Skippy Dies

2.5, I'm not even angry about it, more sad.

I cannot fault the writing. The writing is good, the characters well developed and rounded, the flow and language great, the story solid.

However, if there is a more pessimistic book I have yet to read it (as far as I remember). I would give it points for realism but it's realism is entirely one sided to the worst parts of society. Children are abused, the abusers get away with it, the greedy get rewarded, the weak suffer, the world turns, just another day in a life, move along nothing to see here. Sick.

I didn't like any of the characters. Note, they are well written, but in such a way that they are all either terrible people or boring. What they all have in common is their strong sense of individuality, that is to say, every one of them is selfish. There is no sense of community aside from when they are working as a collective to cover up a scandal. If there is a lesson to be learned I have missed it entirely.

Additionally, many reviews talk about the humor of this book. While I didn't find anything funny about it I did find large chunks of it horrific. What a let down, ESPECIALLY after reading Demon Copperhead.

Also CW: Sexual Abuse, Heavy Drug Use