One of John Ajvide Lindqvist’s most popular and commercially successful novels, Let the Right One in, hit the shelves of bookstores in 2004. Lindqvist’s work was no ordinary, stereotypical work. Combining horror with coming-of-age elements, sprinkled with the loss of innocence and bullying, resulted in a unique take on the vampire genre. Through the young eyes of twelve-year-old Oskar, vampires, predators, and bullies run through the town of Blackeberg, robbing and adulterating innocence. Oskar is bullied at school and rejected by his peers. Lonely and alienated, he quickly bonds with the mysterious girl who has moved next door. Their friendship is tested as the story progresses into depravity and a stranger, more dangerous, perverse light. 

Lindqvist expands and enriches the plot, straying from the stereotypical portrayal of vampires by keeping morality ambiguous, with no truly correct and pure answer. Oskar is twelve, innocent, and ignorant of the cruelty that surrounds him. Yet, he often dreams of committing murder and harm to others. Oskar's violent fantasies result from the constant harassment and bullying he has endured, making his tendencies natural and acceptable. It’s undoubtedly certain that his fantasies aren’t morally ethical, yet the blame cannot be placed on Oskar. Oskar’s tendencies are merely a reflection of the corrupted world around him, as he is harassed by other children and abandoned by his father. 

Lindqvist shows not the corruption of innocence, but the true nature of it. Innocence does not disable cruelty; rather, it enables it as poor, naive Oskar is shaped and molded by the malice and hatred of others. This ambiguity is shown further in Eli, a child vampire. Eli, unlike Oskar, is not innocent. He has lived for hundreds of years, and in the process has killed thousands of people. However, his murders are justified as he is killing to survive. While Oskar is an innocent who is shaped by outward cruelty, Eli is morally tainted because he is forced to malice by his circumstances. The line between innocence and corruption is blurred as outside influence overrides the intrinsic nature of the two archetypes.