A review by storysteph
Let Me in by John Ajvide Lindqvist

4.0

I had watched "Let the Right One In" before I read this, although I've had the book since buying it waaaay back when Borders was going out of business. I decided to rewatch the movie last week, hoping that a second viewing would reveal a couple of things that I felt had been left unexplained the first time I watched it -- but nope. I enjoyed the movie just as much as the first time, and was left with the same questions I had the first time. Why did the bullies call Oskar "piggy" when he was really skinny? What exactly was the relationship between Eli and her "guardian" (whose name was never mentioned in the film, I think...)? Biggest of all, how did Lacke know how to find Eli, since I don't think he ever saw her enter or leave her apartment? The book answered all those questions, and then some. I can understand why the story was cut for the film...to make the film follow the story in the book would take at least 6 hours. But still, there are some things that maybe didn't have to be cut, that would've helped some parts of the movie make more sense...

But anyway! I enjoyed this book way more than I thought I would. I wasn't terribly scared until the part where Håkan reanimates (THAT wasn't in the movie!), and it was really hard to put the book down after that. I finished it in just over three days, which is something I haven't accomplished with a book this size since my son was a tiny baby who'd just lie on my chest and sleep while I read. ^_^

Knowing Swedish definitely helped in the reading, since the names of people and streets weren't translated (so knowing how to handle all those umlauts and a-rings was handy). Also, the scene where Larry's watching a Spanish educational show is even funnier. Or maybe it was just really late when I read that and it seemed funnier...

Nope. It was funny.