Scan barcode
sophiadorothyy's review against another edition
dark
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
4.0
minyardyke's review against another edition
3.0
do you ever fantasize about getting murdered while having sex? me neither, bro, that just ain't my thing. anyways, gotta admit I've been lurking on the dennis cooper tag on tumblr for almost a year, without reading anything from him. why? I don't know. I just knew that it would have been a really "hard and weird" read. So I've put it off for awhile. Last night I decided I was in the mood for it and I decided to just, read it. The summary described it exactly as something that I wanted to read. So, I did. I guess it wasn't what I was looking for, I give it three stars cause it's more like 2.5 and I loved the cover, I guess it has the coolest cover I have ever seen so yeah, and the ending was cool as fuck, I guess it was an interesting twist and it left me wondering if there was anything real at all. however, I decide to believe the last email, just cause the tortures were too horrible. the thing is, the story is disgusting, that's true, but it's disgusting cause it's dehumanizing . the two guys, B and T are both victims. they are drug addicts, mentally ill, traumatized kids. they are exploited by perverts who get off torturing and abusing teens who should receive care and help.
I know, people might say that it's fictional, and I shouldn't feel as disgusted as I do, but I can't help it, cause despite what they tell you the sex industry is like that, and that's why no sex work can be ethical, especially when it comes to people who have unmedicated mental illnesses. I could go full rant on this but I won't. I gave it three stars also because it did what I was looking for, it disgusted me. so, goal reached. it's not a book for anyone, so read at your own risk. it's graphic, violent and gory. probably would have liked it more when I was a teen. teen me was surviving on TC and horror movies.
I know, people might say that it's fictional, and I shouldn't feel as disgusted as I do, but I can't help it, cause despite what they tell you the sex industry is like that, and that's why no sex work can be ethical, especially when it comes to people who have unmedicated mental illnesses. I could go full rant on this but I won't. I gave it three stars also because it did what I was looking for, it disgusted me. so, goal reached. it's not a book for anyone, so read at your own risk. it's graphic, violent and gory. probably would have liked it more when I was a teen. teen me was surviving on TC and horror movies.
12546darcy7890's review against another edition
5.0
very fucked up and made me feel very queasy and anxious, definitely not for everyone. but very entertaining and well written and kinda funny in a very dark way, reminded me a lot of the docuseries don't fuck with cats.
jemmers's review against another edition
Too many characters and a convoluted storyline. I thought it was cool at first trying to piece this, albeit fucked up, mystery together from escort reviews and discussion board posts. But there are WAY too many characters to keep track of. My brain felt like that Pepe Silvia meme. The mental work to figure out who snuffed who, if any snuffing actually occurred at all, is not worth it, imo. Like I just don’t care enough.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Murder, Physical abuse, Fire/Fire injury, Pedophilia, Stalking, Torture, Violence, Blood, Gore, Toxic relationship, Vomit, Alcohol, Child abuse, Injury/Injury detail, Rape, Sexual content, Drug abuse, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Sexual assault, Adult/minor relationship, Death, Kidnapping, Terminal illness, Trafficking, Addiction, Suicidal thoughts, Drug use, Sexual violence, Mental illness, and Pregnancy
sanem's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
fast-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
3.5
magenta_menace's review against another edition
4.0
the white whale of unreliable narrators. absolutely bonkers and the format helps push it forward. grotesque, nihilistic, and packed with suspense.
professional_malefail's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-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
4.25
futurama1979's review against another edition
5.0
i feel i have nothing of meaning to say that hasn't been said better by the text or by Cooper elsewhere. this book stunned me like everything i've read by him. his understanding of and relationship with structure is incredible to see. the way he structured this one was so incredibly suited to both his content and storytelling strengths. each of those three aspects seamlessly bolstered each other to produce a fucking insanely crafted narrative. it felt really balanced for a Cooper novel, in perspective, in voice, there was quite literally a moderator of the book's discussion who would help tie things together or weigh truths and compare. by some insanely good trick of craft this levelling actually upped the tension. now every truth and lie is on equal footing, now your closest-to-word-of-god figure is guessing at the same information you are. it's a cyclical book, starting when Brad was actually in southern California with the real 'Brian' and ending with them both actually having given up and moved on and in Brad's case survived the book, and a new Brad and Brian doing it over one or several steps further removed from reality.
to me there was a real element of metatextual commentary on the George Miles cycle in the themes of the Sluts that made it both heavier and more heartfelt. Cooper's ability to dissect and reconstruct his own psyche leading to moral arguments played out over message boards on escort sites, in conflicting reviews; more strongly than in any books in the actual cycle besides maybe [b:Try|51594|Try|Dennis Cooper|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1328185126l/51594._SX50_.jpg|841648], there is a clear devil's advocate moral voice in the midst of violent fantasy: this is wrong, and i want to save that boy. there is also the closure element, the fact that 'Brian' successfully let Brad go. in the context of George Miles, this passage in Brian's last post stands out: Of course I knew Brad, and you didn't. 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. i guess reading this book gave me closure on the cycle in a way too.
the last thing i wanted to say is the portrayal of Brad's bipolar shit rang so brutally true at least in my personal experience. Cooper has a solid understanding of it and doesn't pussy around writing it.
to me there was a real element of metatextual commentary on the George Miles cycle in the themes of the Sluts that made it both heavier and more heartfelt. Cooper's ability to dissect and reconstruct his own psyche leading to moral arguments played out over message boards on escort sites, in conflicting reviews; more strongly than in any books in the actual cycle besides maybe [b:Try|51594|Try|Dennis Cooper|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1328185126l/51594._SX50_.jpg|841648], there is a clear devil's advocate moral voice in the midst of violent fantasy: this is wrong, and i want to save that boy. there is also the closure element, the fact that 'Brian' successfully let Brad go. in the context of George Miles, this passage in Brian's last post stands out: Of course I knew Brad, and you didn't. 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. i guess reading this book gave me closure on the cycle in a way too.
the last thing i wanted to say is the portrayal of Brad's bipolar shit rang so brutally true at least in my personal experience. Cooper has a solid understanding of it and doesn't pussy around writing it.