Review by bookedeveryweekend - Let's Go Play at the Adams'

bookedeveryweekend 's review for:

Let's Go Play at the Adams' by Mendal W. Johnson

3.75

challenging dark emotional 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

as soon as I saw that this book was pulled from publication back in the 70's, i knew i had to read it. i can't resist a "this is the worst ever, don't even think about touching it" kind of endorsement. i've read much more graphic and disgusting horror novels (we know people back then used to be a lot more delicate) but the existentialism is really where this book shines best. you already know how it's going to end, but something keeps you hoping it will be better.

where i ended up knocking off a few points was the author's inserted self-views of rape and its victims. he refers to it more as just an uncomfortable experience, a "vaginal hurt" that could have been attributed to a character's personal beliefs were it not written in third person omniscient. again, knowing johnson was a product of his time, but it pulled me completely from the story.

Content Warnings