Reviewer: Ben Lehnert
In a single word, this book is funny. In two, its funny and
irreverent. An analysis of the vampire myth written in the form of an
alphabet book, its a very short read. Castro examines most of the
common tropes and cliches of vampires, from their hypnotic eyes, their
preferred bite location, and enjoyment of the night, to vampire hunter
behavior and even the startling noise that is just a cat five seconds
before the vampire jumps out. Edge cases, how they interact with the
modern world, origins, all are selected to highlight some of the
absurdities of the vampire myth and some of the absurdities of the
modern attitude towards vampires, like those in "Twilight." The
examples and metaphor he uses flow well: superficially humorous and
upon reflection, thought-provoking. The sum of his work produces a
quick read that is very enjoyable and will probably make future
vampire novels funnier as well.
Being an alphabet book and all, set in the style of those kindergarten
readers, it comes with pictures! The art is very pretty, depicting
scenes in great detail. It helps set a background for the words, and
is also occasionally humorous, with a can of "Bludgeiser" or the
"diespace" page on the computer. It contributes a lot to the humor
and the amusing juxtaposition of the kindergarten feel of an alphabet
book and the normally serious, adult content. In all, a very
well-written, well-illustrated book.
