Reviews

The Sluts by Dennis Cooper

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kodameansfriend's review against another edition

dark funny mysterious tense fast-paced

4.5

5 Star journey / 4 Star ending

It's hard not to give this a full 5 stars, anyway, since I just could. Not. Put. This. Down. It's filled with horrible, grotesque, and depraved content--but I could not put it down. The subject matter is pornographic and violent, to say the least--so not for everyone, and you might ask why I read the whole thing, or am giving it a high rating, but I could. Not. Put. This. Down, and that's mainly why. I can't see myself forgetting this saga, either, like I can so easily with most books, being that I'm getting older and read so many.

This book managed to make me feel like a teen, surfing around and reading in chatrooms I had no business being in, in the early days of the internet, when chat forums and message boards ruled. The execution of that 90s-internet feel in this book is flawless, and the messages and reviews you read through to get the story in this book are nothing if not a train wreck that you can't look away from. I wanted to know what exactly was going on--I wanted to know what was lies and what wasn't, who was who they said they were, and who was not. I wanted to know how the saga would end, and from a safe spectators-view. I wanted all these things, and yet I worried I needed to delete the book's web history as I continued to read. For that, I think it deserves 5 stars.

I will say that the end lacked a "punch" that I expected for no reason other than that's what I wanted. I'm giving this a solid 4.5 and I'll be checking out more of Dennis Cooper's novels.

deathtoastmarket93's review against another edition

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dark fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

Wow, honestly what a format, what a story. What a ride! Truly have not felt this riveted in a long time. Its felt like falling down a reddit thread hole. You know? Like that guy who did heroine and documented it on reddit. I read this in a single day I honestly love it.

Its very very dark and messed up but its so fantastic.

Content Warnings

brokenlyrium's review against another edition

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dark tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

This book is not for the faint of heart. I went into it looking for something gross, upsetting, something that I knew would leave a bad taste in my mouth when I finished it. This certainly served that purpose. Absolutely check any trigger/content warnings before reading.

Content Warnings