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Sourpuss
Sourpuss is a blistering satire of the depraved and entitled culture that pervades college campuses.
Mallory Wahl loathes the campus party scene . . .
She’s sprinting through her senior year obsessed with winning a spot on the US Olympic track team. But she runs straight into a hurdle in the form of fraternity president Graham Patterson, an intern assigned to help her recover from an injury – one she blames on him.
Once Graham’s therapies begin to work, Mallory pretends to fall in love but traps herself in her own scheme and tailspins deep into his debauched world. When a scandal erupts which threatens to shatter her Olympic dreams once and for all, Mallory must finally face the dark truth she’s been running from since freshman year.
In the style of a ’90s dark comedy flick, Merricat Mulwray’s debut brings an insightful and humorous perspective to the reckless behavior college students perpetually get away with. Mallory, herself a flawed heroine, is backed by a self-serving cast of athletes, party girls, townies, and fraternity brothers so hilariously dark that the book will leave you wondering if anyone ever gets what they deserve.
Mallory Wahl loathes the campus party scene . . .
She’s sprinting through her senior year obsessed with winning a spot on the US Olympic track team. But she runs straight into a hurdle in the form of fraternity president Graham Patterson, an intern assigned to help her recover from an injury – one she blames on him.
Once Graham’s therapies begin to work, Mallory pretends to fall in love but traps herself in her own scheme and tailspins deep into his debauched world. When a scandal erupts which threatens to shatter her Olympic dreams once and for all, Mallory must finally face the dark truth she’s been running from since freshman year.
In the style of a ’90s dark comedy flick, Merricat Mulwray’s debut brings an insightful and humorous perspective to the reckless behavior college students perpetually get away with. Mallory, herself a flawed heroine, is backed by a self-serving cast of athletes, party girls, townies, and fraternity brothers so hilariously dark that the book will leave you wondering if anyone ever gets what they deserve.
- GenresFiction
292 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 20, 2019
About the author
Merricat Mulwray
1 book37 followersMerricat Mulwray is the collaboration of two sisters. They live in Los Angeles where they hatch plans and develop schemes, sometimes these turn into novels.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 36 reviews
January 16, 2019
This novel reads like a straight-to-DVD movie my friends and I would NOT have rented at Blockbuster in 1997. It’s touted as dark satire, and sure it IS a caricature of campus life, but it tries too hard to be outlandish. It’s not even funny. To me, for satire to be effective, it should be witty and intelligent. This undoubtedly is neither. And the writing is very basic. According to my Kindle, the name “Mallory” appears over 1K times in 300 pages. Can I get a pronoun or varying sentence structure, please?? 🍋🙅🏼♀️
Thank you, netgalley, for the opportunity to read and review this book!
Thank you, netgalley, for the opportunity to read and review this book!
March 3, 2019
RTC. Until then, my notes and initial thoughts upon finishing this book (followed by Quotes I liked):
Quotes
"She grinned, wishing the driver had plowed through the crosswalk." Made me lol. Relatable: I often wish violence upon stupid people who annoy me.
"Mallory wiggled her finger in her ear, attempting to clean out the garbage she was being forced to listen to." That feeling when you forget your earphones and become subjected to hearing all the bullshit conversations happening around you. Relatable.
"Since I am not a real brother, I am a bitch. A little bitch that has to raise money by selling my cookies on the street. So will you buy a box of my Bitch Scout cookies?" Lol this is just fantastic, and I will probably use an excerpt of this at the top of my review.
"She blinked repetitively to moisten her dry one-a-day contacts that had been in for five days." This one had no relatability, it was just funny. Or, er, I guess I relate in that I also wear one-a-day contacts and that's why I find it so funny that she was wearing them for five days since I had never even considered that as an option. Perhaps this was just the perfect book for me since everything is relatable????? @The people who said this book wasn't relatable: Can't relate.
"'Good girl,' he [her coach] responded, giving Mallory a pat on the back that landed too low." A loud "AAAAAAAAAAAA!!!" is heard in the distance as every-female-athlete-ever starts collectively screaming.
[Review copy solicited from the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review]
• what the fuck?
• what?
• i like the main character because she's an asshole just like meeeeee
• seems like this is set in some kind of alternate dimension where things work out nicely (everyone loving Mal despite her being a raging asshole, ). Except then everything goes to shit
• wtf was the ending tho
• did they literally ??? What the fuck??????
• also did James fricken
• what the fuuck
• this book had a few funny lines 👍
• wait they pulled a ME, dawg, and . Ok ok
• but at the same time it's like... Mal was a garbage person soooooo (Graham too)
• this book was so incredibly engrossing, like I was always excited to pick it back up again. And so much happened in the first half that i was like "holy fuck, there's still a whole 'nother half left??? Hell yiss" then the second half was like boom boom boom
• fuck, this book is so omg
• i dont know what to think
• jesus christ
• fuck, i wish i won the Goodreads giveaway of this, I'd love to own a physical copy
• I should start a collection of "Books that are about track except for they're not about track and are still good", seeing as I already own an arc of Breathe Annie, Breathe and The Running Dream (would recommend both)
• I'm le shook. El shookith
• is this the best book I've ever read?: ...
• this book is SO fucking vulgar tho, so like. Yeah. Old sensitive people: beware
• also, this book is SO fucking niche, like I'm not surprised at the low ratings. You definitely need to be a very specific brand of person to enjoy this. I'm surprised this even got published tbh
• WHY IS MY LEFT EYE CRYING
Quotes
"She grinned, wishing the driver had plowed through the crosswalk." Made me lol. Relatable: I often wish violence upon stupid people who annoy me.
"Mallory wiggled her finger in her ear, attempting to clean out the garbage she was being forced to listen to." That feeling when you forget your earphones and become subjected to hearing all the bullshit conversations happening around you. Relatable.
"Since I am not a real brother, I am a bitch. A little bitch that has to raise money by selling my cookies on the street. So will you buy a box of my Bitch Scout cookies?" Lol this is just fantastic, and I will probably use an excerpt of this at the top of my review.
"She blinked repetitively to moisten her dry one-a-day contacts that had been in for five days." This one had no relatability, it was just funny. Or, er, I guess I relate in that I also wear one-a-day contacts and that's why I find it so funny that she was wearing them for five days since I had never even considered that as an option. Perhaps this was just the perfect book for me since everything is relatable????? @The people who said this book wasn't relatable: Can't relate.
"'Good girl,' he [her coach] responded, giving Mallory a pat on the back that landed too low." A loud "AAAAAAAAAAAA!!!" is heard in the distance as every-female-athlete-ever starts collectively screaming.
[Review copy solicited from the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review]
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November 28, 2018
Sourpuss by author Merricat Mulwray is a dark humorous book that will not disappoint! The characters were great, very entertaining and well thought out. Totally recommend this book!
Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for an arc copy of Sourpuss in exchange for an honest review.
Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for an arc copy of Sourpuss in exchange for an honest review.
December 1, 2018
ARC received for an honest review.
The cover calls this a “Dark Comedy.” However, it was neither dark nor comedic. Juvenile writing, a bizarre storyline, and horrible characters combined to create a disaster. There were points in the story when I couldn’t tell to whom the actions or words were attributed. And we hopped from strange behavior to strange behavior without any motivation. It was like watching the little people from the Fix It Felix game lurch around.
This felt like a 15 year old boy was forced to write a story about college. Someone with no knowledge, limited story-telling skills, and a prurient imagination was handed a pen to stumble through their twisted take on college. It didn’t work out.
I think I’m going to take a break from requesting ARCs for a little while. Once bitten twice shy.
The cover calls this a “Dark Comedy.” However, it was neither dark nor comedic. Juvenile writing, a bizarre storyline, and horrible characters combined to create a disaster. There were points in the story when I couldn’t tell to whom the actions or words were attributed. And we hopped from strange behavior to strange behavior without any motivation. It was like watching the little people from the Fix It Felix game lurch around.
This felt like a 15 year old boy was forced to write a story about college. Someone with no knowledge, limited story-telling skills, and a prurient imagination was handed a pen to stumble through their twisted take on college. It didn’t work out.
I think I’m going to take a break from requesting ARCs for a little while. Once bitten twice shy.
September 29, 2019
I loved Sourpuss, first and foremost, for being so daringly and wickedly original! With its darkness and wit it was a wonderful treat.
The well drawn characters were deliciously terrible, some rather nefarious and often making me laugh-out-loud, so caught up were they in their own in their selfish lives. The tale was certainly not formulaic and it was completely unlike anything I've ever read before.
Very much a contemporary novel, it was a quick read, with a fair sprinkling of badness, negativity and redemption. Take a plunge into the unknown and read this for yourself!
I received a complimentary digital copy of this novel, at my own request, from Haigh 38 Press via NetGalley. This review is my own unbiased opinion.
The well drawn characters were deliciously terrible, some rather nefarious and often making me laugh-out-loud, so caught up were they in their own in their selfish lives. The tale was certainly not formulaic and it was completely unlike anything I've ever read before.
Very much a contemporary novel, it was a quick read, with a fair sprinkling of badness, negativity and redemption. Take a plunge into the unknown and read this for yourself!
I received a complimentary digital copy of this novel, at my own request, from Haigh 38 Press via NetGalley. This review is my own unbiased opinion.
January 14, 2019
Omg, I loved this book. If you cannot stand characters that you hate, then this isn’t the book for you. But for me, I couldn’t help but both despise Mallory and Graham and root for them at the same time - and eventually even sympathize with them. (As for everyone else in the book, with the exception of Darius, Callie, Ken, the Panda, and the twins, my feelings are pure hatred.) A scathing take on the culture of misogyny, including internalized, that permeates college campuses even in today’s world. My only complaint was the cliffhanger ending. I wasn’t expecting for things to be happily ever after in the end, but this one left me feeling “WTF?!” Hoping for a sequel, not gonna lie. 🤷🏻♀️ Read my fill review on bitchbookshelf.com on February 8. I received this copy for free in exchange for my honest review.
January 10, 2019
I received an ARC of this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
This was a huge disappointment. The premise sounded very promising, but there wasn't so much dark humor as just plain dark. The main character was arrogant and unlikable. She complained about everything and never took responsibility for her own actions. I lost interested after a few chapters. Well, at least they got the title right!
This was a huge disappointment. The premise sounded very promising, but there wasn't so much dark humor as just plain dark. The main character was arrogant and unlikable. She complained about everything and never took responsibility for her own actions. I lost interested after a few chapters. Well, at least they got the title right!
January 19, 2019
Thank you Netgalley and Haigh 38 Press for an ARC Copy of Sourpuss by Merricat Mulwray. Here is my honest review:
This book being billed as a “dark comedy” is only half accurate. It’s definitely dark, but it’s not the slightest bit funny. The characters in this campus story are all caricatures, which can work in a satirical work, but it falls flat here. All the frat boys are awful, albeit there are degrees of awfulness and you find yourself somewhat rooting for Graham simply because he’s not as terrible as the others (he’s still terrible).
There was not a single character I found myself remotely invested in. Again, this can
work, but it requires a brilliant story to overcome the lack of anyone to get behind and that’s not what we have here. Mallory approaches being sympathetic toward the end, but her introduction and most of the book leading up that approaching feeling paints her as so completely ridiculous and repulsive that you never quite get there.
The ending is disappointing and left me feeling pretty empty inside. There does not appear to be a big takeaway from it, which was something I was hoping for since mid-way through I considered stopping my read but continued figuring there had to be a payoff. But then I thought about it a bit more…
Amidst all this, there is a solid presentation of the narcissism people of this Instragam Age embody on college campuses. The authors mix this well with illustrations of the misogyny and rape culture that goes on with some fraternities and how people can be unintended enablers of it. There was a certain dark poignancy to some of the epiphanies certain characters have at the end. The treatment of how the “public” treats those who have a level of fame was also really well-done here.
That said, the bad outweighed the good, and while I’m a fan of bad things happening to bad people in stories (and good things happening to bad people if the bad person is a compelling character), the bad things that go down here didn’t leave me feeling triumphant or with some sense of justice having been served. The Undees Race sounded fun though. It was all just a bit much.
This book being billed as a “dark comedy” is only half accurate. It’s definitely dark, but it’s not the slightest bit funny. The characters in this campus story are all caricatures, which can work in a satirical work, but it falls flat here. All the frat boys are awful, albeit there are degrees of awfulness and you find yourself somewhat rooting for Graham simply because he’s not as terrible as the others (he’s still terrible).
There was not a single character I found myself remotely invested in. Again, this can
work, but it requires a brilliant story to overcome the lack of anyone to get behind and that’s not what we have here. Mallory approaches being sympathetic toward the end, but her introduction and most of the book leading up that approaching feeling paints her as so completely ridiculous and repulsive that you never quite get there.
The ending is disappointing and left me feeling pretty empty inside. There does not appear to be a big takeaway from it, which was something I was hoping for since mid-way through I considered stopping my read but continued figuring there had to be a payoff. But then I thought about it a bit more…
Amidst all this, there is a solid presentation of the narcissism people of this Instragam Age embody on college campuses. The authors mix this well with illustrations of the misogyny and rape culture that goes on with some fraternities and how people can be unintended enablers of it. There was a certain dark poignancy to some of the epiphanies certain characters have at the end. The treatment of how the “public” treats those who have a level of fame was also really well-done here.
That said, the bad outweighed the good, and while I’m a fan of bad things happening to bad people in stories (and good things happening to bad people if the bad person is a compelling character), the bad things that go down here didn’t leave me feeling triumphant or with some sense of justice having been served. The Undees Race sounded fun though. It was all just a bit much.
January 14, 2019
Thank you NetGalley and Haigh 38 Press for an ARC of SourPuss by sisters Merricat Mulwray.
I admit the title and blurb, "a blistering satire of the depraved and entitled culture that pervades college campuses" caught my eye, and made me want to read this book. Unfortunately, there was nothing blistering or clever in these pages. This was truly some of the most awful writing and storytelling I have come across in a very long time.
Mallory Wahl is an Olympic hopeful who only needs to get through her senior year of college in order to qualify for the US Olympic team. When an injury leaves her on the sidelines, her coach suggests working with a college intern from the sports rehabilitation department. This pairing which at first is met with resistance leads to a romance, which leads to a scandal. Complete rubbish!
There was a story waiting in these pages but the execution was juvenile and amateurish. At least they did deliver on the promise of depravity.
I hate to pan a book but this fell short on so many levels.
I admit the title and blurb, "a blistering satire of the depraved and entitled culture that pervades college campuses" caught my eye, and made me want to read this book. Unfortunately, there was nothing blistering or clever in these pages. This was truly some of the most awful writing and storytelling I have come across in a very long time.
Mallory Wahl is an Olympic hopeful who only needs to get through her senior year of college in order to qualify for the US Olympic team. When an injury leaves her on the sidelines, her coach suggests working with a college intern from the sports rehabilitation department. This pairing which at first is met with resistance leads to a romance, which leads to a scandal. Complete rubbish!
There was a story waiting in these pages but the execution was juvenile and amateurish. At least they did deliver on the promise of depravity.
I hate to pan a book but this fell short on so many levels.
July 9, 2019
I don't know if I should be angry or disappointed. The story blurb had so much potential and I just didn't feel that the writing did any justice to it. I tried so hard to love this book but I couldn't. The writing was not what I expected and it was slightly disappointing and it just didn't do the story any justice. This book could have been so much more. With that being said, is it ironic to say I loved the main character and her whiny and bitchy attitude? Well maybe.. But the relationship is what made me read the whole book. Not a good enough reason, but I am a curious person, so it helped!
Detailed review will be up soon !
Detailed review will be up soon !
December 6, 2018
I was given an ARC for an honest review:
The opening line “Welcome back to the hellhole,” lured me into a wonderful world of satire set in a college experience. Mallory, the main character, white knuckles her goals into her own self-sabotage. The author, Merricat Mulwray, holds nothing back in her satirical debasing of college success. The book features debauchery, horrible students and whimsical nonsense that is intoxicatingly absorbing. The social commentary below the characters and plot makes this book unique and clever. Anybody who had a less than pleasant college social experience will enjoy this satire.
The opening line “Welcome back to the hellhole,” lured me into a wonderful world of satire set in a college experience. Mallory, the main character, white knuckles her goals into her own self-sabotage. The author, Merricat Mulwray, holds nothing back in her satirical debasing of college success. The book features debauchery, horrible students and whimsical nonsense that is intoxicatingly absorbing. The social commentary below the characters and plot makes this book unique and clever. Anybody who had a less than pleasant college social experience will enjoy this satire.
January 15, 2019
I'm not thrilled to have read Sourpuss. I disliked the story for the inappropriate sophomoric content it contained. It left me wondering what exactly I read? Was there some message I didn't get? I don't recommend this one. You'll just be offended I swear. Thanks to NetGalley for an arc in exchange for an honest review.
February 1, 2019
I have very conflicted feelings about this book. It’s seriously good, that I know. Sourpuss by Merricat Mulwray is a book that I had to force myself to read…and then I found myself eagerly reading to find out what kind of insanity happens next. I’m still trying to figure out why. The writing was good. The story was compelling, but I generally am a reader who values character growth and world-building…and this book doesn’t have a lot of either of those things.
Let’s start with character growth. I dislike almost all the characters in this book. I disliked them in the beginning and I disliked them in the end. Wesley was nearly redeemable. Ken…Ken might be the only one who really was. Mallory is a heinous, know-it-all, entitled bitch…she can’t even hide it enough to surround herself with sycophants. I basically pushed through the first part of the book because I can’t stand her. While she doesn’t grow on you, she does show some amount of growth…but only once everything is a complete disaster.
Graham…ugh. He’s hot. And smart. And a complete ass-kisser. His insatiable need to be accepted is such a character flaw, you really wonder if he’ll ever be redeemed. He is the frat-boy foil to Mallory’s track-star diva. The two of them have an enemies to lovers thing going that is pretty obvious from the get-go, though you have to wonder why Graham is attracted to somebody who shows nothing but disdain for him. But Graham is not a person that I like.
I’m just not sure how a book about people that I can’t even find a modicum of respect for became so engaging that I read it all in a few hours. I think it was sort of like a train wreck…I just couldn’t look away. Things just get crazier and crazier and somehow you start rooting for them as a couple…even though if they were real people you’d steer clear and judge away.
If it wasn’t apparent when you first start the book, this is definitely a satire through exaggeration. I’ve been to a party school…and while a lot of the shenanigans that Mulwray writes about do happen, I don’t recall them happening to the extent that they do in Sourpuss.
The second reason for my conflict is that I feel that the book makes light of some very serious issues. It’s not just shenanigans. Drugging girls, having sex with them when they can’t consent, and many other things (and the origin of the name of the book). They’re all talked about as if they’re just something that happens. That bothers me. They “get away with” a variety of sexual assaults because they’re “the frat”. Even though I know that this is a dark satire, the brushing off of all these incidences causes me to cringe and I very nearly stopped reading.
At the end, though…that ending. I’ll be looking for the next book from this duo because, while I didn’t feel this was much of a comedy, it was definitely a good read and pulled a lot of emotions from me. That crazy lady who says you should only have 30 books would say toss it…because there was no joy in the reading of this book. But there was a lot of moral horror, scandal, and a very, very good story about people we love to hate.
Let’s start with character growth. I dislike almost all the characters in this book. I disliked them in the beginning and I disliked them in the end. Wesley was nearly redeemable. Ken…Ken might be the only one who really was. Mallory is a heinous, know-it-all, entitled bitch…she can’t even hide it enough to surround herself with sycophants. I basically pushed through the first part of the book because I can’t stand her. While she doesn’t grow on you, she does show some amount of growth…but only once everything is a complete disaster.
Graham…ugh. He’s hot. And smart. And a complete ass-kisser. His insatiable need to be accepted is such a character flaw, you really wonder if he’ll ever be redeemed. He is the frat-boy foil to Mallory’s track-star diva. The two of them have an enemies to lovers thing going that is pretty obvious from the get-go, though you have to wonder why Graham is attracted to somebody who shows nothing but disdain for him. But Graham is not a person that I like.
I’m just not sure how a book about people that I can’t even find a modicum of respect for became so engaging that I read it all in a few hours. I think it was sort of like a train wreck…I just couldn’t look away. Things just get crazier and crazier and somehow you start rooting for them as a couple…even though if they were real people you’d steer clear and judge away.
If it wasn’t apparent when you first start the book, this is definitely a satire through exaggeration. I’ve been to a party school…and while a lot of the shenanigans that Mulwray writes about do happen, I don’t recall them happening to the extent that they do in Sourpuss.
The second reason for my conflict is that I feel that the book makes light of some very serious issues. It’s not just shenanigans. Drugging girls, having sex with them when they can’t consent, and many other things (and the origin of the name of the book). They’re all talked about as if they’re just something that happens. That bothers me. They “get away with” a variety of sexual assaults because they’re “the frat”. Even though I know that this is a dark satire, the brushing off of all these incidences causes me to cringe and I very nearly stopped reading.
At the end, though…that ending. I’ll be looking for the next book from this duo because, while I didn’t feel this was much of a comedy, it was definitely a good read and pulled a lot of emotions from me. That crazy lady who says you should only have 30 books would say toss it…because there was no joy in the reading of this book. But there was a lot of moral horror, scandal, and a very, very good story about people we love to hate.
December 31, 2018
I got an advanced copy of this book. First I want to say I liked the way this book tackled traditions. Traditions are toxic and remnants of a not always so glorious past. Especially the peer pressure and stupid fraternity traditions. All the characters in the book really think they can do whatever they want without any consequences. The writer makes this crescendo in the second part of the book. The rhythm is exhilarating and the ending is the knockout blow. I also loved the varied cast of characters. Some are hilarious, other nefarious, most are both. I thought this was refreshing. They have dimension and aren't flat. This is no Carebears world. The only thing I could ask for more of is I want to know more about The Furrow family. It’s an overall great read, lots of surprises and an interesting way to approach college topics.
December 4, 2018
I had major issues with this book. Firstly being this whole book made me angry constantly. Within the first fourteen chapter I had eighty notes written about parts I didn't like. Fourteen chapters in these book isn't a lot either, it's about 20% in.
The main character is awful. I hate sooo much. There is a way to write the "Diva" Character or even the bitchy character, this was not it. There is a reason people like the bitchy character and it's their redeeming qualities that make them likable, like maybe they an attitude and boss people around, but they do it because they believe in that person. It's a quality that makes their bitchy persona work. The main character in this novel had zero redeeming qualities. I hated her so very much, and I don't even care if she changes in the story, because I can't get passed how awful she is. That image of her has stained my brain and refuse to change. If I ever saw a person as toxic as her I would dose myself in holy water and go out of my way to avoid her. The fact that she utters things like this team would be nothing without me multiple times is truly amazing. My favorite part is when she decided she was a queen and people had to announce that they wanted to talk to her and clear the subject with her.
Also, this book is either written by someone who thinks all men are pigs or a piggish man because it's disgusting. It don't know if the author was trying to write a book showing the readers how disgusting misogyny is but it hard to read because basically ever man in this book was a pig. Like one wasn't. That's sad. This book is just full of awful characters who are awful people and if that's your cup of tea then I will serve you this because it defiantly isn't mine.
The main character is awful. I hate sooo much. There is a way to write the "Diva" Character or even the bitchy character, this was not it. There is a reason people like the bitchy character and it's their redeeming qualities that make them likable, like maybe they an attitude and boss people around, but they do it because they believe in that person. It's a quality that makes their bitchy persona work. The main character in this novel had zero redeeming qualities. I hated her so very much, and I don't even care if she changes in the story, because I can't get passed how awful she is. That image of her has stained my brain and refuse to change. If I ever saw a person as toxic as her I would dose myself in holy water and go out of my way to avoid her. The fact that she utters things like this team would be nothing without me multiple times is truly amazing. My favorite part is when she decided she was a queen and people had to announce that they wanted to talk to her and clear the subject with her.
Also, this book is either written by someone who thinks all men are pigs or a piggish man because it's disgusting. It don't know if the author was trying to write a book showing the readers how disgusting misogyny is but it hard to read because basically ever man in this book was a pig. Like one wasn't. That's sad. This book is just full of awful characters who are awful people and if that's your cup of tea then I will serve you this because it defiantly isn't mine.
January 4, 2019
Although Sourpous has an attractive and interesting premise -- a college track and field star falls in with a notorious fraternity and becomes wrapped up in a scandal - the reality fell flat for me. The main character, an insufferable young woman named Mallory, was hard to relate to and even harder to like. Her actions, though intended to be satirical, made little sense. The plot jumped around, changing between the perspectives of a series of increasingly confusing characters and timelines, and never really comes together cohesively. The ending is unsatisfying and confusing. Sourpuss is headed in the right direction - attempting to highlight the dangers of the university party scenes and the hardships women face on campus - but ultimately wasn't the kind of read I was looking for.
January 7, 2019
*I received a copy of this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review*
Sourpuss is the story of Olympic track hopeful Mallory and fraternity president and resident hot guy Graham. What starts out as a way for Mallory to keep Graham training her and helping her recuperate after an injury turns into a real relationship embroiled in campus scandal.
This book....oh this book. Friends, I do not know where to start. Let's start with the things I was not so fond of so we can end on a positive note, shall we?
Mallory is supposed to be an unlikable ice queen. This comes across so well. Really, really well. I had read a jacket while reading this book. I do not have a problem with anti-social, attitude riddled females. Give them all to me so we may commiserate. No, my problem with Mallory was that there was nothing redeemable about her. There was absolutely nothing to grasp on to or like to make me actually care about her. This is the case with most of the characters. Every single one of them is a giant dumpster fire of a human being and that's....okay I guess? I suppose for me, if I can't find a character I like or care about it doesn't really seem worth the read.
The entire plot is a bit choppy and the further into the book I got the less sense it made. The book switches from POV's, which I normally don't mind. But it was hard to follow here as there was no clear way to tell whose eyes we're looking out from until I'd already been reading for a paragraph or two in some cases. I did not so much mind the horrific ending (I'm here for dark books and mentally unstable characters), just that it felt unsatisfying and abrupt.
Okay, but here's the thing. Just because I don't enjoy a book doesn't mean someone else won't LOVE this book. SO. The positives. The writing was really beautiful in some spots. The authors obviously have a way with words and visualization. The description was done really well when regarding the minutia of the setting, it was just the big picture that was a little lacking.
This book was not so much for me. But I would not be opposed to reading something else by these authors, as I can tell the writing definitely has potential!
Sourpuss is the story of Olympic track hopeful Mallory and fraternity president and resident hot guy Graham. What starts out as a way for Mallory to keep Graham training her and helping her recuperate after an injury turns into a real relationship embroiled in campus scandal.
This book....oh this book. Friends, I do not know where to start. Let's start with the things I was not so fond of so we can end on a positive note, shall we?
Mallory is supposed to be an unlikable ice queen. This comes across so well. Really, really well. I had read a jacket while reading this book. I do not have a problem with anti-social, attitude riddled females. Give them all to me so we may commiserate. No, my problem with Mallory was that there was nothing redeemable about her. There was absolutely nothing to grasp on to or like to make me actually care about her. This is the case with most of the characters. Every single one of them is a giant dumpster fire of a human being and that's....okay I guess? I suppose for me, if I can't find a character I like or care about it doesn't really seem worth the read.
The entire plot is a bit choppy and the further into the book I got the less sense it made. The book switches from POV's, which I normally don't mind. But it was hard to follow here as there was no clear way to tell whose eyes we're looking out from until I'd already been reading for a paragraph or two in some cases. I did not so much mind the horrific ending (I'm here for dark books and mentally unstable characters), just that it felt unsatisfying and abrupt.
Okay, but here's the thing. Just because I don't enjoy a book doesn't mean someone else won't LOVE this book. SO. The positives. The writing was really beautiful in some spots. The authors obviously have a way with words and visualization. The description was done really well when regarding the minutia of the setting, it was just the big picture that was a little lacking.
This book was not so much for me. But I would not be opposed to reading something else by these authors, as I can tell the writing definitely has potential!
February 1, 2019
"But when she looked around at the thousands of people cheering in the stands, what she felt most was alone" (chapter 25).
This review is originally posted on my blog, June Reads Books.
Thank you Merricat Mulwray, Haigh 38 Press, and Xpresso Book Tours for a free eARC in exchange for an honest review.
There is potential for a story here: one where the cynical girl with big dreams learns that the people she steps on to rise to success are the very people she needs, and one that addresses rape culture on college campuses. But I left this story confused.
It's very apparent that Mulwray gets inspirations from movies like Heathers, and it's clear that they are writing in this vein, but it falls short by a long shot. All of the characters are awful, none of them having redeeming qualities. This is intentional. However, the characters aren't developed or fleshed out enough for the reader to connect with them at all through their horrible personalities. What's keeping us attached to this book? There is also no dark comedy at play here, which is how the book is advertised. It's just dark, poorly written, and lacking editing.
The transitions were frequently missing, which caused me to have trouble following the plot. There were many moments where I would stop and say, "But how did we get here?" or "Why is this character randomly different?" The narrative also changes from Mallory's perspective to literally everyone else's 14 chapters in: another element to the overall confusion. Why did we even need Wesley's perspective? He is a side character and his perspective doesn't add a single thing to the story except continue to make you disgusted at all the characters. If the change of perspective is absolutely necessary, which I don't believe it is, two perspectives is all we need. The backstory on characters was just thrown in haphazardly and many times wasn't needed, or could've been introduced better. The "character growth" didn't make sense nor was it believable. I had a hard time finishing this.
Sourpuss needs a lot of work. I was excited to enter a world modeled after '90s dark comedy, but left it with a nasty taste in my mouth and feeling very disconnected with the story.
This review is originally posted on my blog, June Reads Books.
Thank you Merricat Mulwray, Haigh 38 Press, and Xpresso Book Tours for a free eARC in exchange for an honest review.
There is potential for a story here: one where the cynical girl with big dreams learns that the people she steps on to rise to success are the very people she needs, and one that addresses rape culture on college campuses. But I left this story confused.
It's very apparent that Mulwray gets inspirations from movies like Heathers, and it's clear that they are writing in this vein, but it falls short by a long shot. All of the characters are awful, none of them having redeeming qualities. This is intentional. However, the characters aren't developed or fleshed out enough for the reader to connect with them at all through their horrible personalities. What's keeping us attached to this book? There is also no dark comedy at play here, which is how the book is advertised. It's just dark, poorly written, and lacking editing.
The transitions were frequently missing, which caused me to have trouble following the plot. There were many moments where I would stop and say, "But how did we get here?" or "Why is this character randomly different?" The narrative also changes from Mallory's perspective to literally everyone else's 14 chapters in: another element to the overall confusion. Why did we even need Wesley's perspective? He is a side character and his perspective doesn't add a single thing to the story except continue to make you disgusted at all the characters. If the change of perspective is absolutely necessary, which I don't believe it is, two perspectives is all we need. The backstory on characters was just thrown in haphazardly and many times wasn't needed, or could've been introduced better. The "character growth" didn't make sense nor was it believable. I had a hard time finishing this.
Sourpuss needs a lot of work. I was excited to enter a world modeled after '90s dark comedy, but left it with a nasty taste in my mouth and feeling very disconnected with the story.
April 17, 2020
Dark, yes. Very dark. This book takes a dark, DARK turn. So the title gets that part right. The comedy, though. The comedy is missing.
Find me a character to like in this book, and I will find you an unwrapped Almond Joy from my home. Both are impossible. We have a brute who emotionally abuses his girlfriend and the weak girlfriend who sticks with him because of the future he offers her. We have a cruel and psychopathic young man who feels entitled to everything he wants to take. We have a college kid so willing to be a part of the big frat that he sells his soul. We have two guys who are as vile as you will find.
And we have Mallory, who is determined to live down to the root of her name: mal. Bad. Evil.
I did appreciate Mallory's complete belief in her own agenda. She is unrepentant, in fact, in her own vituperative nature. No one, regardless of how much they support her, is immune from her hatefulness. Okay, I'll admit: there is a moment at the end when I kind of like her. So I'll go find an unwrapped Almond Joy.
Graham, Mallory's erstwhile physio, is not a gem, either. Most of the time he's gross. But, again, there is a moment at the end when I kind of like him. So I guess I'm weak in the face of Merricat Mulwray's attempt to make Mallory and Graham people to root for.
This book is hard to read because you can't figure out why you keep turning the pages. Is it that you want to see Mallory fail? You want to see her and Graham fall in love? You want happiness and peace for them? The way Merricat Mulwray, two sisters, write this book doesn't really lend itself to you cheering on Mallory or Graham. You're too busy thinking they're awful people.
And yet I will give it 3 stars because I had to know what happened to Mallory. I just wish I'd liked it--and her--more.
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Find me a character to like in this book, and I will find you an unwrapped Almond Joy from my home. Both are impossible. We have a brute who emotionally abuses his girlfriend and the weak girlfriend who sticks with him because of the future he offers her. We have a cruel and psychopathic young man who feels entitled to everything he wants to take. We have a college kid so willing to be a part of the big frat that he sells his soul. We have two guys who are as vile as you will find.
And we have Mallory, who is determined to live down to the root of her name: mal. Bad. Evil.
I did appreciate Mallory's complete belief in her own agenda. She is unrepentant, in fact, in her own vituperative nature. No one, regardless of how much they support her, is immune from her hatefulness. Okay, I'll admit: there is a moment at the end when I kind of like her. So I'll go find an unwrapped Almond Joy.
Graham, Mallory's erstwhile physio, is not a gem, either. Most of the time he's gross. But, again, there is a moment at the end when I kind of like him. So I guess I'm weak in the face of Merricat Mulwray's attempt to make Mallory and Graham people to root for.
This book is hard to read because you can't figure out why you keep turning the pages. Is it that you want to see Mallory fail? You want to see her and Graham fall in love? You want happiness and peace for them? The way Merricat Mulwray, two sisters, write this book doesn't really lend itself to you cheering on Mallory or Graham. You're too busy thinking they're awful people.
And yet I will give it 3 stars because I had to know what happened to Mallory. I just wish I'd liked it--and her--more.
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December 31, 2018
Wicked original story! Loved this book, it’s quite the discovery. Thank you netgalley for the ARC. It’s witty and dark. I love dark humor and since there’s so little new stuff on the market this was a treat. American psycho is one of my favs. In this the characters are deliciously terrible, laughed escaped me throughout. From what I’ve seen in the media of university students they misbehave so I could laugh at their expense. The book is called Sourpuss and it lives up to the name that’s for sure. The characters are completely caught in their selfish life. Like hello to any twenty year olds that’s the time when they peak awful. This book shows all the bad things that happen at college and how nobody cares, why because all these students are selfish. I loved the coach he was such a huge mess! The only adult was worse than all the students! HA! Anybody who ever had a coach will recognize him, but beware of the frat boys they are pure evil and gross it was relieving when Mallory put them in their place or made fun of them, loved this she said, ““Brotherhood? Nothing more than a front for overgrown male children to have an official hovel where they can fine-tune their perversions.” The characters are wonderfully drawn, its not formulaic, this is a story your haven’t read before.
It’s a fast read I read it in two days. It’s very contemporary , masking pain with a negative attitude, and redemption for the bad. It’s compelling how the timeline was played with, nice creation of a dark school I enjoy it.
I recommended it to my book club it’s a nice conversation starter!
It’s a fast read I read it in two days. It’s very contemporary , masking pain with a negative attitude, and redemption for the bad. It’s compelling how the timeline was played with, nice creation of a dark school I enjoy it.
I recommended it to my book club it’s a nice conversation starter!
January 6, 2019
I’m reviewing Sourpuss for my university newspaper. The authors provided me with a copy.
Sourpuss is real to university life. I must start out by saying that. That’s my personal thought. This was the only novel I’ve read about college where the characters felt real. I must know a handful of students just like them in the novel. It’s sad but truth. I’m not into Greek life it annoys me so I really sympathized with Mallory. She wasn’t the best person, but male athletes are always full of themselves and everyone loves them. Having a female character being completely full of herself I’m all for.
When the term starts I’ll link my review. I was asked to avoid any spoilers.
For now I’ll add that this book moved me. Finally a college story that isn’t mainstream garbage.
Sourpuss is real to university life. I must start out by saying that. That’s my personal thought. This was the only novel I’ve read about college where the characters felt real. I must know a handful of students just like them in the novel. It’s sad but truth. I’m not into Greek life it annoys me so I really sympathized with Mallory. She wasn’t the best person, but male athletes are always full of themselves and everyone loves them. Having a female character being completely full of herself I’m all for.
When the term starts I’ll link my review. I was asked to avoid any spoilers.
For now I’ll add that this book moved me. Finally a college story that isn’t mainstream garbage.
January 29, 2019
DNF. I'm not even sure of the percentage. I've literally never set a book as DNF in my life. I've set aside some to come back to when I'm in a more appropriate mood to enjoy it, but this... I will not be coming back to this. I was hoping for a bit of Reality Bites, but this was nothing like this. Listen to the reviews. The characters are unlikable (at best). The writing is childish and it's not funny. It's crude. I have a pretty twisted, pretty dark sense of humor, but I didn't even crack a smile during reading.
March 27, 2019
Sourpuss... a college track star destined for the Olympics succumbs to an injury, straining her chances of joining team USA. She is forced to train with another student, the president of a campus fraternity. They don't get along at first, then suddenly fall in love. Mushy romance (do people really talk like this?), story skipped around and was confusing. Typical frat parties described, immature text and story. Not comedic or dark. Abrupt ending. First 30% of book intriguing.
May 20, 2019
I received an ARC from a Goodreads giveaway.
I wanted to like this book. I tried to like this book. Unfortunately, I couldn't even bring myself to finish this book... I stopped about a third of the way through. It's a dark satire that tried too hard. The characters are grossly stereotypical college students in their own little worlds. I was able to see the humor at times, but for most of the portion of the book that I read it was like beating a dead horse.
I wanted to like this book. I tried to like this book. Unfortunately, I couldn't even bring myself to finish this book... I stopped about a third of the way through. It's a dark satire that tried too hard. The characters are grossly stereotypical college students in their own little worlds. I was able to see the humor at times, but for most of the portion of the book that I read it was like beating a dead horse.
January 23, 2019
I have to admit that I swung back and forth with this one. Initially, I wasn't sure about it at all and didn't know if I was going to even be able to finish it. This is a very dark story about American College life. It's not something that I know a great deal about, as it seems very different to the British University that I attended.
The characters in this book are not particularly likeable, which is one of the things that makes it a complex read and hard to identify with. But, this is a satirical book. I think if you go on with that in mind, rather than expecting an obvious dark comedy, you might get much more out of it. I think that's where I struggled to begin with, the description had me expecting a light, humorous read, but Sourpuss is certainly not that.
Rape culture, fraternities and sportsmanship all find themselves in the spotlight and under fire in this book. No punches are pulled, each is attacked by being pushed to the extreme. As I got further into this book and understood what it was trying to do, I enjoyed it more.
This isn't a perfect book. There are things that I think could have been improved, but if you approach this as a damning satire, rather than expecting a light comedy, then you might just find that it's quite an interesting read, just like I did.
The characters in this book are not particularly likeable, which is one of the things that makes it a complex read and hard to identify with. But, this is a satirical book. I think if you go on with that in mind, rather than expecting an obvious dark comedy, you might get much more out of it. I think that's where I struggled to begin with, the description had me expecting a light, humorous read, but Sourpuss is certainly not that.
Rape culture, fraternities and sportsmanship all find themselves in the spotlight and under fire in this book. No punches are pulled, each is attacked by being pushed to the extreme. As I got further into this book and understood what it was trying to do, I enjoyed it more.
This isn't a perfect book. There are things that I think could have been improved, but if you approach this as a damning satire, rather than expecting a light comedy, then you might just find that it's quite an interesting read, just like I did.
February 27, 2019
My review to follow
July 19, 2019
Debauchery, nonsense and some of the most hateable characters ever... I loved it! Darkly hilarious and sharply satirical, Sourpuss is fantastic fun to read.
Shelved as 'did-not-finish'
February 26, 2019I received a copy of this book from the author through a Goodreads giveaway. This does not affect my rating or opinions.
DNF at 45%.
You know that feeling when you see something horrific, or morbid, or just odd and you're trying not to stare but you can't look away? Reading this felt like that.
Bearing in mind that this is a satire/"dark comedy," I managed to put up with the narcissistic, misanthropic main characters for much longer than I had expected. Still, I don't have to look far in my real life to find someone who hates people in general and thinks themself above most others — I'm a healthcare major; I know the type very well.
In terms of setting and plot, this reads pretty similarly to your average college-themed movie (though specifically starring a very stereotypical and privileged-focused version of Greek life, as well as student athleticism when you're at the top of your sport and an Olympic hopeful). There are house parties that end in punches thrown, a gay best friend, a pretty partygoing best friend, a legacy frat pledge constantly getting hazed, and of course a charismatic-asshole love interest. Honestly, at this point I'm tired of listening to the MCs brag about their superiority and privilege, and even less interested in reading about them making out when they couldn't stand each other about five pages ago.
DNF at 45%.
You know that feeling when you see something horrific, or morbid, or just odd and you're trying not to stare but you can't look away? Reading this felt like that.
Bearing in mind that this is a satire/"dark comedy," I managed to put up with the narcissistic, misanthropic main characters for much longer than I had expected. Still, I don't have to look far in my real life to find someone who hates people in general and thinks themself above most others — I'm a healthcare major; I know the type very well.
In terms of setting and plot, this reads pretty similarly to your average college-themed movie (though specifically starring a very stereotypical and privileged-focused version of Greek life, as well as student athleticism when you're at the top of your sport and an Olympic hopeful). There are house parties that end in punches thrown, a gay best friend, a pretty partygoing best friend, a legacy frat pledge constantly getting hazed, and of course a charismatic-asshole love interest. Honestly, at this point I'm tired of listening to the MCs brag about their superiority and privilege, and even less interested in reading about them making out when they couldn't stand each other about five pages ago.
April 6, 2019
I really did not enjoy this book. The writing was inconsistent, and I could tell they were just writing in a hurry to get to the 'twist' at the end. None of the characters were likeable, but that may have been an age difference thing? The relationships between characters weren't written with a lot of depth and I found them really hard to believe in and get behind. I had such high hopes!! Thank you NetGalley for the opportunity to review this for free.
December 29, 2018
DNF'd this book at 50% it started to get really weird and I feel like the main plot ended with the girl already. I was not a fan of the fraternity storyline with the two douchebag guys being utterly garbage. I barely remember the names of the characters and the main female protagonist was very holier than you and I am the star of the track team. Not enough smut and not well written.
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