wallacelinxdb21

As expected, I enjoyed this very much. It wasn't as gorey or graphic as some of the stuff I've read recently, which was kind of a nice change. The "twistedness" of this book is much more psychological which is, in my opinion, often more disturbing than gore. It was also unnerving to me when I really thought about it because, to be honest, I don't think the story line is that far-fetched. Dunn focuses on some of the worst truths of humanity: we can be greedy, selfish, vengeful, power-hungry, and easily swayed. One can't help but draw parallels between Arty's "Admitted" and real-life cults. People have historically been swayed/inspired/encouraged/whatever to do strange things by cult leaders -- take the Hale-Bop cult or David Koresh's people, as some extreme examples. (I could touch on more traditional beliefs and things done in the name of a god or gods, but I don't think I need to.) Mankind is obsessed with the bizzare -- most people can't seem to help but stare at those that are handicapped anymore than they can keep themselves from rubber-necking at a car crash in hopes of catching a glimpse of something. Dunn captures this human trait very well, especially in Arty and the twins' sexual explotations. And people want to be accepted, yearn for it, in fact. It is an often exploited human desire, as this book easily points out. Dunn does an amazing job with her characters. Each one is fully fleshed out and I found myself with strong gut feelings about, and emotional responses to, each one. Definitely a worthwhile read. I look forward to more by this author.

2023-01-15 16:57