America Is Hooked On Vampires!!!

Guillermo del Toro writes and directs some pretty good movies.  If you don't believe me, watch Pan's Labyrinth (El Laberinto Del Fauno) sometime.  I thought if he has the ability to write good movies, think of what can he could do with a novel.  Characters' thoughts, detailed plots, and action not limited by what the special effects company can do for you.  That being said, while I wasn't blown away by the story, I was pleasantly surprised.  I know, I know.  "Do we really need to be exposed to more vampire media?"  In truth, no.  But, this is not a book written to attract tween girls looking for dreamy vamps to swoon over. 

The Fall is actually the second book in a trilogy.  The first book,  The Strain, also written by Mr. del Toro and Chuck Hogan, focuses on the beginnings of a virus that is rapidly spreading throughout New York City.  As it turns out, the virus was started by a millenia-old "vampire" who wants to take over the world.  The first installment focuses on a small group of people first trying to figure out what this virus is doing, and second, trying to figure out a way to contain it.  They were unsuccessful.  Hence, the second installment.  The second gets a little more into character development, and deeper into the plot lines of the trilogy.  Once it is finally understood what the goal of the "head vampire" is, the book takes more of a turn towards a dystopian future, which is the setup for the third book in the series, The Night Eternal, which comes out on October 25, 2011. 

Some people may be turned off by being exposed to more vampires, but this story is much different than anything that is currently out there.  It is more akin to I Am Legend than it would be to Twilight.  Sometimes the book sways more into being plot-driven than character-driven*, but it is not enough that it would ruin the story. 

I had originally downloaded this book from the library in order to have something to read on my long plane journey to Shanghai, but I instead got wrapped up in A Game Of Thrones instead.  Luckily, I found the time to finish  The Fall before it was due back after my return.  It is not a very hard or long read, but it is a good book to get into.  I am looking forward to seeing how Mr. del Toro wraps everything up in the third book.


*In my opinion, books should be mainly character-driven stories.  If the author has taken the time to introduce characters, and explain even a little of their backstory, then the author should respect the reader enough so that the character doesn't get put into situations that he/she normally wouldn't get into, just to advance the story.  This is one of my pet peeves in novels.  Authors usually do this so that they can advance a certain part of the story with an established character, instead of introducing a new character, or using a "throw-away" character.