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strawbeehouse's review against another edition
challenging
dark
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Oh my god. Im normal. Im very normal
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual assault, Incest, Adult/minor relationship, and Rape
kittykitcat's review against another edition
5.0
There’s not much, I feel, that I can say about this book that hasn’t been said already. However, I want to express how much I loved it from beginning to end, because there aren’t many books that wear goth culture in its sleeve like this (or maybe I just suck at finding them).
The characters, in my opinion, are this book’s strongest feature. It’s easy to root for Nothing, especially if you’ve ever felt like the world’s just not made for you, but I also found Steve and Ghost’s bromance quite endearing (even if Steve is a total asshole). A part of me wishes I’d have found this during my angsty teen years, but at the same time, reading it now allows me to have a broader appreciation of it other than being able to go, “Look at me, my vampires don’t shine, they are edgy, incestuous gothlings.”
Anyway… does anybody know if this is in the same universe as Exquisite Corpse? I’m genuinely curious about whether little Nothing was out there in New Orleans with his horn-dog besties, while Andrew and Jay were… well, you know.
The characters, in my opinion, are this book’s strongest feature. It’s easy to root for Nothing, especially if you’ve ever felt like the world’s just not made for you, but I also found Steve and Ghost’s bromance quite endearing (even if Steve is a total asshole). A part of me wishes I’d have found this during my angsty teen years, but at the same time, reading it now allows me to have a broader appreciation of it other than being able to go, “Look at me, my vampires don’t shine, they are edgy, incestuous gothlings.”
Anyway… does anybody know if this is in the same universe as Exquisite Corpse? I’m genuinely curious about whether little Nothing was out there in New Orleans with his horn-dog besties, while Andrew and Jay were… well, you know.
reaperreads's review against another edition
challenging
dark
hopeful
mysterious
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Drug use, Cannibalism, Abortion, Self harm, Gore, Drug abuse, Sexual violence, Child abuse, Alcoholism, Blood, Rape, Homophobia, Death, Sexual assault, Violence, Toxic relationship, Pedophilia, Murder, Domestic abuse, Alcohol, Abandonment, Gaslighting, Adult/minor relationship, Stalking, Emotional abuse, Cursing, Mental illness, Incest, Body horror, and Cancer
thomasgammon's review against another edition
dark
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.25
I enjoyed how the novel immersed and surrounded you in the 90's alt scene and I enjoyed the book most when it was this dark, edgy hitchhiking story about a very lost boy at the lost characters he ran into. Unfortunately the story reached its emotional and thematic conclusions around half way through and it felt like it then just stagnated there. For a book that's more sensory, meditative and introspective, when there is almost no plot apart repeated scenes that would be described with the more unsavoury content warnings, finding your emotional and character conclusions very early on leaves very little to draw you through the rest of the novel. That being said, the composition of the novel itself seems to speak to a bleak cynicism, self-certainty and sense of defeated inevitability felt by those in the novel and people that engaged in the emo/alt-scene and is incredibly effective at capture the atmosphere of that time.
dirigitive's review against another edition
dark
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? N/A
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Incest, Pedophilia, Death of parent, Blood, Toxic relationship, and Rape
Moderate: Drug use and Pregnancy
Minor: Vomit
7seventythree3's review against another edition
3.0
I read this when I was 19. I remember liking it at the time, but I doubt I would like it today. I just don't find a lot of interest in this genre anymore. Things I remember about the book: vampires, a van (a tour van?),someone named "nothing", Kudzu, teen angst.
isyrein's review against another edition
dark
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
4.75
z0diackiller's review against another edition
5.0
“Nothing gazed around at the kids in the club. They were all so beautiful. He loved their choppy hairstyles, their costume jewelry, their ragged black or multicolored clothes. He loved the way they all somehow looked like him, and he wished he could make friends with every one of them.”
Another -WILD- ride from Poppy Z... and I loved every minute of it. Written with the same seductive flow as Exquisite Corpse, the reader follows quite a few lost souls as they make their way to New Orleans all for very different reasons.
When I started this book, I honestly didn't know what to expect. Drugged club kid vampires? A violent, graphic oversexed horror? Capes and blood-drinking? Thankfully, it was a pleasant surprise. Yes, cliché goth tokens are mentioned quite frequently, but, hey, Robert Smith is pretty great ;)
I signed up for dark obsessions, gore, and rape, and I got it. Not as much as Exquisite Corpse, but Lost Souls had extra angst.
What I really got and loved most about this book was the "doing drugs at 2 a.m. energy," self-destruction, and the search for belonging. Not only do you get nostalgic for your teen years (I took my share of 3 a.m. bus rides through the city) but mostly I felt the yearning for a community. I don't feel like I really found my own community until my adult years, but I did eventually. And I'm thrilled Nothing found his place with his family.
Another -WILD- ride from Poppy Z... and I loved every minute of it. Written with the same seductive flow as Exquisite Corpse, the reader follows quite a few lost souls as they make their way to New Orleans all for very different reasons.
When I started this book, I honestly didn't know what to expect. Drugged club kid vampires? A violent, graphic oversexed horror? Capes and blood-drinking? Thankfully, it was a pleasant surprise. Yes, cliché goth tokens are mentioned quite frequently, but, hey, Robert Smith is pretty great ;)
I signed up for dark obsessions, gore, and rape, and I got it. Not as much as Exquisite Corpse, but Lost Souls had extra angst.
What I really got and loved most about this book was the "doing drugs at 2 a.m. energy," self-destruction, and the search for belonging. Not only do you get nostalgic for your teen years (I took my share of 3 a.m. bus rides through the city) but mostly I felt the yearning for a community. I don't feel like I really found my own community until my adult years, but I did eventually. And I'm thrilled Nothing found his place with his family.
sigynmoon's review against another edition
dark
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual violence, Sexual assault, Pedophilia, Rape, Pregnancy, Incest, and Violence
Moderate: Misogyny and Ableism
ninevehthecat's review against another edition
4.0
This book was grimy, gay, and goth as hell—and I loved it. My only qualm is that some of the content is a little…questionable…in my opinion. But other than that, so good! PZB’s writing and use of language is so gorgeously grotesque and addicting.