31 Reads of Terror: 'A People's History of the Vampire Uprising' by Raymond A. Villareal

There are countless gimmicky books out there, and many of them delve into the realm of vampires, such as A People's History of the Vampire Uprising by Raymond A. Villareal. I stumbled upon this title at a Dollar Tree three years ago—never heard of the author or the book before that fateful encounter. I couldn't resist the cover, so I took a chance on it—don’t judge me; it's a little quirk of mine. So, there it sat on my shelf like a crypt collecting dust, until I finally pried it from its resting place, read the darn thing, and now here I am, crafting this review. Spoiler alert: this book is destined to be packed away and donated, most likely to haunt someone else's bookshelf.

The plot kicks off with a little mystery. It starts when the body of a young woman is discovered in an Arizona border town, presumed to be an illegal immigrant. In a twist that would leave even the most seasoned detective scratching their head, the corpse walks right out of the morgue. Enter our young CDC investigator, called in to help the bewildered local police. For her, this bizarre incident isn’t just a puzzling enigma; it’s a challenge that shatters her understanding of medicine.

As more bodies roll into the morgue—each one meeting a gruesome end due to a strange disease that solidifies their blood—they too disappear without a trace. It becomes a frantic race against the clock as the CDC, the FBI, and the US government scramble to confront what seems impossible: an epidemic of vampirism set to sweep across not just the United States, but the world!

These newly minted vampires—impossibly strong, astoundingly intelligent, stunningly beautiful, and utterly commanding—eschew the old, derogatory term for something more palatable: "gloamings." They quickly ascend to positions of power in sports, entertainment, and business, turning their supernatural abilities into a new form of celebrity. It’s not long before people are clamoring to be 're-created,' betting their lives on the chance of transformation. And just when you think things couldn't get more chaotic, a dashing and affluent businessman, freshly turned, decides to run for political office—a move none of his kind have dared to make before.

The blurb pitches the book as an oral history of the apocalypse, drawing comparisons to World War Z. However, let me set the record straight: it’s a far cry from that. Not that I have a soft spot for either the World War Z book or its film adaptation—FYI, I found neither particularly appealing. A People's History of the Vampire Uprising is a tangled mess from start to finish; if you manage to slog your way to the end, you’ve done better than I did! It took me nearly a month to bear through this literary slog; I'd read a few pages, get thoroughly irritated by the convoluted narration, toss it aside, and then reluctantly revisit it between more engaging reads. If it weren’t for my quest to fill a slot in my 31 Reads of Terror blog event, I likely would have thrown in the towel long before the final page.

So, here’s the takeaway: the book had no bite. And no, that's not a vampire pun—it truly was a struggle. I loathed the narrative, found the plethora of characters overwhelming, and groaned at the tired end-of-the-world clichés. The descriptions were overly elaborate, and the dialogue often felt as stiff as a cadaver. It boasts a fantastic title and an eye-catching cover—but that’s where the compliments end, folks. Warning: do yourself a favor and steer clear of this one! ╌★✰✰✰✰

〜B.J. Burgess