Wednesday, July 11, 2012

Gypsies Stole My Tequila / Adrienne Jones


Reviewed by: Corina

Genre: Speculative fiction

Approximate word count: 30-35,000 words

Availability    
Kindle  US: YES  UK: YES  Nook: YES  Smashwords: YES  Paper: YES
Click on a YES above to go to appropriate page in Amazon, Barnes & Noble, or Smashwords store

Author:

Adrienne Jones, author of six other novels of speculative or horror fiction with a bit of humor mixed in, lives in Providence, Rhode Island.

For more, visit her website.

Description:

Joe is an aging punk rock god who has never quite gotten the hang of living a regular life. His wardrobe is stuck in the 80s, his Mohawk proudly spiked and brightly colored. He is the last of his band to turn 40, but he's the only one bedeviled by the demon they all summoned 20 years before. Knowing the time for the fulfillment of the suicide pact they made is drawing nigh, Joe finds it more difficult to keep his act together. Joe takes it on himself to remind his former band mates about the pact, but they all blow him off. Will he be the only one keeping the demonic date with destiny?

Appraisal:

Although it took me two attempts to get into the rhythm of this book, I believe it's because of the unusual introduction to the character.  I had little sympathy for Joe Blood at first, and I can't say he's someone I'd want to hang out with, but he is an interesting character. Both Jones's characterization and the strange, jerky little plot piqued my interest, perhaps because I have not read much contemporary speculative fiction. I found the book engaging, the characters vivid, and I especially liked getting to know Joe better later in the book. He's immature, but passionate. (The most horrible part of Joe's life, in my opinion, was his workplace.)

Overall, I enjoyed the novel much more than I'd expected. I'd recommend it to any reader who is open to an unconventional, feel-good novel about angst and the redemptive malleability of punk rock.

FYI:

Expect a lot of foul language, and some non-violent blood and gore. No sexual situations.

Format/Typo Issues:

Not an issue

Rating: **** Four Stars

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