Seth Grahame-Smith's premise: between 1607 and 1865, for over 250 years, vampires thrived in the shadows of America, but few believed in them; Abraham Lincoln was one of the gifted vampire hunters of his day, and kept a secret journal about his lifelong war against them; and that rumors of the journal's existence have long been a favorite topic among historians and Lincoln biographers, most dismiss it as myth.
The author goes on to assert that Lincoln eventually learns the cause of his mother's death as having been instigated by a supernatural predator -- a vampire -- and this sets out the young Lincoln to a path of vengeance that will lead him all the way to the White House.
For almost two hundred years, Lincoln's personal crusade against these predators has remained in the shadows until Seth Grahame-Smith stumbled upon The Secret Journal of Abraham Lincoln. Using the journal as a guide, the author then reconstructs the true life story of America's greatest president and reveals the role vampires played in the birth, growth and near-death of the nation.
By revising history and infusing it with horror, Grahame-Smith, has created a surprisingly engrossing and flawlessly clever story. Also, the strong link he has created between vampirism and slavery was quite astonishing. This is undoubtedly one quick, fun read. I highly recommend it.
The Los Angeles Times gave this book a positive review, noting that "a writer who can transform the greatest figure from 19th century American history into the star of an original vampire tale with humor, heart and bite is a rare find indeed.
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