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luisterpaul's review
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
destdest's review
dark
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
1.5
I don’t even know what this was, man. John reconnects with his childhood friend Naomi and relives his nightmares from before. On some level, he feels he’s the same type of dirt Naomi’s older brother Chris was. Naomi has gone through obvious trauma at the hands of a horrid brother and abusive father, so she’s very blunt, insecure, and self-destructive. I try to read for enjoyment, but this story drained me.
Listen, book I DON’T CARE about all the things and women who make John horny. There was nothing I liked about this book. Well, maybe the art style because it was cartoony.
nothingbutthedreams's review
3.0
This is essentially a story about how childhood trauma and lack of communication affects relationships so it isn't particularly light reading. The art style's interesting and it made me think though so I'm glad I read it.
otterno11's review
3.0
An eerie, disturbing, and complex tale of self deception, toxic relationships, and personal horror, Hair Shirt definitely leaves the reader unsettled, reflecting upon the unspoken fears and dark desires of the underbelly of attraction.
After the sensitive, artistic “nice guy” John, our narrator, bumps into his old neighbor and high school flame, Naomi, at a show ten or so years after they drifted apart, the pair are eager to rekindle their friendship (and romance). However, from the very beginning their relationship is fraught, as John dredges up memories of Naomi’s dead brother, Chris, another childhood friend, and the cruel humiliations and abuse he put both of them through. Naomi herself transforms these memories into a cruel, misogynistic streak that puts John on edge, but at the same time he ignores his own cringing, objectifying, voyeuristic tendencies and jealousies, leading him to remain an unreliable narrator.
As John reflects more and more on his and Naomi’s past, his guilt, fears, and baggage spiral into a twisted and surreal dream world which interacts and bleeds into “reality” in a way that highlights his mental unease, manifesting as mazes of ruined buildings, a foul mass of hair John is knitting together, and slobbering dogs with the mocking face of Chris egging John on to more cruel acts. There is a lot of creeping darkness and menace looming just out of sight, and McKeown’s art fits this style well with lots of moody, scratchy drawings and evocative urban landscapes.
The deep misogyny and self destructive tendencies both John and Naomi exhibit, often unexamined, drag one of Naomi’s friends, Shaz, down with them, leading her into several horrible and degrading situations, and leading to no clear cut conclusion. Because of this, it can be difficult to parse what exactly is happening and what the message is, but McKeown’s art really works up an evocative atmosphere.
After the sensitive, artistic “nice guy” John, our narrator, bumps into his old neighbor and high school flame, Naomi, at a show ten or so years after they drifted apart, the pair are eager to rekindle their friendship (and romance). However, from the very beginning their relationship is fraught, as John dredges up memories of Naomi’s dead brother, Chris, another childhood friend, and the cruel humiliations and abuse he put both of them through. Naomi herself transforms these memories into a cruel, misogynistic streak that puts John on edge, but at the same time he ignores his own cringing, objectifying, voyeuristic tendencies and jealousies, leading him to remain an unreliable narrator.
As John reflects more and more on his and Naomi’s past, his guilt, fears, and baggage spiral into a twisted and surreal dream world which interacts and bleeds into “reality” in a way that highlights his mental unease, manifesting as mazes of ruined buildings, a foul mass of hair John is knitting together, and slobbering dogs with the mocking face of Chris egging John on to more cruel acts. There is a lot of creeping darkness and menace looming just out of sight, and McKeown’s art fits this style well with lots of moody, scratchy drawings and evocative urban landscapes.
The deep misogyny and self destructive tendencies both John and Naomi exhibit, often unexamined, drag one of Naomi’s friends, Shaz, down with them, leading her into several horrible and degrading situations, and leading to no clear cut conclusion. Because of this, it can be difficult to parse what exactly is happening and what the message is, but McKeown’s art really works up an evocative atmosphere.
tarae's review
1.0
Picked this up from the library because I was captivated by the cover and the art throughout the book. I was captivated by the dream sequences as well, but not much else. I knew after 10 pages that I wasn't going to be interested in the story and would probably hate it, but I kept reading any way, because I just do these things to myself. So I read 100-something more pages about some straight boy's girl problems, his weird guilt about being a fucking creep, his totally unaware self-absorption, his jealously and paranoia, and his eye-roll inducing pseudo feminism. Which conveniently hinges on the contrast of him against Naomi as a manipulative, misogynist character; there's something really gross about a male comic who writes a shitty female character who encourages her boyfriend to rape or assault her friend (because she's insecure and jealous? because she had a fucked up childhood and abusive older brother? because she's engaging in some serious self-sabotage? it's not clear, who knows?) so the male protagonist can be appalled and respond with, more-or-less: "Yeah I like big tits but that doesn't make me a rapist!" I think I was supposed to like this guy?? I can't even tell. The only character I liked was Shaz, but she only existed to add even more conflict to John and Naomi's relationship. Gross, boring, alienating, and really just a mess. Everything to hate about a male-dominated comic world wrapped up in a short beautifully drawn and colored novel.
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