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jarneko 's review for:
Bury Your Gays
by Chuck Tingle
dark
hopeful
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
This is the first book I've read by Chuck Tingle, and it did not disappoint. Most of Tingle's previous works are short gay eroticas that are satirical, absurd, and memetic in nature, but this book takes a much darker and serious tone.
While it still features queer characters, Bury Your Gays stars a partially closeted Hollywood screenwriter Misha Byrne as he encounters shockingly realistic horrors of his own design out to eliminate him. Misha has to work with his boyfriend Zeke and tech savvy coworker/friend Tara to investigate and thwart these seemingly supernatural threats before they turn them into real life examples of the "bury your gays" trope. 😱
I liked the pacing of the book. In between all of the main story action, Tingle has sporadic chapters that delve into Misha's childhood and the inspirations behind the horror monsters that he created as an adult. There are also a few chapters that are written in the style of a screenplay, which ties back into the story in a very fascinating and clever way. I generally liked the main characters; their interactions and reactions to story events felt grounded and captivating. I cared about what was going to happen to them. Although I would have preferred if the boyfriend Zeke was a little bit more developed and complex, so I'm taking half a star off for that reason.
Tingle masterfully sprinkles in commentary on topics like the commodification of queer culture and their stereotypically negative portrayals and storylines in media (calling back to the name of the book). I was incredibly satisfied by the writing style and plot. Most of the book was rising action, full of tension, which is perfect for this genre particularly.
One of my favorite quotes is actually the last few sentences of the book. I'll spoiler it just in case people want to wait to read it for themselves, but there are no story or plotline reveals here:
While it still features queer characters, Bury Your Gays stars a partially closeted Hollywood screenwriter Misha Byrne as he encounters shockingly realistic horrors of his own design out to eliminate him. Misha has to work with his boyfriend Zeke and tech savvy coworker/friend Tara to investigate and thwart these seemingly supernatural threats before they turn them into real life examples of the "bury your gays" trope. 😱
I liked the pacing of the book. In between all of the main story action, Tingle has sporadic chapters that delve into Misha's childhood and the inspirations behind the horror monsters that he created as an adult. There are also a few chapters that are written in the style of a screenplay, which ties back into the story in a very fascinating and clever way. I generally liked the main characters; their interactions and reactions to story events felt grounded and captivating. I cared about what was going to happen to them. Although I would have preferred if the boyfriend Zeke was a little bit more developed and complex, so I'm taking half a star off for that reason.
Tingle masterfully sprinkles in commentary on topics like the commodification of queer culture and their stereotypically negative portrayals and storylines in media (calling back to the name of the book). I was incredibly satisfied by the writing style and plot. Most of the book was rising action, full of tension, which is perfect for this genre particularly.
One of my favorite quotes is actually the last few sentences of the book. I'll spoiler it just in case people want to wait to read it for themselves, but there are no story or plotline reveals here:
On a long enough timeline, endings are inevitable.
Tragedy is inevitable.
Fortunately, so is joy.
Bury Your Gays is modern queer horror at its finest. I would recommend it to any horror lover.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Death, Gore, Violence, Blood, Murder
Moderate: Child abuse, Homophobia, Self harm, Alcohol
Minor: Car accident, Death of parent, Outing