Tuesday, August 10, 2010

Rabid Child -- Pete Risley

New Pulp Press is new but already known for pushing the envelope. With Pete Risley’ Rabid Child they may have torn it. I mean, how many books have you read that feature a homeless degenerate child molester as the protagonist? Probably none, but if you’ve been waiting for one, Rabid Child is here to fill the void.

Desmond Cray is the molester, living on the streets, eating garbage, peeping in windows, and masturbating. One night he’s found by Mrs. Honnecker, once his foster mother. He fled her home a decade previously, but now he returns with her. Her home is worse than the streets. She’s cracked, and her religious fanatic boarder is even crazier. And then there’s her daughter, the sexy Tracy. She’s crazy, too, in a different way. You might be thinking that this can’t end well. You would be right.

Risley doesn’t spare the reader anything in this book. You might have heard the expression “down and dirty.” Okay, multiply that by about a hundred. There are times you might want to turn away, but if you do, you’ll likely turn back. Risely is a skillful writer, and while you might not want to invite Desmond Cray to dinner, you at least begin to sympathize with him a little.

Rabid Child is one of those books that isn’t for everyone. If you’ve read this far, you know whether it’s for you or not. Take my word for one thing: You won’t read anything else like it this year.

No comments: