A review by isaiahh
Drawing Blood by Poppy Z. Brite

dark 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? It's complicated

4.75

"[…] this house had tasted blood before, had tasted it again today. / He thought it might be getting a taste for the stuff."

Drawing Blood can be resumed in three words: blood, drugs and sex. Despite this, it's also a romance!

Our two main characters are deeply traumatised: one is the son of underground cartoonist Bobby McGee, infamous for having murdered his wife and three-year-old son before killing himself; leaving five-year-old Trevor alone in the world. Now twenty-five, Trevor is coming back to the house where it all happened, trying to understand why he was left alive. Zachary, nineteen, on his own since his teens thanks to abusive parents, is a hacker on the run from the authorities, who somehow ends up in Missing Mile, hometown of the McGees' murder house.
The two boys meet and embark on a journey to uncover the secret of Bobby's madness while navigating their (very fucked up) relationship.

Z. Brite has a knack for crafting stories that are so unhinged, but so, SO compelling, with such vibrant characters. Drawing Blood is at once very complex and very indulgent (when I say it's blood, drugs and sex, I mean it!). It will resonate with those who enjoy love that borders on cannibalism, pretty boys, New Orleans, 90's pop culture references, and gore.

To put it simply: I had a blast reading this, and I'm only half-ashamed to say it's my new comfort book. Yes, it's bloody and violent, but it's also kind of endearing at times, and very, very sexy (if you like the blood to be part of the smut. I do.).

This was only my second Z. Brite, but it has cemented him as one of my favourite writers ever. He has such a distinct voice! I cannot wait to get my grubby little hands on Lost Souls and absolutely devour it.