Review: Crazy doesn't begin to describe it.
Rating: 3 out of 5
Date: 05 13, 2013
Rating: 3.5See this little note from bottom of the blurb:"Please note that this storyline contains depictions of drug abuse, violence and non-consensual sexual activity"TAKE THAT BLURB SERIOUSLY.If you're like me, you've read some hardcore, dark, twisted tales, so that blurb may not even faze you. Actually, it made me want to read this even more, sick puppy that I am.Do you remember the story of the boiled frog? Let me refresh your memory:If you drop a frog in a pot of boiling water, it will of course frantically try to clamber out. But if you place it gently in a pot of tepid water and turn the heat on low, it will float there quite placidly. As the water gradually heats up, the frog will sink into a tranquil stupor, exactly like one of us in a hot bath, and before long, with a smile on its face, it will unresistingly allow itself to be boiled to death.I know, "WHY are you talking about a boiled effing frog??" Bear with me, I swear I have a point to my madness.I started this book with the warnings 'shocking!' 'dark!' 'disturbing!' 'wtf?!' ringing in my ears. Of course, I chose to ignore it, because my mindset is usually:The book begins by introducing us to sassy, potty-mouthed artist Nora Sutherlin Lilith Bresson. Lilith specializes in innovative, artistic nudes and she has an uncanny ability to see through a person's faade to who they really are, thus allowing that inner self to come through in her work.Lady Blaine Albermarle runs a secluded getaway for the rich and upper-crust members of society, a place where they can relax, recoup...and for a select few, where their darkest desires can become a reality.Lilith arrives at Albermarle Hall to pay off a debt for her trash of a father by painting a portrait of Blaine. There, she encounters Wes Railey Finn Strachan, a man with "a face of an angel"."The very first time I met him, Finn Strachan stole my breath."Lilith soon realizes that all is not as it seems at Albermarle. The beautiful, charming Finn is not at all the character he plays in front of guests; rather, he is a tragic, drug-addicted shell of a man that is whored out by Blaine to service whatever dirty deeds her guests pay top dollar for.Over the first half of the book, the story slowly builds and a forbidden friendship develops between Lilith and Finn. Though Finn is basically a prisoner in the house, and Blaine is obviously off her rocker, I couldn't help but remember all of the warnings about this book and think "Oh ya bunch of sissies, you thought THIS was dark? Pshhh. I've read worse."~FAMOUS LAST WORDS~All of a sudden, one incident had me running for the hills and I couldn't believe my reaction was that extreme. But I felt unsettled and it was then I realized how truly vicious and debauched this story really is.Which brings me back to the boiling frog (you didn't forget him already, did ya?).You start this book and jump in this niiiice, tepid little English story and you're enjoying it, completely oblivious to the fact that it's getting warmer and more dangerous, until before you know it, you realize it's starting to boil and you want out but by that point it's too effing late. You're stuck. And now you're a sodding dead frog.That pretty much sums up how I feel about this book. Constantly trying to get out of the dang boiling pot but unable to move or look away from the madness that is taking over. It's a bit how the characters in the story feel, actually. Completely helpless and hopeless.Alright, I've got a few get-`em-off-my-brain notes:-Holy mother of God, I have never read about more medication/drug-taking, gay slurs or brutality in one book, ever. At one point I made a note in my kindle that The Tied Man "could cause a less stable person to slit their (insert choice expletive) wrists."-Another kindle note: "People are disgusting, filthy pieces of scum. You almost WANT the characters to give up and die at one of the many points they could, just to put them out of their misery and despair already."-I enjoyed the POV switching between Lilith and Finn and I love the fact that a strong woman tries to "rescue the man," so to speak.-Coyle scares the bejesus outta me. I don't even want that guy looking in my direction. He better stay out of my nightmares.-A minor thing, but Lilith's excema came out of nowhere - is this a condition she gets when stressed? Nervous? Has she always had it? There was never any mention of it before Blaine told her to cover up before she went to the awards function. **Update - the author has fixed this issue.-For being the ultimate evil betch, Blaine wasn't really a fulfilling one for me. She was generically cruel, what, just to be cruel? Something was missing there. I didn't feel a fleshed out baddie.-The story ended rather abruptly compared to the pacing of the rest of the story. It was a little unsatisfying. But my kindle assures me that there truly isn't any other pages to scroll through.-I REALLY enjoyed Gabriel!! AND Nat! Can we just have the next book be "The Mis-adventures of Nat and Gabe"? It would still be full of debauchery, but quite fulfilling. ;-)Who would I recommend The Tied Man to? I HAVE NO IDEA. This is not a book made to enjoy, which is what makes it so difficult to rate.This is an astonishing debut novel from Tabitha McGowan, an author you should definitely keep your eye on (and preferably one eye behind you too ~wink~)...