Lonely Werewolf Girl, Martin Millar (2011)

In a market saturated with supernatural romance novels (Barnes & Nobles has an entire section devoted to the teenage version of this), it's nice to see something that doesn't quite fit the mold. Martin Millar's Lonely Werewolf Girl fits into that category - I actually found it in the Horror section before Borders went belly up, so maybe it just missed being shoehorned into the previously mentioned section. 

Though the book is titled after only one character, there's actually a very wide cast. The 'main character' is Kalix MacRinnalch, a werewolf born on the night of the full moon. As with most female main characters in a paranormal setting, due to the circumstances of her birth, she's special. Kalix is a berzerker, a werewolf who can harness her rage into intense and powerful battle skills. However, the downside is that she can't control it, and in the environment that she's raised (distant, cold mother and a physically abusive father), it makes for a volatile mix. She is the youngest daughter of the Thane of the MacRinnalch clan, the current leader, and as such there are dozens of rules and expectations forced on her from birth. 

The story picks up as Kalix has fled Scotland due to having attacked her father in a rage and put him on his deathbed. Kalix's brothers are gathering supporters in an election for who will be the next Thane; her sister, Thrix (a powerful werewolf enchantress), is busy trying to stay out of family politics and run her clothing design business while trying to figure out who is stealing her designs and cater to a meddlesome fire elemental; and then there are the humans, Daniel and Moonglow, who bring all of this insanity into their lives by helping Kalix out through giving her a place to stay. 

What really sets this book apart from the usual fare is Millar's writing style. At first I found it incredibly flat and simplified, with very little description or elaboration. But it works for this story: since there's just so much going on, simplfying the writing style allows the reader to keep tabs on all of it. Because then there's Kalix's brother Markus, who's a cross dresser. And her banished boyfriend, Gwaine. Kalix's cousins, Beatix and Delix (yeah, there are a lot of Xtreme Kool Letterz at play here), who are wannabe rockstars and are eventually brought to heel by Dominil. And Dominil has a connection to Sarapen, Kalix's other brother. And all of that is just the werewolves: the fire elementals have their own issues, all of which eventually intermingle with the werewolf drama. 

But that isn't to say that the writing doesn't have a poetry of its own. The book is full saturated with gory fighting scenes, and the simple writing allows for the reader to picture the image clearly in their mind, all with their own details to be added. It allows for interpretation and participation by the reader, which is never a bad thing. And watching the characters grow is fun in itself, along with seeing the completion of all of the plot lines. If you're looking for something that's different than Twilight, but not as heavy and potentially mentally scarrying as The Exorcist, I'd definitely reccommend Lonley Werewolf Girl.

Priest (2002 - 2007)

In high school, anime and manga was the thing. It was so incredibly popular that our school even offered an art course that focused selectively on anime; the anime club was off its rocker in terms of membership; and to go along with the madness, the television pandered to our obsession with programming like Toonami, which had a listing of DBZ, Sailor Moon, and Gundam Wing. But all of this is beside the point - because the Asian comic book that I was head over heels for was a manhwa, a Korean comic book, that went by the simple name of Priest.

The Strain (Book One of The Strain Trilogy), Chuck Hogan, Guillermo del Toro (2009)

I will admit, I'm a sucker for anything with Guillermo's name on it. After The Devil's Backbone, Pan's Labryinth, The Orphanage, and, yes, even Hellboy 1 and 2, this man can do no wrong in my book. He seems to be a tireless source of creative ideas, and quite honestly does this opinion of him justice yet again with The Strain books. I'm still working my way through all of them, so we'll just concentrate on the first book to begin with.

It's a vampire book, yes, one of many amid an influx of the undead that's been injected recently into popular culture, but The Strain sets itself apart through sticking to the older rules of what it means to be a vampire while mixing it with science - it's kind of a modern Dracula. 

The story follows a mysterious plane that lands in JFK airport - it simply comes down, sets on the tarmac, and then...nothing. Nothing from the passengers, nothing from the pilots; and so Dr. Ephraim Goodweather and his Canary team (a reference to coal miners, who would use the birds to detect poisonous gases that were otherwise invisible to human senses) to begin the process of figuring out just what happened here. Is it a virus? Some new form of plague? Slowly the truth becomes much, much darker and much less believable in the modern time that would rather shrug off the myths and fears of yesteryear as nothing more than simple minded folk who were making do with what explanations they had. 

Sardu, the Dracula of our tale, is one of seven remaining immortals who have created a pact. They are to feed - and these vampires will suck you dry - but once they are done, they must destroy their prey for a new vampire will be born once a human is bit. A rather simple yet elegant solution to what could have easily turned into a massive overpopulation problem. But of course, Sardu is the renegade who believes that he can do what he wants, when he wants, and goes on to detonate a war between the immortals. 

The Van Helsing role is filled by Professor Abraham Setrakian (yup, Abraham, couldn't make this any easier for you folks), who was hunted by Sardu as a young boy. What makes his story even more captivating is that he survived a concentration camp during World War II. Sardu could have easily been chalked up to being the twisted nightmares of an old man remembering the horrible days spent in a place that solely existed for the murdering of people. Instead, Sardu is indeed a true vampire, and Setrakian takes it upon himself to rid the earth of the monster. I do wish that more had been made of the parallels between the concentration camp and the vampires, but it's clear that this story was focusing on the turning reality into the supernatural. 

The rest of our updated cast for The Strain includes Goodweather as Jonathan Harker, while his divorced wife Kelly takes up the role of Lucy Westenra (which definitely gives away what befalls her). Goodweather's other lady friend, Nora Martinez, could be said to be Mina, the huge Russian rat exterminator Vasiliy Fet is a good stand in for Dr. Steward what with his methodological killing of the vampires (along with his role as something of a son to Setrakian, not unlike the relationship between Van Helsing and Seward), and lastly, to fulfill the role of Quincey Morris, the hotheaded American cowboy, is Augustin Elizalde, a Mexican gangster who goes by the nickname of Gus. 

In my mind, the parallels to Dracula are more than just the roles that the characters fulfill - the story itself speaks to the wonders of modern technology and how it can be used to overcome the fears of the past. The new inventions of the telegraph, which allowed people to communicate over vast distances, and the steam engine that gave the ability to transport people over hundreds of miles. These things and more are used to combat and work against the monster, who is trapped in the workings of the past (Dracula favors ships over steam engines, allowing the intrepid heroes to catch up and eventually slay him). In The Strain, ultraviolet lights and silver swords allow for both the protection of the living and the quick dispatching of the undead.

I'm sure these are only a few of the similarities between the two books, but I absolutely love what Hogan and Guillermo have done here. Not only have they given many nods to a classic work of fiction, but they've updated and remade it for modern times in the way that any remake should be done - not word for word (or frame for frame), but instead looked at from a different angle. I'm definitely excited to continue the series and see if the similarities hold up, and that the storytelling remains strong.

Frankenstein's Monster: A Novel (2010)

Frankenstein has been my favorite book for quite some time; it's a classic, as both a piece of literature and as the source for one of the most well known monsters in horror fims to date. So, naturally, the idea of a sequel is bound to polarize fans - how does one follow up on Mary Shelley's gorgeous story about man creating man in order to give any creator the middle finger, only to come to resent the decision and be plague for the rest of his days by his gruesome creature? Susan O'Keefe certainly found a way to make a stunning addition to the story, with florid but not overbearing prose and beautifully described characters that, in my mind, is definitely worthy of being put next to my copy of the original on my bookshelf.

Where the ending of the original had the creature running off to kill himself at the desolate North Pole, O'Keefe alters the story to have Robert Walton become obsessed with destroying the creature. He's come to the belief that he and Victor Frankenstein were something of kin, of two men with the same mind of exploration and discovery. Where Victor's career was biology and science, Robert is an adventurer exploring the arctic wastes of the North Pole. He feels beholden to Victor, and must right the dead man's wrongs: this includes completing the destruction of the creature.

Where the original story centers around Victor's perspective of the events, this sequel follows the creature (as is evidenced by the title); O'Keefe does a marvellous job of not simply painting the portrait of a sympathetic creature, but someone that I was conflicted in liking through both his actions and thoughts. The creature is a beast, though whether this is due to his creation and upbringing or through his psychological state is something that the reader themselves will have to decide.

A parade of characters joins the creature in this story, and none are more fascinating than O'Keefe's version of his bride. She remains true to the idea that Victor desecrated and destroyed the female he was creating, and in her place we receive two different characters that incredibly contrast one another. The first is the mute Mirabella, who is one of the few (if only) people to ever show the creature a shred of kindness for no perceptible reason. And then there is Lily, Robert Walton's niece, who is just as twisted and deformed in her mind as the creature is in body. The two make an antagonistic couple that seem to delight only in the torment of one another - Lily feeds into the creature's rage and salts his mental wounds, a fitting tormentor for the monster.

My only complaint against the book woud be in the creature adopting Victor's name; at least he didn't take the entirety and call himself Victor Frankenstein. Though I can see it being in the vein of children being named after their fathers, it irked me that while the creature wanted to be recognized as another living being and eventually grew to hate his 'father', that he would adopt Victor's name when pressured for something to call him by other than 'creature'. Or perhaps I'm just so used to seeing him named as such that it feels wrong to call him by the mad scientist's name.

Overall, this book is a welcome companion to Shelley's original; if you're a fan of Frankenstein: Or The Modern Prometheus, you will love biting into this beautifully written book. Or if you simply enjoy good literature, it's a fascinating read.

The Loved Ones (2009)

What It's About: When Brent turns down his classmate Lola's invitation to the prom, she concocts a wildly violent plan for revenge.

Review: Oh, high school. Everyone has varying memories, the majority most likely painful. Mainly because not only are we all going through biological and psychological metamorphoses, but right in front of others who will do whatever it takes in order to make their discomfort the bane of our existences. Rumor mills, derogatory names, physical fights - you name it, teenagers have done it since the dawn of time. And Lola exceeds it all; she's that creepy girl in school, probably sits in the back of the classroom either staring at everyone or at her desk. And when the current object of her affection, Brent, turns her down for the final school dance of the year, well, that's just a little too much for poor Lola's ego to take. I would love to say it's because Lola has been pining after Brent for years, because she does every little thing she can for him, and he's just a stuck up jock, but...

Sometimes, bitches just be crazy.

The Innkeepers (2011)

What It's About: During the final days at the Yankee Pedlar Inn, two employees determined to reveal the hotel's haunted past begin to experience disturbing events as old guests check in for a stay.

Review: I was incredibly impressed with Ti West's 2009 thriller The House of the Devil. It was literally a time capsule back into the 1980s, right when there was a mass hysteria regarding satanic cults who would kidnap and brainwash civilians, commit heinous murders, and generally were the scapegoat for the time period. So needless to say, I went into The Innkeepers with high expectations. Ti West definitely has a definitive style in creating a creep factor - while I found Innkeepers to be a little predictable at times, I still found myself yelling classically at the screen - "don't go down those stairs, stupid!" "Get out! Get out now!" It's certainly not a film for everyone, but for those who like a good old fashioned ghost story...

Buckle up.

Grave Encounters (2011)

What It's About: A film crew who investigates paranormal activity for a reality television show bites off more than they can chew when they are locked into a mental asylum for the night.

Review: Like most "real" horror films, Grave Encounters employs the shaky cam to give a shocking first person view, putting the audience directly in the scare zone. And it works, even as the movie treads ground that has been done over and over again by hundreds of various ghost hunting shows along with popular mass-market films like the Paranormal Activity trilogy. Basically, it's almost exactly like Ghost Hunters meets House on Haunted Hill, the remake with Geoffrey Rush (don't knock it, it's a good film). We follow the team, the namesake of the film, who is led by Lance Preston, who really hams it up good for the camera; from the moment he stepped into the frame with the cheesy opening for Grave Encounters, he reminded me of Nick Groff of The Travel Channel's Ghost Adventures - the hair is what really made it work for me.

Fun guy, amirite?

Tucker And Dale Vs Evil (2010)

What It's About: Hillbillies on vacation are attacked by Spring Break coeds who think the rednecks have kidnapped their friend.

Review: The film opens with an intrepid reporter and her loyal camera man as they sneak past police tape into a closed crime scene. Naturally, the camera man is nervous (he probably knows he'll get picked off quickly), but the reporter is eager to find a breaking story that will make her career. She goads him on, dangling the idea of winning a Peabody Award - right before she's brained with a lead pipe. The camera man, wasting no time to see if his partner is even still alive, turns and starts to run, but the lead pipe wielder is too quick and we are treated to the sight of the camera man laid out cold on the floor, camera zoomed in nicely on his bleeding face. Probably looking for his own fifteen minutes of fame, the killer lifts the lens to his horribly twisted and scarred face, giving a nice, big leer for the audience watching at home.

I've got your Peabody Award right here!

Snow White, Blood Red (1993)

Snow White, Blood Red is an absolutely great compilation of adult fairy tales; returning the roots of such fables, the stories mixed modern flavor with ancient stories whose morals still ring true even in today's severely altered times. Including such notables as Tanith Lee and Neil Gaiman and edited by Ellen Datlow and Terri Windling, the writing styles vary in style from full prose to poetry.

My favorite was a retelling of Hansel and Gretel set in WWII, called "Breadcrumbs and Stones" by Lisa Goldstein. A daughter learns the truth of her mother's coldness; simply that it was not that she could not love, but that she was afraid to because of the events of her childhood. The story unfolds slowly, revealing the ugly villains nearer to the end and blurring the lines between reality and fairytale. It's an incredibly heavy and moving story that nearly brought me to tears upon finishing it.

Another that caught my attention was "The Princess in the Tower" by Elizabeth A. Lynn, which took the tale of Rapunzel in a completely new direction. In a land where a person is literally the measure of their girth, Magheritina is a tiny little thing that all consider sickly. All the relatives of her mother are constantly poking their noses in, offering various pieces of advice about what could be wrong with the young girl. It offers an interesting perspective on the idea of beauty and desiriability. It's the complete reverse of what our society considers to be beautiful. The heartwarming ending brings Magheritina to a happy finish, in love with her husband and having many children of her own.

The entire book was so engrossing that I was surprised when I finished it. Each had its own lush description, literally bringing the characters to life and leaping from the page, while the environments appear to be available should the reader merely step through the book itself like the doorway it had become. I highly reccommend this book - it was a bargin bin buy from my local Barnes & Nobles, in its 10th edition, but I've seen it on Amazon as well.

While on the topic of fairytales, I would definitely like to reccommend Neil Gaiman's Snow, Glass, Apples, taking the tale of Snow White and adding vampires in a very twisted fashion.

Abraham Lincoln, Vampire Hunter (2010)

Abraham Lincoln: 16th President of the United States. The Great Emancipator. 

But did you ever think that, just maybe, he was a vampire hunter? 

Seth Grahme-Smith (author of Pride and Prejudice and Zombies) apparently thought so. In his book, Abraham Lincoln, Vampire Hunter, he lays out the plot that Lincoln was inspired toward the idea of anti-slavery because of vampires. As a young boy, one of the bloodsuckers is responsible for his mother's death, and Abraham swears that, from that moment on, he will hunt down every vampire within the United States. 

The book is writtten as a biography, with excerpts from  Abraham's numerous journals (obviously fabricated for the biography itself) that he kept throughout his lifetime, as well as portions of news clippings and sometimes perhaps even the journals of others. I personally found this writing a bit confusing and often times unnecessary. The biography portion often veers between speaking of Lincoln in a descriptive fashion and becoming an outright third person narrative, complete with dialogue. If that was going to be the case, why was the book simply not written as his journal, rather than as a third person account? 

Other than that one complaint, though, the book was a fun ride through an alternate universe of history. Though Gramhe-Smith does play with some facts (though Abraham Lincoln was a big fan of Edgar Allan Poe, the two never met - the photo of the two in the book is an, uh, interesting if obvious photoshop; and the idea of Elizabeth Bathory being burned alive for her crimes is one I've never heard of before), for the most part a good portion of the story is merely edited historical events with the added flavor of vampirism. The thought that adding this supernatural quality might undermine the idea of desiring freedom for men for the sake of that in itself did occur to me, but since the book is a fictional work meant for entertainment, I tried not to let such ideas ruin the experience. 

And, like Pride and Prejudice and Zombies, Lincoln's vampire hunting biography is currently in the works to be made into a feature film. 

Attached to the film are Mary Elizabeth Winstead (Scott Pilgrim) for the part of Mary Todd Lincoln, Dominic Cooper (Captain America) as the vampire Henry Sturges, and for the leading man himself, newcomer Benjamin Walker as Abraham Lincoln. He certainly looks like he'll fit the part. I've seen posters in a few of my local movie theaters, so it looks like this one has more steam than it's zombie cousin, which has been up and down in terms of casting and production. 

I honestly would be intrigued to see this one make it to the big screen, so keep your fingers crossed!