A novel that, in spite of its many flaws, remained enjoyable throughout. The Strain is a perfect example of how the more famous a book's author, the less polish they need to put in for it to get published. There are many odd choices made in the pacing of the story, the prose leaves a great deal to be desired, and the female part is woefully underwritten, the sole female "main" character doing nothing but feeling either horrified or saddened and remaining almost helpless for the entire time she is present.

Still, the book strikes an intriguing mix of an "epidemiological procedural" driven by modern science technology and a novel based on old-school vampire lore, and the authors never lose sight of the idea that vampires were meant to be terrifying rather than sparkly. The novel follows in the thematic footsteps of 'I Am Legend,' and manages to stand out both in a subgenre recovering from its sparkly phase and among a general market that has become saturated with zombie apocalypses.

While this novel is far from perfect, it's worth a read if you're into either old-school vampires or high-tech supernatural thrillers. An interesting story is slowed but not scuttled by the shortcomings of its execution, and I'm confident that the upcoming television adaptation of this book series will be even better than this source material, since film is Guillermo del Toro's native medium.