Nikolas P. Robinson's Blog, page 5

Beautiful You by Chuck Palahniuk

I’m a long-time reader of Palahniuk’s work, and I’ve rarely found anything disappointing in his writing. Beautiful You, I’m happy to say, was no exception. As always, his unique literary voice and cadence shine through, while still managing to avoid seeming repetitive or tired.

This novel introduces us to Penny Harrigan, a woman whose life seems to be an unending series of disappointments, whether it’s her career or her love life. All of that changes when tech billionaire C. Linus Maxwell takes an interest in her. She’s as surprised as everyone else, as she lives out a Cinderella fantasy that most girls would only dream of. Unfortunately, the dream is quickly revealed to be more of a nightmare, as she begins to feel less like a romantic partner and more like a guinea pig. Maxwell is not the man the tabloids make him out to be, perhaps because he secretly owns them.

As this intensely sexual tryst continues, Penny silently watches the clock ticking down to the inevitable conclusion that awaits all of Maxwell’s romantic partners. And when that end arrives, it’s as jarring and disorienting as the beginning was.

It’s soon revealed that Maxwell has his eyes set on an objective with global repercussions, and Penny has been ignorantly complicit in the horrors that await the women of the world. By the time she realizes what’s going on, is it too late to get anyone to hear her?

As she struggles to put a stop to the plan already in motion, she’s hammered with revelations that force her to question her life, her identity, and the extreme limits of human sexuality.

As sexually explicit as Beautiful You happens to be, there’s nothing remotely erotic about it. That’s the magic of Palahniuk’s writing. He was able to approach a topic so steeped in sexual content without making it feel smutty or even remotely sexy. He takes us right to the verge and then turns away…like literary edging. There’s a perversity in the clinical detachment of it all, and the sense of impending awfulness that the reader or listener is impossible to dismiss. In a sense, it makes us feel superior to the characters, because we see the trap that awaits and convince ourselves we could escape it. It forces you to wonder if we’d succumb to the same terrible outcome if this sequence of events played out in the real world.

The moral of the story, I suppose, is that men need to focus more on the pleasure their partners are experiencing…otherwise, the Beautiful You line of products might just take our place.

Carol Monda’s narration definitely captures the initially neurotic and out-of-her-depth qualities of Penny’s character as well as who she becomes as the events of the story transform her.

This Skin Was Once Mine and Other Disturbances by Eric LaRocca, Narrated by Andre Santana, Natalie Naudus, Michael Crouch, & Steven Crossley

It seems appropriate that the first title I’m reviewing in June of 2024 is a title by a recently prolific and extremely talented LGBTQ+ author. This Skin Was Once Mine: and Other Disturbances is a collection of four unconnected stories that nevertheless work well together because of the common themes of relationships, secrets, and revelations that emerge as the tales are told. The title, also the title of the first of the stories, is emblematic of Eric LaRocca’s work, substantially longer than one expects a title to be, but so thoroughly captivating that it’s impossible to ignore.

In the titular tale, we are introduced to Jillian Finch, who returns to her childhood home following her father’s death, only to discover that many of the things she thought she knew about her family and her former life are not quite how she recalls them. As hideous secrets are revealed to us, her traumatized psychology shifts her focus to things that are seemingly trivial by comparison. As she reflexively ignores the horrible things she endured and survived, we witness the residual effects of childhood trauma and the devastating ripples they have.

The next story in this collection, Seedling, also deals with grief and mourning, as a son returns home to an emotionally distant father when his mother passes away. He discovers the wounds we carry with us, passed down from generation to generation, as hurt is revisited. And even as he and his father come to understand one another better than they ever have, it seems that the seeds germinating early in life have grown into cancerous wounds that might be impossible to heal.

All the Parts of You That Won’t Easily Burn introduces Enoch Leadbetter as he attempts to find the perfect knife to satisfy his husband’s needs for an upcoming dinner party. Instead, he finds a secret and shameful obsession that consumes him, as he loses touch with who and what he was with startling consequences.

In the final story, Prickle, we meet two elderly gentlemen as they come together for the first time in a long while. Worried that time may be limited, they play a cruel, sadistic game they once enjoyed. But as the challenges grow increasingly perverse, we’re forced to witness a shocking loss of humanity and decency.

Each of these stories is spectacularly well-written and deeply immersive, which is truly the most insidious aspect of LaRocca’s storytelling. They remain with you long after you’ve stepped away, and you’re forced to move forward, knowing that there’s no sense in worrying about the innocence you lost along the way. Like the snake shedding its skin, there’s no reason to look back or to think, “This skin was once mine.”

The narrations provided by Natalie Naudus, Andre Santana Michael Crouch, and Steven Crossley were spot-on. The perfect narrator was selected for each story, in my opinion. They made the tales feel more authentic and poignant. I don’t know how long it took to choose who would narrate the individual stories, but if it was a drawn-out process, it was worth every second of deliberation.

https://www.audiobooks.com/audiobook/this-skin-was-once-mine-and-other-disturbances/755321

https://www.audible.com/pd/This-Skin-Was-Once-Mine-Audiobook/B0CVJDMZK9?action_code=ASSGB149080119000H&share_location=pdp

All I Want Is To Take Shrooms and Listen To the Color Of Nazi Screams by John Baltisberger

That title’s a mouthful, right? Well, I challenge you to come up with a more appropriate title for the book after you’ve had an opportunity to read it. This is going to be a challenge to review because it’s so many different things. There’s so much going on within these pages. At the core, it’s a collection of short fiction and poetry, much of which is focused on kaiju–I’ll return to that later. But this collection is unique in that it’s assembled in a framing story that tells us a colorfully embellished autobiography of Mr. Baltisberger himself.

Colorfully embellished is certainly one way to describe it. This is the autobiography of John Baltisberger if he took off the restraints that civilized society has shackled him with. There is violence galore–violence we certainly hope isn’t an accurate representation of John’s life. If it is, then we should probably keep our mouths shut and let him go about his business. Because his business is killing neo-Nazis, fratboy rapists, corrupt police, klansmen, and other people the world might be better off without…and ingesting copious amounts of hallucinogenic substances. Of course, as we learn later on, much of his attention has shifted to focus on his intensely sexual relationship with his loving wife and the fantastic daughter they’ve produced. But maybe there’s still room for killing bad guys. There’s always room for that, right?

So, regarding the kaiju-focused short fiction and poetry. A few years ago, Mr. Baltisberger offered to write personalized kaiju poems or stories taking place in locations of your choosing. I was one of the individuals who took advantage of that offer, and I was pleased to see that the brief tale was included in this collection. They’re a lot of fun, and it’s hard not to enjoy giant monsters going on monstrous rampages as such creatures are wont to do.

One feature that stood out for me was roughly two-thirds of the way into the book, where there’s a hugely epic poem that will surely satisfy fans of Baltisberger’s stand-alone poetry. It tells a tale of history and war, intrigue and mysticism. That alone is worth the price of admission. It is best thought of as admission because Baltisberger is going to take you on a dizzying, kaleidoscopic thrill ride that rivals anything you’ll find at Six Flags.

You can also find this title, along with many others by the same author as well as the publisher, Planet Bizarro Press, by going to http://www.godless.com or following the link below:

All I Want is to Take Shrooms and Listen to the Color of Nazi Screams by John Baltisberger

Head Like a Hole by Andrew Van Wey, Narrated by Tom Jordan

Body horror, science fiction, psychological horror, and supernatural horror all blur together in a tale of revenge, regret, and transformation in the deeply haunting Head Like a Hole by Andrew Van Wey. It’s challenging to say much about this book without spoiling it, but I’ll do my best.

Something terrible washes ashore, a monstrous, inhuman thing with a hunger for revenge…and so much hunger altogether…bent on righting a wrong from years before. If they want any hope of surviving, a group of estranged friends must come together and solve a mystery that defies imagination…if they can survive that long. They’re hunted by a ghost from the past that is so much more than anyone could have bargained for.

Questions on the nature of identity, autonomy, and what defines a human being are deftly handled with Van Wey’s expert storytelling…and the slow reveal of a body horror nightmare unfolds in such a way that the reader is fully immersed and terrified that they’ve predicted the ending before it arrives, hoping that they’re wrong.

Tom Jordan’s narration of the story brings everything to life, a vivid unwholesome life.

Meddling Kids by Edgar Cantero, Narrated by Kyla Garcia

One of my favorite things about Scooby-Doo was that the monsters, ghosts, and ghouls were never real. It was always just some creep in a costume, usually undertaking some ridiculously convoluted plot to fulfill their capitalist desires. When the more recent Scooby-Doo cartoons and movies came out, I was disappointed to see that there were real monsters involved. The creators seemed to lose track of the whole purpose behind the originals. That being said, if the monsters have to be real for the purpose of the story, Edgar Cantero gets it right.

Meddling Kids takes those teen mystery stories we loved as children–at least I did–and pays homage to them while also playing tongue-in-cheek with the tropes. The Hardy Boys, Nancy Drew, and Scooby-Doo are blended together in this story, with a healthy dose of H. P. Lovecraft thrown into the mix.

Thirteen years after the Blyton Summer Detective Club solved their final mystery, the awful truth behind that caper rears its ugly head, forcing the surviving members to question whether they’d gotten it right after all. Sure, they’d apprehended a crazy old man in an absurd costume, and they’d gone on with their lives. But what if there was something more lurking beneath the surface? What if there was some unspeakable horror operating behind the scenes at Sleepy Lake? And did their proximity to something truly not-of-this-world leave a mark on the children that haunts them into adulthood?

This is where the story begins. From there it’s a humorous and heartfelt tribute to characters that bear a strong–and entirely intentional–resemblance to the ones Cantero created for the book. The mystery behind the mystery provides ample opportunity for (often calamitous) investigations, red herrings, and the emergence of a new bad guy who makes all their previously tackled foes seem like child’s play. It’s a good thing the young detectives are now young adults because what they’re forced to face is something no child is prepared to confront.

Kyla Garcia’s narration is excellent and conveys the humor and horror of the story as well as one could hope.

https://www.audible.com/pd/Meddling-Kids-Audiobook/B073C12LZ1?action_code=ASSGB149080119000H&share_location=pdp

The Hollow Places by T. Kingfisher, Narrated by Hillary Huber

Liminal spaces get under our skin in a way that’s difficult to explain–both captivating and unsettling. Those are perhaps the best ways to describe T. Kingfisher’s The Hollow Places as well…the book is both captivating and unsettling–but in the best ways.

Kara’s life didn’t turn out quite the way she expected. Freshly divorced from a husband who left more than a little bit to be desired, she finds herself moving into the apartment owned by her eccentric and doting uncle, in the same building as his museum of curiosities–mostly containing items of questionable authenticity and taxidermy specimens of equally questionable taste and quality. When she discovers a hole in the wall, Kara has no way of preparing for what she discovers on the other side.

With the assistance of her friend and trusty barista, Kara explores the concrete bunker that exists in a space that can’t exist within the walls of her building, only to find a whole new world awaiting her. But this new world is a dangerous place filled with threats–both seen and unseen. Navigating the treacherous–and seemingly endless–series of small islands rising from a shallow river, Kara and Simon soon fear they may be lost. Lost, but not alone.

Will they find their way home?

If they find their way home, will something else pass through into our world?

You’ll have to read it to find out.

The Hollow Places is a stirring adventure into the unknown, leaving us with so many questions for which there are sure to be no answers…but satisfying our curiosity just the same.

The narration from Hillary Huber is spot-on, capturing the exasperated and sarcastic nature of Kara’s character, the kindly qualities of her loving uncle, and the peculiarly out-of-his-depth Simon about as perfectly as one could hope.

Inside the Devil’s Nest by John Durgin, Narrated by Joe Hempel

Anthony Graham is a successful real estate agent. That success is due–in no small part–to a deal he made with the devil, in the form of an agreement made with a mob boss who wants to use vacant properties for a variety of purposes, no questions asked. When Anthony stumbles upon one of his properties being used in an entirely predictable way–though one he never expected–it all comes crashing down around him in a barrage of sudden violence. On the run with his family, knowing he’s only postponing the inevitable, Anthony heads for a former campground he’s been unable to sell–hoping it’ll buy him some time to figure out what to do next. Unfortunately, for Anthony and his family, this campground holds dark secrets far worse–and more dangerous–than the men hunting them down.

John Durgin paints us a portrait of a family struggling to hold it together despite years of acrimony, strain, and secrets…and then he thrusts that family into a situation sure to unravel the worn threads that hold them together. Before they arrive at the campground the family is already falling apart, and it only gets worse from there. Good intentions spectacularly pave the way to Hell as two broken families with secrets buried deep come together, and Anthony learns first-hand why he’s never been able to sell the property.

We’re forced to witness as six people find themselves caught between two evils that mean nothing but harm, and we’re left wondering which of those two evils will exact their toll first as we descend toward a conclusion that can be nothing but violent and cruel. We may want to look away, but there’s some part of us that keeps us watching as everything approaches perhaps the only ending there could be.

Joe Hempel’s narration of the tale brings it to terrifying life and gives each character their own place in the listener’s imagination while we join them on their journey to the depths.

https://www.audible.com/pd/Inside-the-Devils-Nest-Audiobook/B0C4BK3D1T?action_code=ASSGB149080119000H&share_location=pdp

Puzzle House by Duncan Ralston, Narrated by Joe Hempel

One part Cube, one part Saw, one part The Ninth Gate, and a dash of House On Haunted Hill, Duncan Ralston’s Puzzle House is an excellent book for fans of those movies. If you’re the kind of person who enjoys escape rooms, puzzles, and character studies–you’re in for one hell of a treat. When a mysterious puzzle master dies, his will brings together an assortment of strangers (all but his ex-wife, unfamiliar with the deceased as well)…but that is only the beginning of the mystery.

These people find themselves called to a house that has become something far more sinister, a series of escape rooms with a hefty toll to be paid and life-or-death consequences riding on the solutions. As they struggle to survive the sadistic gauntlet from which the only way out is through, secrets are revealed that connect these apparent strangers in ways that can’t be a coincidence. Somewhere at the core of it all is a mysterious organization with occult origins, and the rats in this maze are battling not only the clock but their own preconceived notions of what is–or can be–real. But will they be able to solve the puzzles that await them, and who will survive the journey into the Puzzle House? And is everyone who they seem to be? You’ll have to dare entry on your own to find out.

This one has one hell of an ending, and it leaves you wishing that you could stay with the story just a little bit longer–to find out what happens next. Ralston does a great job of leaving you hanging but feeling satisfied just the same–forced to decide how you, as the reader, might proceed.

Joe Hempel’s narration of the audiobook is spectacular as always…which should go without saying. He successfully brings the characters to life and pulls the story from the page, leaving the listener immersed in the nightmare environment.

https://www.audible.com/pd/Puzzle-House-Audiobook/B0CGXWP9WN?action_code=ASSGB149080119000H&share_location=pdp

Monochrome Noir: A Gathering Storm by Jack Wells

Monochrome Noir: Book 1 (A Gathering Storm) introduces us to a world just like our own, but where everything is black and white, and color is of such priceless rarity that people will kill to own items that have been imbued by those who have the gift to bring color to life in the monochromatic items of everyday life.

When a strange and grisly series of killings begins, private detective Henry Hardcastle is hired by a mysterious woman with secrets to keep, and a deeply personal stake in the resolution of these terrible murders. As Henry struggles to navigate a world that isn’t quite what he believed it to be, a young woman, Charlie Grant is struggling with her own nightmare. As their independent journeys for understanding spiral around the central crux of the deranged killer stalking Angel City, we’re forced to wonder if they can fill in pieces of the puzzle for one another if they’re able to come together before one or both of them winds up dead.

Jack Wells does a fantastic job of building a world that’s as captivating as it is unreal, populating this world with characters sure to appeal to readers from a wide variety of tastes, and breathing new life into the hardboiled detective genre many of us adored when we were younger–and some of us never stopped adoring.

This is only Part 1 of the four book series, so there’s much more to come if you manage to weather the gathering storm.

The Perfectly Fine House by Stephen Kozeniewski & Wile E. Young

Imagine living in a world where the dead remain side-by-side with the living–whether it’s animals or people, the dead remain tethered to the world and free to interact with it. This is the only world you’ve ever known–the way it’s always been. Imagine you find a house without any spectral presence–a place ghosts fear to tread–where any ghost unfortunate enough to cross a certain boundary is snuffed out. Would that place be as terrifying to you as a “haunted” location is to those of us in the more familiar world?

That is where this story begins, the discovery of a place that is not only devoid of spiritual entities but fatally harmful to them. Where it ends is far worse.

Kozeniewski and Young created a fantastic vision of a world in which things are quite different from our own, a society that is familiar enough to feel real yet so wildly different as to provide the reader with a sense of adventurous thrill as they learn how things work when the dead don’t leave us. We’re provided adequate time to explore this world before we’re forced to fear that it’s all going away, as whatever unknown force transformed the un-haunted house into a place of certain death for spirits begins to spread.

It’s a story of family, unanticipated romance, and the five stages of grief played out on a global scale…as humanity is forced to learn–for the first time–how to mourn the loss of those they loved in life. It’s a story of the sudden fear of mortality striking home everywhere, all at once…with devastating consequences. It’s all of those things, and so much more. There’s humor, there’s heart, and there is ample horror too.