by Kevin Anthony
Genre: Sci-Fi, Horror, Gay Fiction (not Erotica)
I received this book for free in exchange for an honest review. The opinion in this review is unbiased and reflects my honest judgment of the book.
Greetings, fellow Bookie Monsters. I’m Brian J. Glad to be a member of the team. For my first review, I chose FEAST, STRAY, LOVE, by Kevin Anthony. The author gave us the link to download this book, but the link was just for the first story in what I guess is going to be (or already is?) a longer tome. What is here is not so much a story; it’s more the beginning of a story. My first impression of the book left me a little confused, because the Amazon link directs you to the book with an alternate title: THE FORBIDDEN CUISINE (which I like better). Still, the premise was intriguing. Enough so that I downloaded the book and dove in.
THE STORY: (CONTAINS SPOILERS) It’s hard to talk about the story here without divulging some spoilers, but if this is just the beginning of a longer work, it should be all right to detail some of the info here. The story concerns a character named Damien, who, as the story begins, is in the process of accidentally burning down the culinary school where he is a student. He awakens later in the hospital, having discovered that he was also treated for a blood clot in his brain. His boyfriend takes him home, and not long after that Damien comes to believe he has developed some superhuman powers. Powers always come after an accident. David Banner and Peter Parker can relate here. Anyway, the author introduces some interesting subplots that don’t pay off due to the length of this “Sample Edition,” but to give you a preview they include a mysterious self-help book, his boyfriend’s strange addiction to a new fast-food restaurant, and his mother’s bizarre romance with a (cannibalistic?) stranger. I like the originality of the story here. Anthony does create a premise that leaves you wanting a bigger taste.
THE WRITING: This is an independent work. As with a lot of independent works, grammar and spelling and editing all suffer a little bit. As an independent novelist myself, I can relate to how difficult it is to get the text perfect. I read my own first novel a million times, yet when I listened to it on audio I gasped in horror at a few parts where I left out a word or added an extra one. The answer? Pay someone a hundred bucks or so to proofread it for you. Amateur editors are all over the place, and they work for cheap. Get as many eyes on the manuscript as you can. As far as style and the use of language, it’s a bit choppy in places. Some parts left me a little confused. But there is potential here. I would have to say the atmosphere and style of the story is almost David Lynchian. The characters and flow of the text have that same weirdness, a simmering darkness below the surface of something that is otherwise cheery and mainstream.
FINAL IMPRESSION: The story was entertaining, and that, first and foremost, is what I want most from a book. I wouldn’t be surprised if the author is a fan of filmmakers like David Cronenberg and David Lynch. I’m also a fan, and you can feel the influence trickling down into Anthony’s story like blood. And that’s a good thing. Writers gain a lot from movies, too. I do, at least. Go watch any movie scripted by Joe Eszterhas or David Mamet and note the flow of the dialogue. That’s rich, man. That’s fucking rich…
The Bookie Monster's Rating:
Damien Cooper's mind is a bit fucked up.
His condition takes his senses to new heights and makes him a walking caution. The changes don't stop as Damien's high school sweetheart adopts an abnormal appetite and his mother becomes obsessed with the self-help book Feast, Stray, Love.
Damien strives to tame his mind but a feud involving an overzealous preacher and a cross-dressing businessman, the deadly rise of a fast-food chain and many unusual events provide unnecessary distractions.
The culinary student's love life and career in the kitchen are put into jeopardy, but is he willing to literary blow up any obstacle in his way to maintain his happy?
Go ahead, take the first bite.
My name is Kevin Anthony and I'm a storyteller. I have a passion for telling stories and ever since the age of eighteen writing has allowed me to share my stories with thousands of people on the internet. Never do I forget the days when my work was rushed with negative reviews and I had only one dedicated reader. Those are the days I learned the most about the rights and wrongs of writing. Today, I challenge myself to write stories in every genre while I try to finish college. I enjoy dialog the most when it comes to writing and teaching people that though we all come in different shapes, sizes and personalities, we are all trapped on this wild and crazy planet together.
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