Reviewed by Sin: PRESSURE

PRESSURE
By Jeff Strand
Amazon link (Earthling Publications version)

If you don't like first person narrators, I urge you to make an exception for PRESSURE, by Jeff Strand. This is one of the best books I've read in years, the kind that you read in one day and wind up exhausted because you couldn't put it down. So if I forget to feed the dog, or fall asleep while writing this, it's Jeff Strand's fault.

PRESSURE is a story about Alex, a young men with asshats for parents. Young Alex makes one mistake, the kind countless kids have made, and they send him off to boarding school. This is done in an incredibly believable fashion, when it could have looked like a gimmick, and I found myself more and more pissed off at Alex's parents. As any kid can tell you, grown-ups can be incredibly stupid. In boarding school Alex has a little bit of good luck, meeting two cool friends, and a whole lot of bad when he meets a kid named Darren. Awful thing happen, which I won't ruin for you, and Alex and Darren part ways. But Darren comes back, and as the book progresses you feel more and more claustrophobic. Darren is smart, relentless, and you never know when Alex will see him again. First it's in college, when Alex has his whole life to look forward to. Then it's after he's married and has a little girl he loves more than anything. Darren wants Alex to be like him, and he doesn't take rejection well.

Don't start this book unless you have the time to read A LOT of it at once. It will bug the crap out if you not knowing what happens next. I went to sleep around four last night, and quite frankly I feel like shit. This is what love of literature gets you, kids. That's why writers are addicted to coffee, and often booze. If you want to avoid sleep deprivation and lead a constructive life, well I have no idea how to help you. If you want to have some fun, pick up Jeff Strand's book.

Reviewed by Sin - Popular Hits of the Showa Era

POPULAR HITS OF THE SHOWA ERA
by Ryu Murakami
Amazon link


"Popular Hits of the Show Era" is about unlikable people doing horrible things to each other. It is also one of the funniest novels I have ever read. Written by Ryu Murakami, of "Almost Transparent Blue" and "The Audition" fame, it tells the story of two groups of people: six young men and six older women. The young men have no lives, outside of peeping and karaoke, and the women aren't any better. There wouldn't be much to say about their lives worth reading if they hadn't started killing each other.

It starts on an impulse. One of the young men, armed with a hard-on and no common sense, kills one of the women. Rather than go to the police, her friends discuss a course of action amongst themselves. Soon there's another dead body, and another murder being plotted. Hilarity, and more murder, ensue as Murakami gets inside each character's head and shows you that even the biggest losers can become heros - if only in their own minds. Set against the backdrop of Tokyo, Japan, this is a comedy for everyone with a dark sense of humor.

Reviewed by Sin - Lala Pipo

Lala Pipo
by Hideo Okuda
Amazon link


"Lala Pipo" is a relay race: as each story ends, a previously minor character takes the lead and shows us what was going on in his/her life while someone else had the spotlight. From housewives to host boys, you get a graphic tour of who's getting it in Tokyo, and who's not getting enough. Anger, stress, and self-destruction are the predominate themes. You would think getting laid would make people happy, but Hideo Okuda knows better. Sometimes sex is the last thing you need.

The book starts with a man who has no life, no friends, and one new neighbor. When a very audible parade of sexy women ensues the man, and his penis, are happier than they've ever been. Unfortunately, he's no host boy and, as time goes by, the man's addiction to the antics upstairs get the better of him. And that's one of the tamer stories.

"Lala Pipo" is proof that perversion can have a point. As titillating as the stories are (did you want me to lie?), they are also thought provoking, and in some cases touching. Okuda's characters aren't the nicest people but, even if you don't agree with what they do, you understand how they got there. To me, that is the mark of an excellent writer. It's easy to make you like a character who's charming and funny. Making you care about someone who needs a boot to the ass takes talent.

Reviewed by Sin - In the Pool

IN THE POOL
By Hideo Okuda
*English translation
Amazon link


"In the Pool", by Hideo Okuda, is a collection of five stories with two things in common: The protagonists all have an unusual problem, with a relatable human core, and they are all under the care of doctor Ichiro Irabu, head of neurology. Along with his indifferent nurse, Mayumi, Doctor Irabu specializes in indulging his patient's irrational, self-destructive impulses. Whether it be compulsively swimming, or text messaging their lives away, doctor Irabu is there to tell them everything is all right.

By the second story you can see the method behind doctor Irabu's madness, while his patients are left in the dark. Seeing how each patient deals with having the most fucked up aspect of themselves encouraged, and eventually figure out why, is the brilliance behind "In the Pool." Yet, as much as you come to know each character and why they are the way they are, the "real" doctor Irabu remains a mystery. Where does the therapy end, and the person behind it begin? I just read the book, and I have no idea, yet it's impossible to dismiss doctor Irabu as crazy. He has a vision, and it comes complete with mommy issues and a pea green porsche.

It's rare that a book makes me laugh out loud, but this one did it repeatedly. It also made me feel bad for the characters, and root for the ones that got their lives together. My favorite story is the first, titled "In the Pool", about a man whose stress drives him to swim. Soon a few laps isn't enough, and it becomes impossible to balance his trips to the pool with the rest of his life. Here, and in the other stories, the journey is what's important, even when the characters don't get where they wanted to go.

Personal rating = A+

Reviewed by Sin - THE LOST

The Lost
By Jack Ketchum



One of the most challenging plots, in my opinion, is when readers know something bad is going to happen... eventually. In the meantime how do you keep readers, well, reading? For that answer, I present "The Lost", by Jack Ketchum. The plot is straight forward: Douchebag decides to whip his big gun out and act like a tough guy. Years later, he gets the itch again, as events around him conspire to shorten his fuse by the day. The real story, of course, is what happens between page one and the bad things to come. Who the characters are, and the everyday moments of their lives, make "The Lost" truly powerful. Some people have bigger flaws than others, but they all deserve better than the horror they are steadily, obliviously sailing into. Not that some of them haven't gotten a taste. The book starts off with a brutal appetizer, if you will, before easing you back to wait for the final course.

"The Lost" clocks in at just under four hundred pages, yet it feels like a much shorter read. Much credit is due to the fact that Ketchum makes creating memorable, multidimensional characters look easy. We all know the old cliche, "You'll laugh, you'll cry, etc". Well, you will. Or at least tear up, as I did, though in my case it couldn't be helped. The bastard put an adorable homeless animal in the book, because that's how Ketchum rolls. Human tragedy not enough for you? Bam! Here's a cat whose owners dumped it after they had a new baby. You think it's merely a sad moment, a commentary on people who view pets as disposable, only to find that the furry feline thread runs through the whole book. Done in less skilled hands, I would have barfed. With Ketchum, however, I felt genuine emotion.

So as Stewie said to Brian, before sharing his music video, "Get ready to feel." Especially the simple things, like love and friendship, that teeter precariously in the balance. Not that the characters know. But you will, and you'll keep reading. Even though you know it's going to hurt.

Reviewed by Sin - "Piercing"

"Piercing"
by Ryu Murakami (English translation)






Gore: Done with visceral finesse

Sex: Dirty in all the right places

Angst: Like an ice pick to the gut


I read this book in one night, and the next night I went out and bought "Almost Transparent Blue" (also by Ryu Murakami). I read that one last night, went online and bought "In the Miso Soup." As soon as I get another coupon from BORDERS, I'll go buy "69." Though I am pounding these novels like fast food cheeseburgers, rest assured this is not literary fast food. "Piercing" is a fantastic, complex tale about the steps some people take to keep their lives together.

The story centers around a young man named Kawashima, and a very simple premise: he is afraid that he is going to stab his newborn daughter with an ice pick. For ten nights in a row he looms over the crib, ice pick in hand, and tells himself it would never happen. Except he knows that it might, and that would be bad. He had a good job, a wonderful wife, and a bright future. Why throw that away, when he can be proactive about finding a solution?

The story starts out quiet and contemplative, during which we get to know Kawashima extremely well. He is a complicated person, who I found easy to sympathize with. Others may disagree. As his story progresses, Kawashima's well laid plans unwind slowly then unravel, as present events intertwine with old memories and deep psychological wounds. The second half of the novel is as brutal, and has a rare treat: a ending I truly didn't see coming.

Of course, one always worries with novels translated from other languages. I didn't see any red flags while I was reading, and my gut tells me "Piercing" was translated with extreme care. I recommend this to anyone who is into psychological horror, and anyone who thinks Japan can be summed up by anime and Hello Kitty. Every country bleeds. All you need is someone to show you where.

Reviewed by Sin - Blanket of White

Blanket of White (anthology)
by Amy Grech
Damnation Books, LLC





Gore: Not heavy, but the blood does fly in some stories!

Sex: There are some very, very horny people in this anthology.

Angst: Oodles.


The nice things about anthologies, is that you get a taste of all different kinds of horror/dark fiction. This is certainly true with Amy Grech's BLANKET OF WHITE. Topics range from parent-child relationships, dealing with the end of the world, and people who need to learn to keep it in their pants. On that last note, this is not an anthology for anyone who is shy about sex scenes. You will see quite a few people get their hump on ; )

This isn't an anthology for anyone who requires hard core blood and guts. Some of the stories aren't straight horror at all, and you won't get any gross monsters out for human blood. Much of the anthology relies on emotional pain/tension to make a point. Amy Grech does this extremely well: she has a knack for pealing back her character's layers, and (figuratively) exposing their squishy tender bits. In some stories, she also exposes their literal tender bits.

My favorite story, "Ashes to Ashes," was definitely one of angst over gore. It was creepy as hell in some parts, but nothing exploded and no one's intestines got eaten by rabid chipmunks. Also, I can never look at doing laundry the same way again. That's how you know a story hit the mark: you are still uneasy long after you've read it. It's like seeing a Saint Bernard after reading CUJU. Sure, they're lovable cuddlebugs with silly faces. But deep down, you still flash back to those moments in the book that scared the shit out of you.

Reviewed by Sin - HIRAM GRANGE: The Chosen One

Hiram Grange: The Chosen One
By Kevin Lucia
Shroud Publishing


Gore: Not only do I have no complaints, I would recommend the shower of carnage to friends and loved ones!

Sex: Actual humping, no. But rest assured, this book is not for prudish readers.

Angst: One of the most likable things about Hiram is his angst.


Since I haven't read the previous Hiram Grange adventures (each by a different author), I can't comment on this novella in the context of the Hiram spectrum. I can say that he is a great antihero, and more than a bit of a filthy pervert. While Hiram may lack the brute masculinity of say, Wolverine, that only makes him more fun (and more human). Hiram is a social oddity, as much for his physical appearance as his very special profession: kicking supernatural ass. Tall, gangly, and greasy-haired, you won't see Mr. Grange on the cover of any bodice rippers. His nose alone would take up most of the cover. And yet, at this very moment, he could very well be having sex with your mother. Providing, of course, that she can still fit into a naughty school-girl outfit.


Just try not to think about it. I'm sure she's not having sex with Hiram Grange. Probably. In any case, I was relieved that "The Chosen One" stood on its own. Lucia does an expert job of weaving in backstory from previous Hiram novellas, without exaggerating the fact that the "Chosen One" is part of a series. I was especially impressed with the action scenes. They were so smoothly written that I could follow along, without the usual "what the fuck just happened?" feeling every three seconds. I hate having to reread something a hundred times, just to figure out who shot/stabbed/exploded what in the where. It ruins the momentum, as anyone who has read a poorly written action sequence can attest to.

Once you get to the meat of the story, don't expect to get up any time soon. I only meant to read "a little more" before bed, and ended up shot-gunning the rest of the book. I had to. There was no, "Oh this is a nice quiet moment," once the shit really hit the fan. One of the key factors to this is Hiram himself. If an author crafts brilliant scenes without a character worth rooting for, it's all bullshit. I rooted for Hiram. Underneath the ill-fitting suit and self-deprecation, he is a sweet man stuck with a job that would drive most people to madness. His "bad habits" are entirely understandable, and even endearing. This is a testament to Lucia's talent: To know Hiram is to love him, and Lucia bares the man in all his most vulnerable, and at times tragic, glory. I recommend this book to anyone who wants a story that doesn't skimp on the heart or the guts.

And as for your mother, well, the woman has needs.

Shroud Publishing link

Reviewed by Sin - MPD Psycho

MPD Psycho - 多重人格探偵サイコ (manga)

written by Eiji Otsuka, illustrated by Shou Takima


I debated whether or not to review this. It's a manga, and I'm not sure how many people who read my reviews are into that. To be perfectly honest, even I only read yaoi, when I read manga at all. At least I used to. For while I dearly love reading about men hump, the yaoi I keep finding is a little too cute and clean for me. I like my fiction to come rolled in blood and dirt. The question was, could I find something to match my tastes on the same shelf as stories about precocious high school kids making smoochy faces at each other? (Keep in mind, I know about as much about manga as I do about nuclear physics). Long story short, Japan makes some delightfully sick shit. MPD PSYCHO is a horror story, no bones about it. And so, without further ado...

Gore: You might want to take a shower afterwards.

Sex: No, but copious nudity. Copious, deeply disturbing, nudity : )

Angst: If you can't feel for these characters, especially Amamiya, you might be dead inside.


First things first: We have all seen/read the dissociative identity disorder (previously called multiple personality disorder) angle done badly. I'm talking "Lifetime: For Women" badly. Mercifully, Otsuka keeps his story from turning into the fodder of soap operas. The basic plot: Yosuke Kobayashi is a detective on the trail of a man who liked to chop the arms and legs off of naked victims. Kobayashi is sweet and down to earth, though a little tense and apologetic at times. He is also thoroughly unprepared to become the focus of a psychopath. When push comes to shove, Kobayashi ceases to be. In his place, two other personalities vie for dominance. One goes rogue, only to cut and run when his actions get him arrested. Kazuhiko Amamiya is left holding the bag, and becomes the chief character in what was once Kobayashi's mind. Otsuka brings shades of "Silence of the Lambs" into the plot at this point: a detective uses Amamiya to help profile serial killers and, after his sentence ends, Amimiya is hired to help track down dangerous criminals. First off: a man who really, really likes flowers.

For me, this is a story of isolation (Amamiya's), coupled with tales of stark brutality. As someone who cannot visualize things well, I was thrilled to have Takima's illustrations. (My husband now thinks I have more issues than before, after watching me grin and giggle like a school girls at Takima's tender illustrations of depravity). The impact of the horrors Otsuka's characters face is burned into your brain, over and over again. They are relieved by moments of gentle humanity, and occasionally levity. Like any good horror story, MPD Psycho creates compelling, three dimensional world. No one is perfect, and the bad guys have elements that you would see in your best friend, or even yourself. By the end of the issue was left feeling stunned, and very inspired. Not to write my own MOD Psycho, but to tap into the same kind of passion Otsuka and Takima have.

Some might think that reading (or reviewing) a manga is cheating. I say if it the story is well done, if it grabbed you and affected your muse, then it's equal to any novel you take off the shelf. The worth of stories is not measures in page numbers. As readers or writers, we owe it to ourselves to find joy, be it covered in blood and guts or rainbows and unicorns, wherever it lives.

Reviewed by Sin - SPARROW ROCK

Sparrow Rock
Nate Kenyon

Gore: Masterful
Sex: It’s the end of the world, and not enough gals for every guy. Sorry, horny teenagers.
Angst: See “Gore”

Let’s be honest, fellow writers, we’ve all thought about how we would end the world. Will it be zombies? Ravenous unicorns, thirsty for human blood? Whatever the means, the important part - the real story - is the aftermath. Who survives, how the fuck do they keep it together, and what happens when shit starts to hit the fan all over again? It’s an immense challenge: after all, it’s been done so many times, in so many ways. I still plan to destroy the world one day (I’ve already done it in a short), and encourage you to do the same. That said, reading “Sparrow Rock” made me realize how high the bar is. For that, I kind of want to punch Nate Kenyon in the face.

I of course mean that as a compliment, and not an invitation to a restraining order. This is one of the best books I’ve read since “Heart Shaped Box.” I was sucked in from page one, so much so that I finished the book in a day’s time. My emotions went from “neat!“ to “ewww!“ and finally, to wanting to curl up in a ball and drink heavily for the rest of the night. Ah, literature. The ending, which I will not spoil, was exactly as it should be. Again, a tough thing in end of the world novels. Too much rosy hope for the future, or bitter pessimism, and you close the book feeling unfulfilled.

I was especially impressed with Nate Kenyon’s handling of teenagers. It’s easy to glamorize that phase, gild the lily to speak. Or worse, forget how an actual teenager thinks and feels altogether. Thankfully, Kenyon remembers what it’s like to be young and, as we all once were, a little stupid. No one comes off as more capable than they should be, nor do they become Saturday cartoon cliches of post-puberty angst. There is only honest angst: earned through blood, tears, and things much worse. Not everyone is entirely likable, yet Kenyon writes about them such that you care anyway. Unlike some novels, there was was never a moment were I was relieved to see someone finally bite it.

As for the sex, I hardly noticed how little was there. High praise, from a pervert such as myself. And I have to admit, not everyone connects “end of the world” to “fucking like bunnies.” Especially with the nasty surprises waiting for this particular band of survivors. Long story short, the mood was not particularly erotic. Though, me being me, I would have nudged a few private talks between male friends into a totally different direction. I mean, it’s the end of the world, you don’t want to get anyone pregnant. And it’s not like you can hop down to the drug store and buy condoms. If I was a man, I would stay far, far away from anything with a vagina, and start taking showers with my buddy under the guise of saving water.

At this point I’m sure I’ve mortified Nate Kenyon, if he’s reading this. So I’ll wrap things up with this: “Sparrow Rock” kicked ass: It’s the kind of book where you get paper cuts, from turning the pages so fast. Go get a copy, along with a bottle of Jack Daniels for later, and clear your schedule for the rest of the day.

B&N link

THE RESURRECTIONIST - Reviewed by Sin

The Resurrectionist
Wrath James White
Leisure Books


I started reading “The Resurrectionist” yesterday, and was done before midnight. Before I start to gush, and I will, I present the GSA ratings!

Gore: Sweet DJ Ozma, yes.
Sex: See above.
Angst: Done fluidly, and in a manner that fit with the plot.

What can I say about “The Resurrectionist” that won’t be a spoiler, or make me sound like a very sick person? I’ll be honest: I love gore. Whether it be unbridled, senseless slaying (a la B-grade slasher films), or a poetic orgy of flesh and bone (Ichi the Killer), I’m happiest when body fluids are raining down on the pages/movie screen. Wrath James White delivers on the later version: His novel is brutal, but there is a method to the mayhem. In other words, this isn’t torture porn.

This book also isn’t for the squeamish. The killings are wet and nasty, and I’ve never read so many rape scenes in one novel. It wasn’t done for shock value, but I wouldn’t look down on anyone who felt too uncomfortable to pick up a book that deals so graphically with the subject of violent sexual assault. It’s not pretty, but that’s the point. The antagonist may or may not be truly evil, I’m sure opinions vary, but his actions are. To create character like Dale, and then write the book any other way, would have been hypocritical.

Personally, I had a blast reading “The Resurrectionist.” It's a depraved, bloody roller coaster ride that stops every so often to punch you in the gut, then start again. Books like this are the reason some people think horror fans/writers are sick fucks. This isn’t the place to wax philosophical on reality v. fiction, so I will simply say that my line between the two is very thick. If yours is as well, then I recommend grabbing a copy of “The Resurrectionist,” by Wrath James White.

FEEDING GROUND - reviewed by Sin

FEEDING GROUND
By Sarah Pinborough
Leisure Fiction

First the essentials: The GSA score.
Gore: moderate
Sex: None : (
Angst: Elegantly written and well maintained.

This was a good book. I need to say that right off the bat, otherwise what I write later might be horribly misconstrued. The only flaw in this novel, if it can be called a flaw, is that I went into it anticipating something different.

Let me put it this way: Have you ever craved a certain food? Pizza, for example. Maybe a pizza topped with legions of spider monsters, that drag their victims down the streets by bulging ropes of human intestines. In any case, you’re in the mood for pizza. You order the pizza, wait for it to get there, only when you open the door the delivery guy hands you a lasagna. Had you been in the mood for lasagna, you would be ecstatic. Alas, you wanted spider pizza.

I wanted a gore-soaked frenzy of arachnid brutality. What I got was decidedly more focused on the human drama. The spiders did some nasty shit, don’t get me wrong, but FEEDING GROUND is strongest as an examination of what happens to regular people when the world goes to shit. In many ways, it reminded me of THE STAND. The characters here range from drug lords to English school boys, all of whom have to sack up and face a world spiraled well beyond any sane person’s frame of reference. Sarah Pinborough did a magnificent job of this. If you want to get inside a character’s head, she ranks among the best.

Now, when I say “sack up,” I mean it quite literally. In the “gone to shit” world of FEEDING GROUND, women quickly go the way of the dodo. I won’t go into specifics, lest I ruin the red, wet surprise, but suffice to say there’s a reason no one was getting laid in this novel. That said, I wouldn’t have been sad to see a few guys give into their urges with each other. I mean come on, who are they holding out for? Time to start lending a helping hand, fellas.

But I digress. As for a summary of the plot, I’ll keep it short and sweet: There are spider monsters in London. Several groups of survivors must deal with the constant threat of death, while strategizing a way to get out of the city. Unfortunately, there are worse things than spider monsters to deal with.

If you like your tragedy multi-layered, and characters that stay with you long after the last page, then this is the perfect book to pick up. If you want loads of gore, I recommend reading something else. Then, when you get your gore fix, go back and read FEEDING GROUND. Horror is a buffet, and it would be a shame to load up your plate with only one thing ; )

-Sin

B&N link