The Strain by Guillermo del Toro, Chuck Hogan

The Strain (Strain Trilogy, #1)

by Guillermo del Toro and Chuck Hogan

The high-concept thriller with a supernatural edge from the world-famous director, whose films include Pan’s Labyrinth and Hellboy.

A plane lands at JFK and mysteriously ‘goes dark’, stopping in the middle of the runway for no apparent reason, all lights off, all doors sealed. The pilots cannot be raised.

When the hatch above the wing finally clicks open, it soon becomes clear that everyone on board is dead – although there is no sign of any trauma or struggle. Ephraim Goodweather and his team from the Center for Disease Control must work quickly to establish the cause of this strange occurrence before panic spreads.

The first thing they discover is that four of the victims are actually still alive. But that’s the only good news. And when all two hundred corpses disappear from various morgues around the city on the same night, things very rapidly get worse. Soon Eph and a small band of helpers will find themselves battling to protect not only their own loved ones, but the whole city, against an ancient threat to humanity.

Perfect for fans of Dean Koontz’s The Eyes of Darkness

Reviewed by Michael @ Knowledge Lost on

2 of 5 stars

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It is refreshing to read a vampire novel, written the way you would expect a vampire novel to be written. While Guillermo del Toro’s vampire are different to the typical vampire at least they don’t sparkle like fairies. Del Toro has given a truly thrilling novel full of heart racing scenes and a unique blend of old vampiric mysticism and the modern infestation typically made popular with the Resident Evil games/movies. While I would love to give this book 4/5, I have to say this book reminded me too much of I am Legend by Richard Matheson to warrant this score. The Strain is a dark and enjoyable horror novel that I would highly recommend for anyone interested in reading an exciting vampire novel.

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  • Started reading
  • 17 February, 2012: Finished reading
  • 17 February, 2012: Reviewed