Review: Lots of interesting ideas, but not well-executed.
Rating: 3 out of 5
Date: 11 2, 2013
Discoredia is the story of a rave gone awry, and I can't decide what I think about it. While it's well-imagined, it's not well-executed. It's visceral, but ugly. Pulse-pounding, but haphazard. I can't decide if this book is what the author intended or if it's something that got away from him.First, I was distracted and dismayed at how grammatically error-ridden this book was: Misplaced commas, missing apostrophes, and incorrect homonyms ("heal" for "heel" is an easy one, guys). It distracted from the work, and sometimes I slogged when I should have glided. The blame for this I place squarely on the shoulders of Mr. Michael's small press publisher, Books of the Dead Press. If this passed over the desk of a professional copy editor, which I doubt, I'd fire that person immediately.*Steps on soap box*I'm disappointed on behalf of authors everywhere, and on behalf of Mr. Michael, specifically. With traditional publishing more cut-throat than ever and self-publishing becoming a viable option, small presses need to work harder than ever to prove their worth. The non-existent editing in this manuscript tells me that this publisher isn't serious about contending in the marketplace.*Steps off soap box*Besides that, I'm not the book's intended audience. While I vehemently support freedom of choice in all hot-button political issues, I'm not interested in imbibing, swallowing, injecting, or snorting drugs. I will occasionally have one glass of wine too many, and the next day is enough to remind me why I do that once per year. This book was written to capture the adrenaline-laced, hallucinatory high that common rave drugs induce. I'm only mildly interested, mostly from an academic perspective. I don't understand drug use, and consequently, drug users.Ultimately, I didn't like the haphazard storytelling. Too many things were left swinging in the wind: Unresolved back story, a plot that dragged for too long and ended too soon once things started getting interesting, dubious villain motivation, and a cacophony of characters that I couldn't make sense of. Part of me wonders if those elements were purposeful, but part of me suspects it simply needed a heavy developmental edit along with its need for copy edits.Despite the drawbacks, I never regretted reading this book. If, unlike me, you can remove the stick from your rectal orifice long enough to dive into the bad-ass shit going down, you'll enjoy this book. The writer has voice and potential.