I read this novella traveling through the New Mexican desert, coked out via Pilot travel center coffee, wishing I was in Portland already for fuck's sake. It took me a few hours to read.
In the name of brevity, I will begin by stating the things I didn't like. One thing I didn't like was the opening. The first few sections are devoted entirely to sort of juvenile introductory notes on the housemates and things like that. It's a bit annoying. The story doesn't get really interesting until after the main character and the object of his desire finally fuck. The creature appears and things start to get interesting. I also noted that certain parts were not nearly dramatized enough while others were over-dramatized. The auto accident is described in clipped tones which don't lend themselves to what's actually taking place; similarly, when the main character is near fatally wounded by the creature, this does not come properly through.
It feels very Stephen King, this book, but I mean that in a good way. I certainly wouldn't have minded a few more chapters. I don't think it ends in the right place. I should have taken notes.
While Judson Merrill struggles at describing important actions, he does not struggle in describing people and real estate. The description of the girl Auburn was dead-on, her "twin gum drop ass," and so forth.
In all, for the price, this was a good read. You can't find entertaining novellas for $2.95 just anywhere. I won't blow sunshine up anybody's ass, this much is known about me, but I will be kind enough to say that I would recommend this book to anyone who likes bizarre little semi-horrific books laced with sangria and fancy.
