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    iDrakula
    iDrakula
    iDrakula
    Ebook162 pages57 minutes

    iDrakula

    By Bekka Black

    3/5

    ()

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    About this ebook

    The classic vampire story that started it all gets new life for a generation of connected teens

    18-year-old Jonathan Harker is diagnosed with a rare blood disorder after visiting a Romanian Count. His girlfriend Mina and a pre-med student named Van Helsing team up to investigate the source of the disease. The teenagers discover a horrifying truth: the Count is a vampire. The harrowing events unfold through emails, text messages, web pages, Twitter feeds, and instant messaging—the natural modernization of Bram Stoker's original Dracula, which was written in letters, diary entries, and news clippings.

    "Bold, innovative , and warped. . .an insanely imaginative tour de force."

    –James Rollins, New York Times bestselling author

    "Black expertly interweaves story and technology in this timely Dracula tale."

    –Rebecca Maizel, author of infinite Days

    "What happened?"

    "Not sure. I was fine when I went to bed."

    "But?"

    "But I dreamed that someone got into my room."

    "Who?"

    "I don't remember his face. He was tall, thin, pale…I was paralyzed. And then my neck hurt and my mouth was full of…"

    "Of what?"

    "Blood. My mouth was full of blood."

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherSourcebooks
    Release dateOct 1, 2010
    ISBN9781402244674
    iDrakula
    Author

    Bekka Black

    After a childhood often spent without electricity and running water, Bekka escaped the beautiful wilderness of Talkeetna, Alaska, for indoor plumbing and 24/7 electricity in Berlin, Germany. Used to the cushy lifestyle, she discovered the Internet in college and has been wasting time on it ever since (when not frittering away her time on her iPhone). Somehow, she manages to write novels, including the award-winning Hannah Vogel mystery series set, in all places, 1930s Berlin. The series has received numerous starred reviews and the first book, A Trace of Smoke, was chosen as a Writer's Digest Notable debut. She lives in Hawaii with her husband, son, two cats, and too many geckoes to count. iDrakula is her first cell phone novel.

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    Reviews for iDrakula

    3/5

    50 ratings9 reviews

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    • 3/5
      This was a really interesting take on the Dracula story. It takes place in current times and the story is told entirely through e-mails, text messaging and web browser screen shots. There is also an app you can download for the iphone to listen to voice mails. Unfortunately I have an android phone so I didn't get to listen to the voice mails but the other stuff holds the story together nicely, you don't need the voice mails. The format makes it a quick read and there was one part of the story that if I remember correctly veers a bit from the original Dracula. All in all I liked it and I think it's a great way to update a classic for people who are intimidated by the original.
    • 2/5
      Dracula, with a twist: instead of being told through letters and diary entries and telegrams, Bekka Black's iDrakula is told through instant messages and emails and browser histories.

      I borrowed this from my library because, honestly, it looked HILARIOUS. What is this, a new version of the "...and Zombies!" trend?

      It's entertaining enough as a novelty, but because almost all of the modes of communication used in this version of the story are brief bursts of text, it feels very superficial. The reader doesn't get to know the characters beyond a few broad strokes, the feeling of dread that Dracula-proper brings on never really shows up in iDrakula (although the bounced emails are a nice touch), and once the action picks up, it's kind of hard to follow.

      For a quick lolzy read, iDrakula is decent. It might even work as a CliffsNotes version of Dracula, but if this is the only version of Dracula you read, you're missing out on a lot of spooky goodness.
    • 4/5
      Every time I think, “Man, I’m so OVER vampires.” I seem to pick up yet another book that features more mythological blood-sucking creatures of the night. Perhaps I’m just not as over them as I imagine myself to be. Perhaps they are my peculiar form of bookish Kryptonite. In any case and for whatever the reason, I’m glad I picked up iDrakula. Ashamedly, as much as I read about vampires, I’ve never actually read Bram Stoker’s Dracula. I’ve seen movies, I know the plot and the players, but I’ve never actually picked it up and read the granddaddy of all vampire books. An oversight I hope to rectify soon. So that stated, as far as in depth comparisons go for the purists among you, Dear Reader, I won’t be able to give any. However, based on my knowledge of Stoker’s Dracula, Black has written a smart and innovative homage to this gothic classic. Originally written in an epistolary format (i.e. letters, journal entries, etc.), Black has modernized the story, making it relevant for 21st century teenagers by telling her vampire tale via text messages, emails and occasional iPad web browsing. Not only is the novel cleverly written, but the way the story is presented visually is extremely appealing to my inner wanna-be graphic designer and provides the reader with an aesthetically pleasing reading experience. Clocking in at 150 pages even, iDrakula is a quick, but intense read. Black keeps the plot moving at a fast clip and the text/email formatting style sucked me right in. It gives off a vibe of the forbidden and taboo, not only from the feeling that I’m snooping in someone’s private correspondence, but also from the sensational events and subject matter of the book. It is creepy, dark and edgy. The twists Black incorporates into the story keep it interesting so that the novel is not merely a predictable, straight retelling. Instead it’s something different while still remaining true to the tone, themes and basic plot of Stoker’s original novel. The formatting and length of the book had me a little worried that the character development might suffer – I was worried that the stylization and advancement of the plot might take center stage over the characters. Yet, that is not the case. Taking into consideration how easily tone can be misconstrued through electronic forms of communication, Black does an excellent job of bringing her characters to life and giving them individuality and nuance. This is true, especially in the character of Mina who is the main protagonist of this novel. While still an example of goodness and devotion, Black’s Mina subscribes to a bit more girl power. She’s a strong, independent young woman who’s a Jujitsu champion and doesn’t allow herself to become anyone’s doormat. I really enjoyed her character and the direction that Black developed her. If I had any complaints about this novel it is only that the last third seemed a bit rushed. There is a lot of build up and then the climax just rushes by. I feel like some of the emotional significance got a little lost in the dash to the end. But as I said before, I’m not sure how the original novel was paced since I haven’t read it yet, so it could be mirroring the original in pacing and I’m just not aware of it. Overall, with a cleverly re-imagined plot, an updated cast of characters, and a gorgeously visual presentation that gives a nod to our 21st century obsession with electronic connection, iDrakula is a wonderfully dark and creative homage to Bram Stoker’s gothic classic.
    • 4/5
      The story of Dracula was never told quite like this. The gang is all there – Mina, Jonathon, VanHelsing, and the count, himself – but this time they’re teenage college students racing against time to figure out the cause of Jonathon’s strange blood disorder picked up during a visit to the count’s abode. Bekka Black’s retelling of Bram Stoker’s classic plays on the original format (i.e. correspondence through letters, diaries, and news clippings) by constructing the plot through text messages, tweets, and instant messages. Meant to be read on a cell phone, readers have the option of reading it through daily updates that alert the reader when Mina gets a new text or instant message and for those readers who simply can’t wait, there is an option to read the whole thing at the press of a button. But teens will love the format that delivers new plot twists daily and allows them to read anywhere and in short bursts. The ebook is available in print and as an ebook, but those media may lose some of the charm and style Black had originally intended for her story. The interface is fun and blood-stained with marks here and there that look as though the count thought the phone might make for a good snack. Die-harders for the original tale may not appreciate Black’s deviations from the original plot, but the main points and sentiment are still there. Recommended for ages 13-15.
    • 5/5
      This book was a great and fun read. I enjoy looking at the different pictures and it is truly a unique read.We meet Jonathon who is from the very beginning a player. I knew there was something off about him that made me dislike him right away. And yes, I was right. He was a low down cheating scumbag!After taking a trip to Romania, one wild night later he woke up with blood on his neck. Not sure what to make of it, he calls his girlfriend Mina, for help. He gets sick and is later hospitalized. Realizing he had no time left, he confesses his antics leaving Mina heartbroken. She sets off to find the source of the disease.I love Mina. Even after everything with her boyfriend and friend, she still tries to search for a cure. She teams up with another man, who later becomes something more. I was glad that she found happiness.The way the whole story was set up, was great. I love the way the story progressed in test messages, e-mails, and so forth. It only took me thirty minutes to read this book, but I enjoyed it.
    • 3/5
      A completely different twist on Dracula, this book is a completely idea and is pulled off in such a creative way you can't help but enjoy it.Jonathan, Mina, Lucy, and Van Helsing all use text and email from their iphones, and use the ipad to research different websites. It's really clever, and I loved looking at Mina's search bar to see what she was looking up and why. It was like a mini-mystery inside the book, and was a lot of fun.If you have read the original, trust me, it is very different. If you think you know how it's going to end, think again. For example: Van Helsing is a cute boy who begins a relationship with Lucy, Renfield is a boy who dated Lucy before and just wants to help with the mystery, and Jonathan and Mina see each other maybe twice the entire book!The Count is never truly there as well, I never really got to know him or the vampires at all. He doesn't even court Mina. But when he is there the creep factor sank in and I loved it.Love the new premise or hate it, this book is a lot of fun. It's creative, very entertaining, and a great one-sitting read. Have a good time with it, I know I did!
    • 3/5
      While a unique idea as it is written through text messages, emails, webpages, etc.) it fell flat. It was too short for me to actually like it, understand the characters, or storyline at all. In the end, I didn't care much of what happened in the story or the characters. It could have been better in my opinion. Although, it was a quick read that you can finish in an hour, or less than that.
    • 3/5
      This book follows a modern day Jonathan, Mina, Lucy, Renfield, and Van Helsing through the difficult times of dealing with a vampire. They stay connected with each other like any other teens in modern days, texting, emailing, and get information through surfing the web to find it. Renfield, Lucy's love, was institutionalized for eating small animals, but Lucy and her BFF Mina take regular trips to visit him there. This is where Lucy finds a new love interest, Abe Van Helsing. Jonathan and Mina are an item too, but Mina is more serious about it and loyal than Jonathan is. Never good when a boyfriend sleeps with your best friend. Jonathan is sent to Romania to interact with the Count and is never the same again. Lucy too is different after bite marks are seen on her neck. Can Mina and Abe get to the bottom of the weirdness before it's too late for their own survival?I will start with this...this is a very interesting book and way to write a book that's for sure. This was a super easy and quick read for me, which is nice sometimes. I found that if I had not known the original Dracula story though, I would have been completely lost in this book. It is a great book to read for a fun little spin off of Dracula, but only, in my opinion, if you have a knowledge of the original Dracula. If you do not, there may seem to be holes in the story and you may be confused by the whole thing. That being said, I (who have knowledge of the original Dracula) thought this to be a fun and light read. I felt it was well written for the format it was supposed to be in and made me see the characters in a more modern way. There was no huge plot per say because of it kind of following Dracula, but it was still worth the read to see the new and modern spin. It also goes more into the relationships of Mina, Jonathan, Lucy, Renfield, and Van Helsing which I found interesting to read. All in all, I found the book to be a good read, but probably not a good stand alone read. I liked the creativeness though of the author and using modern day things to expand on the story of Dracula. Mad me see them as "true teens". Fun read if you are looking for something different and quick/easy to read.3/5 Stars!
    • 3/5
      This story is unveiled little by little via text messages, emails and photos. There are also Ipad web browser spreads to advance the story. This combination leads to a fast-paced story that most of us are unaccustomed to, but it's a fresh modern twist on a vampire story.This story is well thought out. Only certain elements from the Dracula classic is borrowed for iDrakula, which isn't a bad thing. There's lots of room for modern takes on vampirism. Madness due to vampirism is associated with a psychotic disorder, blood loss is associated with a certain type of anemia, there's no cell reception or wifi in a "certain" part of Romania . . . many elements of this story allow the reader to interpret the events realistically and according to our times.It was a very short read, but one may expect it to be so due to its format. It's really one event happening after the other. Because of the pacing and the mediums used, there's no time to flesh out a character; it would be hard to do so via text messages and emails only. It's difficult and even unfair to compare this book with others due to its format. I'm giving it 3 stars mainly because the concept of vampires is overused. Had it been a longer book (even through emails and texts) and had it been about something else, I may have a different opinion.I would recommend reading this story via the iDrakula app over the printed book. After all, it is written in the form of texts, emails, and even voice mails. Reading this story in print means that you miss out on voice mails.

    Book preview

    iDrakula - Bekka Black

    Copyright © 2010 by Bekka Black

    Cover and internal design © 2010 by Sourcebooks, Inc.

    Cover design by The Book Designers

    Cover images © Shutterstock.com

    Internal images © anouchk/iStockphoto.com, bim/iStockphoto.com, Binkski/fotolia.com, hindesy/iStockphoto.com, Lya_Cattel/iStockphoto.com, mcerovac/iStockphoto.com, nuno/iStockphoto.com, seraficus/iStockphoto.com, totalpics/iStockphoto.com, Somatuscani/iStockphoto.com, Tudor Stanica/fotolia.com, John C. Williams

    Sourcebooks and the colophon are registered trademarks of Sourcebooks, Inc.

    All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means including information storage and retrieval systems—except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles or reviews—without permission in writing from its publisher, Sourcebooks, Inc.

    Loneliness reprinted from Selected Poems of Rainer Maria Rilke, translated by Robert Bly, Harper & Row, New York, 1981. Copyright 1981 Robert Bly. Used with his permission.

    Sorrow by Edna St. Vincent Millay. Copyright © 1917, 1945 by Edna St. Vincent Millay. Reprinted with permission of Elizabeth Barnett, the Millay Society.

    The characters and events portrayed in this book are fictitious or are used fictitiously. Any similarity to real persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental and not intended by the author.

    Published by Sourcebooks Fire, an imprint of Sourcebooks, Inc.

    P.O. Box 4410, Naperville, Illinois 60567-4410

    (630) 961-3900

    Fax: (630) 961-2168

    teenfire.sourcebooks.com

    Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication data is on file with the publisher.

    To my son, my husband,

    and my cell phone

    Table of Contents

    Text message from Jonathan Harker to Mina Murray

    Text message from Mina Murray to Lucy Westenra

    Subject: Renfield

    Subject: Your Trip to Bucharest

    Text message from Jonathan Harker to Mina Murray

    Mina’s browser: Map of Romania

    Mina’s browser: Romance in Romania blog

    Text message from Jonathan Harker to Mina Murray

    Text message from Jonathan Harker to Lucy Westenra

    Text message from Jonathan Harker to Mina Murray

    Mina’s browser: Paprika Hendl recipe

    Mina’s browser: Bathory Cathering

    Subject: Renfield slipping in and out

    Mina’s browser: eating small animals alive

    Subject: Re: Renfield slipping in and out

    Text message from Jonathan Harker to Lucy Westenra

    Text message from Mina Murray to Lucy Westenra

    Subject: Phone dead

    Subject: Locked in

    Subject: You ok?

    Mina’s browser: Manhattan Jujitsu Dojo

    Subject: Count back

    Subject: Locked in again

    Subject: Freaking out

    Text message from Mina Murray to Lucy Westenra

    Mina’s browser: Abraham Van Helsing

    Subject: Undelivered mail

    Subject: Undelivered mail

    Subject: Undelivered mail

    Subject: Undelivered mail

    Subject: Undelivered mail

    Subject: I love you

    Subject: Undelivered mail

    Subject: Jonathan’s contact info?

    Subject: Re: Jonathan’s contact info?

    Subject: Call me

    Mina’s browser: Tepes Travel

    Text message from Lucy Westenra to Mina Murray

    Subject: Call me

    Text message from Mina Murray to Lucy Westenra

    Subject: Delicate question

    Subject: Re: Delicate question

    Mina’s browser: Drakipedia - Psychiatric disorders

    Subject: The cavalry is coming

    Text message from Mina Murray to Lucy Westenra

    Subject: Serious stuff

    Mina’s browser: VMed - idiopathic autoimmine hemolytic anemia

    Subject: More serious stuff

    Mina’s browser: VMed - Splenectomy

    Text message from Mina Murray to Lucy Westenra

    Subject: Re: Delicate question

    Subject: Re: Delicate question

    Text message from Jonathan Harker to Mina Murray

    Subject: Lucy just died

    Mina’s browser: Gotham Times Obits

    Mina’s browser: Poetry Speaks - Sorrow

    Subject: A break?

    Subject: Can we meet?

    Subject: Problem with my blood

    Subject: I’m so sorry

    Mina’s browser: Poetry Speaks - Loneliness

    Text message from Mina Murray to Lucy Westenra

    Subject: Re: Can we meet?

    Subject: Re: I’m so sorry

    Subject: Re: I’m so sorry

    Subject: Re: I’m so sorry

    Subject: Re: I’m so sorry

    Text message from Mina Murray to Abe Van Helsing

    Subject: Autopsy attached

    Report of Autopsy

    Subject: Re: I’m so sorry

    Mina’s browser: body snatching

    Mina’s browser: coffin of dirt

    Mina’s browser: Drakipedia - Vampire Weaknesses

    Subject: Re: I’m so sorry

    Text Message from Mina Murray to Abe Van Helsing

    Subject: Re: I’m so sorry

    Subject: Re: I’m so sorry

    Text message from Mina Murray to Jonathan Harker

    Subject: Call me, please

    Text message from Mina Murray to Abe Van Helsing

    Mina’s browser: Port of NY

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