kandicez's review against another edition
3.0
My youngest son and I read this at Barne's and Noble's since I wouldn't lend him the money to buy it! It was entertaining...Once! I'm still glad he didn't spend the money!
_michelle_'s review
1.0
God, this was stupid. It's like the author only has pop culture knowledge of Dracula, which is not a bad thing...unless you're trying to write a prequel story.
Van Helsing is such a nincompoop in this story that I will not accept it's the same character. Vampires keep trying to enter through windows, and every time someone or thing appears at the window, he's surprised, like it's a totally harmless bat just banging on a window and it's totally not even capable of rabies; or an unknown, wailing child in a tree outside his window just innocently climbed several stories for no reason. There's nothing weird about that! /sarcasm
Vampire bites have an immediate effect in this book, placing it at odds with the very book it's based on (it requires 3 feedings for a person to turn into a vampire in Dracula).
The vampire seductress being evil and Van Helsing's good little wife being pure came across as so on the nose that it was obvious the author was trying to allude to female sexuality topics mentioned in Dracula, but there were many layers to that original novel, including Victorian views on sexuality, buried just below the surface. This book beats you over the head with it.
This has none of the great writing or layers that Dracula did. I don't recommend it.
Van Helsing is such a nincompoop in this story that I will not accept it's the same character. Vampires keep trying to enter through windows, and every time someone or thing appears at the window, he's surprised, like it's a totally harmless bat just banging on a window and it's totally not even capable of rabies; or an unknown, wailing child in a tree outside his window just innocently climbed several stories for no reason. There's nothing weird about that! /sarcasm
Vampire bites have an immediate effect in this book, placing it at odds with the very book it's based on (it requires 3 feedings for a person to turn into a vampire in Dracula).
The vampire seductress being evil and Van Helsing's good little wife being pure came across as so on the nose that it was obvious the author was trying to allude to female sexuality topics mentioned in Dracula, but there were many layers to that original novel, including Victorian views on sexuality, buried just below the surface. This book beats you over the head with it.
This has none of the great writing or layers that Dracula did. I don't recommend it.
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