Let Me In

By: John Ajvide Lindqvist

Narrated by: Steven Pacey

Length: 16 hrs and 54 mins

Publisher's Summary

Set in 1983, Let Me In is the horrific tale of Oskar and Eli. It begins with the grizzly discovery of the body of a teenage boy, emptied of blood. Twelve-year-old Oskar is personally hoping that revenge has come at long last - revenge for all the bad things the bullies at school do to him, day after day.

While Oskar is fascinated by the murder, it is not the most important thing in his life. 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. They become friends. Then something more. But there is something wrong with her, something odd. And she only comes out at night....

©2004 John Ajvide Lindqvist (P)2010 Macmillan Audio

Critic Reviews

"Lindqvist develops the plot in rich detail. The characters, adult and child, are quite convincingly the sort that one would probably cross the street to avoid in any city." ( Booklist)

Hard to put down

After seeing the Swedish version of the movie, which I liked, but which was somewhat slow paced and a little disjointed, and after reading a couple of the reviews, I was worried about purchasing this book, but I'm glad I did. It's more a story about relationships than it is about vampires, and the book cleared up some questions I had about what was going on in the movie.

The book is about children and does include child molestation, but that's not the central theme of the book; nor did the author dwell on it, as a couple of the reviews seemed to insinuate. Such things happen, and avoiding mention of them isn't going to make them go away.

I like this book; the narrator is good, too.

34 of 36 people found this review helpful

Saw the movies. The book is different

Drawn to this book by the movies. Neither of the movies are close to the pace and shock of the book. I enjoyed how the writer draws you in by not telling you what happens until you see the aftermath of any event.

Definitely not for the faint of heart for vampire readers. Gets into the "reality" of what a vampire body is about. Similar to the movies, I like the explanation of what happens if a vampire enters into a room without being asked to enter.

Good Times!

15 of 16 people found this review helpful

Unusual theme but a great story.

This is the most unusual story I have read in a long time. If you have seen either the Swedish film, based on this book or the more recent American remake the book will explain what was not revealed in either film. If you enjoyed either version of the films you must read this book!

12 of 13 people found this review helpful

Exceptional!

One of the very best vampire books ever! I literally could not put it down. The narrator was among the best, too. I'd not seen or heard any other works by Lindquist, but his dedication to intricate detail and depth of comprehension of the mind of a pre-teen adolescent was awe inspiring. His insightful treatment of the elderly characters was splendid. I will recommend this to all of my friends...even the ones who don't have a taste for the horrific. Great literature! Go Swedes.

11 of 12 people found this review helpful

Mature Writing vs. Puberty Materials

After watching the American version of the movie, I really wanted to read the book. It's been on the back burner for a while and I finally broke down and purchased the title. This is not my first introduction of this author. I have read, "Handling the Undead", which was good, but "Let Me In" is what I was waiting for to become a fan of his writing.

Unlike the typical horror story, Lindqvist writes at if it's almost like a dark drama, love story, but without the tween saga. The thriller will gripe you in, where you can't stop turning the pages, or in my case, couldn't stop listening. I usually don't read the book after watching the movie, but in this case, I just knew that the book would be excellent.

This is one of my favorite reads in a while simply because the author could had wrote this book to please teen pop culture, with yucky vampire love and your typical fairy tale, but he didn't. Lindqvist used his own twisted imagination, where the puppy love between the vampire girl and the boy, is not the center point of the plot, but it's a background drop of the story.

After reading this book, one can understand mature writing versus adolescent puberty materials, from the same vampire genre.

The cat scene is awesome. I just wished that it was written in the movie also.

3 of 3 people found this review helpful

A very good read!

I was drawn in early to the story, and it kept me interested until the very end. My only complaint is that the book puts a charactor twist on the young vampire, that the movies or other reviews fail to recognize or acknowledge. I happen to think this twist made the story line less enjoyable, but at least be true to the book when using it elsewhere. I think Lindqvist was trying to make some kind of social statement, but it didn't need to be made here. Worth the credit though.

7 of 8 people found this review helpful

Awesome!

The best audio book I've ever listened to. I found myself getting up in the night to listen because I had to know what happened next. Very well told. Dark and disturbing - to the extreme at points because it's just so well told. I was immersed. This isn't your bubble gum vampire story. Loved it.

16 of 20 people found this review helpful

Worth 2 Credits, but only costs 1

Much better than either the foriegn or English movie could ever be. The characters truly come to life. Awesome spin on the whole vampire thing. I've been a horror/suspense reader since the mid 70s and this one moves to the top of the list. Just can't describe too many of the great attributes of the book without being a spoiler for those who have yet to experience this great book. If you like this genre, JUST GET IT!!!

9 of 11 people found this review helpful

Slow Paced Thriller

If you are looking for a fast pace horror novel look else where, this book is slow and at times frustrating. However ultimately it tells an interesting story and is well worth a listen for those who have some patience.


Being set in the '80s is an odd choice but with all the references to Rubik's cubes and leather vests it can be amusing and awkward at times. This story is more about the relationships of the characters than the horror of vampires and this is what helps it stand out as different and worthwhile.


On a technical note I had some issues where the first part would play each chapter twice, this may be isolated to my iPhone as downloading the file again did not help. Also, while I initially did not feel that the narrator was right for the book I soon got past it as the quirkiness of his accent fits in eventually.

15 of 19 people found this review helpful

Very Creepy and atmospheric....

It took me a while to get through this book, but after the half-way mark, I was hooked. It was very scary and I loved this take on the vampire lore. I literally ran to my house and fumbled with the lock after listening to a particularly scary part on my drive home late one night. I will definitely recommend it to friends, and now I can't wait to see both movies. I have heard that the Swedish film is the best. And I do believe that the Swedish backdrop is a very important character in the novel, so I'll be interested to see the American take.

My only issue is with the disturbing descriptions regarding child prostitution at the beginning of the novel. I think that could have been left out and the story would have been fine. And for those who haven't read it - it's more disturbing that "graphic"...which any conversation about child prostitution and pedophiles should be considered disturbing because it is wrong. Don't let this deter you from reading this otherwise excellent novel.

4 of 5 people found this review helpful