Dragula

Dragula by Ma’am Stoker, Can be read in an hour or two, Adult Fiction

“Although the moonlight was behind the women, they threw no shadow. They were, however, capable of throwing plenty of shade.” p. 28

Y’all. Do you like camp? Do wish you could read more camp in books? Then, honey, do I have a book for you! I present: Dragula (said in my most Dracula voice possible, which probably sounds closer to Count Von Count than anything).

I picked this book for the drag prompt in the Queer Your Year reading challenge I’m doing and, honestly, I had no idea what I was getting into. What I got was an absolutely hilarious, SHORT (a whopping 112 pages!), campy, dragified version of Dracula. And it is honestly one of the best books I’ve ever read.

At the start, we meet Jonathan Harker as he travels to the House of Dragula to offer his home renovation skills. Or at least, that’s what the thinks he’s going to offer. Unbeknownst to him, he is walking right into a decades (centuries?) old drag queen battle. What comes next is a story of intrigue, old rivalries, and amazing choreography.

I laughed. I chortled. I snorted. I also, honestly, really started rooting for certain characters, which is kind of amazing that I got attached considering how short it is.

If you’re in the need for a pun filled, short, good time of a book, this is for you. If you like non-stop camp (and I really do mean non-stop; if you aren’t in to camp it’ll feel redundant/reductive), this is for you. If you need a tiny spark of joy, this book is for you.