Review: Unexpectedly Intense and Moving
Rating: 4 out of 5
Date: 05 18, 2014
The unusual title is what drew me to this novel initially, as I thought it was somewhat amusing and I couldn't possibly guess what it was going to be about. The title was both disturbing and tongue-in-cheek, which wasn't particularly represented by the book, but I was pleasantly surprised by the power of the writing and the twist on a classic emotional relationship. Stefan was one of the most interesting characters I've come across in a while, and I enjoyed watching Severs flesh out the unique connection between he and Echo as they supported one another and discovered more about what being on the right and wrong side of life's decisions.It wasn't a "challenging novel", and it was short enough to read in an afternoon. The thing is, the story has stuck with me even now, days later. I keep returning to the interplay of the characters and the surprising depth with which the author approached such delicate and intense subjects as drug addiction, prostitution, death, rebirth, and alternative lifestyles. He put certain challenging topics of life in the limelight and showed new insight into the way that people think and react to "standard" situations. All in all, it was a rewarding book, although it could have been longer, and some of the sections could have used some copy editing to polish the ideas. Definitely recommend this for anyone looking for new perspectives on old problems. Nicely done, Mr. Severs.