Review — American Vampire Volume 1 by Scott Snyder, Stephen King, Rafael Albuquereque

Summary (via Goodreads): This volume follows two stories: one written by Snyder and one written by King. Snyder's story is set in 1920's LA, we follow Pearl, a young woman who is turned into a vampire and sets out on a path of righteous revenge against the European Vampires who tortured and abused her. This story is paired with King's story, a western about Skinner Sweet, the original American Vampire— a stronger, faster creature than any vampire ever seen before with rattlesnake fangs and powered by the sun.

Review:  I thought I'd review something different this week and talk about a graphic novel I just finished.  Even if I wasn't intrigued by Stephen King's involvement, the cover alone had me waiting impatiently for the first volume of this series.  It combines two genres you would think wouldn't mix: the Western and the Roaring 20s.  Two eras that marked a dramatic change in American culture, moments of growth and change for the country.  As we follow two stories, one charting the origin of  Deadwood-esque vampire, Skinner Sweet, and the other a rising 20s starlet, Pearl.  Both characters are intriguing representations of the American spirit.

The two stories are told simultaneously, and sometimes it does get a little confusing, but ultimately it works, allowing us to see how both Pearl and Skinner deal with their fate.  Snyder, the creator of American Vampire, has done something I wouldn't have thought possible: made a vampire story that isn't just fresh, but is a whole new look at the genre.  His vampires aren't sparkly or swoon-worthy (er...okay, 1920s Skinner was kind of hot), but brutal and violent and, yes, scary.  There's nothing nice or pretty about these vampires, yet they're entirely compelling.  

My only gripe is the sudden romance toward the end involving former Pinkerton, Agent Book.  It felt a bit forced and something that was there to appease some sort of male fantasy.  Though his character was a little boring to me next to the badass Skinner Sweet who you can't help but kind of root for (or maybe that's just me).  And, like I said, there were some structural issues, but I was so wrapped up in the story I didn't mind much.

I loved Albuquereque's art, which perfectly captured the spirit of the West and the vivacious Twenties.  He depicted Pearl's attack and transformation with the brutality it needed, but never went overly gratuitous.  His rendering of the vampire's "face" was something new and savage, and pretty awesome to see in contrast to the vein-y, dark-eyed vampires out there today.

The best thing?  It's about vampires.  It's not about a girl in love with a vampire or inspiring some sad-sack vampire to lead a better life.  It's actually about creatures that were created to elicit fear and horror.  There's no whitewashing the fact they kill, and they don't try to.  Watching them survive in a world that's not ready for them is far more interesting to me than any love story or redemption tale.

I can't wait to see more of Pearl and her boyfriend Henry, who are like an even more savage version of Bonnie and Clyde, and how their paths cross with Skinner Sweet, the most disturbing, yet enigmatic vampire I've seen in years.  Whether your a fan of the vampire genre or not, a King fan or not, hell, if you just like a good story, give American Vampire a chance.  It'll make you forget that there are even other vampire stories out there. 

Lit Snit Verdict: A-

Book Club Discussion — The Passage

Well, did you make it through Justin Cronin's The Passage? It was a long one, but it kept me on the edge of my seat the entire time and may or may not have cause one night of nightmares (let's just say I kept thinking my air conditioning unit turning off was somehow linked to the Colony's lights...hey, I was half asleep, it doesn't have to make sense).

Let's get down to it.  Some of our questions below came from Mike at About.com and many we posed ourselves. As usual, answer any, all, or pose some of your own and feel free to go off topic.

1. What do you feel were the main themes Cronin was wrestling with in this novel?
2. What do you make of the title of the book?
3. Cronin used a lot of old and modern lore about vampires (though he rarely used the term itself) how do you see his "virals" fitting into our traditional ideas about vampires? What traits did he successfully use and what new ideas did he bring to the genre?
4. Did you think the national response to the crisis was realistic (ex. California seceding from the U.S.)?
5. What do you make of the Third Global Conference on the North American Quarantine entries that are interspersed throughout the book in terms of what's happened to the rest of the world after the virals break out?
6. What was your favorite quote/intro to which section of the novel and how do you feel it best set up what was to come?
7. Why do you think Amy had a different reaction than the others that were "infected?" Why do you think some people were able to resist and others weren't? 
   
8. Did you have a hard time transitioning from the first third of the book to the last two-thirds? Why or why not?
9. There are multiple character and multiple story lines in this book, which one was your favorite and why?
10. Was the ending satisfying or did it leave you thirsty for more?
11. What predictions do you have about what story lines of the rest of the books in the trilogy (The Twelve and The City of Mirrors)?