There were parts of this book that I enjoyed immensely. The clever way in which V. Mark Covington creates his pre-apocalyptic novel kept my attention throughout. From the ice cream man with his special flavors that cause visions, to Angel the stripper and Hobbs the ad-man/Satan (which somehow seems appropriate), Covington populates his little Virginia town with some fascinating characters who are all more than they seem.What disappointed me, then? Vampires. I've said it before and I'll doubtless say it again: I'm personally sick and tired of the "put a vampire in it so it will sell' mode of books coming out in the wake of books about a certain sparkling, abusive protagonist and his angsty girlfriend. It's beginning to feel more than a little cheap to me.There were some minor editorial issues, but nothing that was a huge distraction.The story line was good and the concept clever. I'm just starting to feel like the grandfather in "The Lost Boys," who had the last line in the film. The entire family had tried to keep Grandpa in the dark about what was going on in the town, and at the end of the film, as they are all moving away, here is what he says:"You know what I always hated about Santa Carlita? Too many goddamned vampires."
