Jesus... what a bleak, beautiful, cruel novel hellbent on hopelessness with just the faintest glimmer of hope straining to shine through an ashen sky.Jesus... what a bleak, beautiful, cruel novel hellbent on hopelessness with just the faintest glimmer of hope straining to shine through an ashen sky. 'The Road' is an incredibly cold dark read, written by an author who seems to know the icy night of the world rather intimately. The writing is spare and poignant and incredibly effective. The story scares your soul and breaks your heart. When the planet has gone to hell, the pitiful remains of one family tries their best to survive against humanity at it's worst. Killings, cannibalism, and unspeakable acts surround a father and son as they journey to a better place that may not even exist.
There have been many books written about the end of the world, but I'll bet you've never read one quite like this......more
'Rust and Bone' had two really great things going for it: different and disturbing.
Not too different, nor too disturbing, but a healthy dollop of bot'Rust and Bone' had two really great things going for it: different and disturbing.
Not too different, nor too disturbing, but a healthy dollop of both that made it a book to remember and recommend. These are not your typical short stories. They are violent, gritty, bleak; tales about broken people, or individuals reaching a breaking point. The writing is sharp and packs a punch. A lot of the subject matter is the stuff found in the darker, dirtier corners of life, which Craig Davidson illuminates with a goddamn floodlight. ...more
The premise of this book caught my attention: People are being killed using an ancient 'culling song', a tribal spell sPalahniuk's a total trip, man.
The premise of this book caught my attention: People are being killed using an ancient 'culling song', a tribal spell sang to the old or infirmed to put them to sleep... permanently. Neat idea! I was hooked.
Other than that, I didn't know what to expect. What I got was a rollercoaster of a book that was one of the most inventive and original novels I'd read in a while. The culling song is just one aspect in this twister of a tale. Throw in a cast of questionable/oddball characters, some chilling backstories, witchcraft and what appears to be an approaching end of days, and you've got something you probably haven't seen before.
Like most of Palahniuk's work, Lullaby is violent, gross, frightening, but also surprisingly heartfelt and funny too. We follow the first person perspective of a journalist named Carl Streator as he investigates accidental deaths (or are they?) caused by the culling song, an investigation that eventually leads him on a road trip from hell (kinda). From there the whole thing only gets stranger/cooler. I don't really want to give much away because I went into this book blind and found not knowing anything made it that more enjoyable.
I can see this book not being everyone's cup of tea. There were a few times when the author's writing style got on my nerves, particularly with repetition. What thrilled me more than anything though was the originality of it. Personally, I have grown incredibly tired of the same old stories being rehashed by countless writers out there. It's like an echo chamber of mediocrity. For better or worse, Palahnuik is doing his own thing and coming up with tales that are as fresh as they are inventive. For me, I can't get enough of it. ...more
My God, what to say about this one? Probably this: Haunted was messed up and engaging to the fullest.
I'm always floored when an author serves up someMy God, what to say about this one? Probably this: Haunted was messed up and engaging to the fullest.
I'm always floored when an author serves up something genuinely different. In a book market where so many offerings are so goddamn painfully similar (right down to the titles... can we get another book with the word "Girl" or "Dark" in the title please?) it's a real treat when you read something that stands out and rises above the rest for not being like the others. It's even more rewarding when such a different drummer has the chops to blow your mind.
Haunted is a collection of stories and characters that will absolutely make your skin crawl, and it's mind-boggling how much territory it covers, almost all of it located in left field. It's doubtful that you've ever read anything quite comparable (that goes for most of Palahniuk's other work too). The way Chuck can expand an idea or create a plot from the most unexpected places, then making it compelling and riveting and... well, let's just say you've never read anything like it. Like the tale of man who literally lost his guts, or the sociopath with a bowling ball, or the cross-dressing terrorist, or the DIY porn couple gone wrong, or the foot masseur turned assassin... these are crazy, fascinating, disturbing tales you won't soon forget.
Haunted is gross. It's sick, twisted, funny, sad, shocking; hell it's practically a trigger for every intense feeling humans are capable of having. It's well-written and engaging and beyond all else it is different. And today's storytelling landscape definitely needs a lot more 'different'. ...more
While looking to expand my palette in the horror/thriller world of books, I kept hearing a lot about author Tony Burgess. His booI'm giving this a 3.5
While looking to expand my palette in the horror/thriller world of books, I kept hearing a lot about author Tony Burgess. His book 'Pontypool Changes Everything' (Apparently a badass zombie novel) has been on my radar for awhile and I keep meaning to pick it up (and I will, promise!). But in a used bookstore I recently stumbled on an earlier book of his called 'The Hellmouths of Bewdley', which I'd never heard of. So I snapped it up and cracked it open as soon as I got home.
This is a really strange collection of short stories centered around a small town called Bewdley. A bunch of country folk get themselves into all sorts of weird spots and scary scenarios. The tales are creepy, nightmarish, strange, and disjointed. Some of the plot lines and characters intersect, but they are all stand alone tales I guess. I was completely caught off guard, as none of these stories were what I expected (I've since learned from people that Burgess's work is very 'not what you'd expect'). It was like someone threw 'Creepshow' into deep left field and left it there to rot and ferment.
The writing is something else, really talented but quite unhinged. It even got quite poetic and was downright beautiful in spots. If I didn't know better, I'd say I was reading the prose of a madman (not joking) But the those stories... they were... SO. FREAKING. STRANGE! Some of them seemed to have no purpose, or plot, or resolution. And while I enjoyed a lot of it, I also had reservations about it. 'Hellmouths' wasn't something I so much read as experienced. And that experience was odd indeed.
I do recommend this book, but I'd go in with no expectations, as this Burgess guy does not seem to play to any audience except the one in his own head. It's sometimes brilliant and sometimes batshit crazy!
Stephen King's stuff in graphic novel form is just a wicked good combination. Love, love, love the artwork in this, and I can't wait to read the rest Stephen King's stuff in graphic novel form is just a wicked good combination. Love, love, love the artwork in this, and I can't wait to read the rest in the series. The visuals are fantastic and the pace moves a lot quicker than the novel (for obvious reasons).
Randall Flagg is such a creepy character, a villain who one day walks out of the night and into everyone's nightmares. I loved seeing him drawn in comic book form....more
*I'm reposting this review due to the fact that this book is FINALLY available in North America on Kindle. HUSK was easily one of the best books I rea*I'm reposting this review due to the fact that this book is FINALLY available in North America on Kindle. HUSK was easily one of the best books I read a couple years ago, and is currently in my top ten favorite books. It was exceptionally well-written and fast paced. I couldn't recommend it enough!
"Remember, there is a vast difference between those who seek to live forever, and those who are simply too scared to die...”
So, I finished this book, closed it, let out a long breath, and the words out of my mouth were literally: "Whoa"
Let me start by saying this novel really, really SCARED me. Not in a horror kinda way, but in a fearful of the future kinda way. The author makes this whole story feel incredibly real, like it all could already be happening. I really loved J. Kent Messum's debut 'BAIT'. His writing, story, and relentless pace was so freaking good that I hoped it wasn't a fluke. Husk proves it wasn't, and then some.
So, in the near future, the rich don't have to die like the rest of us. Those with the most $$$ get to upload their consciousness and become immortal. But after doing so, they just want to live again like real people. Unfortunately, they can't. But they can do the next best thing: Rent a Husk.
A Husk is basically a hooker who rents their body and brain out to billionaires for a high price. These clients take over the Husk's mind and 'pilot' them around, engaging in all kinds of shenanigans while the Husk's consciousness is in a dormant state. The Husk wakes up after sessions with no recollection of what has happened, but has to deal with the results of the client's indulgences (injuries, STDs, wronged individuals, etc). The novel follows Rhodes, a good-looking Husk who basically starts to investigate himself and his whereabouts on the job after he is struck with schizophrenic episodes and horrible feelings after his sessions. Where this investigation eventually leads him is some truly frightening territory.
The cast of characters in the book are really great (The bad guys are hella creepy), the world is so believable and unsettling, and the story has some serious depth to it, posing a lot of questions about the state of our world and what it means to be human, both now and in the future. Highly recommend this book if you're looking for something sharp, thrilling, and thought-provoking.
And that ENDING... OH MY GOD. Someone please tell me there will be a sequel!!!...more
What a read! It's been a long time since I read a writing style that was this brilliantly effective. 'The Delivery Man' was a gut-wrenching tale of beWhat a read! It's been a long time since I read a writing style that was this brilliantly effective. 'The Delivery Man' was a gut-wrenching tale of being held back and trapped by a life you'd sooner leave if you had the chance. Joe McGinniss Jr. is a new master who is hopefully just getting started. ...more
Unquestioningly brilliant. Cormac is a true master, and this novel shows yet again how untouchable the man is in the world of fiction. I couldn't recoUnquestioningly brilliant. Cormac is a true master, and this novel shows yet again how untouchable the man is in the world of fiction. I couldn't recommend his works enough....more
A really great book. Bait gets 5 out of 5 stars from me for a few reasons...
Firstly, there was never a dull page in this novel. 'Action-packed' is suA really great book. Bait gets 5 out of 5 stars from me for a few reasons...
Firstly, there was never a dull page in this novel. 'Action-packed' is such a cliche term, but it describes this book perfectly. This novel really motors right from the prologue all the way to the epilogue. The novel was short, but it's also the kind of book you can't help but read very quickly. To be honest, I couldn't put the damn thing down once I started. Finished it in only a couple of sittings.
Secondly, I happen to really like shorter books. Lean, crisp, fast-paced storytelling really gets my attention and Messum's prose is considerably free of fat and pretense. This is some seriously talented writing that just feels effortless to a reader. It's the kind of novel you can knock out in a four-hour flight. I felt like I was strapped in for the ride for most of the book. It was over soon after it began, but man, what a trip!
Thirdly, I actually thought the whole premise was quite plausible (in a crazy fiction kind of way). There were some twists I saw coming, and some that completely surprised me. The documented brutality and criminal behavior U.S. servicemen over the years (Staff Sergeant Robert Bales murdering 16 Afghan civilians back in 2012, just one example), made me think that the villains and their motives weren't that far-fetched at all. The junkies themselves were crude and vulgar at times, but then again... they are junkies going through withdrawal. Addicts have a bad reputation, one that Messum seems to greatly understand. He gives the characters some context that plays a little on our sympathies, but he doesn't victimize them. My reactions to the characters (both protagonists & antagonists) were mixed, but I think that might have been the whole point...
I do need to caution readers: Bait is a very ADULT novel (I wouldn't recommend it for anyone squeamish or under 17... unless you want to be scared straight when it comes to drugs). It's incredibly visceral, violent, and gory at times. I think it's also a book you will either 'get' or you won't. Therefore, you will either love it or hate it. Messum offers an unflinching look at a very ugly side of society that most ordinary people would be quite happy to ignore or scurry from (and do). I read the whole thing as a sharp social commentary, one that observes the filthy underbelly of the human condition and certain fringes of society.
J. Kent Messum has certainly hooked my attention with his debut. Can't wait to see what this guy comes up with next. ...more
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