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A review by vexcorvine
Bang Bang Bodhisattva by Aubrey Wood
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
reflective
sad
tense
fast-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? N/A
5.0
Do you love snotty, big-mouthed characters? Snappy banter? Having way too much fun, yet being taken seriously? Noir? Cyberpunk? An interrogation of gender, autonomy, identity and self-determination? C'mon, I wouldn't ask if I didn't wanna know.
Anyway, the answer is to read BANG BANG BODHISATTVA.
Aubrey Wood plays with our near future and our not-so-distant past. She skewers the outrageous-yet-commonplace infringements on our privacy, autonomy, and safety and the absurd barrage of information with the accompanying illusion of choice we're subjected to daily. I muttered "fuck" in awful realization more than once. It feels fucking prophetic at times. Then there's the moments of internet archaeology, the unsettling reminder that we leave pieces of ourselves behind wherever we go, even online, no matter who we move on to be.
Every character, right down to those in-and-out of a scene, is distinct and sharply drawn. Kiera and Angel are the perfect pair of idiots to follow around. There is nothing cloying or saccharine about their relationship, but neither are their moments of genuine connection slapped out of the reader's grasp by snark.
BANG BANG BODHISATTVA is terrific, hotheaded, messy, sexy, stupid fun with an earnest, beating heart. It made me feel loved and feared for in a world that hates me. It gave me a glimpse of something I long for. It's something beautiful and genuine and real in this cynical, piece-of-shit world.
It's a hell of a good read.
Anyway, the answer is to read BANG BANG BODHISATTVA.
Aubrey Wood plays with our near future and our not-so-distant past. She skewers the outrageous-yet-commonplace infringements on our privacy, autonomy, and safety and the absurd barrage of information with the accompanying illusion of choice we're subjected to daily. I muttered "fuck" in awful realization more than once. It feels fucking prophetic at times. Then there's the moments of internet archaeology, the unsettling reminder that we leave pieces of ourselves behind wherever we go, even online, no matter who we move on to be.
Every character, right down to those in-and-out of a scene, is distinct and sharply drawn. Kiera and Angel are the perfect pair of idiots to follow around. There is nothing cloying or saccharine about their relationship, but neither are their moments of genuine connection slapped out of the reader's grasp by snark.
BANG BANG BODHISATTVA is terrific, hotheaded, messy, sexy, stupid fun with an earnest, beating heart. It made me feel loved and feared for in a world that hates me. It gave me a glimpse of something I long for. It's something beautiful and genuine and real in this cynical, piece-of-shit world.
It's a hell of a good read.