I’m excited to be part of another blog tour. I don’t do many of them… Only if the book really appeals to me do I get involved. And the cover grabbed me from the start with this one. Thankfully I enjoyed Doll Parts, these three dark stories of twisted love from Azzuria Nox.
Doll Parts Goodreads Summary:
A haunting trio of short stories about love, obsession, and secrets. Each short story is titled after a song, The National’s Apartment Story, Placebo’s Scared of Girls, and Skunk Anansie’s Post Orgasmic Chill.
Apartment Story
A lonely married woman nostalgically rekindles a friendship with a former lover and the apartment they shared. Dark secrets and mysteries surround the apartment building and its new tenants that delve deep into the woman’s psyche and prove to be fatal.
Scared of Girls
A glamorous go-go dancer and a failing university student are bound by a dark secret that may change their fates forever.
Post Orgasmic Chill
The destinies of a cynical rock star, a groupie, an arrogant DJ, and naïve university student intertwine in a rainy London that serves as the backdrop to their tormented lives. Secrets and lies coincide in this dark tale of love gone wrong.
Hauntingly spare, beautiful, and twisted, Doll Parts is a disquieting and at times darkly morbid collection of short stories about normal people who suddenly discover their own dark possibilities.
Review:
Firstly, the cover of Doll Parts is fantastic! When I first saw it I was compelled to check it out! I feel the cover gave a fairly accurate indication of the mood of the three stories. Especially the second story.
There are three short stories in this book. Their names are all based on songs. I wasn’t sure if the author got inspiration from the songs themselves, or merely the name of the songs, but I thought it would be fitting to listen to them in combination with the stories. Music is obviously very important to the author and I’m pleased to say that I thoroughly enjoyed them. Especially the Skunk Anansie album – I haven’t listened to them in years!
Apartment Story: I enjoyed this little story. A bored married woman finds herself speaking to an old lover, who wants to rent out an apartment that she owns. Temptation follows, however then her ex lover disappears… I loved the feeling of the story, the angst of the main character in her dull life and the opportunity to rekindle something that was lost. I admit I was disappointed by the ending. I really wanted more answers, however I think I get what the author was trying to do with it.
Scared of Girls: This was my favourite story in the book. I really enjoyed the twist, even though I saw it coming. I wont give a story run down of this one because it will give it away. It touches on subjects of homosexuality and transgender issues. It had a bit of violence but ultimately was really beautiful in the end. Makes you think about love in a whole different way. I loved that.
Post Orgasmic Chill – This was my least favourite of the stories… I thought it was clever intertwining all the different characters together. Maybe I just wasn’t expecting it to be quite so graphic, and I’m afraid the relevance of the graphic scenes, was a bit lost on me. I think I just failed to see the point of it. I’m imagining its about what constitutes fidelity, but I’m still a bit confused to be honest. And the pregnancy and abortion storyline lost me also. Perhaps it was just about how completely stuffed up all their lives were at the time… And what turned me off the whole story was Lux. The whole thing left a bit of a bad taste in my mouth after the two previous stories.
Overall Doll Parts was written really well. I enjoyed the music references and the stories flowed well. The first two stories were really enjoyable and I especially would have liked to read more about the first story. I really wanted to know what happened. It also made me want to get out my old Marilyn Manson CD’s which are lost somewhere. Thankfully there is spotify!
The characters in Doll Parts were all original and even though a few of them were not likeable, they were still all interesting to read about! I will be interested to check out the authors other work!
This book is definitely not for readers under 18.
Overall I enjoyed it. I would recommend it for fans of darker stories, who are not afraid to read about controversial issues, and are ok with graphic scenes including a disturbing rape scene.
(3.5 / 5)
About the Author:
Born i
n Catania, Sicily, she has led a nomadic life since birth. She has lived in various European cities and Cuba, and currently resides in the Los Angeles area. Always an avid reader and writer from a young age, she loved entertaining her friends with ghost stories. She loves horror movies, cats, and a good rock show. She dislikes Mondays and chick-flicks. CUT HERE, her debut paranormal urban fantasy was inspired by a nightmare the writer had a few years ago. Some of her favourite authors include Anne Rice, Oscar Wilde, Chuck Palahniuk, and Isabella Santacroce.
0 Comments