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Strange Flesh (2012)

by Michael Olson(Favorite Author)

3.34 of 5 Votes: 4

ISBN

1451627572 (ISBN13: 9781451627572)

languge

English

genre

Mystery & Thriller

publisher

Simon & Schuster

review 1: I really enjoyed this mystery thriller set in the world of cybersex media. The literary allusions to the Marquis de Sade were interesting and gave the book an almost historical feel (sort of like a fucked up Angels & Demons), to contrast the computer settings of the rest of the book. I knew almost from the beginning that the main bad guy wasn't necessarily Billy, but was somewhat surprised by who the person pulling the strings the whole time was at the end. If you can handle scenes of graphic violence and sex, I recommend this book for those who like a good mystery/thriller.
review 2: I'm kind of kicking myself that I actually bought this one. Ugh. I read the starred reviews in PW and Booklist, and I decided I needed to read it. Uh-oh. Expectations. Having f... moreinished it, I have to say I'm rather shocked at the praise. They describe it as a "headspinning literary thriller"-- it did have a lot of big words (allowing me to make use of my kindle dictionary-- woo!), but my takeaway tended toward "pretentious cyber-hipster melodrama." I found it difficult to read as I really disliked all of the main players (the narrator in particular), and the supporting cast was so thinly drawn they may as well not have been there at all. The mystery/thriller aspect of the book was undercut by the obnoxious characters, and I found myself not caring all that much. I did find the technology interesting-- the virtual worlds, the hackery, the exploration of online identity and anonymity-- but it was not enough to make me engage with the book the way I wanted. Part of me actually wonders a little bit though-- am I just getting old? Is this a generational thing? Is this a reflection of how 20-somethings really think these days? And then I shake that off and pretty much just feel underwhelmed. less

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