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622 reviews
In the Miso Soup by Ryū Murakami
The fact that this novel is told entirely in a nonchalant conversational style, and is built up of mostly narrative discussions adds such a sobering and uneasy feel to the story. There's an arresting vividity that's just shooting throughout the novel, it's a depraved and violent thing that folds such complex themes into its horror. Degeneracy, isolation, loneliness and corruption are so marvelously explored here. It's so brazen in its artfulness and intelligence. It really is delightful how fucked up this book is.
Being such a short and break-neck paced little novel, makes it entirely easy to devour in the space of a night. It's not even all in the length of the story, it's so damn enrapturing that putting the book down is a difficult task. There's this neon-noir dread laced through every single word. What begins as a sleazy, filthy and seductive pulp tale descends quickly into a maddening bloodbath of murder and psychopathic musings. It's a brilliant, pleasurable reading experience and also so grim and vile that even the most ardent of horror fans will feel their stomachs churning. It's a novel so absolutely worthy of its cult-like status.
"It's fun trying to build a castle on a moving train, you can like lose yourself or whatever and not have all these weird thoughts, because at the time I kept having this weird thought about poking some little girl's eyes with a pin or a toothpick or a hypodermic needle, something pointy like that, and it scared me to think about what if I really did it."
4.0
"I'd worked for nearly two hundred foreigners by now, most of them Americans, but I'd never seen a face quite like this one. It took me a while to pinpoint exactly what was so odd about it. The skin. It looked almost artificial, as if he'd been horribly burned and the doctors resurfaced his face with this fairly realistic man-made material."
In the Miso Soup is a vibrantly unsettling cult classic novel that delves deep into the seedy underworld of the tourism funded sex industry - it is at once meaningful and deliberate while also being purposefully hollow and detached from itself, it's akin to a sexually charged, quieter, much more intimate version of American Psycho. It's really rather unhinged and wild but, it's not without purpose, the violence hits us in short, shocking waves and yet, we're never full emerged in it, instead, forced to bear witness from afar to the grotesqueness that is this book.
It's so exceedingly perverse and brutal that experiencing it feels like injecting gasoline into your veins, this results in an intensely sensational reading experience. Yes, it's the tale of a serial killer on a rampage but told in a more quiet kind of manner. As a novel it's sickening and soaked through with gore but, it's also thought-provoking and challenging, in its brilliance, this novel manages somehow to cast a sympathetic light upon its killer. Creating such a dichotomy is a difficult thing so easily ruined, Murakami however, knocks it out of the park.
In the Miso Soup is a vibrantly unsettling cult classic novel that delves deep into the seedy underworld of the tourism funded sex industry - it is at once meaningful and deliberate while also being purposefully hollow and detached from itself, it's akin to a sexually charged, quieter, much more intimate version of American Psycho. It's really rather unhinged and wild but, it's not without purpose, the violence hits us in short, shocking waves and yet, we're never full emerged in it, instead, forced to bear witness from afar to the grotesqueness that is this book.
It's so exceedingly perverse and brutal that experiencing it feels like injecting gasoline into your veins, this results in an intensely sensational reading experience. Yes, it's the tale of a serial killer on a rampage but told in a more quiet kind of manner. As a novel it's sickening and soaked through with gore but, it's also thought-provoking and challenging, in its brilliance, this novel manages somehow to cast a sympathetic light upon its killer. Creating such a dichotomy is a difficult thing so easily ruined, Murakami however, knocks it out of the park.
"The images flicked through my mind like drug flashbacks, but unaccompanied by any real sense of revulsion or outrage. I remembered the sound of the guy's neck bones cracking, but all I could think was: So that's what it's like when you break somebody in two. Maybe my nerves still hadn't thawed out. I tried to feel sorry for the people who'd been killed but found to my horror, that I couldn't. I couldn't feel any sympathy for them at all."
The fact that this novel is told entirely in a nonchalant conversational style, and is built up of mostly narrative discussions adds such a sobering and uneasy feel to the story. There's an arresting vividity that's just shooting throughout the novel, it's a depraved and violent thing that folds such complex themes into its horror. Degeneracy, isolation, loneliness and corruption are so marvelously explored here. It's so brazen in its artfulness and intelligence. It really is delightful how fucked up this book is.
Being such a short and break-neck paced little novel, makes it entirely easy to devour in the space of a night. It's not even all in the length of the story, it's so damn enrapturing that putting the book down is a difficult task. There's this neon-noir dread laced through every single word. What begins as a sleazy, filthy and seductive pulp tale descends quickly into a maddening bloodbath of murder and psychopathic musings. It's a brilliant, pleasurable reading experience and also so grim and vile that even the most ardent of horror fans will feel their stomachs churning. It's a novel so absolutely worthy of its cult-like status.
"It's fun trying to build a castle on a moving train, you can like lose yourself or whatever and not have all these weird thoughts, because at the time I kept having this weird thought about poking some little girl's eyes with a pin or a toothpick or a hypodermic needle, something pointy like that, and it scared me to think about what if I really did it."
Murder Road by Simone St. James
Cold Lake Falls has all the makings of a perfect strange little town, countless disappearances, residents submerged in gossip, barbed rumors, an enrapturing and beautiful location carved up by a road that brings about hauntings, it's all really very immersive and engrossing. This is small town horror done right, bone-chilling and hyper-captivating. So often, books like this, tease their supernatural stories, only to drop them for a bland and reasonable explanation, Murder Road however, decides to let the supernatural shine. This is a sensational paranormal mystery, a twisty, well-developed, nostalgia drenched page-turner. It's not one to be missed.
"If there was one thing I knew, it was the feeling of carrying someone's death on your hands. The knowledge that if you could rewind time, you could do something differently and that person would still be alive. Sometimes, you regret it, and sometimes you don't. But you carry it either way."
4.0
"I'd seen a lot of bad things in my life - maybe more than my share. But I had never seen anything as terrible as that girl, as her face, as her undead hands. She was a dark, cold hole in the fabric of reality, punched through with a naked fist. The word that came to mind was unholy, though I had never been religious a day in my life. I had never imagined anything could be as vibrantly, furiously dead as she was."
Murder Road is a fantastic genre-bending blend of 90s nostalgia and supernatural horror. There's plenty of ghostly elements mixed together with a good bit of slasher/serial killer fun, a touch of gothic flare, and theatrical levels of small town drama, all packaged in a thriller format. At the heart of this story, there's a delicious little mystery to uncover too. This novel is so brilliantly unsettling, it delivers so wonderfully, on this campfire story like atmosphere, this is the kind of tale you tell your friends when all the light is sucked from the universe.
This is only my second read by Simone St. James, but what is abundantly clear, is that she knows how to create atmosphere, how to spin a tale so wildly unnerving and discomforting. The whole book, from start to finish, is rather eerie, a heavy sense of dread hangs over every page. Even in the slower sections of this novel, it's a fast-paced thrill-ride, entertaining without ever lagging, there's always something dramatic lingering around the corner, waiting to pull you under. Small town mysteries will always be something I gravitate towards, especially when, like this one, they are entwined in the supernatural.
Murder Road is a fantastic genre-bending blend of 90s nostalgia and supernatural horror. There's plenty of ghostly elements mixed together with a good bit of slasher/serial killer fun, a touch of gothic flare, and theatrical levels of small town drama, all packaged in a thriller format. At the heart of this story, there's a delicious little mystery to uncover too. This novel is so brilliantly unsettling, it delivers so wonderfully, on this campfire story like atmosphere, this is the kind of tale you tell your friends when all the light is sucked from the universe.
This is only my second read by Simone St. James, but what is abundantly clear, is that she knows how to create atmosphere, how to spin a tale so wildly unnerving and discomforting. The whole book, from start to finish, is rather eerie, a heavy sense of dread hangs over every page. Even in the slower sections of this novel, it's a fast-paced thrill-ride, entertaining without ever lagging, there's always something dramatic lingering around the corner, waiting to pull you under. Small town mysteries will always be something I gravitate towards, especially when, like this one, they are entwined in the supernatural.
"I had expected this, possibly even wanted it, but still, when I saw her pale face and long, brown hair, my chest seized with fear. My breath stopped and we locked eyes in the mirror. She was a girl, but she wasn't. She was a person, but she was also an empty hole where a person should be, sucking all the air through it and spreading darkness. I could see how thin her arms were, and I thought I could hear her breathe. But she wasn't breathing, was she? She'd been dead a long time, and this close I caught the faint scent of rot, earthy and sweet."
Cold Lake Falls has all the makings of a perfect strange little town, countless disappearances, residents submerged in gossip, barbed rumors, an enrapturing and beautiful location carved up by a road that brings about hauntings, it's all really very immersive and engrossing. This is small town horror done right, bone-chilling and hyper-captivating. So often, books like this, tease their supernatural stories, only to drop them for a bland and reasonable explanation, Murder Road however, decides to let the supernatural shine. This is a sensational paranormal mystery, a twisty, well-developed, nostalgia drenched page-turner. It's not one to be missed.
"If there was one thing I knew, it was the feeling of carrying someone's death on your hands. The knowledge that if you could rewind time, you could do something differently and that person would still be alive. Sometimes, you regret it, and sometimes you don't. But you carry it either way."
All These Subtle Deceits by C.S. Humble
The body horror of this novel is top tier and the excitement never lets up. For such a short novel, it truly delivers a shockingly huge punch. C.S. Humble is one of those authors with a talent for making horror sound utterly breathtaking and gorgeous. It's a delightful thing, when an author can extract beauty from even the horrific. Blending stunning writing with an adrenaline fueled plot, some truly brutal scenes and sickening body horror, All These Subtle Deceits is a novel not to miss.
"Their hands snapped down to their sides again, the sobbing ceased immediately. Slowly, their heads turned towards Lauren. Their vertebrae crunched like brittle autumn leaves deep within their cold, swollen skin. Their gazes fell on Lauren, each of them peering with rheumy eyes, swollen white. "
3.0
"Lauren tried to bite the stalks, but her teeth were not sharp enough. The flowers crawled down her esophagus, so deep that she could feel them slither into her digestive tract, expanding her diaphragm and writhing in her stomach like worms. And slowly, maddeningly slowly, the marigolds swallowed her into the earth."
All These Subtle Deceits feels much like a classic horror novel, only, retold, at once both fresh, exciting and strangely comforting. At the heart of this novel lies a town so well crafted, with many stories to tell - it grabs ahold of readers and suckers them in, refusing to let them go. It's a quick read, all in all, one of those blisteringly paced horror novels that can be flown through in an entire sitting. It is, however, a book that consumes your time, that commands attention, that implores you to set everything aside. It's brilliant, quirky, and a ton of fun, it may even be a series. But, even as a standalone, singular thing, this book rocks.
It feels much like a love-letter to the horror genre and the scary story in general. Everything that makes horror so fantastic is packed into this tiny little novel. It's got a real bite to it, and there's so much love poured into this book. Really, it's a hybrid mishmash of a possession story, a haunting, of demons and priests and otherworldly horrors that plague a small town - it's full of every popular horror trope, but here, they're exciting and refreshing.
All These Subtle Deceits feels much like a classic horror novel, only, retold, at once both fresh, exciting and strangely comforting. At the heart of this novel lies a town so well crafted, with many stories to tell - it grabs ahold of readers and suckers them in, refusing to let them go. It's a quick read, all in all, one of those blisteringly paced horror novels that can be flown through in an entire sitting. It is, however, a book that consumes your time, that commands attention, that implores you to set everything aside. It's brilliant, quirky, and a ton of fun, it may even be a series. But, even as a standalone, singular thing, this book rocks.
It feels much like a love-letter to the horror genre and the scary story in general. Everything that makes horror so fantastic is packed into this tiny little novel. It's got a real bite to it, and there's so much love poured into this book. Really, it's a hybrid mishmash of a possession story, a haunting, of demons and priests and otherworldly horrors that plague a small town - it's full of every popular horror trope, but here, they're exciting and refreshing.
"Those who are born and raised in the city are swift to stay, though many of them do not know why. The city compels them to remain. Not because of its grandeur or the promised fortune found in the mineral-rich earth, but something else. Something deeper. Something enrapturing to its natives and seductive to its immigrants. Black Wells captures you. Its allurements conjure a strong chain that wraps around the heart like ivy swallows a trellis. It is a quick and beautiful kind of bondage. A subtle kind of deceit. "
The body horror of this novel is top tier and the excitement never lets up. For such a short novel, it truly delivers a shockingly huge punch. C.S. Humble is one of those authors with a talent for making horror sound utterly breathtaking and gorgeous. It's a delightful thing, when an author can extract beauty from even the horrific. Blending stunning writing with an adrenaline fueled plot, some truly brutal scenes and sickening body horror, All These Subtle Deceits is a novel not to miss.
"Their hands snapped down to their sides again, the sobbing ceased immediately. Slowly, their heads turned towards Lauren. Their vertebrae crunched like brittle autumn leaves deep within their cold, swollen skin. Their gazes fell on Lauren, each of them peering with rheumy eyes, swollen white. "
Bored Gay Werewolf by Tony Santorella
Novels with characters this ignorant, this detached from reality are a rather niche enjoyment of mine. Most of us have probably worked with, or at the very least, interacted with some form of dude-bro, tech-lover, hustle-culture, instagram-esque motivational speaker at one point in our lives, which, I think, heightens this novel's magic. By no means, is this an earth-shattering book, but, it's a good, entertaining, blisteringly fun read. It knows what it is, it knows what it set out to do. Bored Gay Werewolf is a palate cleanser in a world full of heavy tomes we must scour for information. Sometimes, all you need is an easy read, something to break up the drab world around you. Bored Gay Werewolf is the novel that achieves just that.
The end of the novel hints at some kind of sequel, or some potential other book set in this world. Now, I'm not entirely sure if I'd continue on with a second book. I feel that, as a standalone, as a one-shot story, this book is perfectly fine as it is.
"As the bathroom fogs up, he slows his breath, taking in the steam and humidity in deep, cleansing inhales. Everything is fine. After finally gathering his composure, he asks the age-old question: after committing homicide, do you do your entire skin care routine? The answer, of course, being yes."
3.0
"Brian sits at the end of the bar, waiting for his final customers to leave and trying not to go so heavy on himself for last night's homicide. Is it even murder, he thinks to himself, if he's technically not a human when he commits it?"
Bored Gay Werewolf is the exact definition of writing and reading for pleasure. It is pure, unbridled, unadulterated, unrestrained fun. It's goofy as hell, entertaining, hilarious, just absolutely brilliant. Packed to the brim with snarky wit, and told with some real heart, Bored Gay Werewolf is a joy of a novel to experience, one that's so easily consumable in one sitting. It's one of those novels that, despite being rammed full of difficult to navigate topics, never seems to take itself too seriously, even when delving into the darker, much heavier of themes, it still manages to keep its light, airy and jolly tone.
Picture, if you will, a queer werewolf hustle-culture fight club for the modern ages with a splash of American Psycho inspiration. It's a little weird to imagine at first, but, that is, entirely, this book. For all of the strangeness in this novel, it's really rather charming, opting for a quiet and calming kind of plot that simmers along, rather than something that explodes in your face. It's all very dude-bro, and not at all what you'd expect from a werewolf novel, but, that makes it surprisingly enjoyable. Bored Gay Werewolf is a very weird novel, but, whenever has weirdness been a bad thing? In fact here, this book's eccentricity is its most fantastic feature.
Bored Gay Werewolf is the exact definition of writing and reading for pleasure. It is pure, unbridled, unadulterated, unrestrained fun. It's goofy as hell, entertaining, hilarious, just absolutely brilliant. Packed to the brim with snarky wit, and told with some real heart, Bored Gay Werewolf is a joy of a novel to experience, one that's so easily consumable in one sitting. It's one of those novels that, despite being rammed full of difficult to navigate topics, never seems to take itself too seriously, even when delving into the darker, much heavier of themes, it still manages to keep its light, airy and jolly tone.
Picture, if you will, a queer werewolf hustle-culture fight club for the modern ages with a splash of American Psycho inspiration. It's a little weird to imagine at first, but, that is, entirely, this book. For all of the strangeness in this novel, it's really rather charming, opting for a quiet and calming kind of plot that simmers along, rather than something that explodes in your face. It's all very dude-bro, and not at all what you'd expect from a werewolf novel, but, that makes it surprisingly enjoyable. Bored Gay Werewolf is a very weird novel, but, whenever has weirdness been a bad thing? In fact here, this book's eccentricity is its most fantastic feature.
"Brain is thankful for the silence. He has noticed the slow encroachment of his signature nihilism. It has taken considerably more effort to keep his sarcasm at bay, especially when Tyler and Mark are such easy targets, like the time Mark thought if we all just opened our doors, we could solve global warming with eight billion air conditioners. It's wild how they think that whatever shit comes out their mouths has intrinsic value, as if their focus on being mean inoculates them against any kind of introspection."
Novels with characters this ignorant, this detached from reality are a rather niche enjoyment of mine. Most of us have probably worked with, or at the very least, interacted with some form of dude-bro, tech-lover, hustle-culture, instagram-esque motivational speaker at one point in our lives, which, I think, heightens this novel's magic. By no means, is this an earth-shattering book, but, it's a good, entertaining, blisteringly fun read. It knows what it is, it knows what it set out to do. Bored Gay Werewolf is a palate cleanser in a world full of heavy tomes we must scour for information. Sometimes, all you need is an easy read, something to break up the drab world around you. Bored Gay Werewolf is the novel that achieves just that.
The end of the novel hints at some kind of sequel, or some potential other book set in this world. Now, I'm not entirely sure if I'd continue on with a second book. I feel that, as a standalone, as a one-shot story, this book is perfectly fine as it is.
"As the bathroom fogs up, he slows his breath, taking in the steam and humidity in deep, cleansing inhales. Everything is fine. After finally gathering his composure, he asks the age-old question: after committing homicide, do you do your entire skin care routine? The answer, of course, being yes."
Notice by Heather Lewis, Alan Garganus
This book is pure art. It's a book that demands attention and care while reading in order to be fully appreciated. One has to fully immerse themselves into the pitch-black world of Notice in order to not miss its subtlety. There's a lot this book has to say, a lot that the author has to say, and this makes it an important yet difficult read. Across the 200 or so pages that Notice spans there exists an excruciatingly detailed account of the horror that is humanity. It's a book of many things, a horrific noir, a dark romance like novel of submission, a dive into the minds of powerful men that abuse women, a slow paced psychological thriller, the list truly is endless.
It's also fantastic. It's timeless and ageless and without a doubt one of the most quietly disturbing novels to exist. Background detail is nonexistent in this novel, instead, we're thrust into the heartbreaking abuse from the start. There's an enormous amount of pain etched between each and every word of this obscure little novel. It really is a book that deserves much more love and attention.
"She'd gone out of her head, but I was still in mine and registering everything going on - in my head and my body and the place in between them. That place being nearest my chest, where I wanted to feel deadness or at least hatred but instead could only feel loved."
4.0
"While it's true I needed the money that's not all I needed from it. I don't care what anybody says. I understand the reason for telling people that, people outside it. But the thing is, I could never really see anyone as outside it. What the extra need is, the thing besides money? I've never pinned it down. I know it's there, though."
Heather Lewis' Notice has had me thinking for a while, mostly about its agonizing content, but, also about how we use and understand the word disturbing. A lot of the time, disturbing is used in place of disgusting, scary, perhaps even shocking. And, yes, at times, it would be fair to call Notice all of these things - but it's not an extreme splatterpunk body horror gore-fest, it's not a horror novel at all, yet, it does horrify. It's disturbing in its quietness, however, in how real and raw it all is, in how it reads as if it's a non-fiction account of an incredibly distressing life. It's disturbing in how the heart of the author seems to seep out of the words on the pages. Notice is an exorcism of the soul.
This is without a doubt one of the bleakest, most horrifying works of fiction out there. At every turn it's just an obliterating experience, and, in its sheer artistry and audacity, it's rather brave. Notice reads much like a very long suicide note, it's an extremely painful reading experience. Upon starting this novel, it takes a while to even realize it's fiction, what is clear from the get-go however, is that Heather Lewis understands, with a burning clarity, what she's writing about. This book is a void, an exploration of exploitation and abuse, and the desperate desire to be needed. What a superbly written, gruesome, harrowing, erotically artful and yet horrible experience this was. Notice achieves what every good piece of fiction should - it leaves us with plenty to ponder.
Heather Lewis' Notice has had me thinking for a while, mostly about its agonizing content, but, also about how we use and understand the word disturbing. A lot of the time, disturbing is used in place of disgusting, scary, perhaps even shocking. And, yes, at times, it would be fair to call Notice all of these things - but it's not an extreme splatterpunk body horror gore-fest, it's not a horror novel at all, yet, it does horrify. It's disturbing in its quietness, however, in how real and raw it all is, in how it reads as if it's a non-fiction account of an incredibly distressing life. It's disturbing in how the heart of the author seems to seep out of the words on the pages. Notice is an exorcism of the soul.
This is without a doubt one of the bleakest, most horrifying works of fiction out there. At every turn it's just an obliterating experience, and, in its sheer artistry and audacity, it's rather brave. Notice reads much like a very long suicide note, it's an extremely painful reading experience. Upon starting this novel, it takes a while to even realize it's fiction, what is clear from the get-go however, is that Heather Lewis understands, with a burning clarity, what she's writing about. This book is a void, an exploration of exploitation and abuse, and the desperate desire to be needed. What a superbly written, gruesome, harrowing, erotically artful and yet horrible experience this was. Notice achieves what every good piece of fiction should - it leaves us with plenty to ponder.
"I carried that deadness to bed with me. And I carried with it a knowledge I'd had all along. That I should've died that night - it'd been the best chance I'd had so far. And that I hadn't? Hadn't taken it? It wasn't the relief or comfort I believed it ought to be. It was only a postponement of some kind. A cruel kind of cheat, pressing me to decide it myself."
This book is pure art. It's a book that demands attention and care while reading in order to be fully appreciated. One has to fully immerse themselves into the pitch-black world of Notice in order to not miss its subtlety. There's a lot this book has to say, a lot that the author has to say, and this makes it an important yet difficult read. Across the 200 or so pages that Notice spans there exists an excruciatingly detailed account of the horror that is humanity. It's a book of many things, a horrific noir, a dark romance like novel of submission, a dive into the minds of powerful men that abuse women, a slow paced psychological thriller, the list truly is endless.
It's also fantastic. It's timeless and ageless and without a doubt one of the most quietly disturbing novels to exist. Background detail is nonexistent in this novel, instead, we're thrust into the heartbreaking abuse from the start. There's an enormous amount of pain etched between each and every word of this obscure little novel. It really is a book that deserves much more love and attention.
"She'd gone out of her head, but I was still in mine and registering everything going on - in my head and my body and the place in between them. That place being nearest my chest, where I wanted to feel deadness or at least hatred but instead could only feel loved."
A Clockwork Orange by Anthony Burgess
Never once is the violence of this story glorified, nor does it ever feel gratuitous. In a way, it all feels kind of vital to the story, which, actually isn't really about violence at all. The intense ultra-violence is simply a vessel in which we must examine the morality of choice and free-will. Of course, it's heaped full of vile and incredulous characters. And, as a villain, Alex is a brutally brilliant one, charming yet vicious, ungodly but casts a sympathetic shadow, he does the unthinkable, he's horrible. Yet, through the brilliance of Burgess, when atrocities happen to our dear villain, sympathy crashes upon us in waves.
Despite being a classic, this is a novel that has so much modern appeal, and never really reads like something that was first published in the 60s. It's a book of real rebellion, angry in every sense of the word, and one to delight and ignite the punk spirit that lives within us.
"And like it was Fate there was another like malenky booklet which had an open window on the cover, and it said, 'Open the window to fresh air, fresh ideas, a new way of living.' And so I knew that was like telling me to finish it all off by jumping out. One moment of pain, perhaps, and then sleep for ever and ever and ever."
4.0
"I know I shall have many sleepless nights about this. What does God want? Does God want goodness or the choice of goodness? Is a man who chooses to be bad perhaps in some way better than a man who has the good imposed upon him?"
The ultra-violent masterpiece. The cult classic. The original postmodern hellscape in novel form, A Clockwork Orange is so very well-known, and so widely adored that reviewing it becomes a daunting, intimidating thing. How can any one person possibly say anything new or interesting about a book so universally revered, and so deeply dissected?
With its highly experimental 'Nadsat' slag being its most distinctive feature, A Clockwork Orange is at first, a little difficult to grasp. However, it's so ingeniously crafted, that the wild and zany slang becomes quickly enjoyable. It makes for a brilliant storytelling device, and the result is a wonderfully unique and highly chaotic dystopian tale of terror. It's often said that, A Clockwork Orange is the most ultra-violent of stories, and while it's true that there's page upon page of sickening, heinous crimes described with a shocking vividity, and characters who delight in the misery of others, to call it simply a 'violent novel' lessens what it actually is.
The ultra-violent masterpiece. The cult classic. The original postmodern hellscape in novel form, A Clockwork Orange is so very well-known, and so widely adored that reviewing it becomes a daunting, intimidating thing. How can any one person possibly say anything new or interesting about a book so universally revered, and so deeply dissected?
With its highly experimental 'Nadsat' slag being its most distinctive feature, A Clockwork Orange is at first, a little difficult to grasp. However, it's so ingeniously crafted, that the wild and zany slang becomes quickly enjoyable. It makes for a brilliant storytelling device, and the result is a wonderfully unique and highly chaotic dystopian tale of terror. It's often said that, A Clockwork Orange is the most ultra-violent of stories, and while it's true that there's page upon page of sickening, heinous crimes described with a shocking vividity, and characters who delight in the misery of others, to call it simply a 'violent novel' lessens what it actually is.
"So we cracked into him lovely, grinning all over our listos, but he still went on singing. Then we tripped him so he laid down flat and heavy and a bucketload of beer-vomit came whooshing out. That was disgusting so we gave him the boot, one go each, and then it was blood, not song nor vomit, that came out of his filthy old rot. Then we went on our way. "
Never once is the violence of this story glorified, nor does it ever feel gratuitous. In a way, it all feels kind of vital to the story, which, actually isn't really about violence at all. The intense ultra-violence is simply a vessel in which we must examine the morality of choice and free-will. Of course, it's heaped full of vile and incredulous characters. And, as a villain, Alex is a brutally brilliant one, charming yet vicious, ungodly but casts a sympathetic shadow, he does the unthinkable, he's horrible. Yet, through the brilliance of Burgess, when atrocities happen to our dear villain, sympathy crashes upon us in waves.
Despite being a classic, this is a novel that has so much modern appeal, and never really reads like something that was first published in the 60s. It's a book of real rebellion, angry in every sense of the word, and one to delight and ignite the punk spirit that lives within us.
"And like it was Fate there was another like malenky booklet which had an open window on the cover, and it said, 'Open the window to fresh air, fresh ideas, a new way of living.' And so I knew that was like telling me to finish it all off by jumping out. One moment of pain, perhaps, and then sleep for ever and ever and ever."
The Reappearance of Rachel Price by Holly Jackson
Equal parts gossipy small-town drama, and broken family voyeurism, this little mystery novel is a whole heap of fun. Towards the middle, it did slow down, just a little. There was a small, quiet dip while all the dynamics settled into place. It was great, getting to see Bel navigate the return of her mother, but, at the same time, it lagged just a touch.
The thing is, two things are fighting for center stage here - the mystery surrounding Rachel and figuring out the battlefield that is this family, and at times, one can cloud the other. It's not just any mystery novel though. It's a deep dive into a some twisted and ruined lives, the stress and anxiety of which, bleeds off the pages. This is an exploration of what family loyalty really means, of how far one would go to protect their own, and what it means to have your life sucked into a swirling whirlwind of secrets and lies.
"It was easy to push people away when you knew how. Bel had a clean record; she was very, very good at it. Making people leave her before they chose to go anyway. Same result in the end, because everybody left eventually, but it hurt less. That was what life was, choosing the way that hurt less."
3.5
"Everyone left, eventually. Wasn't just Rachel Price. People were temporary. It was the one thing you could count on: people always left."
Stories of toxic families like this one are addicting, especially when they're centered around highly unlikable, insufferable characters. It makes for a much more interesting and compelling dynamic, when a land mine is thrown amongst the pages. The Reappearance of Rachel Price is a crossover between a true crime-esque mystery novel, and an extremely dysfunctional toxic family drama novel. Throughout its entirety we're treated to pushy and volatile people, with Bel being the main antagonist. However, despite how quick to anger Bel is, she's a fantastic and fun main character.
Before this, I've never read a single Holly Jackson novel, which gives me no room to comment on how this compares to her other work. Typically, I don't even really read much YA anymore, and honestly, this was entirely purchased due to the bomb-ass special edition I found. It truly was gripping, though. It was unputdownable, one of those novels you just can't escape because you must at all times, know what's happening. Highly atmospheric, enrapturing, entertaining, The Reappearance of Rachel Price had me hooked, entirely.
Stories of toxic families like this one are addicting, especially when they're centered around highly unlikable, insufferable characters. It makes for a much more interesting and compelling dynamic, when a land mine is thrown amongst the pages. The Reappearance of Rachel Price is a crossover between a true crime-esque mystery novel, and an extremely dysfunctional toxic family drama novel. Throughout its entirety we're treated to pushy and volatile people, with Bel being the main antagonist. However, despite how quick to anger Bel is, she's a fantastic and fun main character.
Before this, I've never read a single Holly Jackson novel, which gives me no room to comment on how this compares to her other work. Typically, I don't even really read much YA anymore, and honestly, this was entirely purchased due to the bomb-ass special edition I found. It truly was gripping, though. It was unputdownable, one of those novels you just can't escape because you must at all times, know what's happening. Highly atmospheric, enrapturing, entertaining, The Reappearance of Rachel Price had me hooked, entirely.
"Bel couldn't breathe, but Rachel did, raggedy and hard, wincing from the daylight, from the pressure on her feet, holding her body at a strange, twisted angle. It must have hurt, coming back from the dead."
Equal parts gossipy small-town drama, and broken family voyeurism, this little mystery novel is a whole heap of fun. Towards the middle, it did slow down, just a little. There was a small, quiet dip while all the dynamics settled into place. It was great, getting to see Bel navigate the return of her mother, but, at the same time, it lagged just a touch.
The thing is, two things are fighting for center stage here - the mystery surrounding Rachel and figuring out the battlefield that is this family, and at times, one can cloud the other. It's not just any mystery novel though. It's a deep dive into a some twisted and ruined lives, the stress and anxiety of which, bleeds off the pages. This is an exploration of what family loyalty really means, of how far one would go to protect their own, and what it means to have your life sucked into a swirling whirlwind of secrets and lies.
"It was easy to push people away when you knew how. Bel had a clean record; she was very, very good at it. Making people leave her before they chose to go anyway. Same result in the end, because everybody left eventually, but it hurt less. That was what life was, choosing the way that hurt less."
America Fantastica by Tim O'Brien
This is a book that's so clearly of the current times. This is modern day satire, and it'll be intensely interesting to see how this holds up, 10 years from now. Examining everything from the nature of humanity, American corporate culture, and the criminal underworld, this is one hell of a book, one that verges off into a million different directions. It's made up of countless narratives and stories that are only loosely woven together, that stitch into one huge, fragmented tale of chaos. At once, both quiet and wildly adventurous, America Fantastica is a strange novel. Perhaps it is the American dream in a book, road-trips, fast cars, gambling, guns, sex, bundles of money, liars and cheats - It's a brilliant book, that, at times, could be accused of being overtly heavy-handed.
The portrayal of an America gone crazy, however, is brutally funny. Time O'Brien has latched on to one of the world's worst traits, and used it to shoot a harpoon into the very heart of America - the tendency to absorb and repeat even the most asinine of disinformation. Perhaps it's a fair assessment, that at times, the satire is very obvious, nonetheless, America Fantastica is a fantastic novel.
"To recognize one's own life as a breathtaking failure was an experience Junior would recommend to all. Relieved of illusion, he was relieved of disappointment. There was, in fact, a harsh cleansing effect that accompanied the knowledge that he could do no worse than he had already done. "
4.0
"You're robbing me? Not you, said Boyd. He took out his gun and showed it to her. It was not a toy. It was a Temptation .38 Special. Angie Bing managed to scrape up just under eighty-one thousand dollars, a significant sum for a small bank in the small town of Fulda, California. Boyd stuffed the cash into a paper grocery bag. I'm sorry about this, he said, but I'll have to ask you to take a ride with me."
A heist novel that's not actually a heist novel. A book about a bank robbery, that's... Actually not about a bank robbery. America Fantastica is a satirical enigma, a dark humored and morose tale about a man on the verge of taking his own life and the corrupt, nefarious characters who orbit him. Having a subtle grit-lit angle while also examining some extremely uncomfortable truths about the times we live in, there's a whole lot of craziness within this novel and it's all told to us through sharp and snappy dialogue and wit. It's a rather bleak and sad satire, overall. An exaggerated sense of despair seems to course through the very core of this novel.
Ultimately, this is a story of liars. The characters that populate this book are horrible, morally bankrupt, awful people. This makes the novel far more enjoyable for those who care not for the tales of the morally sound. While the tone of this book is obvious from the start, and sets the stage for a rather grim and farcical affair, there's also a seriousness to be had here, delving beneath the surface will unearth a profound and touching poignancy. It's surprising just how much depth there is to this novel, it's a disheartening and wholly sobering thing. The true heart and soul of this tale is found in the journey, it's in how all these questionable people finally arrive at their destinations.
A heist novel that's not actually a heist novel. A book about a bank robbery, that's... Actually not about a bank robbery. America Fantastica is a satirical enigma, a dark humored and morose tale about a man on the verge of taking his own life and the corrupt, nefarious characters who orbit him. Having a subtle grit-lit angle while also examining some extremely uncomfortable truths about the times we live in, there's a whole lot of craziness within this novel and it's all told to us through sharp and snappy dialogue and wit. It's a rather bleak and sad satire, overall. An exaggerated sense of despair seems to course through the very core of this novel.
Ultimately, this is a story of liars. The characters that populate this book are horrible, morally bankrupt, awful people. This makes the novel far more enjoyable for those who care not for the tales of the morally sound. While the tone of this book is obvious from the start, and sets the stage for a rather grim and farcical affair, there's also a seriousness to be had here, delving beneath the surface will unearth a profound and touching poignancy. It's surprising just how much depth there is to this novel, it's a disheartening and wholly sobering thing. The true heart and soul of this tale is found in the journey, it's in how all these questionable people finally arrive at their destinations.
"With no real future, and with a past he cared not to dwell on, Boyd had nothing much to lose. Or, more precisely, nothing left to be. He was done hiding from the world. Dishonor was one thing - a terrible thing - but he'd paid for it with a divorce and a scuttled career and the loss of all appetite for the future. That seemed penalty enough."
This is a book that's so clearly of the current times. This is modern day satire, and it'll be intensely interesting to see how this holds up, 10 years from now. Examining everything from the nature of humanity, American corporate culture, and the criminal underworld, this is one hell of a book, one that verges off into a million different directions. It's made up of countless narratives and stories that are only loosely woven together, that stitch into one huge, fragmented tale of chaos. At once, both quiet and wildly adventurous, America Fantastica is a strange novel. Perhaps it is the American dream in a book, road-trips, fast cars, gambling, guns, sex, bundles of money, liars and cheats - It's a brilliant book, that, at times, could be accused of being overtly heavy-handed.
The portrayal of an America gone crazy, however, is brutally funny. Time O'Brien has latched on to one of the world's worst traits, and used it to shoot a harpoon into the very heart of America - the tendency to absorb and repeat even the most asinine of disinformation. Perhaps it's a fair assessment, that at times, the satire is very obvious, nonetheless, America Fantastica is a fantastic novel.
"To recognize one's own life as a breathtaking failure was an experience Junior would recommend to all. Relieved of illusion, he was relieved of disappointment. There was, in fact, a harsh cleansing effect that accompanied the knowledge that he could do no worse than he had already done. "
Kick at the Darkness by Keira Andrews
The thing with a book like this is that it's silly and over the top. But, the book knows this, the author knows this, and as a result it never takes itself too seriously and instead is just, actually fun. Given the shorter length of the novel, the enemies to lovers element moves rather quickly. However, it's executed so well that in this instance, I didn't mind. There's actually so much that happens in this novel it's kind of difficult to even compute. There's murder zombie death hordes, blood dripping off everything, survivors desperately working together, a motorcycle driving werewolf? Honestly, it's wild how entertaining this novel was.
Entirely devourable in one sitting, Kick at the Darkness was a delight to read. It's exactly the right kind of light, easygoing, enjoyable novel that every once in a while, we all need to read.
"The worst part was the chattering. Their teeth clashed constantly, and over the hum of the motorcycle, Parker could hear a low drone, as if it was coming from deep within their throats. These infected were students, and as the motorcycle neared, they turned in unison, their joints unnaturally stiff."
4.0
"Adam gunned the engine and sped along the sidewalk. Parker's breath caught in his throat as the grassy expanse of the Oval came into view. The police were there all right. Lights flashed on squad cars all around the rim of the Oval, stopped haphazardly. And clustered around the police vehicles, dozens deep, were chattering zombie people."
Kick at the Darkness is the perfect book for reinvigorating that early 2010s nostalgia. It's the product of an era that seems to have faded out, where zombies, werewolves, and angsty college romance novels seemed to dominate popular media. As a book it's actually kind of bonkers, packed with a plethora of zombies, werewolves, and college angst, this insane little novel makes for a fabulous read. It's a bloody wild ride, intense, erotic and filthy, even, while somehow also being so action packed it never lets you up for breath. There isn't a single dull moment, not once does this book slow down, thrusting you from one high-octane event to another.
Parker and Adam are a dream pairing, they're absolutely swoon worthy, and while normally, I'd balk at the idea of a book this humorous, here, the snark levels are handled perfectly. It's actually funny, without crossing into annoying territory. Now, I adore a good horror romance, but, a werewolf romance with zombie hordes everywhere and plenty of gore? That's even better. Kick at the Darkness allows you to switch your brain off and just enjoy it for the hedonistic, blissful experience it is. It's a tense, nail-biting erotic werewolf novel set during a zombie apocalypse, what more could you even ask for?
Kick at the Darkness is the perfect book for reinvigorating that early 2010s nostalgia. It's the product of an era that seems to have faded out, where zombies, werewolves, and angsty college romance novels seemed to dominate popular media. As a book it's actually kind of bonkers, packed with a plethora of zombies, werewolves, and college angst, this insane little novel makes for a fabulous read. It's a bloody wild ride, intense, erotic and filthy, even, while somehow also being so action packed it never lets you up for breath. There isn't a single dull moment, not once does this book slow down, thrusting you from one high-octane event to another.
Parker and Adam are a dream pairing, they're absolutely swoon worthy, and while normally, I'd balk at the idea of a book this humorous, here, the snark levels are handled perfectly. It's actually funny, without crossing into annoying territory. Now, I adore a good horror romance, but, a werewolf romance with zombie hordes everywhere and plenty of gore? That's even better. Kick at the Darkness allows you to switch your brain off and just enjoy it for the hedonistic, blissful experience it is. It's a tense, nail-biting erotic werewolf novel set during a zombie apocalypse, what more could you even ask for?
"Oh god, they were after him. He was trying to run, but his legs kept folding beneath him. He got up again, staggering, and he sprawled out. They swarmed over him, all teeth and eyes and sharp fingernails, and they tore him open. Then he was one of them, and he was choking on blood and someone's guts."
The thing with a book like this is that it's silly and over the top. But, the book knows this, the author knows this, and as a result it never takes itself too seriously and instead is just, actually fun. Given the shorter length of the novel, the enemies to lovers element moves rather quickly. However, it's executed so well that in this instance, I didn't mind. There's actually so much that happens in this novel it's kind of difficult to even compute. There's murder zombie death hordes, blood dripping off everything, survivors desperately working together, a motorcycle driving werewolf? Honestly, it's wild how entertaining this novel was.
Entirely devourable in one sitting, Kick at the Darkness was a delight to read. It's exactly the right kind of light, easygoing, enjoyable novel that every once in a while, we all need to read.
"The worst part was the chattering. Their teeth clashed constantly, and over the hum of the motorcycle, Parker could hear a low drone, as if it was coming from deep within their throats. These infected were students, and as the motorcycle neared, they turned in unison, their joints unnaturally stiff."
The Order of the Furies: 1795: A Novel by Niklas Natt och Dag, Niklas Natt och Dag
The Order of The Furies is a book made up of repulsive and reprehensible people. They're highly unfortunate, miserable beings, unable to cast aside the tragic paths of their lives, and it's in this hopelessness that the novel becomes truly spectacular. It may be slower paced than the usual standard for this series, it is, however, never boring. In fact, it's nothing short of stunning. A masterful and brilliant trilogy has come to a close, and it's rather bittersweet to wave goodbye to the distressing and violent world created by Niklas Natt och Dag. The ending is one of bottless despair and vagueness and yet, there's not a better way finish things off.
"Proud city! Once his Garden of Eden, his playground, but she is a deceitful lover, is Stockholm. Her tender feelings are past. Now she suffers his presence only from pity. She is recast into a labyrinth of horror where the Minotaur strides in pursuit, one-armed and indefatigable."
4.0
"Fear was always the companion of rage. He tries in vain to take solace: he has been face to face with the Minotaur, he has braved the darkness at the heart of the labyrinth, he has heard the children screaming their anguish in their final hour. He has seen the worst - can there be anything worse to come?"
Historical thrillers and I have a love/hate relationship. So many of them sell themselves on how calamitous and gripping they are, only to fall short. The Order of the Furies, however, is not one of these novels. It's more historically heavy than the previous book, for sure, but, it is an oppressive, guilt laden thing, a story of anguish and tragedy. Told with a beautifully oppressive and grim atmosphere, misery seems to linger in the air of this novel. You will however, have to at least read the previous installment in the series to fully 'get' this one, it likely won't make a good standalone. Fear not, as with this author's previous work, the translation is smooth and easy to read.
Everything in this novel is very, very bleak and depressing. It's all very grey, and there's almost a thick layer of smog that rises from these pages. It's also delightfully gruesome, gorgeous and eloquent writing is cast against a scathing and gritty backdrop, creating an intense juxtaposition. It's an alluring tale, fantastically put together and so very vivid, a breath of fresh air in the world of historical thrillers, or rather, a frantic gulp of fetid, murky air. Despite the grotesqueness of the feelings The Order of the Furies conjures, it's almost an impossible book to put down. Fragmented narratives divide up the tale, with cruelty seemingly woven into every word, leaving fatigue and vulnerability in the wake of this fabulous story.
Historical thrillers and I have a love/hate relationship. So many of them sell themselves on how calamitous and gripping they are, only to fall short. The Order of the Furies, however, is not one of these novels. It's more historically heavy than the previous book, for sure, but, it is an oppressive, guilt laden thing, a story of anguish and tragedy. Told with a beautifully oppressive and grim atmosphere, misery seems to linger in the air of this novel. You will however, have to at least read the previous installment in the series to fully 'get' this one, it likely won't make a good standalone. Fear not, as with this author's previous work, the translation is smooth and easy to read.
Everything in this novel is very, very bleak and depressing. It's all very grey, and there's almost a thick layer of smog that rises from these pages. It's also delightfully gruesome, gorgeous and eloquent writing is cast against a scathing and gritty backdrop, creating an intense juxtaposition. It's an alluring tale, fantastically put together and so very vivid, a breath of fresh air in the world of historical thrillers, or rather, a frantic gulp of fetid, murky air. Despite the grotesqueness of the feelings The Order of the Furies conjures, it's almost an impossible book to put down. Fragmented narratives divide up the tale, with cruelty seemingly woven into every word, leaving fatigue and vulnerability in the wake of this fabulous story.
"Dusk threatens to make the path indistinguishable from the ground around it, and the inky firs marking his course grow increasingly grey. Now and then, the light is caught in a pond or a marsh that glitters between the trunks. The water lies red in its sinks - open wounds in the hull of moss. Were he to go astray here, he would be lost."
The Order of The Furies is a book made up of repulsive and reprehensible people. They're highly unfortunate, miserable beings, unable to cast aside the tragic paths of their lives, and it's in this hopelessness that the novel becomes truly spectacular. It may be slower paced than the usual standard for this series, it is, however, never boring. In fact, it's nothing short of stunning. A masterful and brilliant trilogy has come to a close, and it's rather bittersweet to wave goodbye to the distressing and violent world created by Niklas Natt och Dag. The ending is one of bottless despair and vagueness and yet, there's not a better way finish things off.
"Proud city! Once his Garden of Eden, his playground, but she is a deceitful lover, is Stockholm. Her tender feelings are past. Now she suffers his presence only from pity. She is recast into a labyrinth of horror where the Minotaur strides in pursuit, one-armed and indefatigable."