Michael Noe's Blog, page 19
November 28, 2015
Realms Of The Dead
Realms Of The Dead - William Todd Rose 2/5
Here we have two novellas in one nice convenient ebook. It's not exactly a horror story even though there are elements of horror involved. It deals more with death and the herding of wayward souls. Not what I normally read but these two novellas were actually well written and would make an excellent movie or television series. I think the main problem I had was that it seemed to drag a bit and the books themselves aren't very long. The idea of a guy herding souls like cattle sounds interesting and it is for the most part. William has a knack for telling a great story and you almost become a participant due to his various descriptions of the cutscenes.
I'm just not a big fan of these kinds of novels. I struggled to finish it because my mind kept drifting. Maybe it was due to the books being so short. There is a lot of great ideas housed withing these pages but I think something longer would have made it more exciting. I gave it two stars because I wanted it to be better than it was. It's a surreal novel that opens up the idea of death to be more than just this idea of heaven and hell or even the fact that your soul doesn't travel at all. Rose will make you think, but the novels themselves are just okay.
Here we have two novellas in one nice convenient ebook. It's not exactly a horror story even though there are elements of horror involved. It deals more with death and the herding of wayward souls. Not what I normally read but these two novellas were actually well written and would make an excellent movie or television series. I think the main problem I had was that it seemed to drag a bit and the books themselves aren't very long. The idea of a guy herding souls like cattle sounds interesting and it is for the most part. William has a knack for telling a great story and you almost become a participant due to his various descriptions of the cutscenes.
I'm just not a big fan of these kinds of novels. I struggled to finish it because my mind kept drifting. Maybe it was due to the books being so short. There is a lot of great ideas housed withing these pages but I think something longer would have made it more exciting. I gave it two stars because I wanted it to be better than it was. It's a surreal novel that opens up the idea of death to be more than just this idea of heaven and hell or even the fact that your soul doesn't travel at all. Rose will make you think, but the novels themselves are just okay.
November 24, 2015
Benjamin
Benjamin - Pedro Proenca 5/5 http://www.amazon.com/Benjamin-Pedro-Proen%C3%A7a-ebook/dp/B0172PA8VG
If you look at my Goodreads reviews you'll see that I was a huge fan and supporter of Bizarro fiction. I had become bored with popular fiction and bizarro was exactly what I had been looking for. It was insane and didn't follow any rules. Unfortunately I began to drift away from the genre but occasionally I'd peek back in when the right book came along.
Pedro was kind enough to give me a copy of Benjamin and I have to say that this guy truly loves this genre and it shows in his writing. Instead of emulating his heroes in the genre he takes that influence and creates something unique and truly bizarre. This is why I started reading bizarro. As a debut it's quite strong and you can see that Pedro is finding his voice, but make no mistake, this is a debut to be proud of.
Benjamin is a story about destiny, or maybe it's about reincarnation. Pedro has given us a hero who also happens to be a balloon. As the story builds and evolves we see that Benjamin is a very special balloon. He has a purpose and that is where the story truly reaches its apex. As a story teller Pedro knows how to capture his readers. It's a story that borders on the absurd, but that's the interesting part of the. There's something here that anyone can pick up on and give their own interpretation of what Benjamin and the Nexus is. I have a feeling about Pedro. He's going to be a rising star in the Bizarro genre. It's a fascinating debut that shows us a writer with a bright future ahead of him.
If you look at my Goodreads reviews you'll see that I was a huge fan and supporter of Bizarro fiction. I had become bored with popular fiction and bizarro was exactly what I had been looking for. It was insane and didn't follow any rules. Unfortunately I began to drift away from the genre but occasionally I'd peek back in when the right book came along.
Pedro was kind enough to give me a copy of Benjamin and I have to say that this guy truly loves this genre and it shows in his writing. Instead of emulating his heroes in the genre he takes that influence and creates something unique and truly bizarre. This is why I started reading bizarro. As a debut it's quite strong and you can see that Pedro is finding his voice, but make no mistake, this is a debut to be proud of.
Benjamin is a story about destiny, or maybe it's about reincarnation. Pedro has given us a hero who also happens to be a balloon. As the story builds and evolves we see that Benjamin is a very special balloon. He has a purpose and that is where the story truly reaches its apex. As a story teller Pedro knows how to capture his readers. It's a story that borders on the absurd, but that's the interesting part of the. There's something here that anyone can pick up on and give their own interpretation of what Benjamin and the Nexus is. I have a feeling about Pedro. He's going to be a rising star in the Bizarro genre. It's a fascinating debut that shows us a writer with a bright future ahead of him.
November 21, 2015
Monsterland
Monsterland - Michael Phillip Cash 3/5
I snagged this off of Netgalley based on the cover and then the blurb. It sounds intriguing and as a horror fan this looked like a win, This a premise that hadn't been done before, and it felt to me like it would be a nice spin on Jurassic Park. It starts out strong but then kind of falters at the end. It's not a bad novel but it just feels like it needs less of a morality play and way more gore. These are legendary monsters in a theme park! I expected things to go sour, but I thought that there would be more blood, more focus on the monsters themselves. These are the stars of the novel, and their pissed off. I want to see the vengeance played it in a more violent fashion! What I got though was a novel meant maybe for teens? I dunno, but the thing is you have the mad scientist who seems like the world's savior, but is really well you'll just have to read it to find out.
Cash is a decent writer but at times it feels as if he's unsure of the direction he wants to go. He has this great set of characters that are heading into this park and then it just kinda slows down. This is the kind of novel that horror fans would jump on and its heart is in the right place, but it just feels a bit predictable. We can what's coming a mile away and sure, he's a good story teller but there are so many other directions that he could have ventured into to give this book some serious bite.
It's an interesting read though and fans of light horror will find a lot to like here, and that's not bad thing at all. The premise is strong and if you enjoy novels that have interesting characters and a quick moving plot this is the book for you. Horror fans on the other hand may be dissapointed though because it's jut not that frightening. It's a novel about corruption and greed. We see who the real monsters of Monsterland really are they aren't the ones the park's visitors are being protected from. I think that's the true message of Monsterland.
I snagged this off of Netgalley based on the cover and then the blurb. It sounds intriguing and as a horror fan this looked like a win, This a premise that hadn't been done before, and it felt to me like it would be a nice spin on Jurassic Park. It starts out strong but then kind of falters at the end. It's not a bad novel but it just feels like it needs less of a morality play and way more gore. These are legendary monsters in a theme park! I expected things to go sour, but I thought that there would be more blood, more focus on the monsters themselves. These are the stars of the novel, and their pissed off. I want to see the vengeance played it in a more violent fashion! What I got though was a novel meant maybe for teens? I dunno, but the thing is you have the mad scientist who seems like the world's savior, but is really well you'll just have to read it to find out.
Cash is a decent writer but at times it feels as if he's unsure of the direction he wants to go. He has this great set of characters that are heading into this park and then it just kinda slows down. This is the kind of novel that horror fans would jump on and its heart is in the right place, but it just feels a bit predictable. We can what's coming a mile away and sure, he's a good story teller but there are so many other directions that he could have ventured into to give this book some serious bite.
It's an interesting read though and fans of light horror will find a lot to like here, and that's not bad thing at all. The premise is strong and if you enjoy novels that have interesting characters and a quick moving plot this is the book for you. Horror fans on the other hand may be dissapointed though because it's jut not that frightening. It's a novel about corruption and greed. We see who the real monsters of Monsterland really are they aren't the ones the park's visitors are being protected from. I think that's the true message of Monsterland.
November 18, 2015
A Head Full Of Ghosts
A Head Full Of Ghosts - Paul Tremblay 5/5
I have been hearing about this book for quite awhile now, but sadly I'm one of those people that balk at paying 12.99 for a digital book, and will only fork over 12-13 dollars for a physical copy if it's written by an indie writer I want to support. So when Head dropped to a buck ninety nine I clicked the buy button and allowed it to sit on my Kindle app for awhile. Surely you've heard about this book. Stephen King has said that it scared the hell out of him and I've read Stephen King's latest books and the only thing scary about him is that he's still writing. The question is, should you read Ghosts? Does it live up to the praise, and hype it's received?
It does. There are certain parts of this book that had me flinging my tablet onto the couch and announcing that I was done. Fuck this book. The thing is that Tremblay has written one hell of a novel. It will creep you out, keep you guessing until the very end, and even when you've read it, you have to allow it sink in a little. It's more than a story of possession, greed, and whatever other reviewers tell you it is. It's a book that has to be read and experienced in order to understand just how good it is. I can understand why everyone is talking about this book, and the hype isn't bullshit. Tremblay has written a great horror novel that taps into so many different emotions, and genres that it all just blends together and makes for some highly addictive reading.
The story is told from Mary's perspective, but fifteen years after the events. It would be easy for Tremblay to come right out and say whether Marjorie is, or isn't possessed. That's the easy way though and A Head Full of Ghosts doesn't make anything easy. A great story teller presents a story but it's up to the reader to figure out the why and the what. Even when you think you have all the answers you find out that you're wrong. This is a book that shifts the horror landscape and ups the ante a bit.
Ghosts is going to be on a lot of end of the year lists and for good reason. It transcends the horror genre and becomes a novel that stands on its on. It never loses steam and as a writer Tremblay knows how to hook his audience. This is one novel that you should read even if you're not a horror fan. I wish that this were a book that were easier to review, but in order to explain it you have to give away some spoilers and that would be unfair to those who want to read it. Is it worth picking up and reading? Hell yeah it is and it's without a doubt one of my favorite novels that I plan on revisiting very soon.
I have been hearing about this book for quite awhile now, but sadly I'm one of those people that balk at paying 12.99 for a digital book, and will only fork over 12-13 dollars for a physical copy if it's written by an indie writer I want to support. So when Head dropped to a buck ninety nine I clicked the buy button and allowed it to sit on my Kindle app for awhile. Surely you've heard about this book. Stephen King has said that it scared the hell out of him and I've read Stephen King's latest books and the only thing scary about him is that he's still writing. The question is, should you read Ghosts? Does it live up to the praise, and hype it's received?
It does. There are certain parts of this book that had me flinging my tablet onto the couch and announcing that I was done. Fuck this book. The thing is that Tremblay has written one hell of a novel. It will creep you out, keep you guessing until the very end, and even when you've read it, you have to allow it sink in a little. It's more than a story of possession, greed, and whatever other reviewers tell you it is. It's a book that has to be read and experienced in order to understand just how good it is. I can understand why everyone is talking about this book, and the hype isn't bullshit. Tremblay has written a great horror novel that taps into so many different emotions, and genres that it all just blends together and makes for some highly addictive reading.
The story is told from Mary's perspective, but fifteen years after the events. It would be easy for Tremblay to come right out and say whether Marjorie is, or isn't possessed. That's the easy way though and A Head Full of Ghosts doesn't make anything easy. A great story teller presents a story but it's up to the reader to figure out the why and the what. Even when you think you have all the answers you find out that you're wrong. This is a book that shifts the horror landscape and ups the ante a bit.
Ghosts is going to be on a lot of end of the year lists and for good reason. It transcends the horror genre and becomes a novel that stands on its on. It never loses steam and as a writer Tremblay knows how to hook his audience. This is one novel that you should read even if you're not a horror fan. I wish that this were a book that were easier to review, but in order to explain it you have to give away some spoilers and that would be unfair to those who want to read it. Is it worth picking up and reading? Hell yeah it is and it's without a doubt one of my favorite novels that I plan on revisiting very soon.
November 17, 2015
Flashes Of Fiction
Flashes Of Darkness: Halloween Special 2015: A Flash Fiction Collection 5/5 http://www.amazon.com/Flashes-Darkness-Halloween-Special-Collection-ebook/dp/B017UK76PE/ref=asap_bc?ie=UTF8
Maybe I shouldn't review this because I have a story here, but if you take my piece out of it it's still an interesting little book. In October Dark Chapter Press held a contest for writers to take part in. You were given a team and had to create a flash fiction piece about werewolves, zombies, or vampires. These are genres that have been done to death so the challenge here was to breath new life into them. Sounds simple until you realize that the word count is only 1k. It was a lot of fun to take part in a contest like this and as a writer there's only so much you can do with so few words. Dark Chapter Press knew that it could be done, but the how was left up to us.
Flashes Of Darkness features some of those entries and what a collection this is. It's proof that you can take tired genres and breath some life into them. Each story here is short, but they pack one hell of a punch. The writers here have really stepped up and the book is a satisfying read. These aren't your typical werewolves, zombies, or vampires and that's what this book is meant to represent. What Dark Chapter and even the authors involved here have shown is that less is more. With the limited word count you had to hit fast and hard, and sometimes build tension with the first sentence. Each of these authors here have created something new and unique. There is a lot to like here and each story that the editors have chosen for this volume could have won.
Dark Chapter has released a solid anthology that features some new authors as well as some that have been around for awhile. Once you read this you'll want to seek out some of their longer works. As a fan of horror I give this five stars and even if I wasn't involved it would still be a five star book. Dark Chapter Press knows horror, and as they begin to release more books more and more people are going to take notice. Books like these are what horror fans love. You have a wide cross section of horror that caters to a wide fan base. The nice thing is that the book isn't horribly expensive. You get 24 flash fiction pieces for .99 cents and trust me Flashes Of Darkness is worth every penny.
November 10, 2015
Stuart Keane - Grin 5/5 ...
Stuart Keane - Grin 5/5 http://www.amazon.com/Grin-Stuart-Keane-ebook/dp/B017EHJ98U/ref=asap_bc?ie=UTF8
I cannot say enough good things about Stuart. This is a guy knows horror and he has a knack for going deep into the muck and the mire of the dark side of humanity. If you see Stuart's name on a book then you know it's going to be good. He shows us that the monsters sometimes wear human faces and in Grin they will slaughter your whole family and leave you disfigured. Reading Grin you can't help but feel Dani's pain and look forward to the moment when she finally sets out to get her revenge. I thought that Cine was Keane's best book, but I was wrong. The thing about Keane is that with each book he evolves, and that's what a writer does. You can see that he's at that point where he can write whatever he wants and you know that it's going to knock you on your ass. That's just how Keane rolls.
Grin is almost a horror/ action novel that slowly builds until the bloody climax. There's a warning label about some scenes may disturb for a reason. Make no mistake though this isn't just about pushing out a bunch of violence to sell books. This is a tale of vengeance. You can see yourself as Dani, and doing the same exact thing. The plot moves quickly and we see Dani's sanity begin to slip a little as her need for revenge overpowers her. It's Dani's story that makes this novel so good. Keane could have painted her as a victim that accepts her fate and just moves on with her life.
Problem with that is that it would have made the book weak and less powerful. We want to watch Dani get her revenge. When the story begins to hit its conclusion we're cheering for her, and want to see her succeed. Keane is a talented writer that knows how to hook his readers. Grin is the type of novel that moves quickly and presents us with a highly addicting story that will no doubt unnerve, and yes, even shock you, It's the type of horror novel that people forget exists. It has a classic old school feel to it and that's not a bad thing. Grin fits into a lot of genres, but doesn't feel weighted down or preachy. It could have easily went down that path but it doesn't. Thanks Stuart!
If you've never read a Stuart Keane book this is a good place to start. For the fans it's an evolution of a talented writer. This is how you build a career folks. Keane is the kind of writer that horror fans enjoy because there's no bullshit. He knows how to craft a story and each book is better than the one before it. This is a writer that'll be around for a long time and I keep waiting for mainstream audiences and pick this guy up. Easily a five star book. You should click the above link and buy this now.
I cannot say enough good things about Stuart. This is a guy knows horror and he has a knack for going deep into the muck and the mire of the dark side of humanity. If you see Stuart's name on a book then you know it's going to be good. He shows us that the monsters sometimes wear human faces and in Grin they will slaughter your whole family and leave you disfigured. Reading Grin you can't help but feel Dani's pain and look forward to the moment when she finally sets out to get her revenge. I thought that Cine was Keane's best book, but I was wrong. The thing about Keane is that with each book he evolves, and that's what a writer does. You can see that he's at that point where he can write whatever he wants and you know that it's going to knock you on your ass. That's just how Keane rolls.
Grin is almost a horror/ action novel that slowly builds until the bloody climax. There's a warning label about some scenes may disturb for a reason. Make no mistake though this isn't just about pushing out a bunch of violence to sell books. This is a tale of vengeance. You can see yourself as Dani, and doing the same exact thing. The plot moves quickly and we see Dani's sanity begin to slip a little as her need for revenge overpowers her. It's Dani's story that makes this novel so good. Keane could have painted her as a victim that accepts her fate and just moves on with her life.
Problem with that is that it would have made the book weak and less powerful. We want to watch Dani get her revenge. When the story begins to hit its conclusion we're cheering for her, and want to see her succeed. Keane is a talented writer that knows how to hook his readers. Grin is the type of novel that moves quickly and presents us with a highly addicting story that will no doubt unnerve, and yes, even shock you, It's the type of horror novel that people forget exists. It has a classic old school feel to it and that's not a bad thing. Grin fits into a lot of genres, but doesn't feel weighted down or preachy. It could have easily went down that path but it doesn't. Thanks Stuart!
If you've never read a Stuart Keane book this is a good place to start. For the fans it's an evolution of a talented writer. This is how you build a career folks. Keane is the kind of writer that horror fans enjoy because there's no bullshit. He knows how to craft a story and each book is better than the one before it. This is a writer that'll be around for a long time and I keep waiting for mainstream audiences and pick this guy up. Easily a five star book. You should click the above link and buy this now.
November 6, 2015
God Bomb
GodBomb - Kit Power 5/5 http://www.amazon.com/GodBomb-Kit-Power-ebook/dp/B0141HK0FM/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1446879922&sr=8-1&keywords=God+Bomb
When I heard about GodBomb I wasn't sure what to expect. Books like these sometimes just don't live up to the hype, and often become mired in whatever agenda the author has in mind. The only book I can compare it too would be Stephen King's Rage. This is a book that King himself pulled out of circulation due to it resembling current events. The reason I bring Rage up is because it made me think and after I read it I couldn't stop thinking about it. GodBomb is the exactly the same kind of novel. You simply don't read it. You become absorbed in it and you may even find that your holding your breath as events unfold. There's no way to stop it and it everything happens so fast that you sometimes have to take a break just to catch your breath,
It's a very dark novel that is based smack dab in reality and at times it does make you question God, and even faith, Godbomb is the kind of story that could happen. All it would take is a crisis of faith. That's what this books really about. These are people from different backgrounds and with different levels of faith, forced to pray for God to show up and if he doesn't there's going to be a mighty big boom. That is the pull of the novel. Does God actually listen to prayer? If he's watching over us like we're lead to believe then why hasn't he stopped this from happening? Maybe he allowed this to happen to test their faith. Faith is both a powerful and also a crippling thing.
It's a riveting story that evolves well. Powers has written a novel that will shock and offend, but when you read a novel like this you can always expect something like that. This is a writer that knows how to engage his readers. It's a masterpiece of reality fiction, and it keeps your eyes glued to the page. We've all questioned our faith, but our protagonist has gone one step further and has called God out. His actions make sense in his mind, and even as I read it I could feel his desperation. He has set out to prove the existence of God. That one decision sets of a chain reaction of violence and the unexpected. GodBomb is a well written novel that pulls you in and holds you hostage until the end.
When I heard about GodBomb I wasn't sure what to expect. Books like these sometimes just don't live up to the hype, and often become mired in whatever agenda the author has in mind. The only book I can compare it too would be Stephen King's Rage. This is a book that King himself pulled out of circulation due to it resembling current events. The reason I bring Rage up is because it made me think and after I read it I couldn't stop thinking about it. GodBomb is the exactly the same kind of novel. You simply don't read it. You become absorbed in it and you may even find that your holding your breath as events unfold. There's no way to stop it and it everything happens so fast that you sometimes have to take a break just to catch your breath,
It's a very dark novel that is based smack dab in reality and at times it does make you question God, and even faith, Godbomb is the kind of story that could happen. All it would take is a crisis of faith. That's what this books really about. These are people from different backgrounds and with different levels of faith, forced to pray for God to show up and if he doesn't there's going to be a mighty big boom. That is the pull of the novel. Does God actually listen to prayer? If he's watching over us like we're lead to believe then why hasn't he stopped this from happening? Maybe he allowed this to happen to test their faith. Faith is both a powerful and also a crippling thing.
It's a riveting story that evolves well. Powers has written a novel that will shock and offend, but when you read a novel like this you can always expect something like that. This is a writer that knows how to engage his readers. It's a masterpiece of reality fiction, and it keeps your eyes glued to the page. We've all questioned our faith, but our protagonist has gone one step further and has called God out. His actions make sense in his mind, and even as I read it I could feel his desperation. He has set out to prove the existence of God. That one decision sets of a chain reaction of violence and the unexpected. GodBomb is a well written novel that pulls you in and holds you hostage until the end.
October 31, 2015
The Other Boy
The Other Boy Ian Taylor & Rosi Taylor 5/5 http://www.amazon.com/The-Other-Boy-Ian-Taylor-ebook/dp/B016N3I2E8
I was given a copy of The Other Boy in exchange for an honest review and figured that I would wait until the day of launch to post this. Here's the deal. You need to click the above link now and pre-order this bad boy so you can begin reading it the day it comes out on November 10. Believe me when I tell you that this is one novella you do not wanna miss. Ian and Taylor have captured something here that goes beyond just your ordinary ghost story and becomes something else entirely. Some might even say it's a bit cliche but you know what? I love horror stories like this and it takes some of the darkest elements of the genre and twists it into something unique. The thing that I love most is that just when you think you have it all figured out you find out you don't.
The Other Boy isn't a book you can just categorize. The story is less about Will and Alice and more about Toby and what's happening to him. In a book like this you're usually on the outside looking in and you're led to believe that what's happening isn't real. You begin to believe that the character is slightly going crazy, but here you see right away that something is happening, but you don't know why. The Taylor's slowly build up the tension without losing the momentum of the plot. That's where a lot of writers lose their way, but that's clearly not the case here. Everything works seamlessly and it becomes a book you simply can't put down.
If you're a parent you can sympathize with Will and Alice. We want to protect our kids but what happens when you can't? This is the strength of the novella. These are characters that you can sympathize with and even when it seems as if Alice is truly losing her mind you can't help but rationalize what she's thinking. They wanted to rebuild their marriage after Will's affair so it would make sense for Alice to think that her husband's mistress is the cause of all that's happening. This is a well written horror novella that veers in and out of two different genres. As you read it you see it as a simple haunting, but then you can see that it's clearly a case of possession. While a lot of newer horror novels rely on gore to hook in their readers, The Other Boy goes for psychological terror.
It's the fear of the unknown that drives this novella. It's the things we can't see that we should be afraid of. If this were a film it would scare the hell out of you. As a book though it's still unsettling and should be read, and read more than once. I would actually give this more than five stars and will place this in my ever growing pile of favorites.
I was given a copy of The Other Boy in exchange for an honest review and figured that I would wait until the day of launch to post this. Here's the deal. You need to click the above link now and pre-order this bad boy so you can begin reading it the day it comes out on November 10. Believe me when I tell you that this is one novella you do not wanna miss. Ian and Taylor have captured something here that goes beyond just your ordinary ghost story and becomes something else entirely. Some might even say it's a bit cliche but you know what? I love horror stories like this and it takes some of the darkest elements of the genre and twists it into something unique. The thing that I love most is that just when you think you have it all figured out you find out you don't.
The Other Boy isn't a book you can just categorize. The story is less about Will and Alice and more about Toby and what's happening to him. In a book like this you're usually on the outside looking in and you're led to believe that what's happening isn't real. You begin to believe that the character is slightly going crazy, but here you see right away that something is happening, but you don't know why. The Taylor's slowly build up the tension without losing the momentum of the plot. That's where a lot of writers lose their way, but that's clearly not the case here. Everything works seamlessly and it becomes a book you simply can't put down.
If you're a parent you can sympathize with Will and Alice. We want to protect our kids but what happens when you can't? This is the strength of the novella. These are characters that you can sympathize with and even when it seems as if Alice is truly losing her mind you can't help but rationalize what she's thinking. They wanted to rebuild their marriage after Will's affair so it would make sense for Alice to think that her husband's mistress is the cause of all that's happening. This is a well written horror novella that veers in and out of two different genres. As you read it you see it as a simple haunting, but then you can see that it's clearly a case of possession. While a lot of newer horror novels rely on gore to hook in their readers, The Other Boy goes for psychological terror.
It's the fear of the unknown that drives this novella. It's the things we can't see that we should be afraid of. If this were a film it would scare the hell out of you. As a book though it's still unsettling and should be read, and read more than once. I would actually give this more than five stars and will place this in my ever growing pile of favorites.
October 28, 2015
The Antichrist Of Kokomo County
The Antichrist Of Kokomo County - David Skinner 4/5 http://www.amazon.com/The-Antichrist-...
So say your father and you are told that your son is in fact the Antichrist? What would you do? How would you react? That is the hilarious premise behind David Skinner's debut novel and it's the kind of book that could easily slide into two directions. The first would be a dark twisted novel about the child growing up evil. or you could turn it into a dark black comedy which is what Skinner has done. I received a copy of Antichrist from Netgalley and I was bit intrigued by the premise, but this is a novel that takes quite a few twists and turns and explores what happens when a father is told that he will be great, but ends up being unremarkable, and completely average. This is a guy that never achieves anything and finds out that his son is the Antichrist who also just happens to look like a little old man.
The story is told through past and present tense but it never becomes boring or overwhelming. These are key pieces to the development of the plot and Skinner is great story teller that brings these characters to life. You feel bad that these parents are purposefully making Sparky stupid so that he doesn't advance into the monster he's destined to become, but at the same time you feel bad for the kid because he's being forced to become just like his father. It's a novel that could easily turn a left and mire itself into mediocrity but it doesn't. It stays true to what it wants to be and that's a black comedy with a bit of a message.
It pokes a great deal of fun at religion, but so what? It's such an easy target that it becomes rather easy, but in Antichrist it isn't done in a mean way at all, and it's actually the glue that holds this book together. The decisions that Sparky's parents make are in the hopes of saving mankind and as a parent you begin to sympathize with them a bit. They're doing what they think it right even if it's not what anyone else would do.
This is one of those novels that you just have to read for yourself because there are so many plot twists that if you talk about it too much you run the risk of giving something away. Skinner's first novel is an interesting read that avoids the usual by the numbers fiction. It's funny, and almost offensive, but most of all it's a damn good book.
So say your father and you are told that your son is in fact the Antichrist? What would you do? How would you react? That is the hilarious premise behind David Skinner's debut novel and it's the kind of book that could easily slide into two directions. The first would be a dark twisted novel about the child growing up evil. or you could turn it into a dark black comedy which is what Skinner has done. I received a copy of Antichrist from Netgalley and I was bit intrigued by the premise, but this is a novel that takes quite a few twists and turns and explores what happens when a father is told that he will be great, but ends up being unremarkable, and completely average. This is a guy that never achieves anything and finds out that his son is the Antichrist who also just happens to look like a little old man.
The story is told through past and present tense but it never becomes boring or overwhelming. These are key pieces to the development of the plot and Skinner is great story teller that brings these characters to life. You feel bad that these parents are purposefully making Sparky stupid so that he doesn't advance into the monster he's destined to become, but at the same time you feel bad for the kid because he's being forced to become just like his father. It's a novel that could easily turn a left and mire itself into mediocrity but it doesn't. It stays true to what it wants to be and that's a black comedy with a bit of a message.
It pokes a great deal of fun at religion, but so what? It's such an easy target that it becomes rather easy, but in Antichrist it isn't done in a mean way at all, and it's actually the glue that holds this book together. The decisions that Sparky's parents make are in the hopes of saving mankind and as a parent you begin to sympathize with them a bit. They're doing what they think it right even if it's not what anyone else would do.
This is one of those novels that you just have to read for yourself because there are so many plot twists that if you talk about it too much you run the risk of giving something away. Skinner's first novel is an interesting read that avoids the usual by the numbers fiction. It's funny, and almost offensive, but most of all it's a damn good book.
October 22, 2015
Hung Hounds
Hung Hounds - Donald Armfield 5/5 http://www.amazon.com/Hung-Hounds-Donald-Armfield/dp/1505506883
When bizarro fiction is done right it's a true mind bending experience. Imagine for a second taking everything you think you know about writing and throw in a porn star with an enormous schlong, a monkey, some mermaids, and trans dimensional mutts that have huge schlongs. You have a pretty good idea of what you're in for and the kicker is that while you're reading it you never know what to expect. Armfield writes like a kid with ADD and the kid has been handed king sized Pixie Stix. The plot is easy to follow and the beautiful thing about this novel is that it keeps you on your toes. This is a bizarro novel that doesn't just imitate other books, it actually give the genre a much needed kick in the ass.
The plot seems pretty straight forward, but here is where Armfeld shines. He throws so much at you that you can't help but keep reading just to see how it all ends. He never loses sight of where he wants the novel to go and the characters that he has created only add to the bizarre nature of the story. Our narrator it seems is just thrown into this and he has no clue what he's doing, but that's okay because a lot of times none of the others do either. Only Dawn seems to have a clue as to how to save them all and she is the true hero of Hung Hounds.
It's not your typical action adventure novel and that's not a bad thing. If you're a fan of bizarro this is a must read and if you've never read a bizarro novel before this is a good place to start because it's a novel that never ceases to be laugh out loud funny and mind blowing. The book is supposed to be about the Hug Hounds but there's way more to it than that. It's a total blast to read, and I can't wait to see what he comes up with next.
When bizarro fiction is done right it's a true mind bending experience. Imagine for a second taking everything you think you know about writing and throw in a porn star with an enormous schlong, a monkey, some mermaids, and trans dimensional mutts that have huge schlongs. You have a pretty good idea of what you're in for and the kicker is that while you're reading it you never know what to expect. Armfield writes like a kid with ADD and the kid has been handed king sized Pixie Stix. The plot is easy to follow and the beautiful thing about this novel is that it keeps you on your toes. This is a bizarro novel that doesn't just imitate other books, it actually give the genre a much needed kick in the ass.
The plot seems pretty straight forward, but here is where Armfeld shines. He throws so much at you that you can't help but keep reading just to see how it all ends. He never loses sight of where he wants the novel to go and the characters that he has created only add to the bizarre nature of the story. Our narrator it seems is just thrown into this and he has no clue what he's doing, but that's okay because a lot of times none of the others do either. Only Dawn seems to have a clue as to how to save them all and she is the true hero of Hung Hounds.
It's not your typical action adventure novel and that's not a bad thing. If you're a fan of bizarro this is a must read and if you've never read a bizarro novel before this is a good place to start because it's a novel that never ceases to be laugh out loud funny and mind blowing. The book is supposed to be about the Hug Hounds but there's way more to it than that. It's a total blast to read, and I can't wait to see what he comes up with next.
