What do you think?
Rate this book
Kissing You is Like Trying to Punch a Ghost
Christopher is an odd-job man, making a living by doing the chores no one else wants to. He doesn't drive and he just may have a crush on the sword-swallower girl who performs down on the boardwalk.
When he agrees to be the test subject for an experimental drug named ReQular, a transdermal patch with unknown effects, things begin to change. Between reporting to the three scientists who lead the research, he becomes wrapped up in the lives of various people- Eddie, a man who lives on the street, Jeanie, a spoiled rich daughter, even the Sword Girl, who regards him as a stalker as she draws him close then pushes him away. Most dangerously, he becomes obsessed with destroying the life of a random man he passes on the street, for reasons even he himself can't be sure of.
Through stranger and stranger turns, Christopher gets wrapped up in a world of questions: what is ReQular, who are the mysterious Murphy Group, and who can he trust?
When he agrees to be the test subject for an experimental drug named ReQular, a transdermal patch with unknown effects, things begin to change. Between reporting to the three scientists who lead the research, he becomes wrapped up in the lives of various people- Eddie, a man who lives on the street, Jeanie, a spoiled rich daughter, even the Sword Girl, who regards him as a stalker as she draws him close then pushes him away. Most dangerously, he becomes obsessed with destroying the life of a random man he passes on the street, for reasons even he himself can't be sure of.
Through stranger and stranger turns, Christopher gets wrapped up in a world of questions: what is ReQular, who are the mysterious Murphy Group, and who can he trust?
ebook
First published February 15, 2011
1 person is currently reading
50 people want to read
About the author
Brian Martinez
43 books108 followersBrian Martinez is a science fiction and horror writer. He studied Film at Long Island University, and has been known to watch a John Carpenter flick on repeat until people grow concerned. He lives in New York with his wife Natalia and their pack of dogs.
Martinez is known for numerous apocalyptic works, including A Chemical Fire, The Mountain and The City, and the Bleeders series. He also writes and produces The Vessel, a Space Horror podcast on all major platforms. You can find him on Substack for exclusive stories and serials. https://bloodstreamcity.substack.com/
Martinez is known for numerous apocalyptic works, including A Chemical Fire, The Mountain and The City, and the Bleeders series. He also writes and produces The Vessel, a Space Horror podcast on all major platforms. You can find him on Substack for exclusive stories and serials. https://bloodstreamcity.substack.com/
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
March 26, 2011
This is the second book by Martinez I have read and though I enjoyed it immensely, I loved A Chemical Fire: a novel oodles more. I just hope Martinez has more books already published or on the way as I like his style and the wonderful way he kept me guessing until the very end in both of his books. So few forms of entertainment these days truly surprise me and Martinez has done it twice now, which makes me a very happy reader.
This story is weird. I'm not sure what else to say without diving into and needlessly spoiling the plot. That's what book blurbs are for. I will mention that there is an iffy drug trial, a sword swallower (bonus points), and a disturbed main character who I liked even with his flaws and evil streak. I also loved his streak of defiance and struggle to not conform, often a cliche but not here.
The story is also pretty funny. And I love the ending. I thought it was headed in a particular direction but I was wrong and this made me love it all the more. I think I said nearly the exact same thing about A Chemical Fire. It's that whole unpredictability quality again.
Highly recommended for people who enjoy surreal and trippy books.
This story is weird. I'm not sure what else to say without diving into and needlessly spoiling the plot. That's what book blurbs are for. I will mention that there is an iffy drug trial, a sword swallower (bonus points), and a disturbed main character who I liked even with his flaws and evil streak. I also loved his streak of defiance and struggle to not conform, often a cliche but not here.
The story is also pretty funny. And I love the ending. I thought it was headed in a particular direction but I was wrong and this made me love it all the more. I think I said nearly the exact same thing about A Chemical Fire. It's that whole unpredictability quality again.
Highly recommended for people who enjoy surreal and trippy books.
January 2, 2015
I read this so long ago that now I can't do a proper review. But I will tell you what I can...
The reason I delayed reviewing it was because I found this book to be eminently quotable, and I wanted to do a proper job of the review. (See how that backfired?)
Brian Martinez's writing style is unique. It's pretty weird actually, and can be confusing. But... BUT... the poetry of it... he just really knows how to write some things beautifully. Sometimes it's the little things... (By the way, if you are a fan of these sorts of beautifully written quirky stories, I suggest you also check out D.L. Christopher).
Even though I don't quite "get" a lot of the characters or even plot points, I still find Martinez's books oddly satisfying.
“Christopher throws dandelion head after dandelion head into his bag. It's getting heavy now and his fingers are stained from the work but there are still so many left to kill. His biggest mistake is giving them names.”
― Brian Martinez, Kissing You is Like Trying to Punch a Ghost
The reason I delayed reviewing it was because I found this book to be eminently quotable, and I wanted to do a proper job of the review. (See how that backfired?)
Brian Martinez's writing style is unique. It's pretty weird actually, and can be confusing. But... BUT... the poetry of it... he just really knows how to write some things beautifully. Sometimes it's the little things... (By the way, if you are a fan of these sorts of beautifully written quirky stories, I suggest you also check out D.L. Christopher).
Even though I don't quite "get" a lot of the characters or even plot points, I still find Martinez's books oddly satisfying.
“Christopher throws dandelion head after dandelion head into his bag. It's getting heavy now and his fingers are stained from the work but there are still so many left to kill. His biggest mistake is giving them names.”
― Brian Martinez, Kissing You is Like Trying to Punch a Ghost
March 14, 2011
A fun surreal story. Nothing is ever what it seems. The main character does odd jobs for a living, not a great living, but certainly not subsistence living either. At first glance this person has loser written all over him, but looks are deceiving. The style is a mashup of Kurt Vonnegut, William Burroughs, and Ken Kesey. The last 40 pages holds many surprises.
September 29, 2011
I'm not sure how to review this book. Wierd, is a good choice. lol. For me, I was reminded of a little bit Kurt Vonnegut and a little bit Chuck Pahluniak.
Christoper is not exactly your average guy. He's a handyman and will do whatever you want him to do (nothing sexual, though) for $50.00 an hour. Nothing is too gross, hard or repugnant, he will do it all. He is the type of person who never censors or edits himself, almost like a child who says whatever is on their mind. The difference is a child doesn't knows any better, Christopher just doesn't care. He gets involved w/ a drug trial at the local hospital. And the craziness that follows, we're not sure if it's the result of the drug he's on or just Christopher. It's even hard to explain.
I enjoyed this book, even though I chose it only because in a bookgroup challenge I needed a book with the word "punch" in the title. So, even though I stumbled upon this for other reasons, I am really glad I did. I'm still shaking my head about it, but is that such a bad thing? lol
Christoper is not exactly your average guy. He's a handyman and will do whatever you want him to do (nothing sexual, though) for $50.00 an hour. Nothing is too gross, hard or repugnant, he will do it all. He is the type of person who never censors or edits himself, almost like a child who says whatever is on their mind. The difference is a child doesn't knows any better, Christopher just doesn't care. He gets involved w/ a drug trial at the local hospital. And the craziness that follows, we're not sure if it's the result of the drug he's on or just Christopher. It's even hard to explain.
I enjoyed this book, even though I chose it only because in a bookgroup challenge I needed a book with the word "punch" in the title. So, even though I stumbled upon this for other reasons, I am really glad I did. I'm still shaking my head about it, but is that such a bad thing? lol
January 19, 2012
Ok, I am not sure about this book. Christopher is a odd job man. He will do do anything for $50, except anything sexual. He becomes involved in a experiment. Are his reactions from the drug experiment or are they just part of his nature? Brian Martinez's book, "Kissing You Is Like Trying To Punch A Ghost" is as unique as his title. I found things that would have driven my Short Story Lit teacher crazy, and at times Christopher had too many thoughts that ran off in left field; but I found I could not put this book down. I am glad I had spend the time with this unusal book and look forward to reading more from this author.
May 6, 2012
I was really impressed with this book! I thought the book was going to get a little weird when 'Bobby' appeared on the scene, but I'm glad I read on. I loved the very colorful characters which were well developed by the author. I'd love to know more about how 'Christopher' ended up being on the streets with his mind in that 'unusual' state. 'Sword Girl' and 'Eddie' were perfect companions! I'm hunting down more from this author - he has talent - not sure why I haven't heard of him (even in Australia).
October 20, 2011
I'm still trying to figure out if this book was real. My head is still spinning. Great book man.
Want to read
December 18, 2011I will have to read this just for the title alone.
December 13, 2020
This is a really out of the box novel and could have been terrible, but was actually really good.
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews