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A review by taliaissmart
A People's History of the Vampire Uprising by Raymond A. Villareal
1.0
Fewer than a hundred pages remain, and yet...I can’t go on.
This book is so incredibly frustrating. It’s essentially a collective “history” of the events surrounding the emergence of vampires in the world. It begins with a scientist’s discovery of the NOBI virus that creates vampirism and later grows to encompass the worlds of politics, law, and religion as they relate to the growing number of “Gloamings” (vampires). I had high hopes, as I tend to love books that use a speculative framework to examine human cultural practices. But this book did not work for me. Not at all.
Every character perspective (and there are many) sounds the same. Like, the exact same voice. Some of the chapters are written as legal briefs, scientific reports, interviews, etc., but they are otherwise indistinguishable. This means that the characters meld together, becoming unrecognizable as individuals and, consequently, impossible to connect with.
Maybe this lack of distinct characterization would be fine, if the plot was full of thrills, chills, and excitement. But it’s not. There really isn’t a plot. And there are hardly any interactions with the Gloamings themselves- they are spoken of in vague terms. Everyone wants to be one, but beyond the longer lifespan, there seems to be little reason to want that change. The Gloamings are described as narcissistic and unlikeable, constantly killing and maiming. They certainly have no individual personalities on the page. And yet they are so popular! They have a huge following! It doesn’t make any logical sense!
Basically, the chorus of bland characters chase down boring leads and tell boring stories, moving towards...nothing. There is no building tension, no feeling of culmination. I can’t make myself care.
Thank you to the publisher for an advance copy of this novel! Sorry I couldn’t hype it for ya :(
This book is so incredibly frustrating. It’s essentially a collective “history” of the events surrounding the emergence of vampires in the world. It begins with a scientist’s discovery of the NOBI virus that creates vampirism and later grows to encompass the worlds of politics, law, and religion as they relate to the growing number of “Gloamings” (vampires). I had high hopes, as I tend to love books that use a speculative framework to examine human cultural practices. But this book did not work for me. Not at all.
Every character perspective (and there are many) sounds the same. Like, the exact same voice. Some of the chapters are written as legal briefs, scientific reports, interviews, etc., but they are otherwise indistinguishable. This means that the characters meld together, becoming unrecognizable as individuals and, consequently, impossible to connect with.
Maybe this lack of distinct characterization would be fine, if the plot was full of thrills, chills, and excitement. But it’s not. There really isn’t a plot. And there are hardly any interactions with the Gloamings themselves- they are spoken of in vague terms. Everyone wants to be one, but beyond the longer lifespan, there seems to be little reason to want that change. The Gloamings are described as narcissistic and unlikeable, constantly killing and maiming. They certainly have no individual personalities on the page. And yet they are so popular! They have a huge following! It doesn’t make any logical sense!
Basically, the chorus of bland characters chase down boring leads and tell boring stories, moving towards...nothing. There is no building tension, no feeling of culmination. I can’t make myself care.
Thank you to the publisher for an advance copy of this novel! Sorry I couldn’t hype it for ya :(