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The Devil's Mixtape
In 1999, Ella was one of three students who arrived at her Denver school with a cache of weapons and a plan to use them. Years later, she sifts through accounts of other violent young women, writing letters to a little sister who had to grow up in the aftermath of that day.
In 1952, Sally was a runaway, hitch-hiking around Australia with a strange, secretive girl named Amy. Each outcasts in their own way, the pair navigate a landscape scarred by old memories and tragedies, searching for a place that will feel like safety and home.
And in 2011, Charlotte was a music journalist on tour with a band, listening to their stories of loss and hope. Though they are in very different times and places, the three are linked by a web of legacies and second chances.
Demons, fallen soldiers, hunters, rock & roll stars, and high-school heartbreaks are all thrown together. The result could never be anything but the Devil's mixtape.
In 1952, Sally was a runaway, hitch-hiking around Australia with a strange, secretive girl named Amy. Each outcasts in their own way, the pair navigate a landscape scarred by old memories and tragedies, searching for a place that will feel like safety and home.
And in 2011, Charlotte was a music journalist on tour with a band, listening to their stories of loss and hope. Though they are in very different times and places, the three are linked by a web of legacies and second chances.
Demons, fallen soldiers, hunters, rock & roll stars, and high-school heartbreaks are all thrown together. The result could never be anything but the Devil's mixtape.
275 pages, Kindle Edition
First published December 14, 2011
5 people are currently reading
254 people want to read
About the author
Mary Borsellino
45 books56 followersMary Borsellino has written fiction and essays about sci-fi and fantasy, including a book of academia about Robin the Boy Wonder and a critically acclaimed novel about what the Devil likes about rock and roll. They live in Australia.
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Displaying 1 - 27 of 27 reviews
April 26, 2011
>:) Yes I am adding an as-yet-unpublished book by this author to my list of read books; this is because I want to flaunt it in everyone's face! Mwaha! I mean, er, because it was really, really good.
September 8, 2014
I should point out that I blame Tumblr for leading me to this. I had seen a post promoting this book, thought it sounded interesting and bought a copy for my ereader. (And then it turned out that the wrong synopsis was posted, but I thought “Eh, we’ll still give it a shot.”) And then, in the middle of this, I got to the scene with Ben’s rant about “If teenage girls like a thing, it’s automatically derided,” and I went “Wait a second, I’ve read this before! It’s that Tumblr post!”
So there’s that.
This is an incredibly hard book to sum up in a few paragraphs. Not that it was confusing or hard to follow, but feels like the kind of book that’s just so good you can’t describe it behind “Just trust me on this one.” It’s probably not going to work for everyone, but when it does work, oh my God does it work. Borsellino’s writing is this hypnotically haunting piece of work with so many layers and twists to the story, that even though I was muttering “The fuck did I just read,” I meant that in a good way.
There’s four different narratives in this, intertwining and bleeding through each other, and I genuinely did not know what the truth was going to be until I got to the very end. Like, I honestly thought up until the mid-point that Ella was writing her letters in jail, but she’s seeing it as her own personalized hell. The whole story of Amy and Sally traveling across Australia and trying to figure out what they were looking for took such a hard left turn, that I was sitting going “Wait, what? What the fuck?” And this is all background for a series of articles on a band called Hush, whose members are intrinsically linked to Ella and Sally and Amy.
This is a book about finding family in the darkness of the world and finding that love in spite of the darkness. And that people who do terrible things sometimes do them out of loneliness or fear—they’re not absolved from the things that they’ve done, but it doesn’t mean they can’t try to repent. Most of the heart of this comes from Ella, or at least it was for me. Here’s the thing with Ella—her story is a very thinly veiled version of the Columbine shootings, here called Cobweb, to the point where there are specific details (like her school being in Colorado and that her friends would make custom Doom levels). I’ve mentioned that Columbine had probably a bigger effect on me than 9/11 did (not saying one event was worse than another, but there’s a reason that I get so upset when I hear about mass shootings and how often that they’ve happen), so for me to say that I found myself sympathizing with Ella is huge. Especially because she is unrepentant for what she’s done, and that feels like the shootings were the right thing to do. But what I liked about it is that Ella’s not absolved for what she’s done, she doesn’t expect to be absolved, she knows why she’s in Hell and that she can’t take back what she’s done.
While Ella’s story directly ties into Hush, the Sally and Amy backstory is a slow burn into revealing what roles they ultimately play in the end. I think this is the one part that really won’t work for a lot of people, because it feels so disconnected from the rest of the book until we got to the reveal at the very end. But Sally and Amy’s journey is much more hypnotic and drew me into the story more trying to figure out what their connection to the plot is.
While the Hush sequences feel like the weakest part of the book, I actually enjoyed them the best out of the three major storylines. I really liked how Borsellino portrays the band through Charlotte’s articles—we get just enough characterization of all the band members, and enough hints to their backstory and what their connections are to the other plotlines. And I also really liked that Borsellino captures the fandom of Hush and how the band reacts to it—I’ve said that YA books dealing with music sometimes don’t really give a grasp on a fictional band’s fandom and music, and I loved how Borsellino wrote about Hush. And she also makes them feel more realistic, and not just token characters—Jacqui’s being trans is dealt with in a near-scandal, but she talks about it frankly and the world moves on. And even Cherry and Tash’s connection to Cobweb is mentioned, but it’s not lingered on until things become clearer in the text of Ella’s letters.
This is an incredibly ambitious book, and I don’t think there’s a lot of writers out there who could pull it off as well as Borsellino has. Aside from a couple of things that kind of break the world of the book, this just pulled me in completely, and wouldn’t let go until I got to the end. I highly recommend tracking this one down, and I’m very interested in reading more of her work.
So there’s that.
This is an incredibly hard book to sum up in a few paragraphs. Not that it was confusing or hard to follow, but feels like the kind of book that’s just so good you can’t describe it behind “Just trust me on this one.” It’s probably not going to work for everyone, but when it does work, oh my God does it work. Borsellino’s writing is this hypnotically haunting piece of work with so many layers and twists to the story, that even though I was muttering “The fuck did I just read,” I meant that in a good way.
There’s four different narratives in this, intertwining and bleeding through each other, and I genuinely did not know what the truth was going to be until I got to the very end. Like, I honestly thought up until the mid-point that Ella was writing her letters in jail, but she’s seeing it as her own personalized hell. The whole story of Amy and Sally traveling across Australia and trying to figure out what they were looking for took such a hard left turn, that I was sitting going “Wait, what? What the fuck?” And this is all background for a series of articles on a band called Hush, whose members are intrinsically linked to Ella and Sally and Amy.
This is a book about finding family in the darkness of the world and finding that love in spite of the darkness. And that people who do terrible things sometimes do them out of loneliness or fear—they’re not absolved from the things that they’ve done, but it doesn’t mean they can’t try to repent. Most of the heart of this comes from Ella, or at least it was for me. Here’s the thing with Ella—her story is a very thinly veiled version of the Columbine shootings, here called Cobweb, to the point where there are specific details (like her school being in Colorado and that her friends would make custom Doom levels). I’ve mentioned that Columbine had probably a bigger effect on me than 9/11 did (not saying one event was worse than another, but there’s a reason that I get so upset when I hear about mass shootings and how often that they’ve happen), so for me to say that I found myself sympathizing with Ella is huge. Especially because she is unrepentant for what she’s done, and that feels like the shootings were the right thing to do. But what I liked about it is that Ella’s not absolved for what she’s done, she doesn’t expect to be absolved, she knows why she’s in Hell and that she can’t take back what she’s done.
While Ella’s story directly ties into Hush, the Sally and Amy backstory is a slow burn into revealing what roles they ultimately play in the end. I think this is the one part that really won’t work for a lot of people, because it feels so disconnected from the rest of the book until we got to the reveal at the very end. But Sally and Amy’s journey is much more hypnotic and drew me into the story more trying to figure out what their connection to the plot is.
While the Hush sequences feel like the weakest part of the book, I actually enjoyed them the best out of the three major storylines. I really liked how Borsellino portrays the band through Charlotte’s articles—we get just enough characterization of all the band members, and enough hints to their backstory and what their connections are to the other plotlines. And I also really liked that Borsellino captures the fandom of Hush and how the band reacts to it—I’ve said that YA books dealing with music sometimes don’t really give a grasp on a fictional band’s fandom and music, and I loved how Borsellino wrote about Hush. And she also makes them feel more realistic, and not just token characters—Jacqui’s being trans is dealt with in a near-scandal, but she talks about it frankly and the world moves on. And even Cherry and Tash’s connection to Cobweb is mentioned, but it’s not lingered on until things become clearer in the text of Ella’s letters.
This is an incredibly ambitious book, and I don’t think there’s a lot of writers out there who could pull it off as well as Borsellino has. Aside from a couple of things that kind of break the world of the book, this just pulled me in completely, and wouldn’t let go until I got to the end. I highly recommend tracking this one down, and I’m very interested in reading more of her work.
December 21, 2011
Mary Borsellino wrote the five-book The Wolf House vampire series, which I love. It's full of horror, cruelty, compassion, love, art and rock music. The Devil's Mixtape is her newest book, and it has all the power, passion, razorblade insights and sometimes shock value of her vampire novel, condensed into a single volume. Mary Borsellino does not choose safe, easy subjects - or protagonists - but she grabs everything in two fists and propels you to places you never saw coming. The other writer who most recently made me feel like this was Suzanne Collins in The Hunger Games trilogy
The Devil's Mixtape has three interwoven stories, all about fierce women who do not even pretend to play nice. The very first chapter throws you right into the deep end with letters from a girl named Ella Vrenna. Ella once led a shooting spree at an American high school, and died at the end of it. She's in Hell, writing letters to her little sister, now a grown woman and a rock star.
The second thread of stories follows Sally, a part aboriginal teenager, travelling across Australia with Amy, who isn't really a girl. The third thread is told in excerpts from a book, in which rock journalist Charlotte interviews the band HUSH on the road. The members of the band are all linked, in some way, to the Ella, Sally and Amy.
Those are the bare bones of it, but the layers of storytelling and theme are so rich, deep and varied that I can't begin to cover them all. But I'm going to give it a shot.
There's a lot in here about identity. Ella is no longer her whole self but reduced to `ellavrenna', her full name always spoken in a breath, made a monster by a monstrous act and losing the rest of who she was in the process. Even in the way she signs her letters, Ella is always confined, but always changing.
Identity features in lots of other ways too. The sainted Stacey, one of the school shooting victims, the other side of Ella's coin, is also remembered more as an icon than as a person.
People you know by one name in one thread are actually going by different names in other parts of the story. Where some people are building an image or identity for themselves with careful iconography, others, like Cherry from HUSH, are using Twitter to break down the icon, communicate with the fans and become more real than the rock idol. Sometimes having more than one name is a way of showing that there is more than one truth about who you are. Even Charlotte turns out to have a secret identity.
The Devil's Mixtape is full of families and siblings torn apart by sickness, violence and death; and full of people forging new families for themselves in the aftermath. The characters are frayed, sometimes broken. They are all terribly flawed and tragically human - even (or especially) the monsters.
God and the Devil are mentioned a lot in this book. Hell, too, since that is where Ella resides, along with a lot of other people who haven't done things half so evil as she has. But I don't see God here really as a religious God. This god seems a personification of a conformist society, intolerant of difference: if you're queer and won't pretend not to be; if you're a girl and won't be sweet and pliable; if you fail to conform (and if you're angry that everyone wants you to) then this God will send you to hell.
A key element of this notion is the story of the wolf and the dog, told in the early parts of the book, ending with the moral "It is better to be hungry and tired and free than to be fat and sleek and at a master's mercy'. God will put a collar on you, so perhaps it is better to be damned but free. But being damned is not the same as being without compassion or love. The book is full of people who choose damnation selflessly, protecting others.
The Devil's Mixtape is about refusing to conform by hiding who you are; but also about trying to find a place to belong, where you can be accepted as your whole self. It's passionate, defiant and fierce. It's also full of stories, parables and fables about wolves and fierce women and love. It's full of people who are strong and vocal. They're not always nice, but they are always, like the wolf, free.
Themes aside, the writing itself is superb. It switches from voice to voice cleanly. Ella's letters to Tash differ in tone and style from Sally's present-tense narrative, which contrasts with Amy's past-tense narration even though they share a timeline. Charlotte's use of reporting alongside verbatim interviews with the band give another tone again. This technique keeps the large cast of characters airborne and distinct and provides texture and momentum.
Then there are the turns of phrase, the unexpected observations and the sudden insights that make Mary one of my favourite writers. On this second read-through (I read one of the later drafts a few months ago) I kept finding more interlinking themes, phrases and ideas that weave the three threads together. It's an intricate, tightly woven story that is as rewarding in rereads as the first gripping time.
The Devil's Mixtape is part horror story, part declaration of love for non-conformists, especially those who embrace being outside the norm. It's passionate, smart, powerful and at times incredibly beautiful.
The Devil's Mixtape has three interwoven stories, all about fierce women who do not even pretend to play nice. The very first chapter throws you right into the deep end with letters from a girl named Ella Vrenna. Ella once led a shooting spree at an American high school, and died at the end of it. She's in Hell, writing letters to her little sister, now a grown woman and a rock star.
The second thread of stories follows Sally, a part aboriginal teenager, travelling across Australia with Amy, who isn't really a girl. The third thread is told in excerpts from a book, in which rock journalist Charlotte interviews the band HUSH on the road. The members of the band are all linked, in some way, to the Ella, Sally and Amy.
Those are the bare bones of it, but the layers of storytelling and theme are so rich, deep and varied that I can't begin to cover them all. But I'm going to give it a shot.
There's a lot in here about identity. Ella is no longer her whole self but reduced to `ellavrenna', her full name always spoken in a breath, made a monster by a monstrous act and losing the rest of who she was in the process. Even in the way she signs her letters, Ella is always confined, but always changing.
Identity features in lots of other ways too. The sainted Stacey, one of the school shooting victims, the other side of Ella's coin, is also remembered more as an icon than as a person.
People you know by one name in one thread are actually going by different names in other parts of the story. Where some people are building an image or identity for themselves with careful iconography, others, like Cherry from HUSH, are using Twitter to break down the icon, communicate with the fans and become more real than the rock idol. Sometimes having more than one name is a way of showing that there is more than one truth about who you are. Even Charlotte turns out to have a secret identity.
The Devil's Mixtape is full of families and siblings torn apart by sickness, violence and death; and full of people forging new families for themselves in the aftermath. The characters are frayed, sometimes broken. They are all terribly flawed and tragically human - even (or especially) the monsters.
God and the Devil are mentioned a lot in this book. Hell, too, since that is where Ella resides, along with a lot of other people who haven't done things half so evil as she has. But I don't see God here really as a religious God. This god seems a personification of a conformist society, intolerant of difference: if you're queer and won't pretend not to be; if you're a girl and won't be sweet and pliable; if you fail to conform (and if you're angry that everyone wants you to) then this God will send you to hell.
A key element of this notion is the story of the wolf and the dog, told in the early parts of the book, ending with the moral "It is better to be hungry and tired and free than to be fat and sleek and at a master's mercy'. God will put a collar on you, so perhaps it is better to be damned but free. But being damned is not the same as being without compassion or love. The book is full of people who choose damnation selflessly, protecting others.
The Devil's Mixtape is about refusing to conform by hiding who you are; but also about trying to find a place to belong, where you can be accepted as your whole self. It's passionate, defiant and fierce. It's also full of stories, parables and fables about wolves and fierce women and love. It's full of people who are strong and vocal. They're not always nice, but they are always, like the wolf, free.
Themes aside, the writing itself is superb. It switches from voice to voice cleanly. Ella's letters to Tash differ in tone and style from Sally's present-tense narrative, which contrasts with Amy's past-tense narration even though they share a timeline. Charlotte's use of reporting alongside verbatim interviews with the band give another tone again. This technique keeps the large cast of characters airborne and distinct and provides texture and momentum.
Then there are the turns of phrase, the unexpected observations and the sudden insights that make Mary one of my favourite writers. On this second read-through (I read one of the later drafts a few months ago) I kept finding more interlinking themes, phrases and ideas that weave the three threads together. It's an intricate, tightly woven story that is as rewarding in rereads as the first gripping time.
The Devil's Mixtape is part horror story, part declaration of love for non-conformists, especially those who embrace being outside the norm. It's passionate, smart, powerful and at times incredibly beautiful.
February 4, 2012
As human beings, we all share an innate curiosity, if not fear, of death. The theories abound as to what constitutes consciousness, and what happens to it after the cessation of the physical form. The ideas and mythologies are as varied as people themselves. In Mary Borsellino's “The Devil's Mixtape,” traditional notions of the afterlife are twisted into something wholly original and pleasantly strange.
The main focus of the narrative is an event referred to as “Cobweb” and the lives that were affected by it. The reader is slowly brought up to speed through four perspectives: alternating between two nomadic girls, excerpts from a biography written about a band formed in the aftermath of “Cobweb,” and missives from one of the key players in the event. What at first seems like several disjointed and unrelated narratives seamlessly melds into a single story of life, death, love, loss, regret, and absolution.
As mentioned above, the afterlife plays a key, if somewhat silent, role in the tale. The great game of God and the Devil is played out in all the subtlety one would expect from deities, winding gentle vines of influence throughout the narrative. The order of Heaven, Earth, and Hell through Borsellino's words draws all of the other elements together; the characters, places, events, everything.
To say much more about the story would rob the reader of an incredible novel. Opening the cover is like opening a blank nondescript jigsaw-puzzle box. You don't know what the full picture will be until it is finished. Each piece is integral to the overall whole, even if it is not at first obvious. Once one reaches the end, the experience is the same as standing back from the puzzle and admiring the completed work. You know it is not your creation, but at the same time you will feel privileged to bring it together in your mind through the story.
In short: a touching, creative, and skillfully rendered portrait of humanity. A simple review can not do justice to this book. Much like life itself, you must experience it for yourself.
The main focus of the narrative is an event referred to as “Cobweb” and the lives that were affected by it. The reader is slowly brought up to speed through four perspectives: alternating between two nomadic girls, excerpts from a biography written about a band formed in the aftermath of “Cobweb,” and missives from one of the key players in the event. What at first seems like several disjointed and unrelated narratives seamlessly melds into a single story of life, death, love, loss, regret, and absolution.
As mentioned above, the afterlife plays a key, if somewhat silent, role in the tale. The great game of God and the Devil is played out in all the subtlety one would expect from deities, winding gentle vines of influence throughout the narrative. The order of Heaven, Earth, and Hell through Borsellino's words draws all of the other elements together; the characters, places, events, everything.
To say much more about the story would rob the reader of an incredible novel. Opening the cover is like opening a blank nondescript jigsaw-puzzle box. You don't know what the full picture will be until it is finished. Each piece is integral to the overall whole, even if it is not at first obvious. Once one reaches the end, the experience is the same as standing back from the puzzle and admiring the completed work. You know it is not your creation, but at the same time you will feel privileged to bring it together in your mind through the story.
In short: a touching, creative, and skillfully rendered portrait of humanity. A simple review can not do justice to this book. Much like life itself, you must experience it for yourself.
December 7, 2011
Mary Borsellino's The Devil's Mixtape is the kind of book you will be physically unable to put down until you have read the last page and solved every mystery.
Told in a series of alternating points of view, this book masterfully takes a dozen different narratives from different times and weaves them together -- into a Cobweb, if you will -- and each story builds on the last so perfectly it stings with how brilliantly it's done. It's got a rich Australian voice, seamlessly blending history and geography and origin tales.
But most of all, The Devil's Mixtape is a story about ladies: badass ladies, mixed-race ladies, ladies with penises, ladies with guns, ladies who are literally the Devil, ladies who are saints, and ladies who are murderers. Each of them have a spark, an anger, an importance, and a VOICE that is so achingly familiar, and the stories they tell rarely wind up being just their own.
I cannot recommend this book enough for any lost, hurt kid of this generation.
Told in a series of alternating points of view, this book masterfully takes a dozen different narratives from different times and weaves them together -- into a Cobweb, if you will -- and each story builds on the last so perfectly it stings with how brilliantly it's done. It's got a rich Australian voice, seamlessly blending history and geography and origin tales.
But most of all, The Devil's Mixtape is a story about ladies: badass ladies, mixed-race ladies, ladies with penises, ladies with guns, ladies who are literally the Devil, ladies who are saints, and ladies who are murderers. Each of them have a spark, an anger, an importance, and a VOICE that is so achingly familiar, and the stories they tell rarely wind up being just their own.
I cannot recommend this book enough for any lost, hurt kid of this generation.
June 8, 2012
THE DEVIL'S MIXTAPE is not the sort of book you read once and stow away on a shelf. It's far too multi-layered for that. Borsellino's writing works on several levels at the same time. With a story told from the alternating views of roughly half a dozen characters, the book explores variegated topics from gun control to the positive and negative effects of the internet to pop culture's influence on youth to how creative and artistic processes work. Yet, as serious as those themes are, THE DEVIL'S MIXTAPE is never preachy or pedantic.
The plot, or the "story" if you will is far from linear. It spans roughly fifty years, two continents and involves twenty or more people, all of whom have nick names or alternative names and who, in the end, are connected in some way. Moreover, like the "cobweb" which refers to the novel's mass murder plot, each storyline in also a single supporting strand of the novel's figurative "web" as a whole.
It's practically impossible to mine all the riches from this book on a first pass. You'll definitely want to read it, put it aside for a few months, and read it again. Not to do so would be to cheat yourself of some of the richness and subtext. Borsellino also explores themes that require thought--and it's difficult to stop and think about what she's saying in the broader sense while you're also eager to see what happens next!
While this book is clearly one of the best I've read this year, it's not without its problems. As captivating as the various story lines are, it's sometimes difficult to separate who's who and what's what. This is obviously a mechanism that Borsellino intentionally crafted. However, there are times when confusion sets in. Worse, it is emphatically NOT the kind of book you want to read on a Kindle; there's too much page turning back and forth trying to figure out which character may have gone by a different name in an earlier chapter. Contrary to what you might expect, that's not an irritating process as it would be if written by a lesser author, but rather it is part of the fun of the book. Nevertheless, it's easier to do by flipping physical pages than by tapping a screen!
Clearly, Borsellino excels at crafting plot and in exploring theme. Her character work, however, is a little weak which often account for the "which one is this?" thoughts that often go through the reader's mind. There's also a bravery (for lack of a better word) to her writing in that she eschews exposition and simply presents the reader with the fantastic elements of her fictional world without explanation. While one can admire the boldness of the technique, there are times when a little more exposition would be useful and would help the reader connect more closely to the plot lines on the first pass.
In the end, I recommend this book highly. However, be warned it is NOT an easy read and should be embarked upon when you have the leisure to pay close attention to what Borsellino is trying to do and what she is trying to say. You'll be well rewarded for the effort.
The plot, or the "story" if you will is far from linear. It spans roughly fifty years, two continents and involves twenty or more people, all of whom have nick names or alternative names and who, in the end, are connected in some way. Moreover, like the "cobweb" which refers to the novel's mass murder plot, each storyline in also a single supporting strand of the novel's figurative "web" as a whole.
It's practically impossible to mine all the riches from this book on a first pass. You'll definitely want to read it, put it aside for a few months, and read it again. Not to do so would be to cheat yourself of some of the richness and subtext. Borsellino also explores themes that require thought--and it's difficult to stop and think about what she's saying in the broader sense while you're also eager to see what happens next!
While this book is clearly one of the best I've read this year, it's not without its problems. As captivating as the various story lines are, it's sometimes difficult to separate who's who and what's what. This is obviously a mechanism that Borsellino intentionally crafted. However, there are times when confusion sets in. Worse, it is emphatically NOT the kind of book you want to read on a Kindle; there's too much page turning back and forth trying to figure out which character may have gone by a different name in an earlier chapter. Contrary to what you might expect, that's not an irritating process as it would be if written by a lesser author, but rather it is part of the fun of the book. Nevertheless, it's easier to do by flipping physical pages than by tapping a screen!
Clearly, Borsellino excels at crafting plot and in exploring theme. Her character work, however, is a little weak which often account for the "which one is this?" thoughts that often go through the reader's mind. There's also a bravery (for lack of a better word) to her writing in that she eschews exposition and simply presents the reader with the fantastic elements of her fictional world without explanation. While one can admire the boldness of the technique, there are times when a little more exposition would be useful and would help the reader connect more closely to the plot lines on the first pass.
In the end, I recommend this book highly. However, be warned it is NOT an easy read and should be embarked upon when you have the leisure to pay close attention to what Borsellino is trying to do and what she is trying to say. You'll be well rewarded for the effort.
December 19, 2011
This is a book that I wish, I wish with all my heart had been around when I was a teenager. But even now, I get so much out of.
The Devil's Mixtape explores voices in fiction that rarely get heard, young women and men who are marginalised, or ignored. It tells the story of outcasts and rebels, breaks your heart, but also makes you laugh when you cry.
The characters are fully, richly realised, each with a distinctive voice, and you understand their motivations and ideas, even when they aren't something you yourself might believe in.
The plot is lush, and thick, and masterfully woven, Mary Borsellino is a prime example of an author who shows, and doesn't tell. I never felt like I was being led by a simple go from point a to point b story, I was thrown headfirst into the messy, beautiful, painful world that the character's inhabit.
The story features a truly interesting and unique re-working of Judeo-Christian mythology of the afterlife, specifically Hell, and that's confronting, and a great and challenging read.
It's also an honest and raw experience of mental illness, as many of the characters have a mental illness. And none are demonised for them, or made into villains by it. They aren't cautionary tales, or sterotypes, they are real people, with real struggles, and that is so refreshing to see.
I would recommend this book to any and all teenagers, and to people older, who wish to experience something that is challenging, lyrical, and relevant. No matter your age, you will take away something from this book, whether it be a sweet sadness for the child you were, or a stronger understanding of the person you are.
I honestly cannot recommend it high enough.
The Devil's Mixtape explores voices in fiction that rarely get heard, young women and men who are marginalised, or ignored. It tells the story of outcasts and rebels, breaks your heart, but also makes you laugh when you cry.
The characters are fully, richly realised, each with a distinctive voice, and you understand their motivations and ideas, even when they aren't something you yourself might believe in.
The plot is lush, and thick, and masterfully woven, Mary Borsellino is a prime example of an author who shows, and doesn't tell. I never felt like I was being led by a simple go from point a to point b story, I was thrown headfirst into the messy, beautiful, painful world that the character's inhabit.
The story features a truly interesting and unique re-working of Judeo-Christian mythology of the afterlife, specifically Hell, and that's confronting, and a great and challenging read.
It's also an honest and raw experience of mental illness, as many of the characters have a mental illness. And none are demonised for them, or made into villains by it. They aren't cautionary tales, or sterotypes, they are real people, with real struggles, and that is so refreshing to see.
I would recommend this book to any and all teenagers, and to people older, who wish to experience something that is challenging, lyrical, and relevant. No matter your age, you will take away something from this book, whether it be a sweet sadness for the child you were, or a stronger understanding of the person you are.
I honestly cannot recommend it high enough.
September 30, 2012
What this book is for me is Green Fried Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Cafe meets the rock band AU of my dreams (of the fandom of my heart) -- and sprinkled with the transcedental beauty and intensity that lurks around the edges of Neverwhere, or American Gods.
The stories told in this novel are so personal, so vividly real, so there that before you know it you sort of think they were sent directly to you, meant for your eyes, written to speak to you personally. The unfolding of secrets, hurts, loves is so well done -- gently nudging here, spoken calmly, matter-of-factly, there -- it only enhances the feeling of dialogue, always dialogue and communication, as if a young kid looked you once in the eye and deemed you worthy of stepping over the threshold into that private universe of freedom, loneliness, and sharp, ungodlike clemency. And music, of course music; show me a kid with their headphones in, and I'll show you a person with a paradise -- not the kind to be granted, but the kind everyone deserves, the safe haven, a place of love.
The most precious thing is, of course, that the reader is allowed to witness the metamorphosis of the protagonists, the mythology each operates in, and the reality that surrounds them -- this book is a true crossroads.
The stories told in this novel are so personal, so vividly real, so there that before you know it you sort of think they were sent directly to you, meant for your eyes, written to speak to you personally. The unfolding of secrets, hurts, loves is so well done -- gently nudging here, spoken calmly, matter-of-factly, there -- it only enhances the feeling of dialogue, always dialogue and communication, as if a young kid looked you once in the eye and deemed you worthy of stepping over the threshold into that private universe of freedom, loneliness, and sharp, ungodlike clemency. And music, of course music; show me a kid with their headphones in, and I'll show you a person with a paradise -- not the kind to be granted, but the kind everyone deserves, the safe haven, a place of love.
The most precious thing is, of course, that the reader is allowed to witness the metamorphosis of the protagonists, the mythology each operates in, and the reality that surrounds them -- this book is a true crossroads.
July 18, 2012
Devil's Mixtape is a lyrical, at times mesmerizing reflection on gender, identity, and the complex sources (and far reaching results) of teenaged violence. I won't try to summarize the plot as it really involves the interwoven stories of three separate groups of characters (including what at first appear to be minor, sideline characters), but at it's core is the wonderfully realized voice of a teenaged school shooter (now in hell) writing letters to her now adult rockstar sister. I admit that I did find one of the storylines, that of a pair of girls traveling across Australia a bit less compelling than the others, and was a little confused as to how they fit in until the end, but the author brought the various threads together successfully. This is a brilliant, darkly poetic work that spans decades, interspersed with some insightful observations and stirring turns of phrase. Like poetry, it may be inscrutable to some, but for the most part I found it a very compelling read. Mary Borsellino is a voice to be reckoned with.
January 22, 2013
One of the best books I've read in a while. I love narratives that switch between different characters, and The Devil's Mixtape does this really, really well. All the point-of-view characters have strong voices, and my favourite character tended to change depending on whose voice I was reading at the time.
I also enjoyed the disparate narrative threads, and reading through to see how Borsellino was going to tie them all together.
The Devil's Mixtape is a great read, and I particularly recommend it for people who, like me, grew up in the nineties - there are a lot of pop-cultural references that you'll enjoy if this describes you, and if this doesn't describe you, then don't be put off. It's a clever, atmospheric and thoroughly absorbing book.
I also enjoyed the disparate narrative threads, and reading through to see how Borsellino was going to tie them all together.
The Devil's Mixtape is a great read, and I particularly recommend it for people who, like me, grew up in the nineties - there are a lot of pop-cultural references that you'll enjoy if this describes you, and if this doesn't describe you, then don't be put off. It's a clever, atmospheric and thoroughly absorbing book.
May 24, 2012
A powerfully moving story that touches your soul or what's left of it. You get to know the characters and are able to understand them on several levels. The connection between the characters shows albeit a fictional view of how the tapestry of life weaves all our life threads into one grand patterned design. Very well written.
Want to read
December 8, 2011ARC for review from Sally.
September 22, 2020
This was honestly a little hard to get through, but in the end I really liked it, and there are some beautiful lines in it.
August 22, 2014
It’s really hard to explain the appeal of this book, even though I gave it five stars; I didn’t even know what category to put it in on Goodreads. Is it fantasy? Well it has fantastic elements, but … mostly it’s about criminals. Is it a crime novel? In the sense that crimes are committed, but it doesn’t feel like a crime novel. Is it horror? Horrific things happen, but it seems to hopeful to be classed as a proper horror story. Which I guess is kind of the point: the story resists classification. It’s all things to all people, depending on who you are and what you need.
(That is not to say that this book is for everyone. If you are sensitive to graphic violence, suicide, self-harm, or school shooting narratives, this book runs a very high risk of triggering you. Keep that in mind when deciding whether or not to read it.)
The simplest way to sum it up is by describing the plot, but even that is difficult. There are three main narratives here: in one, the hellbound ghost of a school shooter writes letters to her still-living little sister. In another, the sister’s punk band is covered by a reporter who sees herself in their music. And in the third, set fourty years before the others, two girls hitchike across Australia, trying to find home. But these stories crisscross and overlap, and I don’t think I could even begin to untangle all the ways in which they’re connected. I’d need a family tree for that. And the connection is kind of the point, too: all these women (all the main characters/narrators are women) are connected, either by blood or by the feeling of being a “monster,” an outcast. The book never makes excuses for the bad things the characters do, but reading their own words, you can begin to understand them. All of these characters feel like they’re on the outside looking in, whether by reason of prejudice (racism, homophobia, transphobia) a bad family life, or just emotions they’ve never been able to understand or control. They’re all violent, just in different ways. Some deal with it better than others.
Saying the ending is ultimately downbeat or ultimately hopeful is reductive, I think; like I said, the book is all things to all people, and while my instinct would be to read the ending as a sort of redemption- not forgiveness, not understanding, but grace- not everyone will react the same way. But that’s what’s so great about it. You take the meaning you need. There aren’t many books I could say the same for.
(That is not to say that this book is for everyone. If you are sensitive to graphic violence, suicide, self-harm, or school shooting narratives, this book runs a very high risk of triggering you. Keep that in mind when deciding whether or not to read it.)
The simplest way to sum it up is by describing the plot, but even that is difficult. There are three main narratives here: in one, the hellbound ghost of a school shooter writes letters to her still-living little sister. In another, the sister’s punk band is covered by a reporter who sees herself in their music. And in the third, set fourty years before the others, two girls hitchike across Australia, trying to find home. But these stories crisscross and overlap, and I don’t think I could even begin to untangle all the ways in which they’re connected. I’d need a family tree for that. And the connection is kind of the point, too: all these women (all the main characters/narrators are women) are connected, either by blood or by the feeling of being a “monster,” an outcast. The book never makes excuses for the bad things the characters do, but reading their own words, you can begin to understand them. All of these characters feel like they’re on the outside looking in, whether by reason of prejudice (racism, homophobia, transphobia) a bad family life, or just emotions they’ve never been able to understand or control. They’re all violent, just in different ways. Some deal with it better than others.
Saying the ending is ultimately downbeat or ultimately hopeful is reductive, I think; like I said, the book is all things to all people, and while my instinct would be to read the ending as a sort of redemption- not forgiveness, not understanding, but grace- not everyone will react the same way. But that’s what’s so great about it. You take the meaning you need. There aren’t many books I could say the same for.
August 4, 2014
This is certainly an ambitious book. It spans two countries, half a century, and more characters than you can conceivably keep straight (unless you take notes, which might be your best option). It wants to impart so much thought on Christianity, alienation, murder, etc, etc..
YMMV, of course, but it didn't convince me. I couldn't keep track of all the characters, especially the ones who went by multiple names. While the novel plays around with different formats – sometimes narrative, sometimes letters, sometimes music journalism – the actual "voice" of the many different characters was very samey. It was also really preachy in some parts, which was bad enough when I agreed with the sentiment, and worse still when I didn't. (I just can't buy humanity being inherently evil.) I also did not care about any of the serial killers, bank robbers, etc. whose life stories got infodumped and ended up taking a lot of space in the novel. Lastly, while I appreciate that this novel sets out to include representatives from different social groups that are usually marginalised, I agree with this excellent review that their treatment often seemed tokenistic (I'm thinking especially of the trans band member).
I don't really want to be all doom and gloom, because the writing certainly had potential, and maybe if the themes (Christianity, humans being evil, etc.) had been more to my taste I'd have been able to overlook the other stuff. So, I don't know. I would certainly recommend this for anyone interested in serial killers/mass murderers. Provided you don't mind some fantastical elements like demons thrown in, of course.
YMMV, of course, but it didn't convince me. I couldn't keep track of all the characters, especially the ones who went by multiple names. While the novel plays around with different formats – sometimes narrative, sometimes letters, sometimes music journalism – the actual "voice" of the many different characters was very samey. It was also really preachy in some parts, which was bad enough when I agreed with the sentiment, and worse still when I didn't. (I just can't buy humanity being inherently evil.) I also did not care about any of the serial killers, bank robbers, etc. whose life stories got infodumped and ended up taking a lot of space in the novel. Lastly, while I appreciate that this novel sets out to include representatives from different social groups that are usually marginalised, I agree with this excellent review that their treatment often seemed tokenistic (I'm thinking especially of the trans band member).
I don't really want to be all doom and gloom, because the writing certainly had potential, and maybe if the themes (Christianity, humans being evil, etc.) had been more to my taste I'd have been able to overlook the other stuff. So, I don't know. I would certainly recommend this for anyone interested in serial killers/mass murderers. Provided you don't mind some fantastical elements like demons thrown in, of course.
December 30, 2012
Mary Borsellino, author of The Wolf House, has done it again. I stayed up till the wee hours, unwilling to put this book away until I had finished every last word.
Mary is very skilled at writing flawed, engaging characters who also come across as incredibly human (quite a trick when not all of them are).
I love the character of Ella, even thought I don't think I'm supposed to. After all, high-school spree-killers aren't supposed to be the characters you like hearing about. But her story, on of (somewhat) regretful confession to her sister, is a fascinating look into the mind of a frustrated teenager. While not condoning it, you can maybe understand why she did it.
I love they way Mary writes. Her characters are always engaging and complex, and they are all connected in ways you just don't suspect until it whacks you in the face (and then you have to sob into your fist at 1am in order to not wake the rest of the house).
I was honoured to get a sneak peek at her new novel and I cannot wait to see where else Mary's writing takes her.
Mary is very skilled at writing flawed, engaging characters who also come across as incredibly human (quite a trick when not all of them are).
I love the character of Ella, even thought I don't think I'm supposed to. After all, high-school spree-killers aren't supposed to be the characters you like hearing about. But her story, on of (somewhat) regretful confession to her sister, is a fascinating look into the mind of a frustrated teenager. While not condoning it, you can maybe understand why she did it.
I love they way Mary writes. Her characters are always engaging and complex, and they are all connected in ways you just don't suspect until it whacks you in the face (and then you have to sob into your fist at 1am in order to not wake the rest of the house).
I was honoured to get a sneak peek at her new novel and I cannot wait to see where else Mary's writing takes her.
June 12, 2015
This was a wonderfully original read! Borsellino's prose is intelligent, inventive, and true. The Devil's Mixtape has a non-traditional plot line in which many story lines weave together and intertwine in unexpected ways - but coherency is never lost and, as you start to learn the connections, your appreciation for the book only grows. All the characters had unique voices - no cliches here - and were awesome portrayals of figures underrepresented in most stories out there. My favorite POVs were Amy and Ella. :) I loved this book A LOT. Highly recommended to anyone with an open mind. <3
May 6, 2017
Spree killers (specifically, school shootings), racism and wandering demons in 1950s Australia, and an arena-filling rock band have little in common until Borsellino takes hold of them and twists the narrative threads into a tale of outcasts spanning multiple generations.
There are so many POV characters, but each is fully fleshed with their own flaws and insecurities and hopes and dreams. It was the great strength of the Wolf House novels, and the characters here are even sharper and more precious.
There are so many POV characters, but each is fully fleshed with their own flaws and insecurities and hopes and dreams. It was the great strength of the Wolf House novels, and the characters here are even sharper and more precious.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 9, 2012
This is a really, really beautiful book. I can't explain too much, or I'd give it away, but its about music and hell and teenage girls and violence and popular culture and being alone and making friends and how to survive adolescence, told through the eyes of (mostly) young women and with a delightful supenatural twist. Get you teenage daughter to read this, it seems dark on the outside but, unlike the other book about an awkward teenage girl looking to escape adolescence (Twilight) this one has a solid core of hope. I'm going to rave about this one for a while. Read it.
June 11, 2014
As soon as teenage girls start to profess love for something, everyone else becomes totally dismissive of it. Teenage girls are open season for the cruelest bullying that our society can dream up. Everyone's vicious to them. They're vicious to each other. Hell, they're even vicious to themselves. It's terrible.
So I basically bought the book because of this quote. I liked it. Wouldn't recommend to everyone but if the description sounds like your cup of tea then it probably is your cup of tea.
December 13, 2011
This book might not be for everyone (just a guess based on the murder that forms one of the building blocks of the narrative) (which is not so much a spoiler, and is something you should know before going in just in case that bothers you!), but it's certainly everything I love in a novel. My primary reaction consists of the word "amazing" repeated many times, interspersed with "holy crap"s and "I'd never thought of that!"s and other such exclamations.
June 9, 2014
easily one of the most intriguing, intricate books I've ever read. it's a road trip and a supernatural mystery and a music 'zine; it's a truly original fairytale that's dark and hopeful by turns. it's straight-up great.
December 20, 2011
This was one of those rare books that as soon as I finished seemed to be something that had always existed. A much more honest look at what it's like to be a messed up kid than you see in most stories that try to talk about them, even with the supernatural elements. 10/10
January 20, 2014
It's been a while since I finished this, but I really enjoyed this book. It was a quick read and everything I wanted to read about as a teenager. The diversity of the cast of characters was probably my favorite part.
January 31, 2012
Complicated narrative and tough to keep characters straight, but a very enjoyable book. She weaves the plot beautifully and I love the social commentary that lies beneath the story. Will give it a second read so I can thoroughly enjoy it, having already been accustomed to the story.
December 8, 2011
I have an ARC of The Devil's Mixtape in .pdf, .mobi, and .epub and I want to pass them on-- if anyone would like a copy, just comment!
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