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asourceoffiction's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
I know about vampires, I've read and watched countless vampire stuff and I thought I knew the story of Dracula. But it turns out my assumptions (the creepy castle, the unwitting guest of a tall, pale and terrifying host) are literally all over in the first 100 pages, and there's so much more to follow. I love how the whole book is told through diary entries, letters and news articles; so when a character was idly wondering to themselves why a friend was looking a little pale with puncture wounds in her neck, I took great joy in screaming at the page, "It's a bloody vampire! For the love of god shut your window!"
I actually think I got more from this story in part because I hadn't previously seen any of the film adaptations, and in part because I did know a lot of the lore surrounding vampire stories. So there was surprise and tension but I could simultaneously take pleasure in being less ignorant than most of the characters.
Another assumption I'd made was that Van Helsing would be a dark, brooding and troubled character. But it turns out he's a cheerful delight, with a slightly dodgy grasp of the English language. He does tend to make some fairly grand speeches that slowed down my reading a bit, but I also completely fell in love with him and the ragtag group of men desperately trying to save the women they loved (who of course were often more astute than them).
It does all end rather abruptly, but mostly I was so pleasantly surprised at how much I enjoyed reading this book.
Graphic: Violence and Murder
Moderate: Child death
lara_bk's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
Graphic: Death, Violence, and Blood
Minor: Sexism
megb64's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
1.75
Graphic: Death and Violence
marigoldgem's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Graphic: Body horror, Child abuse, Child death, Death, Gore, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Blood, Medical content, Grief, Death of parent, and Murder
Moderate: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Confinement, Gun violence, Violence, Blood, and Kidnapping
forgetfulreader's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
Graphic: Death, Violence, Blood, and Murder
Moderate: Body horror, Xenophobia, and Grief
Minor: Sexism
szel_zsofi's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
Graphic: Animal death and Death
Moderate: Animal cruelty, Misogyny, Sexism, Violence, and Schizophrenia/Psychosis
foxclcves's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.75
Moderate: Death, Mental illness, Racial slurs, Racism, Violence, Xenophobia, Blood, Medical content, Medical trauma, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Animal death, Body horror, Child abuse, Gun violence, Misogyny, Sexism, Forced institutionalization, Kidnapping, Stalking, and Injury/Injury detail
orchidlilly's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
All in all, an interesting read, but a good bit of the charm and suspense is lost to the changing principals of time.
Graphic: Misogyny, Racial slurs, Racism, Sexism, and Classism
Moderate: Ableism, Death, Gun violence, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Medical content, Grief, Cannibalism, Religious bigotry, Medical trauma, Stalking, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Child death, Confinement, Drug use, Misogyny, Antisemitism, Death of parent, and Colonisation
startjpw23's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
Graphic: Mental illness
Moderate: Sexism, Violence, Blood, and Injury/Injury detail
persephonefoxx's review
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Graphic: Animal death, Death, Mental illness, Violence, Blood, and Murder
Moderate: Misogyny and Sexism
Minor: Racial slurs