The Strain

I'm not generally a fan of the horror genre anymore, haven't been for years. I used to collect Stephen King books in my early 20's but that ship sailed quite some time ago. There must be something to the idea that the older you get the more you realize that the truly frightening stuff is on the 6 O'Clock news everyday and there is really no need to scare yourself further with walls that bleed or extra special serial killers. BUT, I loved Pan's Labrynth so I thought "what the hell...". Turns out I couldn't put it down once I started. If I had to describe this book in one sentence... think "[I Am Legend] meets Gil Grissom". I actually found myself taking the book to work with me and holing myself up in my office with the door locked and show more reading all afternoon instead of working on my research. I just HAD to find out what happened next. And that's, well let's be honest, a pretty nice thing to find in any book. Is the writing a bit sophomoric? Well, only if you dig reading authors like Austen or Faulkner and can no longer enjoy another book that doesn't fall into that category. In this case I find the easier reading style to be a plus. This isn't writing you want to savor like a fine cheese, this is a story you want to totally lose yourself in so that when someone taps on your shoulder somewhere around page 355 you jump and scream like a little girl.

And did I mention the best part of the book? Not one vampire SPARKLES. And even better... there will be no debate as to which one is "OMG... hotter?!?!?!"

Lastly, another reviewer commented on the inclusion of the holocaust and how unnecessary and offensive they found that to be, the holocaust being horrific enough with the addition of storybook monsters (or something to that affect). And I have to admit that gave me pause for thought. But I think I ultimately don't agree to the point of taking offense. I won't go so far as to say that the author was using the vampire legend as a tool to expose the true monsters in the story (although I believe he inadvertently did, the vampire in question having nothing on the Nazi's if you ask me) but that doesn't mean you can't still walk away understanding that sometimes monsters do walk the earth and they look exactly like the rest of us.

Now, how long until the second book comes out? show less

[The Strain] continues the metamorphosis that has kept vampire lore fresh and frightening for centuries. In today’s world, the very nature and purpose of legends of the undead are turned on their head. Scientific perspectives offer a new way to process what were once fables and cautionary tales designed to help explain unusual happenings. But Del Toro and Hogan seem to arm themselves with the old fashioned tales for the very purpose of assaulting scientific thought in favor of fantasy and myth.

The book begins with a Boeing 777, the new behemoth, luxury liner of the skies, arriving in New York with all passengers and crew inexplicably dead. The CDC’s Canary Team, led by Ephraim Goodweather, analyzes every detail of the plane and the show more bodies but finds no known scientific explanation for what they see. An eight foot coffin, from the cargo hold of the plane, disappears from a secure area without trace. Then, all of the passenger’s bodies disappear from the morgue. Ephraim is then approached by a pawnshop broker from Spanish Harlem, a man who is much more than he seems, and who seems to understand far more about what is happening than any doctor and scientist. Ephraim’s eyes are opened to a whole new world of possibilities that can only be partially explained by science, and he must act as more of a destroyer than a healer to save New York City.

This first novel, in what is meant to be a trilogy, was sometimes predictable and often felt more like a screenplay, waiting for a blockbuster budget. But the characters were interesting and more fully formed than the typical Hollywood offering. Hogan, a tested and successful novelist, held up his end of the bargain, flavoring the story with solid, exciting prose. Del Toro, known for his fantastical visions, created a gritty, unusual myth structure for his take on vampires. So, outside of the sometimes formulaic feeling, this is a great addition to the lore, much more satisfying than the currently poplar, more romantic and sparkly vampires from [Twilight].

If you enjoyed this, even a little, try David Morell’s [The Totem].

Bottom Line: Sometimes formulaic, but always enjoyable and exciting reading. A great marriage of creative minds.

4 ½ bones!!!! show less

Unlikely people become allies as the world’s greatest terror yet arrives in North America in the form of a plane that stops dead on the JFK Airport tarmac. Things merely seem eerie at first, but soon the horrifying begins to happen: these people seem to be literally transformed into mindless monsters that drink human blood. Dr. Eph Goodweather, a sort of bioterrorism scientist, and Abraham Setrakian, an old man with a history with the evil master himself, must band together before this vampiric creature and its many “children” finish taking over Manhattan…and then the world.

Perhaps I don’t read enough of these types of books to be an accurate judge—I generally stay away from any forms of entertainment that involve gruesome show more monsters killing people—but I was almost literally enthralled by THE STRAIN. It’s a meticulously written, seat-of-your-pants suspense novel and will horrify both your psychology and physiology.

One thing I’ve noticed about this genre is that characters are usually stock characters, and the focus of the book tends to be more on the plot and premise. Normally this bothers me, but for this genre, I don’t really mind, especially because the combined power of Guillermo del Toro and Chuck Hogan has really given us a frighteningly detailed picture of the worst monster that could foist itself on our lives. The science aspect is well done, the vampires explained in such a way that I could very much believe they can exist.

The narrative jumps from character to character and always seems to end juuuust before the horrible, violent thing occurs, leaving us antsy in our seats, as we know what happens and yet need to take it upon ourselves to imagine the worst. Perhaps that is now a cliché for this genre, but I guess I’m a noob enough to be able to enjoy it. Recommended to those with a hardy stomach and a slightly crazy fascination with the darker side of vampiric natures! show less

A combination medical disease-outbreak thriller and vampire horror story, this book combines cliches and formulas from both, but it does it in a way that reminds me that cliches and formulas get to be that way for a reason. It's pretty much the furthest thing from great literature imaginable, but it is quite successfully suspenseful and engaging. It's also got an extraordinarily cinematic feel to it, which I can only assume is del Toro's doing. Reading it is so much like watching a movie that it almost cries out for a tub of popcorn to sit on your lap while you read. (Although, depending on how strong your stomach is, there are parts where you may very well not want to be eating anything at all.)

It's also kind of refreshing these days show more to come across a story like this, where the vampires are simply, unambiguously monstrous. Vampirism here isn't a romantic curse, it's a vile parasitic disease. And it's one whose medical details are interesting, fairly original, and have had enough thought put into them that I found it remarkably easy to willingly suspend disbelief for all the (admittedly very many) ways in which they were implausible.

Since this is the first book in a trilogy, the ending escalates things rather than concluding them, but at least it's very up front about the fact. (Few things are more annoying than a book that looks like a stand-alone but isn't.) I will definitely be on board for book 2. show less

The Strain is the perfect fall read - spooky, fairly realistic in the portrayal of a medical pandemic, and suspense-laden. If it doesn't get a reader in the mood for Halloween, nothing will! For my own part, I was so scared at some parts that I had to stop reading it at night before bed. One too many nights of restless sleep or difficulties falling asleep proved to me just how successful Mr. del Toro and Mr. Hogan were at building terror levels. (Granted, I did read this while my husband was out of town, so the empty house did not help matters.)

However, there is something rather tongue-in-cheek about the story that helped me get past my fears and allowed me to enjoy the rest of the story. The descriptions of the "vampires" - from their show more naked, jiggly flesh to the focus on their excrement - is not what one would expect to find when describing vampires. The melodramatic showdown, while suspenseful, was still over-the-top and somewhat laughable at times. The unlikely compatriots, in the form of an exterminator, a doctor, and the elderly pawn shop owner, also seemed just a bit too...contrived.

The description of the infected beings as vampires is confusing. They do not have fangs, nor could they ever pass for human. It begs the question why they are called vampires at all? Yes, they require blood to continue to exist, but one of the key traits/lures of vampires is the fact that they can be mistaken for living human beings. They talk, react/act like one would expect. The so-called "vampires" in The Strain are just not in the same vein as any other vampire.

The Strain is quite formulaic yet effective. It is laughable at times yet surprisingly scary. The horror is built around the fact that it is a virus, making fears about a flu pandemic seem quite tame by comparison while clearly depicting just how easily it would be to spread such a virus far and wide quickly. For any vampire lover, The Strain is a decent addition to the repertoire of vampire stories, even if it may not technically include vampires in the traditional sense. In the end, it achieves what it sets out to do - tell a creative story that allows people to laugh while cringing in terror. show less

I have to admit that it takes a lot for a book to creep me out. Horror movies can creep me out just about any time, but for some reason, reading a horror story generally doesn't bother me too much. I take that all back with The Strain. There was just something about this book that totally took me off guard and left me feeling slightly uncomfortable, but in a way that left me wanting more at the last page. Luckily, there will be two more books to follow to finish off the story!

The Strain is a story about vampires. But these aren't your everyday, normal, Stoker-style vampires. These vampires speak to our times. Are they terrorists? Why does the CDC need to be involved? Del Toro and Hogan took everything that was profound about the ancient show more legends and myths and recreated them using our modern day fears, and I think this is where my discomfort came from in the story. Not only are these vampires, but they are vampires that are created from and feed on the fears of today. They are an ancient evil in del Toro and Hogan's world, yes, but their existence is based off of very modern anxieties; disease, terrorism, uncertainty of our future.

The story is perfectly paced, with just enough action and emotion to keep the story interesting, without being bogged down. I can almost imagine how del Toro would be setting up his shots if he were making this into a film. I think that is one of the advantages to having a film director co-writing this book; it is told in a very visual style. It was easy for me to picture in my mind how the scenes are played out. The characters are all believable and fully matured; I didn't really feel that any of the characters were overplayed or underused.

I'd love to go into more detail about the story, but I think that giving anymore away would lessen the impact of the story. If you are a fan of horror stories or vampires, than this book is for you. It's definitely not for the timid. show less

I expected better from the writer of Pan's Labryinth. This is a stock standard horror novel and really wasn't worth reading; in fact, I think it's even substandard for horror novels, which is something. I have read exactly one other vampire novel (Charlie Huston's) and this one had nothing new in it - standard monsters, standard goriness, standard... well, everything; even the stereotype "old-timer" who knows how to kill vampires.

Unlike Stephen King's horror novels, there is no character development and the "scenes" jump from here to there with no real reason other than to introduce other scenes where blood 'n guts imagery can be explored. The book ends with one of the lamest "cliff-hangers" I've ever read, and I guess this is how the show more "series" is going to be continued.

Well, I certainly won't be waiting for any sequels... show less