Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #880041 in Books
• Published on: 2007-05
• Format: Large Print
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 384 pages

Customer Reviews

It ain't LAMB, but it's funny
Christopher Moore sets the bar high with his writing. Very few books written these days are laugh out loud funny. When I read Mr. Moore's LAMB, I got thrown out of more places and had more strange looks on airplanes because I was laughing so hard I had tears in my eyes. Then my son read it (and laughs very loud). FLUKE was close.

YOU SUCK, the sequel to BLOODSUCKING FIENDS, passed the laugh out loud test in a couple of places. YOU SUCK follows former minion C. Thomas Flood, newly converted to a vampire, and his girlfriend, the now forever fabulous red-head Jody (who turned Flood into a vampire and was recently converted herself) as they try to figure out this undead thing.

But the laugh out loud pieces come when Moore turns the narrative over to "Abby Normal", the 16 year old goth/perky female minion chosen by Flood to do the vampires daylight bidding. Her diary narrative makes me think that Moore was a 16 year old goth/perky female in another life! And Blue, the aging Vegas hooker who dyes herself blue as a gimmick, has some good lines as well.

The ending is rather convenient, leaves it open for another sequel. The plot here isn't as compelling as LAMB or FLUKE. But it's a fun read. Read BLOODSUCKING FIENDS first though to get the background on all of the characters. Some of the characters from DIRTY JOB get looped in (as Mr. Moore always does in his writing) but they are minor so that book is not necessary to read before this one.

Getting a life
Elijiah begat Jody. Jody begat Tommy. Tommy begat Blue. Not by birth, but by bite. The begatting still granted life, but it's eternal life - with special powers. Elijiah, eight hundred and seventeen years old, is a vampire of long experience. Taking up with the young woman, he tutors her in the ways of the undead. He overlooks Jody's resourcefulness, however, and becomes a statue. With Elijiah immobilised, she is free to choose her own consort. Tommy, a naive Midwesterner from Incontience, Indiana proves an inspired choice. They're young, in love, and in trouble. For one thing, the police know who, and what, they are.

Christopher Moore's inventiveness has become nearly legendary. His books may be labelled "fantasy" only under the broadest definition. Set in contemporary environments, his stories leave you looking askance at your neighbours and friends. Just who is that teen in the bizarre dress and make-up? Is she just protesting against normal values, or is she bearing a hidden agenda. "Abby Normal", who slowly takes over this story, is but eight centuries younger than Elijiah. Her own ingenuity builds through the story as she interacts with a succession of "dark lords", the Countess, her mother and the "cops". The "p" is derisively inflected, of course - she has little time for such 'tarded people.

Vampires have special problems, of course. Once transformed, the diet is blood. Regular food, coffee or even plain water brings a violent intestinal reaction. To acquire the blood means hunting. Humans, animals such as rats since this is The City - even insects when times are hard. A trip to the zoo is not out of the question, but thirst must be enhanced by talent, or the vampire entering the cage may not come out intact. Their time is night, since daylight can vaporise them. It's a busy schedule all around, made intense by the knowledge that they are hunted. Sometimes even by their own kind.

Moore's placing the story in San Francisco brings the enhancement of dripping fogs, shady waterfronts, and Safeway stores. Tommy works at a Safeway as a night manager. His stocking and shelving crew are the Animals, a motley group who've made a killing of their own. On a trip to Las Vegas, the Animals acquired a hooker painted blue all over and bring her back to San Francisco. Moore manages to paint the characters with finesse and audacity as he leads them through their personal destinies. Wholly fantastic, yet he keeps them all real enough to hold your attention with every short chapter. Character development is his genius and he applies it here with meticulous care. There's not an individual here for most of us to identify with, or even sympathise over. Yet, there you will sit, turning pages to learn how he resolves the complexities he's created for your enjoyment. [stephen a. haines - Ottawa, Canada]

More subtle humour than usual
'You Suck' is the sequel to 'Bloodsucking Fiends' and follows similar territory to the first, with two fresh vampires discovering that it's not easy being nocturnal killers. The night-crew from the first book are back too, as are the requisite detectives, although it's no simple rehash. This time a couple of new characters appears, one utilising her emo-goth diary as a form of narrative, which is frequently witty and satirical. The other is a blue hooker! The injection of the new characters mix up what could have been an unnecessary second novel. The humour is less laugh-out-loud than previous books, however it still brims with clever humour. The finale is a bit of a cop-out, although doesn't detract from the overall feel. Overall, 'You Suck' is page-turner and is a fun sequel.