A review by stephanieluxton
The Lesser Dead by Christopher Buehlman

dark mysterious tense fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

This book was wild. I was avoding reading it because I don't really care about vampires but holy shit, I'm glad I finally picked it up.

This book is about vampires that live in tunnels under NYC in the 70's. Our main character is a "14 year old boy vampire" named Joey. Obviously he's older than 14 but that's the age he was turned at. He lives with a group of vampires in the tunnels. Their group has a hierarchy and rules. Things get messy when Joey encounters a vampire child, triggering a wild series of events with a lot of twists and turns and wtf moments. That's all you need to know.

I loved this book because it totally defied my expectations. I didn't find it predictable. The characters were colourful and the setting was fun. The authors take of vampires was also really fun. There were plenty of horrifying moments. My favorite thing about this book is that you truly felt like the stakes were high. It was easy to feel genuinely afraid for the characters that you care about so much.

Definitely read this. Also, part way through if you feel a bit icky, just keep going. The second half of this story is a wild ride.
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