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A review by gma2at
13 Bullets: A Vampire Tale by David Wellington
3.0
One of the reviews of this book said it was really poorly written. I have no idea what they are talking about because that is one of the best parts of this book. I could completely picture what the author wanted me to picture as he used words and descriptions that were amazing. This is also a well-done variation of vampires I like a lot better than the descriptions some authors and movies portray. They are monsters and in this book that is quite clear. The book is also a thriller and does a great job in that area. I kept coming back to it, thinking about it when not reading it, and frustrated when my usual ability to read it was somehow inhibited. All good signs of a great book to me. I also liked the main character and how human she was, how relate-able, rather than some superhuman who suddenly falls into a role she didn't ask for and it fits like a glove. It shows her fear, her angst, her emotions quite well.
The other characters, however, fell quite flat, even the special deputy vampire hunter who was another main character. I would like to have seem more development there. This is not a deep thinking book, so don't pick this one up for intellectual development. It's also quite gory with descriptions of blood, yuck, and dismemberment. I cringed quite a few times. It also has lots of language some may find offensive.
There were a few situations or parts of the book that grated on me. First, someone knew the main character was a lesbian because she had short hair? Seriously? Second, one draw a vampire felt toward one of the characters was because she was a lesbian and it was some sort of erotic goal? Gross. I'm even lesbian and that's just gross. Lastly, in the midst of intense stress, relationship issues, huge loss, and traumatic feats related to a committed relationship, somehow a woman is kissing another woman because she's there? Come on! Offensive overgeneralization.
This was half great and half not so great for me. That's why I can only give it a 3 star review. I enjoyed it 85% of the time, it kept me interested, and I finished. I might even recommend it to someone looking for a great vampire or horror story. The other drawbacks keep me from wanting to own it and they are significant enough for it to drop down a star.
The other characters, however, fell quite flat, even the special deputy vampire hunter who was another main character. I would like to have seem more development there. This is not a deep thinking book, so don't pick this one up for intellectual development. It's also quite gory with descriptions of blood, yuck, and dismemberment. I cringed quite a few times. It also has lots of language some may find offensive.
There were a few situations or parts of the book that grated on me. First, someone knew the main character was a lesbian because she had short hair? Seriously? Second, one draw a vampire felt toward one of the characters was because she was a lesbian and it was some sort of erotic goal? Gross. I'm even lesbian and that's just gross. Lastly, in the midst of intense stress, relationship issues, huge loss, and traumatic feats related to a committed relationship, somehow a woman is kissing another woman because she's there? Come on! Offensive overgeneralization.
This was half great and half not so great for me. That's why I can only give it a 3 star review. I enjoyed it 85% of the time, it kept me interested, and I finished. I might even recommend it to someone looking for a great vampire or horror story. The other drawbacks keep me from wanting to own it and they are significant enough for it to drop down a star.