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abeckstrom's review against another edition
4.0
Closer to 4.5 stars. I laughed even more in this book than I did in A Dirty Job.
maryehavens's review against another edition
1.0
Abandoned about 55% in.
I read "A Dirty Job" not that long ago but I couldn't remember all the details. Moore didn't describe the details either so I have spent most of the book confused about how the soul vessels worked, what people like Charley did, etc. I just couldn't figure it out or remember.
The confusion, the massive amounts of F-bombs, and the large penis stuff just wore me down to where I didn't care at all.
Abandoning for Pygmalion.
I read "A Dirty Job" not that long ago but I couldn't remember all the details. Moore didn't describe the details either so I have spent most of the book confused about how the soul vessels worked, what people like Charley did, etc. I just couldn't figure it out or remember.
The confusion, the massive amounts of F-bombs, and the large penis stuff just wore me down to where I didn't care at all.
Abandoning for Pygmalion.
mxsallybend's review against another edition
3.0
Falling somewhere between offbeat/quirky and silly/juvenile, Secondhand Souls was actually a much more enjoyable read than I anticipated. Clearly I've missed something by diving into the second book of a series, butChristopher Moore recaps previous events well (and often . . . a tad too often), so I don't really feel like I've missed anything.
What you have here is a world where people are 'chosen' to become Grim Reapers - yes, plural Grim Reapers, because it really is too big a job for one person. Charlie was a recipient of theBig Book of the Dead last around, had the recommended kitty calendar, carried around a #2 pencil, and ultimately sacrificed himself to stop a Celtic banshee from destroying San Francisco. Or, at least that's what the world believes. In reality, his Buddist nun girlfriend saved him from that fate, cobbling together a new body out of lunch meat and animal parts - a 14 inch body, with a 10 inch penis. Yup, and we're just getting started. There's also a seven-year-old daughter, who used to be princess of the Underworld, but whose powers have deserted her along with the hellhounds who protected her.
Suffice to say, since his replacement couldn't be bothered to actually collect any of the souls that came so conveniently penciled in on his kitty calendar, it falls to Charlie to save the world. Fortunately, he's not alone - aiding him in this insanity are the aforementioned horny Buddist nun and profanity-charged daughter, along with a tiny crocodile wizard, a gang of Squirrel People, a retired cop, a bridge painter, the weirdly eccentric Emperor of San Francisco, and a Goth girl turned inappropriate suicide hotline counselor . . . whose best line for getting a guy not to jump is to offer him a blowjob.
The plot itself is pretty basic, with your requisite dark powers trying to take over the world, but it's really secondary to the characters and the comedy. To be honest, I think we were halfway through the story before the villain even stepped onto the stage. It's a book that bordered on tedious or repetitive at times, but the frantic swing between satire and slapsitck, not to mention irreverence and (political) incorrectness, keeps you on your toes. Secondhand Soulsis a book that certainly owes a debt to Pratchett and Gaiman, but which seems tailored more for a Hangover or Neighbors generation. Funny, funny stuff, with scenes that will stick with you long after you forget what it was really about.
Originally reviewed at Beauty in Ruins
What you have here is a world where people are 'chosen' to become Grim Reapers - yes, plural Grim Reapers, because it really is too big a job for one person. Charlie was a recipient of theBig Book of the Dead last around, had the recommended kitty calendar, carried around a #2 pencil, and ultimately sacrificed himself to stop a Celtic banshee from destroying San Francisco. Or, at least that's what the world believes. In reality, his Buddist nun girlfriend saved him from that fate, cobbling together a new body out of lunch meat and animal parts - a 14 inch body, with a 10 inch penis. Yup, and we're just getting started. There's also a seven-year-old daughter, who used to be princess of the Underworld, but whose powers have deserted her along with the hellhounds who protected her.
Suffice to say, since his replacement couldn't be bothered to actually collect any of the souls that came so conveniently penciled in on his kitty calendar, it falls to Charlie to save the world. Fortunately, he's not alone - aiding him in this insanity are the aforementioned horny Buddist nun and profanity-charged daughter, along with a tiny crocodile wizard, a gang of Squirrel People, a retired cop, a bridge painter, the weirdly eccentric Emperor of San Francisco, and a Goth girl turned inappropriate suicide hotline counselor . . . whose best line for getting a guy not to jump is to offer him a blowjob.
The plot itself is pretty basic, with your requisite dark powers trying to take over the world, but it's really secondary to the characters and the comedy. To be honest, I think we were halfway through the story before the villain even stepped onto the stage. It's a book that bordered on tedious or repetitive at times, but the frantic swing between satire and slapsitck, not to mention irreverence and (political) incorrectness, keeps you on your toes. Secondhand Soulsis a book that certainly owes a debt to Pratchett and Gaiman, but which seems tailored more for a Hangover or Neighbors generation. Funny, funny stuff, with scenes that will stick with you long after you forget what it was really about.
Originally reviewed at Beauty in Ruins
Disclaimer: I received a complimentary ARC of this title from the publisher in exchange for review consideration. This does not in any way affect the honesty or sincerity of my review.
maureen_fox's review against another edition
3.0
Christopher Moore is one of my favorites. I was hooked after Lamb. This book was fine - not as laugh-out-loud funny as some of the others (with the exception of the ball player's story). I remember having similar thoughts and feelings after reading A Dirty Job the first time, but I enjoyed that one more several years later as I reread it before the sequel. Perhaps the same will happen with this book.
mariesreads's review against another edition
5.0
I really loved this, just as much as I did "A Dirty Job." I enjoyed the arc that the characters took, in particular how much this becomes Minty Fresh's story. I laughed out loud and I was touched by the poignancy.
Really loved it.
Really loved it.
jennie_cole's review against another edition
4.0
Very fast read. Read this 335 page book in less than 24 hours.
It has been almost ten years since I read Dirty Job so remembering the details of what exactly occurred was not easy. However, Christopher Moore did a very good job of recapping the vital information as it was needed over the course of this story. With that said it would be bet to read book one first so you fully understand the story and characters.
I loved finding out that Concepcion Arguella was a real person who had those events happen was nice. It is great when an author can add in a random bit of real history (or even take a small little story that they heard about one time and create an enjoyable story).
I also love that the Emperor and Abby make appearances in this book. With the addition of the Egyptian Gods I guess I will need to read Coyote Blue (didn't know that book was about Upuaut).
It has been almost ten years since I read Dirty Job so remembering the details of what exactly occurred was not easy. However, Christopher Moore did a very good job of recapping the vital information as it was needed over the course of this story. With that said it would be bet to read book one first so you fully understand the story and characters.
I loved finding out that Concepcion Arguella was a real person who had those events happen was nice. It is great when an author can add in a random bit of real history (or even take a small little story that they heard about one time and create an enjoyable story).
I also love that the Emperor and Abby make appearances in this book. With the addition of the Egyptian Gods I guess I will need to read Coyote Blue (didn't know that book was about Upuaut).
mac_ashton's review against another edition
3.0
A Dirty Job is one of my favorite books I've read in recent memory, meaning the bar for Secondhand Souls was impossibly high for the jump. The story picks up right where A Dirty Job left off, and is at its most interesting in the first half. While the book focuses on the same characters, it ends up feeling like some of them lose their depth in favor of leaning more heavily into tropes. It's unfortunate, because I love Charlie Asher so much, but he feels a little short-changed in the sequel. Fortunately, the new characters introduced for the sequels are standouts, with the villain, Lemon being one of my favorites.
The story is fun and intriguing, but ultimately feels handicapped by its conclusion. The book wraps up at a blinding pace with a bit of an anti-climactic showdown and ends up feeling a bit hollow. I would have liked to see a bit more depth in the last third of the book, but overall, the story was still enjoyable.
For fans of A Dirty Job, I'd definitely recommend picking it up. If nothing else, it gives more time with the characters we've come to love and has Moore's trademark humor.
The story is fun and intriguing, but ultimately feels handicapped by its conclusion. The book wraps up at a blinding pace with a bit of an anti-climactic showdown and ends up feeling a bit hollow. I would have liked to see a bit more depth in the last third of the book, but overall, the story was still enjoyable.
For fans of A Dirty Job, I'd definitely recommend picking it up. If nothing else, it gives more time with the characters we've come to love and has Moore's trademark humor.
hischmidtj's review against another edition
3.0
I got this as a First Reads giveaway!
This was my first Christopher Moore book and I feel like I would have appreciated it more if I had read "A Dirty Job" first. It can stand alone, but I felt myself wanting to know what happened previously with Sophie becoming the Big D, the meat people, and a few other characters' beginnings.
Overall, I'd say this kept me entertained. I didn't struggle to get through it but I also wasn't itching to read during all my downtime. The story is unique and quirky. However, especially in the beginning, I felt like it was trying too hard to be funny. It has a really deliberate humor that has to mesh with your style.
There are just a lot of strange things in this book that seem to be thrown in simply to be strange. I like weird, but I like it to be weird with a purpose. Much of this fell flat while still somehow managing to be kind of clever.
This was my first Christopher Moore book and I feel like I would have appreciated it more if I had read "A Dirty Job" first. It can stand alone, but I felt myself wanting to know what happened previously with Sophie becoming the Big D, the meat people, and a few other characters' beginnings.
Overall, I'd say this kept me entertained. I didn't struggle to get through it but I also wasn't itching to read during all my downtime. The story is unique and quirky. However, especially in the beginning, I felt like it was trying too hard to be funny. It has a really deliberate humor that has to mesh with your style.
There are just a lot of strange things in this book that seem to be thrown in simply to be strange. I like weird, but I like it to be weird with a purpose. Much of this fell flat while still somehow managing to be kind of clever.