Despite some pacing issues (the book could have definitely benefitted from heavy editing), DRACULA is more chilling, suspenseful, and gripping than I ever imagined it would be. Here we have vampires as they‘re meant to be: lurking in the shadows, never taking center stage, leaving you gripped with anxiety about where they might be and what shadows they‘re lurking in, waiting to pounce.. 4/5

Stephen King‘s first novel propelled him into the spotlight in part due to its raw, grisly nature; an average town with its stock cast of characters suddenly plunged into an unimaginable nightmare. But let‘s not pretend the 1976 film adaptation, a masterpiece in horror cinema, didn‘t aid this tale in becoming an icon. Carrie is violent, heartbreaking, and fierce, hindered by an unfocused and amateur writing style. 3/5.