| Title | : | Pins |
| Author | : | |
| Rating | : | |
| ISBN | : | 0615698565 |
| ISBN-10 | : | 9780615698564 |
| Language | : | English |
| Format Type | : | Paperback |
| Number of Pages | : | 276 |
| Publication | : | First published September 14, 2012 |
Eva "Birdie" Finch is fed up with the slim pickings in local employment, and the gentleman's club/bowling alley called PINS seems to be the only option left. But learning how to strip for strangers isn't Birdie's only obstacle, especially when fellow dancers start turning up dead.
From Jessica McHugh, author of the steampunk adventure "The Sky: The World" and the bestselling psychological thriller "Rabbits in the Garden", PINS is a post-modern coming of age thriller certain to titillate as much as terrify with a candid look at a dancer trying to find herslef on a blood-drenched stage.
Pins Reviews
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PINS by Jessica McHugh was the book about a strip club bowling ally I never knew I needed to read. One part expose, one part mystery and one part suspense equals a sexy, salacious and scandalous good read. This could almost be Pretty Woman if Pretty Woman were a slasher whodunnit.
I really enjoyed the opening chapters where the focus is largely an honest behind-the-scenes look at how strip clubs operate and what young girls probably experience when they first enter the scene. But then as the characters are introduced and established, the story turns into a murder mystery. The plots and sub plots weave and twist and keep you turning the pages to find out who will wind up with who and who will wind up dead.
My only issue with the story came when the killer is arrested just past halfway. The story paused at being a mystery/suspense story and focused on being a love story and left me scratching my head. Had this book stopped being a mystery and switched gears well before the ending? But the suspense came once again but not before I had reservations and lost some trust in how I was feeling about the story.
Alas, Jessica McHugh proves she got solid storytelling skills. In PINS she proves she can versatile and honest while still being provocative, suspenseful and a bit gory. This may not be her strongest work but it's still a solid story and definitely worth the read to anyone who can stomach some truly disturbing and graphic scenes. -
*I received a free ARC of this book from Netgalley in exchange of an honest review*
I'm not sure yet how to rate this book. Parts of it were really good, and others left me quite confused. I need to go over my notes and highlights before I can write a full review. This and other reviews can also be found on my blog
(un)Conventional Bookviews.
PINS is a gritty place but it seems to be full of life-lessons, both for Birdie and her fellow strippers. Birdie learns to be a lot more accepting, both of herself and of the girls she works with, and I think the story also shows readers that strippers are human, too! I believe that a lot of people tend to discard strippers as being one-dimensional, and that they strip because they are superficial and can’t really get another job.
I thought my English was close to perfect, even if it isn’t my mother tongue, however, I have learned quite a few new words for female genitals in this book! :) The way the girls talked among them, was pretty harsh, but also very honest, and I have always appreciated honesty, even if it sometimes hurts to hear (or read). -
What a great, fun, wholly gruesome book. It would have been easy for a story like this to devolve into purely prurient gross-out, but because McHugh obviously loves her main characters, you have no choice but to love them as well. All too often horror stories (a genre that I am reluctant to put this in because it's really more of a novel about a young woman finding herself among a myriad of the worst possible circumstances)fail because a part of you wants to see terrible things happen to the protagonists. That never happened for me with Pins - I admit to having a pretty serious crush on Birdy Finch regardless of her string of awful choices, so when things go south - way, way, WAY south - I actually gave a damn. Birdy's voice (the novel is written in the first person) is so charming and compelling that even amid some of the most graphically detailed scenes of violence I've read in a while, I couldn't stop reading. Just an all-over fantastic read.
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It's hard to nail this one down at first blush. Yes, we have strippers, drugs, a killer, multiple love (or lust) aspects, but this isn't a simple "here's a bunch of dancers and someone is killing them" story. While there is the thriller/horror aspect, what I think is overlooked by some other opinions I've read about this book is the straight literary aspects.
So, getting the blood and guts who-done-it portion out of the way, this is a candid look behind the scenes of the strip club environment. It reminds me of John O'Brien's Stripper Lessons in reverse. The voice is unique and honest and doesn't hold back when you would expect it to. -
Note: I received an ARC of PINS by Jessica McHugh in exchange for an honest review.
In PINS, McHugh introduces the reader to the gritty, not-so-glamorous world of working as a stripper. Small things, such as how toilet paper residue can be seen under black lights onstage, give this manuscript the sensation that McHugh not only wrote it, but has lived this very life (or at least did some extremely thorough research).
The majority of the characters are well-drawn individuals who come together at Pins, a bowling/strip club. As far as characterization goes, the positives are Honey, Birdie, Josh, James, Scott, Cecil, and Ginger. Each of these people has his or her personal strengths and weaknesses, and struggles with both, which lends to a unique combination of reality and fiction.
Other characters, such as Diamond and numerous other strippers, however, felt a little flat. Near the middle, I lumped their names together as “The Other Strippers,” which lasted only until one of them died. Then, I saw them in an entirely new light. Each character who was murdered bloomed and developed as Birdie, the main character, mulled over their deaths. Through her mourning, I came to know them and understand that their similarities were not to be taken at face-value.
The setting was quite well-rounded as well, though I always am a fan of adding a little more description. McHugh’s witty scene-building allowed no room for clichés. Each bit of scenery or how a character looked was given its own unique spin, which made the novel enjoyable as more than just eye candy. I found myself bursting into laughter at three in the morning over the way Birdie described something.
Overall, the story was interesting and enticing enough to keep me reading, and the narration is strong without being casual. A few too many Indie authors tend to lean toward causal narration (even some professionally published are a little too conversational with their work; think Janet Evanovitch’s One for the Money. PINS is One for the Money, but classier, more thought-out, less repetitive, and with more stunning, realistic characters), and McHugh wonderfully balances good writing with humor and an easy-to-read rhythm that keeps her audience turning digital pages until the sun is up.
After all, by reading only one more page, a relationship might collapse, a stripper might be gruesomely murdered, and someone’s snatch might itch for all the wrong reasons. Kudos to Jessica McHugh on this brilliant novel! -
Eva “Birdie” Finch is a 21 year old slacker, wandering from job to job in her small town. Wanting to fund her expensive drug habit with the least amount of work necessary, she decides on a whim to audition to be a stripper at a gentleman’s club/bowling alley combo named “PINS”. During her tenure as an exotic dancer there are a couple murders that put a serious damper on the life of our devil-may-care heroine that forces her to do some serious soul-searching as she jumps from one boyfriend to a new love interest, and is forced to examine her possible bi-sexuality when she starts to fall for a fellow dancer named Honey.
Written from the perspective of Birdie, the book gives us an interesting insight into the lives of strippers. While reading the book it hit me that this is the first book written by a woman that I’ve read in a long time. And this is not because I’m sexist — it’s just the way the cookie has crumbled. For the reason, the feminine narrative took me a bit to get used to, but once I got in the groove, I found myself enjoying it a lot. My experience in strip clubs is limited to three experiences — two of them remembered in a drunken haze — but the lives imagined by me of the various dancers seems to be mirrored by those imagined by Mrs. McHugh. At times it seemed like I was not reading a novel but a confessional, until it came back to the bloody elements, which reminded me of 80′s slashers like My Bloody Valentine, especially with the killers groan inducing Twitter posts. There are a few possible candidates of who the killer could be, and I thought I knew who it was, only to find myself surprised by the conclusion. The dialogue seemed a bit too snappy for it’s own good at times, as well as melodramatic and over the top, but it also has it’s side characters lampshade this by calling Birdie out on it. Plus, all these things are fitting for a book based in titty bar/bowling alley. The finale reminded me more than a bit of the works of Richard Laymon, which is a good and bad thing, but mostly lands on the side of good. It’s over the top, but it works, and this is a pulp fiction novel, so I am willing to give it a pass. -
Wowzers! Okay, so let's get a few things out of the way up front:
1. I bought this book because it's about strippers. In a bowling alley/strip club. Awesome.
2. I pretty much never read horror. Try to avoid it, in fact. So when the action started to turn gruesome, I wondered if I should put it down and pick something lighter, especially at bedtime. But I didn't (although I did skip it on certain nights, since I am a wuss), and I'm glad I stuck with it.
3. This is my first book review of 2013, as I finished reading as the fireworks were popping. This is in no way relevant to my review, but I thought I would mention it anyway. Just because.
I really enjoyed this book, despite it being a genre I don't typically read. I loved Birdie's character, her attitude, her transformation from "civilian" to stripper, and the way the book managed to both present stripping as something a normal person might do, for any number of reasons, as well as a rather dangerous and not altogether wholesome lifestyle choice. What I'm saying is: the book is set in a strip club, like it's any other setting, without the preaching that you'll get with many other "stripper stories." Because it's not just a stripper story, it's a damn good story. Yes, there is a stripper with a heart of gold here (spoiler?), and her name is Honey on top of it, but she's also a lot more than a bunch of clichés, and that's what originally got me interested in the book.
I don't want to ruin the ending for you, but let's just say Holy Fuck A Duck. Hopefully my first night of 2013 will not be fully of bloody nightmares. Thanks, McHugh, for planting those creepy images in my grey matter. Should've seen it coming, in some respects, but there were plenty of red herrings to throw me off course. Nicely, bloodily done.
All in all, I'm glad I checked this book out, and I look forward to reading more of Jessica McHugh's work in the future! -
PINS by Jessica McHugh
Strictly over 18’s only
4.5 Stars
Eva Finch aka Birdie, just needed a job, any job. Disappointed with endless interviews and dead end leads she finally decides to try her luck at PINS. ‘PINS’ is a bowling alley with a strip club attached and Birdie quite fancies being a dancer. Getting the job but losing her boyfriend as a result didn’t bother her, and things were going great until Diamond; one of the other girls, turned up dead in a bowling lane with a mangled face and slit throat.
Birdie is a fast learner. Having grown up feeling a little like the ugly duckling walking in her ‘beauty queen’ mothers shadow, she easily picks up the art of seduction when presented with a stage, a pole and a gaggle of men with a pocket full of five dollar bills. Though I’m sure her confidence is boosted by the weed, the lines of cocaine and the occasional flirt with ‘catnip’!
When Jessica McHugh asked me to review her new book ‘PINS’ she told me it was a graphic horror, after reading it I think I would most likely call it a psychological thriller rather than horror…although some of the scenes are quite horrific. This is not a novel for the feint of heart. If you have any problems with graphic sexual content or extreme violence this is not the book for you. There is a continuous stream of bad language, flippant drug usage and nudity throughout the story that can’t be skipped over to focus on the murders.
‘PINS’ is a great novel, well written, well paced and absorbing. The writing is very visual and descriptive leaving no confusion to what is happening…. I could almost smell the blood at times! I loved Birdie’s voice, her sarcasm and humour made her character real and I would highly recommend this book to anyone looking for a gritty read.
Copy supplied for review -
Review on my
blog.
I decided to read this book as I’d just read
Stripped by Jesinda Wilder and I needed to be shown that not all books along the line of girl becoming a stripper are awful. Thankfully, I made a good choice.
So, this book is confusing. It’s funny but then it’s gory. You can’t put it into one category, but that’s why it’s so good.
The dialogue is funny, Birdie is a likeable character and takes up stripping to earn seemingly easy cash. We follow as she get’s more and more involved in the world of partying (something she’s not unfamiliar with), as she makes friends with the other girls, meets a nice guy and other strippers start getting horribly murdered. Sometimes when you’re reading you forget about this horrible element, but it tends to be there hanging over them.
The plot has good twists and it keeps you on your toes throughout.
Something I loved about this book is that the main characters are all female. There’s drugs, hard partying and sex. All of it focused on the women. They’re stripping and the guys are spending and spending. I’d say this book is a good contender for being a feminist book in some ways. Men don’t stand a chance when these girls are around.
Now, as I said, there’s murders. It’s graphic and definitely not for the faint of heart. If you can bare it, this book will be a good read. I wanted to keep this spoiler free so it’s a lil’ bit short!
I’ll give this 4 stars out of 5. -
Okay, I wasn't expecting this to be what it turned out to be. I have said it many times before I am not a reader of the blurbs.
I will say that I was pleasantly surprised! I was expecting this to be about sex and with the cover I thought it would be an erotic book. I was wrong, there was so much more to it.
This was a book that had me pulled in not that long after starting it. I couldn't put it down. I wanted to know more, needed to know what was going to happen.
So in a nutshell Birdie needs a new job. She decides to go out and try her hand at stripping. Things are going well for her and she is actually enjoying herself, but before you know it bad things start happening. Now before I get into that I will have to say that the thought of a bowling alley / strip joint named Pins was awesome!! :)
So girls around her start being murdered and in horrible ways. There is a lot that goes on, there are drugs, abuse, suspense and it is a little on the darker side which is always a plus for me. I want to say so much about this, but don't want to give anything away, but there are things that come up that just make it all a big ball of questions... I am usually pretty good at guessing a little what might be coming. With this one I didn't see quite a bit of the stuff that happened.
If you have an issue with drug use, this will not be for you. There is quite a bit of it. I don't count smoking weed as drug use even though it is. There is more that is used in this one. It had me surprised and on edge quite a bit. This was a good one! -
From the amusing first chapter in which Eva "Birdie" Finch quits her telemarketing job to pursue a career as a stripper to the startling and grisly conclusion of this tale of self-discovery, I found it hard to put my Kindle down. Birdie is a lovable if somewhat confused heroine who just can't hack the day-to-day of traditional employment, or the ongoing struggles with her domineering and disapproving boyfriend, Scott. She thinks she has finally found a life she can bear when she begins her new career at Pins, a combination strip club and bowling alley. She quickly meets a new best friend, Honey, and thinks are looking up even more when she embarks on a new relationship with the handsome and charming Josh. Things turn sour, however, when a serial killer begins targeting her coworkers.
There are some especially gruesome incidents sprinkled throughout this fast-paced tale, but there is also plenty of humor, with a nearly constant flow of sarcastic remarks from Birdie, Honey, and the rest of the Pins girls. Also, there's a generous helping of hot sex. -
There are a lot of reasons to like this neo-noir novel about a young woman who runs away from her family, fiancé, and telemarketing job to enter a world of strip clubs, drugs, and unsavory companions. Strong writing and dialogue as well as the lure of Birdie's first-person voice kept me reading, and ten pages into the Kindle sample, I knew I'd be downloading the full novel as soon as I found a wi-fi hot spot. The sex, drugs and violence are par for the course in noir and deftly handled here. The book crosses a lot of boundaries--suspense, crime fiction, romance, Bildungsroman and a slice of horror. The book should appeal to fans of Megan Abbott (Die a Little), Christa Faust (Money Shot), and Vicki Hendricks (Miami Purity, Iguana Love).
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Disclosure: This ebook was provided to me free of charge through NetGalley for the sole purpose of an honest review. All thoughts, comments, and ratings are my own.
Really interesting tale that had my attention the whole time. The pace was wonderful and the characters engaging. Great dynamic in the relationship that made it very believable. Beautiful storytelling that entertained the whole time!
It had really great flow and did the job of making me think at times. I love a book that taps into my emotions. I am a real sucker for a sexy romance!! I laugh, I cry and I wish the hero were real so he could be mine! LOL
I would love to see more from this author! Definitely one to watch in the future. -
I received this book from NetGalley
This novel was shockingly good! The protagonist is interesting and intriguing, she is strong and feels like a real person.
The story develops well and captivates the reader throughout the pages.
All characters are deep and multi dimensional which adds to the feel of the novel, it makes it believable.
The murder scenes are described in all their gory glory and are horrific, this again aids the novel's progression and gives it a realistic twist.
A great novel, leaves the reader thinking long aftet the last page has been turned. Although this novel is not for anyone who doesn't like gore or anything sexual. -
Wonderful characterization, a gritty atmosphere punctuated with touches of humor, and a fast-paced writing style combine to make this a truly absorbing read. I loved the character of Eva "Birdie" Finch -- a fed-up former telemarketer who ditches her job and school to become a stripper -- a lifestyle that brings her considerable money but also considerable horror when her fellow strippers start turning up dead. This is a great story, not only of murder and madness but also of a young woman who finds herself and her inner strength.
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18+ only. I have read some of the author's short stories, and they are fabulous. This book is definitely a fun read, but it tries to do too much. Maybe that has to do with its Bildungsroman approach? Not sure. But I found myself annoyed with the female character's scatterbrained thinking about relationships. This book would have been much more satisfying with just the fast-paced happenings at the strip club--there is plenty going on there!
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YAYYYYYYY! Another editing project is now a published book. Do NOT miss this one! No zombies, but there IS a serial killer...so there's that.
This book was by far one of the most unexpected treasures of 2012....totally not what I thought it was. In a fantastic and magical way. :-) -
Raw, exciting, edgy book that I really enjoyed.
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Very good characters. You really like or hate them and care about what happens to them or how they feel about things that happen. Some really good twists and turns along the way.
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This is my second Jessica McHugh book and man, is she good. Damn good. Compelling story, solid characters and killer dialog. Jessica is the real deal. Goota get more of her stuff.
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A wonderful read with characters that feel real. Twists in the plot feel natural, not staged and the pace draws you along with great pleasure. I highly recommend
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In the midst of gore, drugs, and stripping, Jessica McHugh has crafted a tale of a young woman struggling to find her place in the world. She has done so with characters you truly come to care about and enough plot twists to keep you guessing (and reading)! If you're a fan of great characterization along with your horror, definitely pick this one up. Not for the faint of heart!
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Well done coming-of-age/mystery/thriller, but, for some reason, it did not really click with me. Your mileage may vary.
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Being an ex-dancer myself, I was thrilled to hear that Jessica McHugh had written a book set in the exotic dance industry. The author's realistic portrayal of the industry is bang-on, obviously the result of some very meticulous research or perhaps some actual personal experience. The story is so well told it made me suspect the latter. (Cheers!) It's a unique story - part slasher horror suspense thriller and part coming-of-age drama written as only McHugh could. It's a gritty and fun read for those who enjoy this sort of thing. Thumbs up!
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Pins could be a very good horror novel. It's got the plot, and it allows for some humor, and just enough red herrings to keep us guessing who the killer is. On the other hand, it moves too much like a slasher movie than a novel, with its incredibly unbelievable moments at the end. This is the fundamental issue with the book, it's uneven: moments of dialogue feel fresh and spot on, while other dialogue came out of the Hallmark channel erotic thriller teledrama. After the terrific Rabbits in the Garden, I was hoping for more of the psychological insights and fine writing from from McHugh.
