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4.06 AVERAGE
4.06 AVERAGE
dark
funny
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I have a low tolerance for violence and horror for the most part, and I'm still astonished by how completely absorbed ai was in this book. I want to reread it to go even deeper.
adventurous
challenging
dark
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
This book is incredibly well written. the voice of the main character is consistently odd and makes the story really unique and vivid. It's ridiculously dark yet also somehow very lighthearted and nostalgic-y?? It took me a ridiculously long time to read because every time I set it down I'd pace around my apartment for hours re-living every scene I had just read in my head (many of which were very uncomfortable). I saw the end coming from a mile away and it still hit me HARD.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse, Gore, Mental illness, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Blood, Suicide attempt, Murder
Moderate: Self harm, Sexual assault
A re-read 6 years later and still so good. I love Lynda Barry.
I've enjoyed Lynda Barry's comics before, but this is the first of her prose that I've read and wow, it was not what I was expecting.
Cruddy is half a LSD-fueled buddy drug trip, as Roberta "Hillbilly Woman," bounces around her cruddy town, interacting with its sad, dangerous inhabitants. The other half is a disturbing, homicidal father-daughter road trip.
Somehow, given the plot's dark twists and the brutality of the subject matter, Barry manages to infuse humor into the narrative. I've never read a woman writer exploring such grotesque, dark themes before, and I appreciate the voice Barry brings to her protagonist. I love the exploration of Roberta's different names, all bestowed on her by various members of the dark cast of characters: a strung-out hippie, her aggressive new friend, the father who forced her to masquerade as a mute, mentally handicapped boy.
Despite all of the gruesome plot turns and severe violence, Barry's prose shines in the book's quieter moments. Her depiction of post-adolescent self-harm and self-loathing are especially poignant.
Cruddy is half a LSD-fueled buddy drug trip, as Roberta "Hillbilly Woman," bounces around her cruddy town, interacting with its sad, dangerous inhabitants. The other half is a disturbing, homicidal father-daughter road trip.
Somehow, given the plot's dark twists and the brutality of the subject matter, Barry manages to infuse humor into the narrative. I've never read a woman writer exploring such grotesque, dark themes before, and I appreciate the voice Barry brings to her protagonist. I love the exploration of Roberta's different names, all bestowed on her by various members of the dark cast of characters: a strung-out hippie, her aggressive new friend, the father who forced her to masquerade as a mute, mentally handicapped boy.
Despite all of the gruesome plot turns and severe violence, Barry's prose shines in the book's quieter moments. Her depiction of post-adolescent self-harm and self-loathing are especially poignant.
I've read this book before and I remembered it being good--but it is great. Roberta's voice is so distinct and unique; funny, poetic and raw. This is the sort of book you live inside, the sort of book that becomes a part of you. Even in a rereading, it caught me off guard. Cruddy should absolutely be listed in the contemporary canon. It's a shame this novel hasn't gotten all the attention it deserves.
adventurous
dark
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
This novel is amazing! It's super American: sentimental and grungy as a Tom Waits ballad, violent and bleak as a Jim Thompson noir, monstruous as a black and white fringy Hollywood '50s horror/sci fi epic, and as particular and atmospheric as a David Lynch film. Maybe we could talk the great director into filming this perfect, teenage gem before he retires. I really loved just about everything about it. I only wish I could see the illustrations in color.
this was one of the most disturbing books I have ever read. I picked it up randomly at a thrift store and was hesitant at first because it looked to me like it was your average, (albeit strange), YA book but it definitely wasn't what I expected! I actually hid it in my book shelf after reading it to prevent myself from obsessing over it's morbidness and at times depressing scenes (especially the last few chapters). If I could I would give this book 3.88/5 stars because it's not really my cup of tea. However, it's very unique and well-written in its own way, and I definitely recommend this to anyone that enjoys disturbing fiction and won't mind feeling creeped out for days after finishing it!