5 out of 5 Stars!
"Are you ridiculously farsighted, do mosquitoes sound like chainsaws, can you tell where the worm in the tequila was born and what its last meal was, or can you smell a bumblebee's fart a continent away?" ~Zack
I absolutely loved the shit outta this book! It's about Dan, Carly, Zack & Sarah - 4 people who have never met but all share the same form of horrific, quasi-debilitating ailment, but each regarding a different sense. Everyone thinks Dan is blind, but he can actually see so far that he can look into space, to the other side of the world, but can't make out a damn thing in front of his face. Sarah is treated as though she's deaf, but can actually hear a fly buzzing a continent away. Carly is a coke head - but only so she can numb the smells that threaten to overwhelm her on a daily basis. And Zack (my favorite) is a loud mouth alcoholic who drinks way too much to dull the taste of everything, which he tastes on a molecular level. Neat? yes. Intriguing? for sure. But can this be made into an awesome story? Fuck yeah. Add to this kooky storyline a lunatic - The Guardian - who loves to torture people but has an androgynous, childlike face and wears a pair of perfectly round, opaque, sunglasses which hide his 'unpleasant' ocular region ... two gaping holes.
So, the four of these folks are being stalked by the creepy Guardian and they don't know why, they are spontaneously switching bodies and experiencing each others sensory issues and they don't have a bloody clue what the fuck is going on .... and it's all written brilliantly. Eventually they end up finding each other - in pairs - Sarah and Dan, Carly and Zack. They are all powerfully drawn to each other and don't understand it but also can't seem to stop it.
Frankly, Carly & Zack's interaction made me look insane. Yes, I am the crazy person sitting alone / outside smoking alone / on my lunch break laughing like a crazy person - yes, the characters are so well done that you can expect some serious LOL moments. I want to hug Sarah & Dan, I want to hang out with Carly & Zack - the characters are all just brilliantly created. And the Guardian - well that fucker is a hoot and a half as well - scary but some of the shit he says are just too funny (insulting funny - my favorite!) The story line is confusing enough to be enjoyable while you try to put the puzzle pieces together - but not so confusing that I was annoyed and wanted to put the book down. The perfect amount of confusion to keep me interested.
The fact that this is Dorian's first book is quite impressive as it was so well written, between moments of beautiful imagery and blatant savagery I am pretty blown away. I look forward to seeing what comes next from Mister Zari and I thank you for the wonderful ride! :)
"Are you ridiculously farsighted, do mosquitoes sound like chainsaws, can you tell where the worm in the tequila was born and what its last meal was, or can you smell a bumblebee's fart a continent away?" ~Zack
I absolutely loved the shit outta this book! It's about Dan, Carly, Zack & Sarah - 4 people who have never met but all share the same form of horrific, quasi-debilitating ailment, but each regarding a different sense. Everyone thinks Dan is blind, but he can actually see so far that he can look into space, to the other side of the world, but can't make out a damn thing in front of his face. Sarah is treated as though she's deaf, but can actually hear a fly buzzing a continent away. Carly is a coke head - but only so she can numb the smells that threaten to overwhelm her on a daily basis. And Zack (my favorite) is a loud mouth alcoholic who drinks way too much to dull the taste of everything, which he tastes on a molecular level. Neat? yes. Intriguing? for sure. But can this be made into an awesome story? Fuck yeah. Add to this kooky storyline a lunatic - The Guardian - who loves to torture people but has an androgynous, childlike face and wears a pair of perfectly round, opaque, sunglasses which hide his 'unpleasant' ocular region ... two gaping holes.
So, the four of these folks are being stalked by the creepy Guardian and they don't know why, they are spontaneously switching bodies and experiencing each others sensory issues and they don't have a bloody clue what the fuck is going on .... and it's all written brilliantly. Eventually they end up finding each other - in pairs - Sarah and Dan, Carly and Zack. They are all powerfully drawn to each other and don't understand it but also can't seem to stop it.
Frankly, Carly & Zack's interaction made me look insane. Yes, I am the crazy person sitting alone / outside smoking alone / on my lunch break laughing like a crazy person - yes, the characters are so well done that you can expect some serious LOL moments. I want to hug Sarah & Dan, I want to hang out with Carly & Zack - the characters are all just brilliantly created. And the Guardian - well that fucker is a hoot and a half as well - scary but some of the shit he says are just too funny (insulting funny - my favorite!) The story line is confusing enough to be enjoyable while you try to put the puzzle pieces together - but not so confusing that I was annoyed and wanted to put the book down. The perfect amount of confusion to keep me interested.
The fact that this is Dorian's first book is quite impressive as it was so well written, between moments of beautiful imagery and blatant savagery I am pretty blown away. I look forward to seeing what comes next from Mister Zari and I thank you for the wonderful ride! :)