Audiobook Review: A People’s History of the Vampire Uprising by Raymond A. Villareal
I received a review copy from the publisher. This does not affect the contents of my review and all opinions are my own.
A People’s History of the Vampire Uprising by Raymond A. Villareal
Mogsy’s Rating (Overall): 3.5 of 5 stars
Genre: Horror
Series: Stand Alone
Publisher: Hachette Audio (June 5, 2018)
Length: 13 hrs and 27 mins
Author Information: Website | Twitter
Narrators: Jim Meskimen, Christine Lakin, Robert Petkoff, full cast
Three and a half years ago, a body of a seemingly dead woman walks out of an Arizona morgue, confounding everyone from the local police to scientists at the CDC. And so begins what this novel calls a “people’s history” of vampirism—or at least a disease that leads to symptoms that resemble what our popular culture considers vampire-like. This disease, the Nogales organic blood illness (or designated the NOBI virus), changes its victims’ physiologies in drastic ways, including giving them super strength, an aversion to sunlight, and extending their lives by hundreds of years. And yes, it also gives them a thirst to feed on human blood.
In just a short period of time, the infection spreads across the United States, but in a very unprecedented pattern for a disease. This is in part due to NOBI’s unconventional process of transmission. Gradually, becoming a “vampire” is something seen as much desired, and those who have been “recreated” quickly become the nation’s elite, rising in prominence in their respective fields. Calling themselves the “gloamings”, they begin to use their increasing influence to demand more rights and legal protections in the midst of rising death and chaos sweeping across the country. People are literally dying to become gloamings, with the transformation success rate estimated at only fifty percent.
Offering readers a glimpse into different sections of the population to see how the gloaming invasion has affected society, A People’s History of the Vampire Uprising follows several key characters including a CDC researcher named Lauren Scott, a Catholic priest named Father Reilly, an FBI agent named Hugo Zumthor, and a political campaign manager named Joseph Barrera. These perspectives come together to form a narrative that spans several years, following the course of the NOBI epidemic from its inception to its outbreak, and subsequently how its effects have changed the world.
Have you ever wondered while reading those urban fantasy series which feature humans and vampires living side by side, in precarious but relative peace, how that status quo might have come about? As readers, I think we take a lot of those dynamics for granted, never questioning the myriad problems such a monumental event—that is, accepting vampires into the general population—would cause our society. In a way, A People’s History of the Vampire Uprising serves to fill that gap, viewing this “what if” situation through a realistic and modern lens. The author Raymond A. Villareal delves into the nitty-gritty details, addressing the political and social turmoil and the growing pains of a country taking steps to accommodate a growing population of gloamings. What economic consequences are there, for example, when a good chunk of your workforce can’t work the typical 9-to-5 day? What effects would today’s social media have on the image of gloamings? What would happen if a high-profile gloaming ran for political office? How much is the average citizen willing to take?
As fascinating as these questions are, sometimes the minutiae gets in the way of the overall narrative. Villareal is a practicing attorney, and so it’s not surprising when you get the occasional chapter steeped in legalese and other jargon in favor of the clear and simple. Calling this a “panoramic thriller” might also be a stretch, as are perhaps the comparisons to World War Z. The format of the book may call to mind Max Brook’s epistolary novel about zombies, but it has nowhere near the scope nor presence. A People’s History of the Vampire Uprising failed to grip me the way I thought it would, and its presentation was also a little messy.
That said, the novel has its fascinating moments and flashes of insight. The different characters were interesting and enjoyable to follow. Overall the premise is a good one, even if the execution isn’t as strong as I’d hoped. I would recommend it, but with caveats. Don’t expect a thriller of epic proportions, but there’s admittedly plenty in A People’s History of the Vampire Uprising to stimulate and capture the imagination of any vampire fiction aficionado, and it’s certainly not conventional or average.
Audiobook Comments: Fans of full-cast audiobooks will enjoy the audio version of A People’s History of the Vampire Uprising which features multiple narrators portraying the roles of all major characters in the novel. For a story that is told mostly through interview transcripts and other documentation, the multi-cast format is also perfect for emphasizing the different narrative voices and personalities.
The BiblioSanctum 
This does have an interesting premise. I haven’t read a lot of vampire stuff lately so I’m kinda intrigued, but it does sound like it gets bogged down in the weeds occasionally too. Still, maybe… lol
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It’s a very different kind of vampire book, looking at the sociology of them more than anything else. If that sounds appealing, definitely give it a try!
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Well, since this doesn’t appear to be about homo sapiens putting the old wooden stake through their hearts, I think I’ll have to pass.
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Nope, no stakes through vampire hearts, I’m afraid! Actually, since most of the main characters in this book hate gloamings, I think that’s what frustrates them too, lol.
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I have a digital copy of this but I think if I’m ever going to read it, I’ll need to grab it from my library. If it has a different format, sometimes I have issues reading books like that digitally. Sounds kind of hit or miss to be honest and I was so excited about it initially.
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Yeah, the format is similar to World War Z with the articles and transcripts and such, but also not as extreme. No harm in giving your digital copy a shot, and if it doesn’t work, yep, there’s always the library!
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World War Z was the first thing that came to mind when I read the blurb for this book. It does sound like a different take on vampires, with it becoming a status symbol. Interesting😁
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It did remind me very much of WWZ, so much that a lot of times I had to remind myself we were dealing with vamps here, not zombies, lol!
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Hmm, on the one hand Vampires! On the other hand….it doesn’t sound like it would grab me the way WWZ did. Great review!
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It definitely has a different tone that WWZ, which was a worldwide struggle, whereas in this book, the setting is mostly limited to the United States and it read more like a sociology experiment rather than a war 😛
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hmmm maybe… I’m not so sure about it
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Borrow it from the library, maybe!
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The whole what if sounds really interesting, there really is nothing like it out there
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Yes, it was very interesting, I have to give it that. I don’t think I’ve read anything else quite like it.
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Great review 🙂 This sounds super interesting and unique. Though it sounds like it could be a little boring if you don’t like books with a lot of politics?
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It may be. There’s also a lot of legal stuff, but the good news is, I wouldn’t say it distracts too much from the main story!
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It’s a different take on the vampire angle, and one that seems more focused on the social aspects of vampirism rather than on the blood-sucking side of it… Intriguing! 🙂
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Yes, exactly! I actually liked that it offered something completely different. But just speaking in terms of pure enjoyment, I think it could have been better.
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I’ve gotten to the point where I need my vampires to be dark and horrific. It sounds like the cast was entertaining. That’s a bonus.
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Same here, I like my vampire horror to be actual horror. That said, the gloamings in this book were psychotic, but just not in the way I’d hoped 😛
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I loved that this delved into the logistics of vampires as part of society, particularly those that can’t handle sun exposure! Authors rarely go into those details and those are all the questions I end up having!!
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Yes, I was impressed by those sorts of details. Definitely not something the average reader would think about until we are presented with the problem 😀
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I’ve seen mixed reviews for this one, but the premise of it sounds so intriguing. To tackle the dynamic between humans and vampires with a realistic vision? I do wonder how well the author delivers it. I’m glad to hear you were still able to enjoy this even if the details due to the author’s background seemed to have an effect on his writing style/your enjoyment!
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Yeah, most of the reviews I’ve seen have been middling, ranging around 3-3.5 stars. I kind of feel the same way, having loved the premise but thought the execution could have been better.
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I wasn’t a fan of World War Z…I guess I prefer the novel format instead! I don’t think this is for me but I enjoyed the review.
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Yeah, if you are not into epistolary novels, this probably would not be for you!
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I feel like I’m seeing too much of this kind of format ever since World War Z, but this does sound like it has interesting aspects too… Hmmm.
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Yeah, WWZ really made this format blow up in popularity. I actually really like epistolary novels, but the problem is, not all authors can pull it off!
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I do like the sound of this one but at the same time I just don’t think it’s going to be one I pick up. Although, never say never.
Lynn 😀
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It does make for a good audiobook listen, if you’re ever tempted 🙂
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Hmm…well I’m certainly glad for your review. I’m still interested in reading this one, but I think I’ll borrow it from the library instead.
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Library loan is probably a good choice. This one’s gotten some mixed reviews, so chances are it could go either way for you!
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