A pretty scary book, if you find zombies frightening. Zombies? Didn't I put this book on my Vampires shelf? Good catch, friend. The thing is, though this book is technically about vampires (or, really, the beginnings of the vampire mythology), said vampires act more like zombies. They don't talk much, or think much, or seduce anybody with their preternatural good looks. They crawl out of their graves all bloated and gross and kill a lot of people.

So if you're into the typical vampire fare, this probably isn't going to do it for you. This is more the book for someone who wants to be spooked. ( )

The creepiest thing about this book was that even though it's about certain blood-drinking, sunlight-allergic, extremely scary non-living people, they are almost never mentioned directly. The small community living in a huge, dark forest in the middle of nowhere prefers to pretend that these creepy and dangerous nighttime visitors don't exist. However, soon it becomes impossible to ignore what is happening, and then things get really gross and freaky. If you like scary books and are interested in vampire folklore, read this! ( )

Creepy, bloody, short, fast paced. Impossible to put down. ( )

This is a review I wrote in 2007:

Beware. Not for the faint-hearted, younger readers & adults alike. Could cause nightmares in very sensitive young readers. However, for the bloodthirsty & adventurous, this is a great introduction to the classic gothic horror vampire story. Well-researched and based on many of the vampire myths emanating from Eastern Europe, you won't find here the well-dressed suave and sophisticated vampire, but rather the more "realistic" (if possible) vampire based on centuries of folklore and legend.

Peter is a young wood-cutter, living with his father Tomas, on the outskirts of a small village in a forested area of an Eastern European (presumed) country. His mother died in childbirth & Peter and his father have roamed for many years before building themselves a home near this place. Peter does much of the work as his dad is an alcoholic but he has a sweetheart in the village, Agnes, and the two of them seem quite content until some strange deaths start occurring in the village.... Then some travelling gypsies arrive, including the beautiful Sofia, and the dead don't seem to be staying in their graves....

This novel should have wide appeal to different ages & is an interesting addition to vampire literature. A good read. ( )

Couldn't get into this at all. I don't like an overtly foreign writing style. ( )