formal reviews so much I think I am going to adopt it for the near future. Much more manageable and fun – for me at least. What do you think?)
Hello, my lovelies! It is a beautiful sunny autumnal day here in southwestern Wisconsin, which means I have absolutely no desire to work today. We have waited too long for this type of weather. Plus, we need at least a month to dry out from all the rain. We are keeping on keeping on around…
Hosted by Kathryn from Book Date, “It’s Monday! What Are You Reading?” is a weekly event to share what we’ve read in the past week and what we hope to read, plus whatever else comes to mind. Here is what I read the week ending 15 October 2018. To learn more about each book, click on…
We should always find ways to celebrate the little things in life. What better day to celebrate these little things than the best day of the week? So, here are the things that make this a Fabulous Friday for me this week ending 12 October 2018. ******************** JUST BECAUSE – I do not have anything specific to…
Peeps. I keep trying to find the time and, let’s face it, the energy to sit down and get caught up on outstanding reviews. I can usually squeeze one in on my lunch break each day, but I need that time these days to decompress. So, here I am – having been on radio silence…
Hosted by Kathryn from Book Date, this is a weekly event to share what we’ve read in the past week and what we hope to read, plus whatever else comes to mind. Here is what I read the week ending 8 October 2018. To learn more about each book, just click on the book cover! This…
Hosted by Kathryn from Book Date, this is a weekly event to share what we’ve read in the past week and what we hope to read, plus whatever else comes to mind. Here is what I read the week ending 1 October 2018. To learn more about each book, just click on the book cover! Anxiety…
We should always find ways to celebrate the little things in life. What better day to celebrate these little things than the best day of the week? So, here are the things that make this a Fabulous Friday for me this week ending 28 September 2018. ******************** HOMECOMING – Tonight is the big game. It will be…
Genre: Young Adult; Dystopian Publication Date: 7 August 2018 Source: Publisher via Edelweiss Synopsis from the Publisher: “In an alternate world startlingly close to our own, humans have nine lives—and they can’t wait to use them up. The government has death incentives aimed at controlling overpopulation. As you shed lives, you shed your awkward phases: one death is…
Hosted by Kathryn from Book Date, this is a weekly event to share what we’ve read in the past week and what we hope to read, plus whatever else comes to mind. Here is what I read the week ending 24 September 2018. To learn more about each book, just click on the book cover! Jim…
