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ghostlydreamer's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
This is a book thar's been on my radar for a couple years now, really ever since I read the graphic novel adaptations of the Millennium trilogy and saw this advertised on the back of every issue. First, it was the cover that intrigued me. I mean, this girl, whoever she was, looks like a badass. I immediately wanted to know who she was. The art style looked really cool too, and I loved the colors and the imagery used. And then I looked up the premise and thought, "Well this sounds interesting." A bit different from the other things I've read, with some punk rockers that might be right up my alley. But for whatever reason, I never got the book. Until now.
Unfortunately, even with mild expectations, this one fell just a little bit too flat for me.
• So I really liked Roxy as a character. Not just in terms of appearance either. She was unapologetic about who she is, and she's got the backs of the other girls she works with. We get a hint that there's a lot more to her story, especially regarding her ex-boyfriend Nick and some other girl. The problem is...I feel like we barely spent any time with her. Certainly not enough to get the best feel for who she is. That, I think, was the biggest letdown of this book. There were just so many characters, and I feel like we didn't spend enough time with the ones who mattered, or the ones who we expected to spend the most time with, for that matter.
• Along those same lines, there was a lot happening in this book. Almost...too much. It had a lot of really great things going for it in terms of plot and character development, but we spent too little time in almost every area that the story, while solid in premise, just felt a little too short and choppy, like we cpuld have used a little bit more to help flesh it out. Some things just happened so abruptly.
• The ending felt a little rushed, and while it still managed to get me to feel something (mostly the "oh no...that's tragic" sort of feeling), I think if we'd spent a little more time with the characters, I would have felt a little more. I believe there was more meaning meant to be attached to these tragic events and character deaths, but I had a hard time spotting it because of how rushed some things felt.
• I really liked the art style though. Despite my criticism, the art style was vibrant and really brought things to life. And that helped bring the scenery to life too. 1980s New York is a fascinating time period, the kind of era that can't be replicated today. I love that the locations was based off the author's own memories of these places and her experiences. The location certainly helped me enjoy this story a lot more.
• And finally, this story had a positive representation of sex workers. While it also showed the sad realities of the lives of some sex workers, it didn't try to shame those girls, and showed that many of these girls were just trying to get by and live their life like anyone else, and this just happened to be their profession. It didn't aim to be exploitative or crass either. So I did really like that aspect.
Overall, this story had the right bones. It was just lacking the meat that could have taken this story from middle of the road or just okay to excellent.
dangermom's review against another edition
4.0
Set in the 80s this crime drama is hard hitting and quick moving. In fact it is at times difficult to follow all the connections but once you catch up it sucker punches you as you realize the interconnectedness of New Yorks underground. By the end you're reeling for justice and wondering who can be called "the good one". 4 stars because of the rushed pacing, even with short glimpses into smaller character' pasts I still felt that this story needed to simmer a bit longer with its fantastic cast.
boner4books's review
5.0
Five star read, well done but very graphic language, violence and sexual assault! Worth the read if you aren’t bothered by that kind of stuff!
romcm's review against another edition
4.0
Super strong story that neatly resolves. Brilliant evocation of the 1980s.
rorycb's review against another edition
3.0
An ambitious story, with multiple character threads that doesn't quite hold everything together for the rushed finale, after a promising start. Could a 6 issue helped give some breathing space for a few of these plotlines? I am intrigued enough to want read some of Christa Faust's novels though.
billd's review against another edition
challenging
dark
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
3.0
Peepland is a graphic novel from the Hard Case Crime publishing company, this story written by Christa Faust. It portrays a gritty New York, before it was gentrified, with nudity, violence, bad cops, all the good things. There are references to the Central Park Five story in this one, although with different outcomes. There are also crooked politicians willing to do anything to help their career advance.
Roxy Bell works in a peep show posing for men willing to pay. Dirty Dan who makes a living filming women in the nude and doing commercials, runs into her booth and hides a video tape in the lining of the chair that the customers use. He is killed later on, falling in front of a subway train. Roxy takes the tape and watches it with a friend. It shows a murder of a young woman and also the murderer's face.
On the murder front, the police arrest a group of black teenagers. The henchmen of the father of the murderer hunt for the tape. Roxy and her boyfriend, a punk rocker, try to find out how to get the tape to the police in order to save the boys, one of whom is the sun of Roxy's best friend, another employee of the peep show.
So there is your story... oh, are the cops working the case honest? Oh yes, don't forget the attempted blackmail.
It's an action-packed story, a real page turner. Roxy and Nick are also trying to stay alive, one step ahead of the goons. Well drawn (although I did find some of the characters looked a bit like others, so a tad confusing at times). But entertaining and interesting. (3.0 stars)
Roxy Bell works in a peep show posing for men willing to pay. Dirty Dan who makes a living filming women in the nude and doing commercials, runs into her booth and hides a video tape in the lining of the chair that the customers use. He is killed later on, falling in front of a subway train. Roxy takes the tape and watches it with a friend. It shows a murder of a young woman and also the murderer's face.
On the murder front, the police arrest a group of black teenagers. The henchmen of the father of the murderer hunt for the tape. Roxy and her boyfriend, a punk rocker, try to find out how to get the tape to the police in order to save the boys, one of whom is the sun of Roxy's best friend, another employee of the peep show.
So there is your story... oh, are the cops working the case honest? Oh yes, don't forget the attempted blackmail.
It's an action-packed story, a real page turner. Roxy and Nick are also trying to stay alive, one step ahead of the goons. Well drawn (although I did find some of the characters looked a bit like others, so a tad confusing at times). But entertaining and interesting. (3.0 stars)
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content and Gun violence
lilythpad's review against another edition
dark
emotional
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.0
Wish other reviews bothered leaving content warnings.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexism, Rape, Xenophobia, Racial slurs, Racism, Police brutality, Sexual assault, Misogyny, and Homophobia
jakewritesbooks's review against another edition
4.0
Whoo, baby, this one messed me up and bodied me at the end. I know from reading other Christa Faust works that she’s not sentimental but still...damn.
So without spoiling, I’ll say this is a well-told crime tale that pulls together disparate elements of 80s NYC into a cohesive story (including Trump and the Central Park 5). The characters feel authentic, no doubt lending to Faust’s experience as a Times Square peep show worker. The art captures the grime of that era NY. I couldn’t read the pages fast enough and hope to reread it some day.
So without spoiling, I’ll say this is a well-told crime tale that pulls together disparate elements of 80s NYC into a cohesive story (including Trump and the Central Park 5). The characters feel authentic, no doubt lending to Faust’s experience as a Times Square peep show worker. The art captures the grime of that era NY. I couldn’t read the pages fast enough and hope to reread it some day.
gothamgal's review against another edition
4.0
This is a dark and yet amazing story and it fits surprisingly well into today's themes. It was a bit empowering and made me want to learn more about ways to educate myself and learn about how to help people within these situations.