Book 15 - Goodbye, Nails

Title: Broken Monsters Author: Lauren Beukes Genre: Surrealist art-fic

What in the fuck did I just read???

Synopsis

Something is killing people and displaying them in twisted, grotesque public arrangements. It's up to the various characters to figure out who, how, and what, and hopefully stay the fuck alive.

The Rest

Beuke's writing is seriously creepy. It's jagged and explosive and sinuous, and oh-oh-so-so engaging - and perfectly suited for this weird se7ven-esque dreamscape with Crash's multiple POV narrative. We're introduced to each person through their own storylines as they live their lives in Detroit, and then slowly they start to bleed into each other. A cameo here, an allusion there. The reader is kept on their toes, constantly scouring the prose for clues.

What I've come to love about Beukes' stories is the infusion of the supernatural without the provision of a complete explanation. She never outlines why the crazy stuff is happening, only how the crazy affects the world and the characters, and how those characters deal. SO cool.

One criticism I have of this book is the use of the "it" pronoun for the creature/alter-ego/whatever the heck it is. I lurched out of the story every time - not that I have a solution. I liked that it was a non-binary presence, but besides that the "its" consistently gave me pause. Small thing, though, in the grand scheme of the book.

Rating: 📱📱📱📱/5