Reviews

The Sluts by Dennis Cooper

twosunflowers's review

3.5

i have no idea what to think about this book... it sure was gory and very disturbing and it made me feel queasy on a couple occassions even though i'm pretty used to reading/watching gore and fucked up stuff. the narrative started very strongly but then it kinda became more and more vague and convoluted as it went on, which i guess was the whole point, but still it made the story pretty difficult to follow. the fact that there were so many characters and that the only way to tell them apart was by their handles made this book even more confusing. unfortunately, the ending also wasn't very gratifying considering what a pain in the ass it was to even keep up with everything what was going on. still, i definitely see the potential in this story and it was very interesting (and mortifying) to be given insight into the extremely corrupt underworld of hustlers, dark web and sick pedos. i don't think i will ever feel the need to reread this one tho

martyrcore's review

4.0

it’s a great book really but i had a horrible time w it ‘cause it’s too vile & disgusting for me… couldn’t stop reading though

pyreknows's review

challenging dark emotional mysterious sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

junebug333's review

challenging dark emotional mysterious sad medium-paced

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

4.0

Check the trigger warnings before reading. It is a graphic and dark book, pretty descriptive. but everyone has certain limits on what they want to read. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Rape, Terminal illness, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, Stalking, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Mental illness, Injury/Injury detail, Gore, Emotional abuse, Torture, Sexual violence, Toxic relationship, Sexual content, Cursing, Adult/minor relationship, Sexual harassment, Sexual assault, and Drug use

j_yarbrough's review

challenging dark mysterious reflective sad tense fast-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Medical trauma, Pedophilia, Stalking, Abortion, Alcoholism, Body shaming, Addiction, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Trafficking, Vomit, Blood, Death, Hate crime, Incest, Physical abuse, Racism, Rape, Self harm, Torture, Toxic relationship, Drug abuse, Murder, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Sexual assault, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Terminal illness, Child death, Confinement, Gore, Grief, Gun violence, Suicide attempt, Cursing, Gaslighting, Sexual harassment, Chronic illness, Drug use, Homophobia, Kidnapping, Bullying, Adult/minor relationship, Alcohol, Body horror, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Excrement, Medical content, Cancer, Child abuse, Fire/Fire injury, Mental illness, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Pregnancy, Racial slurs, Abandonment, Injury/Injury detail, Sexism, Slavery, and Violence

birdtrailcam's review

4.5

“Brad was just your idea, and I guess you think he’s a great idea. He may be a great idea, but Brad himself is just a kid who got drafted into the job of representing an idea. Now Brad is just a name. You don’t even know who it belongs to anymore.”

tom478's review

dark

• Loveable characters? No

4.0

ginger_curmudgeon's review

dark

• Loveable characters? No

3.75

I’ve read some pretty weird or twisted books. I enjoy them sometimes. “The Sluts” might be the most twisted that I have read, and, yes, I enjoyed it. I couldn’t put it down. I read it in two evenings. 

One of the things that made it a quicker read is the structure. The story opens as a series of online reviews about a male escort. There’s a section that’s a message board on the same website, a section of emails, and then another section of reviews. 

Part of the story is the growing depravity of the men reviewing, discussing and debating the escort and his pimp/handler/co-conspirator. Another part of the story is that you’re not entirely sure what’s real and what isn’t. There’s a conspiracy/con or two at play throughout the novel. 

There’s not a lot of humanity found in these characters. They’re fairly awful people. But, is this all just a reflection of how horrible people can be in real life and/or of how the internet has given people a forum to explore the dark corners of their minds? Either way, Cooper certainly knows how to keep your attention while showing a dark side of life. 

TW: sexual assault, graphic violence, taboo

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Violence, and Sexual content

fizr18's review

5.0

I don’t even have the words to describe how much of a wild ride this book was. I haven’t felt so uncomfortable reading something, but also at the same time I was not able to put it down.

jeffrey_e's review

dark mysterious tense fast-paced

5.0

Vile.