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some_okie_dude27's review
5.0
"I shall be immortal in my art, the best parts of me captured in stave and song. Neither death nor Hell can undo that magic."
Few books make me want to throw it across the room and exclaim 'hurrah!' in ecstasy. If you do not feel the overwhelming urge of joy after reading this book, than you are most likely dead. I don't just say this because I consider Curtis my friend, but because this book is simply that good.
Lucien Beaumont is an insufferable prick, but once you understand his home life, you would most likely understand why. His dad's dead, his mother's gone off the rails and has succumbed to despair turning to drugs to avoid the pain of her existence, and he's now going to a public school that he hates. Lucien isn't like most people, he's acquired his father's gift for music and his obsession to be the best is what drives him to do things that most people wouldn't dare to do.
While there were certainly bits where I wanted to punch his smug, stupid face, there were also bits where I actually sympathized with the son of a bitch. Curtis certainly knows how to make people root for a guy who is not the best person, he understands why people root for characters like Walter White or what makes such repugnant characters as Alex DeLarge or Patrick Bateman so appealing (though Lucien isn't as sadistic as Alex nor as emotionally detached as Patrick). I felt for this character, I got angry at him, but never for long. I almost rooted for him to win even though I cringed in disgust at what his goals entailed. I felt his rage and his hatred, but also the bits of sympathy and humanity within that slowly dwindles as the novel goes on. There were even moments where I wished I could sit down with him and tell him that he's not alone in how he feels and he doesn't have to go down this path.
But make no mistake people, Lucien is not a sort of folk hero or martyr for a noble cause, he's an angry kid who wants to make people hurt in the way that he has hurt, much like in the case of school shooter phenomenon that Curtis initially wanted to tackle with this work, but much like My Friend Dahmer, I simply couldn't shut off my sympathy for this kid, as much as I could hate him at times. But if you come out of this thinking that Lucien is a Che Guevara of our generation, then you have most likely missed the point of the book.
Curtis writes with a smooth flow, never getting bogged in repetitive detail or going on tangents that no one cares to read about. Curtis has that 'just right' quality about his prose that I like to encounter in the books that I enjoy to read. I usually don't knock out books in several days unless I am truly invested in the story that is being told, and Curtis certainly knows how to keep one turning the page. The rest of his characters felt as alive as Lucien did, I probably felt the most connection to Max, as I was most like him when I was in high school, which to think of it was not all that long ago. He was the one that I felt the most for and one that I think I might've been friends with if I existed in the universe of the novel, and I did genuinely feel sorry for him and the situation that he got himself into, as well as feeling bad for him having such an egotistical, manipulative, and cantankerous friend as Lucien.
No book is perfect, and as much good as there is to Black Heart Boys' Choir, there are some issues that I've found after having thought of it. The ambiguity that the novel entails, while done mostly well, can become disorienting (though, I do understand that it was most likely the point). Also the portrayal of the female character Violet is....interesting. It's not bad or tasteless for the matter as some of the other novels that Curtis took inspiration from, at first she seems like Lucien's Jean, the girl who's most likely in love with him, though unlike Jean she is not innocent or 'pure' but rather vain and egotistical. She seems to be his Jean in the way that she is an object of his obsession rather than someone that he 'loves.' To be fair, she does have her moments of depth, but I never found that it was as impactful or hit as hard as it did for Lucien or his friends. Also some of the slang is dated. I know, weird, insignificant criticism, but nonetheless.
If there's one lesson to be learned from Black Heart Boys' Choir, it is that hatred solves nothing. As euphoric as the final pages of the novel are, there is also that lingering, bitter taste that comes from all of the violence and despair that had to come about from Lucien's obsession and how this could have easily been avoided if someone had chosen to care about Lucien, or any other of the Luciens around the world. Curtis never seeks to glorify, but rather to understand. His portrait of troubled youth seeks to be an empathic warning about the dangers of rage and hatred, and how pointless that it all is at the end of the day. Truly a haunting, yet still euphoric experience.
Few books make me want to throw it across the room and exclaim 'hurrah!' in ecstasy. If you do not feel the overwhelming urge of joy after reading this book, than you are most likely dead. I don't just say this because I consider Curtis my friend, but because this book is simply that good.
Lucien Beaumont is an insufferable prick, but once you understand his home life, you would most likely understand why. His dad's dead, his mother's gone off the rails and has succumbed to despair turning to drugs to avoid the pain of her existence, and he's now going to a public school that he hates. Lucien isn't like most people, he's acquired his father's gift for music and his obsession to be the best is what drives him to do things that most people wouldn't dare to do.
While there were certainly bits where I wanted to punch his smug, stupid face, there were also bits where I actually sympathized with the son of a bitch. Curtis certainly knows how to make people root for a guy who is not the best person, he understands why people root for characters like Walter White or what makes such repugnant characters as Alex DeLarge or Patrick Bateman so appealing (though Lucien isn't as sadistic as Alex nor as emotionally detached as Patrick). I felt for this character, I got angry at him, but never for long. I almost rooted for him to win even though I cringed in disgust at what his goals entailed. I felt his rage and his hatred, but also the bits of sympathy and humanity within that slowly dwindles as the novel goes on. There were even moments where I wished I could sit down with him and tell him that he's not alone in how he feels and he doesn't have to go down this path.
But make no mistake people, Lucien is not a sort of folk hero or martyr for a noble cause, he's an angry kid who wants to make people hurt in the way that he has hurt, much like in the case of school shooter phenomenon that Curtis initially wanted to tackle with this work, but much like My Friend Dahmer, I simply couldn't shut off my sympathy for this kid, as much as I could hate him at times. But if you come out of this thinking that Lucien is a Che Guevara of our generation, then you have most likely missed the point of the book.
Curtis writes with a smooth flow, never getting bogged in repetitive detail or going on tangents that no one cares to read about. Curtis has that 'just right' quality about his prose that I like to encounter in the books that I enjoy to read. I usually don't knock out books in several days unless I am truly invested in the story that is being told, and Curtis certainly knows how to keep one turning the page. The rest of his characters felt as alive as Lucien did, I probably felt the most connection to Max, as I was most like him when I was in high school, which to think of it was not all that long ago. He was the one that I felt the most for and one that I think I might've been friends with if I existed in the universe of the novel, and I did genuinely feel sorry for him and the situation that he got himself into, as well as feeling bad for him having such an egotistical, manipulative, and cantankerous friend as Lucien.
No book is perfect, and as much good as there is to Black Heart Boys' Choir, there are some issues that I've found after having thought of it. The ambiguity that the novel entails, while done mostly well, can become disorienting (though, I do understand that it was most likely the point). Also the portrayal of the female character Violet is....interesting. It's not bad or tasteless for the matter as some of the other novels that Curtis took inspiration from, at first she seems like Lucien's Jean, the girl who's most likely in love with him, though unlike Jean she is not innocent or 'pure' but rather vain and egotistical. She seems to be his Jean in the way that she is an object of his obsession rather than someone that he 'loves.' To be fair, she does have her moments of depth, but I never found that it was as impactful or hit as hard as it did for Lucien or his friends. Also some of the slang is dated. I know, weird, insignificant criticism, but nonetheless.
If there's one lesson to be learned from Black Heart Boys' Choir, it is that hatred solves nothing. As euphoric as the final pages of the novel are, there is also that lingering, bitter taste that comes from all of the violence and despair that had to come about from Lucien's obsession and how this could have easily been avoided if someone had chosen to care about Lucien, or any other of the Luciens around the world. Curtis never seeks to glorify, but rather to understand. His portrait of troubled youth seeks to be an empathic warning about the dangers of rage and hatred, and how pointless that it all is at the end of the day. Truly a haunting, yet still euphoric experience.
thebookdad's review against another edition
3.0
A young man's world drastically changes after his father is found dead, hanging from a nouse. Now, he's left trying to scrape by while dealing with a mother who is in the depths of addiction until one day he finds something that calls to him. It's the unfinished musical work his father started which quickly consumes his entire being. His father's legacy becomes the only thing that matters and the music holds a demonic secret that possesses a gateway to the world's end. The Black Heart Boy's Choir is all that stands in the way of an ancient evil that beckons to be let loose.
WOW, THAT ESCALATED QUICKLY! I was seriously thrown off guard by this book. The author spends some time defining the protagonist and the technical use of classical music before things get out of control. One second the main character is attending the symphony orchestra and the next he's cutting throats. This is weird fiction at its best. The Black Heart Boy's Choir is a gothic, young adult, coming-of-age style story that is incredibly visceral and packs a serious punch. This is one of those books that is completely unpredictable which makes for a fun reading experience. Who would have thought that demonic possession and classical music would go hand-in-hand with the apocalypse?
The Black Heart Boy's Choir by Curtis Lawson is the story of hellish music that conjures an evil to end all things. I think this book is incredibly interesting and it is one of those reads that blindsides you with some really horrific scenes. I promise you won't know what's coming until you're left with this unsettling feeling of pure dread deep down in your gut. Curtis Lawson is a master of weird, dark fiction and the Black Heart Boy's Choir is a testament to where his twisted mind will go.
Black Heart Boy's Choir by Curtis Lawson
⭐⭐⭐
WOW, THAT ESCALATED QUICKLY! I was seriously thrown off guard by this book. The author spends some time defining the protagonist and the technical use of classical music before things get out of control. One second the main character is attending the symphony orchestra and the next he's cutting throats. This is weird fiction at its best. The Black Heart Boy's Choir is a gothic, young adult, coming-of-age style story that is incredibly visceral and packs a serious punch. This is one of those books that is completely unpredictable which makes for a fun reading experience. Who would have thought that demonic possession and classical music would go hand-in-hand with the apocalypse?
The Black Heart Boy's Choir by Curtis Lawson is the story of hellish music that conjures an evil to end all things. I think this book is incredibly interesting and it is one of those reads that blindsides you with some really horrific scenes. I promise you won't know what's coming until you're left with this unsettling feeling of pure dread deep down in your gut. Curtis Lawson is a master of weird, dark fiction and the Black Heart Boy's Choir is a testament to where his twisted mind will go.
Black Heart Boy's Choir by Curtis Lawson
⭐⭐⭐
charshorrorcorner's review against another edition
4.0
BLACK HEART BOYS' CHOIR required a bit of time on my part for everything to sink in. Once it did, I felt liking shouting BRAVO and throwing some roses at the author. A friend took me aside and told me this was frowned upon, so I decided to write this review instead.
Lucien has recently lost his father to suicide. Shortly after that, he loses his mother to grief, (among other things.) To top it all off, he and his mother are required to move from their rather posh house, to a humbler home in a condominium. He is full of anger and disgust-with himself, and his weak parents. He begins hearing music in his head, as well as voices, and shortly thereafter he discovers a piece of orchestration that his father began to write but never finished. He sets out to quiet those voices and the music-will he be triumphant? You'll have to read this to find out!
I became a fan of Curtis Lawson last year and immediately bought another of his books when I finished the first. (I haven't been able to get to it yet-story of my life.) However, when he offered me a chance to read this one early, how could I say no? At first, I was a bit confused as to what was going on, and to be honest, I wondered if this novel was going to require some kind of musical knowledge or at least the ability to read music. I needn't have feared, since all that was required was close attention on my part. That wasn't hard to give because the narrative soon swept me up and carried me to the denouement, much like a wave at the beach carries you to shore.
Why did I need time to mull over this story? I can mention some of the reasons here, some I cannot because...spoilers. Lucien was not altogether likable, even before some of the more distasteful events occurred. Luckily, I'm okay with real people being the main character-meaning in real life, people are not all good or bad, so why do some expect that in their fiction? Another reason I needed to mull for a moment is mental illness. (Lucien reminded me a lot of a young man I knew who suffered from Schizophrenia.) In the end, this tale broke another way, but somehow I came away from it with a better understanding of the young man I once knew. (Or at least, I think I did.)
As a whole, BLACK HEART BOYS' CHOIR tackles a lot in its few pages: suicide, death, abuse, neglect, teen friendships, (and many of us know the friendships made during that difficult time in life are hard to break), resentments, music, mental illness (?), demons...well, you get the picture.
Hopefully, you now understand my reasons for mulling over this tale. I believe I will be thinking about it for quite some time. These are generally the types of stories that stick with me-the mull-ers. If what I've described above sounds good to you and if you enjoy thinking about a story long after it's finished, then I highly recommend BLACK HEART BOYS' CHOIR!
*Thank you to the author for the e-ARC of this novel in exchange for my honest feedback. This is it.*
Lucien has recently lost his father to suicide. Shortly after that, he loses his mother to grief, (among other things.) To top it all off, he and his mother are required to move from their rather posh house, to a humbler home in a condominium. He is full of anger and disgust-with himself, and his weak parents. He begins hearing music in his head, as well as voices, and shortly thereafter he discovers a piece of orchestration that his father began to write but never finished. He sets out to quiet those voices and the music-will he be triumphant? You'll have to read this to find out!
I became a fan of Curtis Lawson last year and immediately bought another of his books when I finished the first. (I haven't been able to get to it yet-story of my life.) However, when he offered me a chance to read this one early, how could I say no? At first, I was a bit confused as to what was going on, and to be honest, I wondered if this novel was going to require some kind of musical knowledge or at least the ability to read music. I needn't have feared, since all that was required was close attention on my part. That wasn't hard to give because the narrative soon swept me up and carried me to the denouement, much like a wave at the beach carries you to shore.
Why did I need time to mull over this story? I can mention some of the reasons here, some I cannot because...spoilers. Lucien was not altogether likable, even before some of the more distasteful events occurred. Luckily, I'm okay with real people being the main character-meaning in real life, people are not all good or bad, so why do some expect that in their fiction? Another reason I needed to mull for a moment is mental illness. (Lucien reminded me a lot of a young man I knew who suffered from Schizophrenia.) In the end, this tale broke another way, but somehow I came away from it with a better understanding of the young man I once knew. (Or at least, I think I did.)
As a whole, BLACK HEART BOYS' CHOIR tackles a lot in its few pages: suicide, death, abuse, neglect, teen friendships, (and many of us know the friendships made during that difficult time in life are hard to break), resentments, music, mental illness (?), demons...well, you get the picture.
Hopefully, you now understand my reasons for mulling over this tale. I believe I will be thinking about it for quite some time. These are generally the types of stories that stick with me-the mull-ers. If what I've described above sounds good to you and if you enjoy thinking about a story long after it's finished, then I highly recommend BLACK HEART BOYS' CHOIR!
*Thank you to the author for the e-ARC of this novel in exchange for my honest feedback. This is it.*
findingmontauk1's review
4.0
Was a 3.5 until the last 40 pages or so totally flipped it up to that 4. Full review to come!
exorcismofemilyreed's review
5.0
Black Heart Boys' Choir is the first novel I've read by Curtis M. Lawson, and I loved it! This story is creative, dark, and entertaining. It begins at the end, and then jumps back to the beginning to explain what happened to get there. I feel like this format worked really well for the story that was being told, and I anticipated seeing how everything unraveled.
The main character, Lucien, is complicated. Lucien is technically the protagonist, but he's also a villainous character. He kind of reminds me of Charlie Bartlett, except if he was a real asshole. He has sociopathic tendencies, but still feels relatable sometimes. I loved how my feelings toward him were all over the map the more that I got to know him.
Black Heart Boys' Choir also has a unicorn demon as a character, and I never knew this was something I needed in my life. This book was so good and grim. It comes out on 9/8, and this would be a perfect addition to your Halloween month TBR.
The main character, Lucien, is complicated. Lucien is technically the protagonist, but he's also a villainous character. He kind of reminds me of Charlie Bartlett, except if he was a real asshole. He has sociopathic tendencies, but still feels relatable sometimes. I loved how my feelings toward him were all over the map the more that I got to know him.
Black Heart Boys' Choir also has a unicorn demon as a character, and I never knew this was something I needed in my life. This book was so good and grim. It comes out on 9/8, and this would be a perfect addition to your Halloween month TBR.
tracyreads's review against another edition
4.0
The end of the world, as it expresses itself at this place and in this time, is set to music. My choir sings as one, and bodies fall all around us, each a universe unto itself, now forever extinguished.” – Curtis M. Lawson, Black Heart Boys’ Choir
I love horror. I love music. When Curtis Lawson put a call out for reviewers, I couldn’t turn down this synopsis. Music is as wide and varied as the horror genre and I think there just isn’t enough musical horror out there. Recently I’ve read Scapegoat and We Sold Our Souls as well as a few others, but I need MORE. I’ve read a few of Lawson’s short stories in anthologies like Doorbells at Dusk, so it really was an immediate “YES” from me.
Lucien Beaumont is not a nice kid. Frankly, I detested him most of the time while still being utterly fascinated with his horrible thoughts and actions. He comes off as entitled, tortured, and just a bit of a jerk to most people. There are redeeming qualities though. Lawson manages to strike a fine balance between making him unbelievably contemptuous and just heartbreakingly real. He suffers a massive loss and may be suffering from some form of mental illness, but I am not 100% sure on this. His parents, while somewhat present, aren’t exactly paradigms of good behavior. I believe this is treated well. I think the appearance of a Duke of Hell in the form of an evil unicorn may be enough to make anyone behave unusually.
Set in a local public school, I worried that the scenes between the teenagers would feel unreal or contrived. I have a good amount of experience with the behaviors and problems of today’s teenagers. After reading it, I’m wondering how Lawson managed to get this setting and the side characters just right. The “stereotypes” one might think of do exist in some form. The popular and talented girl, the jock with something to prove, the friend to everyone who just wants to get along, and the kids who are mislabeled as “trouble-makers” and seen as “other”. I think the author nails it.
Note: don’t think that because this book has a cast of mostly teenaged characters and is set within a school that it doesn’t deliver the darkness. It is brutal and unapologetic. There are moments when I wasn’t exactly sure what was happening, when the fabric of reality bent a little for me as the reader. The author writes beautifully and has a way of explaining what is happening. He takes it just to the point of understanding and then lets the reader take it the rest of the way.
There is a mystery to be uncovered within these pages and it felt as if I made these discoveries right along with Lucien. There were moments when I HATED being inside this characters head; I felt almost complicit in some of the crimes he committed. But it wasn’t too much. I let go and enjoyed the ride – I needed to see how this all ended up.
Be sure to check this one out. And if you hear of any compelling combinations of music and horror – let me know.
I love horror. I love music. When Curtis Lawson put a call out for reviewers, I couldn’t turn down this synopsis. Music is as wide and varied as the horror genre and I think there just isn’t enough musical horror out there. Recently I’ve read Scapegoat and We Sold Our Souls as well as a few others, but I need MORE. I’ve read a few of Lawson’s short stories in anthologies like Doorbells at Dusk, so it really was an immediate “YES” from me.
Lucien Beaumont is not a nice kid. Frankly, I detested him most of the time while still being utterly fascinated with his horrible thoughts and actions. He comes off as entitled, tortured, and just a bit of a jerk to most people. There are redeeming qualities though. Lawson manages to strike a fine balance between making him unbelievably contemptuous and just heartbreakingly real. He suffers a massive loss and may be suffering from some form of mental illness, but I am not 100% sure on this. His parents, while somewhat present, aren’t exactly paradigms of good behavior. I believe this is treated well. I think the appearance of a Duke of Hell in the form of an evil unicorn may be enough to make anyone behave unusually.
Set in a local public school, I worried that the scenes between the teenagers would feel unreal or contrived. I have a good amount of experience with the behaviors and problems of today’s teenagers. After reading it, I’m wondering how Lawson managed to get this setting and the side characters just right. The “stereotypes” one might think of do exist in some form. The popular and talented girl, the jock with something to prove, the friend to everyone who just wants to get along, and the kids who are mislabeled as “trouble-makers” and seen as “other”. I think the author nails it.
Note: don’t think that because this book has a cast of mostly teenaged characters and is set within a school that it doesn’t deliver the darkness. It is brutal and unapologetic. There are moments when I wasn’t exactly sure what was happening, when the fabric of reality bent a little for me as the reader. The author writes beautifully and has a way of explaining what is happening. He takes it just to the point of understanding and then lets the reader take it the rest of the way.
There is a mystery to be uncovered within these pages and it felt as if I made these discoveries right along with Lucien. There were moments when I HATED being inside this characters head; I felt almost complicit in some of the crimes he committed. But it wasn’t too much. I let go and enjoyed the ride – I needed to see how this all ended up.
Be sure to check this one out. And if you hear of any compelling combinations of music and horror – let me know.
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