I'm a bit of a vampire fan, particularly vampire fiction, must be a touch of the goth still left in me!!
I'm an avid reader anyway but have never gone out of my way to read PoppyZBrites work until I found this book in a charity shop for a stunning fifty pence!!
I avoided Brites work for a reason, perhaps I should explain. I find most vampires stories set in the present tedious, stereotypical and thouroughly unoriginal, a kind of read one, read em all, kind of thing.
And PoppyZBrite does not disappoint.
The story centres around a teenager called Nothing, his mother had sex with a vampire called Zillah, who cams back later along with his cohorts Twig(?) and Molochai. Jessy dies giving birth and Christian (another vampire) takes the baby to Maryland, leaving him on a doorstep with a simple note saying 'His name is Nothing ...
Advantages: Great story, wacky characters Disadvantages: It's like reading porn at times
, but unlike Zillah et al, he is much more mature in his behaviour, only killing when he absolutely has to. Characterisation is most certainly PoppyZBrite's strong point - each and every one of them is beautifully described and, despite the number of characters, by the end of the book, I really felt as though I knew all of them.
The story is a good one. It is told from the point of view of a number of characters, primarily Christian, Nothing and Steve and Ghost, and at the beginning, it is hard to understand quite what they all have in common. However, the story slowly reveals how they all fit together and, by a third of the way through the book, I was hooked. And I loved the idea of vampires living unnoticed amongst ordinary people. Zillah et al and Christian may have dressed strangely, but they were still able to lead the lives of their ...
Advantages: Very engrossing. VERY well written. Disadvantages: Not for the faint hearted.
Having already read Lost Souls by Ms Brite I came to this book with very high hopes, and I most definitely wasn't disappointed. I think I finished this book the first time in 2 sittings.
True to Brite style this book doesn't pussy foot around. Anne Rice hints, Stephen King shows you, and PoppyBrite grabs you by the back of the neck and plunges you face first in it.
The story begins with British serial killer, necrophiliac and HIV positive Andrew, and within about half a page she's busy telling you all the mucky details of what this man likes. Lines such as 'Yes, dead boys can get hard' are not out of place in this book.
It moves on to Tran, a boy in New Orleans with a highly traditional family, who has a penchant for cross-dressing and older men.
His ex Luke is also introduced, a writer who since being diagnosed with HIV got extremely ...
Stephen King's claim to fame ; Superb atmosphere ; Sublime plot ; A vivid imagination that stretches all supernatural boundaries ; Probably responsible for some of the best horror films of the 70's and 80's
Some unessesary background in the first half ; Kubrik mucked up the story too much ; Could have been much more (*)
