Let the Right One In: A Novel

John Ajvide Lindqvist

Oct 2008 · Sold by St. Martin's Griffin

About this ebook

John Ajvide Lindqvist’s international bestseller Let the Right One In is “a brilliant take on the vampire myth, and a roaring good story” (New York Times bestselling author Kelley Armstrong), the basis for the multi-film festival award-winning Swedish film, the U.S. adaptation Let Me In directed by Matt Reeves (The Batman), and the Showtime TV series.

It is autumn 1981 when inconceivable horror comes to Blackeberg, a suburb in Sweden. The body of a teenager is found, emptied of blood, the murder rumored to be part of a ritual killing. Twelve-year-old Oskar is personally hoping that revenge has come at long last—revenge for the bullying he endures at school, day after day.

But the murder is not the most important thing on his mind. A new girl has moved in next door—a girl who has never seen a Rubik’s Cube before, but who can solve it at once. There is something wrong with her, though, something odd. And she only comes out at night. . .

Ratings and reviews

Saw the movie first, decided to read the book as well. The movie did a pretty great job, only leaving out a few bits and pieces. Overall the book was fun, enjoyable and amusing. A few memorable lines I'll never forget. Good read.

One of my favorite books of all time. It's beautifully written and the story is completely engrossing. A must read for anyone into dark stories (and this one is VERY dark). If you've seen the films, those cover only about 1/3 of the story. They focused pretty much solely on the relationship between Oskar and Eli due to time, but the book covers so much more. If you don't read this, you are doing yourself a disservice.

Overall, great story! Vile but fascinating. A little hard to follow at times, names get mixed up. Would really recommend to most anyone though!!

About the author

John Ajvide Lindqvist's debut novel, Let the Right One In, was an instant bestseller in Sweden and was named Best Novel in Translation 2005 in Norway. The Swedish film adaptation, directed by Tomas Alfredsson, has won top honors at film festivals all over the globe, including Best Narrative Feature at the Tribeca Film Festival. An American remake, Let Me In, written and directed by Cloverfield director Matt Reeves, was released in October 2010 to rave reviews.

Lindqvist grew up in Blackeberg, a suburb of Stockholm and the setting for Let the Right One In. Wanting to become something awful and fantastic, he first became a conjurer, and then was a stand-up comedian for twelve years. He has also written for Swedish television. He lives in Sweden.