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mrfrank's review against another edition
3.0
I'm not going to lie, I didn't expect much from Russell Holbrook's debut novel. It's the first thing he's every had published at all, anywhere. And yet, I was kinda blown away by his talent. JOY left me reeling, confused and in a daze. While it was by no means the perfect All-American Novel, the author's debut offering left an impression on me.
I don't know how to categorize this. Holbrook is a big fan of Bizarro fiction and JOY has a place there. But it also had touches of fantasy and splatterpunk. In fact, while reading this book I often felt that the author should really attempt to channel his inner Laymon and go all out splatterpunk on his next book because he has a knack for visceral grotesque and horrific scenes. He writes through taboo topics without so much as a stutter, as if it were normal. Still, his passion for fantasy storytelling shines through and weaves a wonderful mashup tale of relationships that struggle through addiction and privacy matters.
Please, don't allow my three star review throw you off. This is exceptional writing for a first effort. Holbrook has the chops and I really would like to see him continue telling stories and watching him develop. He has what it takes, he just needs to hone his skill. In the meantime, read JOY and take a trippy trip through the deranged mind of a certain up and coming writer.
I don't know how to categorize this. Holbrook is a big fan of Bizarro fiction and JOY has a place there. But it also had touches of fantasy and splatterpunk. In fact, while reading this book I often felt that the author should really attempt to channel his inner Laymon and go all out splatterpunk on his next book because he has a knack for visceral grotesque and horrific scenes. He writes through taboo topics without so much as a stutter, as if it were normal. Still, his passion for fantasy storytelling shines through and weaves a wonderful mashup tale of relationships that struggle through addiction and privacy matters.
Please, don't allow my three star review throw you off. This is exceptional writing for a first effort. Holbrook has the chops and I really would like to see him continue telling stories and watching him develop. He has what it takes, he just needs to hone his skill. In the meantime, read JOY and take a trippy trip through the deranged mind of a certain up and coming writer.
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