3 out of 4 stars
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It’s Hard To Be A Vampire by Viktoria Faust is an anthology of short horror stories, occasionally connected but generally stand-alone. Each short story takes the reader on an adventure into a classic horror story, but with surprise twists and turns. Women that are too fat to be vampires, paintings with a grudge, cities with no end, and girls who do not bleed are just a few of the fascinating characters you will meet as you travel through this collection.
The short story format was an inspired choice by the author. Each quick story is designed to draw you in and experience what should be a stereotypical horror story in a new way. While the stories explore different themes and characters, there is an underlying continuity as the author takes standard stereotypes and stories and turns them on their heads.
It’s Hard To Be A Vampire was an overwhelmingly enjoyable read. In an era where the market is over saturated with vampire novels, this cheeky addition is a breath of fresh air. Poking fun at overplayed societal norms, these stories are some of the most original horror stories I have ever read. Some are in fact so twisted and creepy that the reader might start to wonder if the author is mad herself. Even the writing itself puts the reader into the story with sentences that mimic obsessive thoughts and wild assumptions.
At times, the writing itself was a bit rough and choppy in a way that did not seem intentional. It was unclear if some of the lack of punctuation was intentional or stems from a lack of editing, but these are things that are easily fixed and should not stop you from giving this anthology a read.
It’s Hard To Be A Vampire is a fun and twisted take on the classic horror anthology. It pulls the reader into the minds of the characters and will leave a creepy crawly feeling running up your neck, exactly what you want from a collection of horror stories. Therefore, I give It’s Hard To Be A Vampire a rating of 3 out of 4 stars. There are parts of this collection that could use a strong editor, but the concepts and storylines are strong and original. With some effort applied to the general flow of the wording, this anthology has the potential to be a permanent part of society’s horror story culture.
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It's Hard to Be a Vampire
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