Review: "Let the Right One In" - Petra Pan the Vampire Girl

So I picked up "Let the Right One In" in Heathrow Airport because I desperately needed a book to read in the evening. As there was not a lot to choose from, I was very pleased to see that they had "Let the Right One In" by John Ajvide Lindqvist as I really like the film adaption - "Let Me In" - and have been wanting to read the book.
Have you seen the movie? If yes, you will have a really good idea about what this book is about because the film follows the book quite rigidly. In a good sense, that is.

This is a different type of vampire fiction, more reminiscent of the Anne Rice vampire fiction than of Twilight.
Oskar lives in Swedish suburb Blackeberg with his mother. It is a pretty grey and grim world with not a lot of happiness in it. Which is very much to do with the bullying that Oskar is subjected to at school. He is bullied in that nasty, violent way that some boys experience, getting his head "washed" in the toilet and getting beaten up. He is such a poor lonesome kid that the first part of the book almost broke my heart.
But then Oskar meets the girl Eli who has just moved in next door and comes out to play at night. There is something different about Eli. She lives with an elderly man who takes care of feeding her... And this means that Blackeberg suddenly expriences some violent, awful murders.
We also meet some of the other characters in Blackeberg - the bums, check-out ladies and other lonesome existences who all in one way or another come entangled with Eli and Oskar and as the plot unfolds, it becomes a more and more sticky situation.

What I really liked about this book are the small twists here and there. Nothing is what it seems. The poor old man is actually in my opinion more of a bad guy than Eli who is just trying to survive. And Eli is a sort of unlikely, involuntary Peter/Petra Pan who is trapped in a youthful exterior. And Oskar, Oskar is such a sweet boy. He really loves his mother but at the same time the only way he can find to deal with the violence he experiences at school is by inflicting torture and pain in his daydreams.
I kept wanting to take him by the hand and show him some kindness.

This is a strong mystery, vampire fiction tale. However, it is also a tale of bullying, betrayal and survival of the fittest. It is somehow a gruesome yet sophisticated story about the frailness of human beings. I liked it. And if you are looking for an antidote to romantic hot vampires then this should fit the bill.

"The Exception" - an exceptional novel

It was my mum and dad who recommended "The Exception" by Danish author Christian Jungersen. So if you are part if the Scandinavian Reading Challenge, you have to read this review because this book is amazing. It is really really good.
The story line is quite complex and the story is told from the view points of four women, Anne-Lise, Iben, Malene and Camilla. The four women work at Danish Centre for Information about Genocide and one day two of them receive death threats.

As the story unfolds it becomes clear, the much more is happening beneath the surface and that these women are not who they appear to be. Iben is the dedicated academic who has devoted her life to work and her best friend, the man-eater Malene who from a very young age has suffered from crippling arthritis. Camilla is the quiet mother from the suburbs and Anne-Lise is the new woman in the office. As we get further into the story, it becomes very clear that the office atmosphere is rotting from a severe case of adult bullying. Events become more and more disturbing and what starts out as "mere" verbal bullying turns into criminal actions and life-threathening circumstances.

The book also focuses a lot on the nature of evil and the story is spiced with scientific facts and tales from the world of psychology. So not only is this a really disturbing and disturbingly good story about bullying and the evil inside all humans but also a great way to learn more about the way we perceive evil.

It is hard to tell more about the actual story without giving too much away. However, I really recommend this book. It is very very good and very exciting and it also made me think a lot about the way in which we can bully without actually really doing anything. Sometimes doing absolutely nothing - i.e. ignoring someone - is the worst form of bullying. Just like "We Need to Talk about Kevin" by Lionel Shriver, this is a book that is scary on so many levels that it is hard to sum it up - so therefore: just read it!

"101 Reykjavik" - 101 girls and 1 lonesome Icelandic guy

Meet Hlynur Bjorn, a strange character invented by Icelandic author Hallgrimur Helgason. Hlynur is an unemployed thirty-something loner/loser who still lives with his mother (who by the way buys his underwear) and whose primary relationships are with the Internet, the satellite TV, and a few friends who resembles him.
"101 Reykjavik" is the tale of Hlynur and the women he spends most of his time thinking about. All women are rated on scale depending on looks - a scale that Hlynur himself would definitly not top.
Hlynur's mother comes out as a lesbian and her girlfriend Lolla moves in, meanwhile Hlynur is still somewhat tangled up in a relationship with his exgirlfriend. This is a comic, dark tale with lots of funny moments as Hlynur describes his difficulties with ladies and his many trials as he accidentally impregnates not one, not two but three women... Quite an achievement when you take into consideration how little masculinity Hlynur actually possesses.

Helgason captures the rough beauty of Iceland (if you haven't been there do go, it is amazing!) and the smallness of its capital Reykjavik. A city where everybody knows everyone and where nothing can be kept a secret. It is also a poignant commentary on modern life, especially the bizarre ways that sex is everywhere - on TV and the internet.
It is a narrative that sometimes repulses but mostly amsuses.

And this is number two in my quest to complete the Scandinavian Reading Challenge!

"The Devil's Star" - starring Harry Hole

Have you met Harry Hole? He is a Norwegian crime investigator with alcohol problems, commitment issues and a seriously dry sense of humour. He is also the key figure in "The Devil's Star" by Jo Nesbo.
The book is set in Norway where Harry works as a criminal investigator in the homicide department of Oslo police force. He is suffering after the murder of his colleague Ellen, a murder that he blames on his other colleague Tom. This suspicion has become the driving force in Harry's life and has cost him his girlfriend, his sobriety and now it looks like it will cost him his job as well.
However, then Oslo is horrified by the brutal murder of a young women - the killer has cut off a finger and left a starshaped diamond. And when another young woman disappears Harry's immense investigation talent is needed to find the killer before he takes more lives.
Normally I don't read crime fiction but for Harry I make an exception. He is a fascinating man and I enjoy every moment spend trying to catch the bad guys with him. His dry sense of humour, he contempt for authorities and his ability to get into trouble makes him very good company.
"The Devil's Star" has been my first read in The Scandinavian Reading Challenge" and if you haven't met Harry yet, I suggest you look up Norwegian author Jo Nesbo at your local library.

The Scandinavian Reading Challenge

I have now taken on my first challenge here in the blogosphere and I'm really excited about it! My first challenge will be The Scandinavian Reading Challenge hosted by The Black Sheep Dances http://www.theblacksheepdances.com - a really great blog about books.
The Scandinavian Reading Challenge is to read 6 books by Scandinavian authors by December 31, 2010. Should be possible. So here I go. My current ideas for Scandinavian readings are:

- Jo Nesbo: The Devil's Star (which I am currently reading)
- Christian Jungersen: The Exception
- Karen Blixen: Winter's Tales
- John Ajvide Lindkvist: Let the Right One In
- Astrid Lindgren: Pippi Longstocking
- Peter Hoegh: Miss Smilla's Feeling for Snow
- Hallgrimur Helgason: 101 Reykjavik

Knowing myself, I will probably deviate from the list though... I'm really not very good at sticking to lists but let's see how it goes!