I had so much fun reading Sense and Sensibility and Sea Monsters that I absolutely had to read Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter. It isn’t by the same author, but it uses the same concept.

This book particularly interested me because my grandfather is very interested in Abraham Lincoln. He’s read numerous biographies and is always sharing little tidbits of information. Lincoln was always stressed when I was in school–we even had several Lincoln-themed field trips. The idea of Abraham Lincoln as a vampire hunter seemed both far-fetched and completely plausible; I was very curious to read it.

I was even more curious about the book because it was not (as Sense and Sensibility and Sea Monsters and Pride and Prejudice and Zombies are) a parody of another novel. I wasn’t sure exactly what to expect, but I enjoyed what I found! The book weaves vampires (and thus, vampire hunting) into the story of Abraham Lincoln’s life and times. As the addition of sea monsters into Sense and Sensibility and Sea Monsters was made plausible and seamless, so were the bloodsucking creatures of the night added equally well to Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter. It certainly put a new twist on how I think of the stoic former president!

The writing is fast-paced and intriguing. Narrative sections are interspersed with diary excerpts, adding some variety. I particularly liked the use of detail–just enough to set the scene, not enough to be overwhelming or boring. The author does a very good job of propelling the story forward, so that it doesn’t stagnate or cause the reader to lose interest. It’s not Pulitzer Prize-winning composition, but overall it was well-written for being a “fun read” type of novel.

I enjoyed the book so much that I read it within two days of having picked it up from the library, and immediately insisted that my husband read it as well. He was skeptical at first, offering some criticism on the story; he claimed that certain happenings seemed completely unrealistic or character names were ill-planned. When we did a bit of research, his criticism was completely unfounded–because those details were straight from Lincoln’s history! (One can’t really argue about how the author ought to have named someone differently if that was a person’s genuine name.)

When I first finished it, I wanted to get a copy for my grandfather. He doesn’t tend to read fiction–particularly popular novels–but I thought he would appreciate the historical accuracy of the book. (Or be able to tell me specifically if something was incorrect and thus displeasing to him.) I didn’t buy it for him right away, because I didn’t want to waste the money and effort if he wouldn’t actually read it, but when I extorted a promise to read it that sealed the deal. I’m very curious to hear if he enjoyed it! It’s a really amusing book.