| Title | : | You Suck (A Love Story, #2) |
| Author | : | |
| Rating | : | |
| ISBN | : | 0060590297 |
| ISBN-10 | : | 9780060590291 |
| Language | : | English |
| Format Type | : | Hardcover |
| Number of Pages | : | 328 |
| Publication | : | First published January 1, 2007 |
Just ask C. Thomas Flood. Waking up after a fantastic night unlike anything he's ever experienced, he discovers that his girlfriend, Jody, is a vampire. And surprise! Now he's one, too. For some couples, the whole biting-and-blood thing would have been a deal breaker. But Tommy and Jody are in love, and they vow to work through their issues.
But word has it that the vampire who initially nibbled on Jody wasn't supposed to be recruiting. Even worse, Tommy's erstwhile turkey-bowling pals are out to get him, at the urging of a blue-dyed Las Vegas call girl named (duh) Blue.
And that really sucks.
You Suck (A Love Story, #2) Reviews
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First of all, I would normally never even think to read this book. But as I was looking at the clearance rack, a kid, ie teenager, approached me.
"Hey, do you like vampires?"
I was disturbed how unfazed I was with the completely random question.
"Sure." Slightly wary.
"Have you heard of Moore?"
He's a vampire now? That answers a lot of questions.
"Michael Moore?" I'm riffling books hoping he'll go away.
"No, not that crazy one, this is a Christopher Moore. He's hilarious and has his own cult started."
The clarification didn't really help gain any brownie points for Christopher Moore.
"Ummmm, that's cool." Looking for exit.
The kid picks up a book on the clearance rack. "Try him. You'll love it. If you like vampires, you'll LOVE this book."
I read, "You Suck...A Love Story." Is he high or something? This looks like a a suckASS book.
"OK, thanks, I'll give it a try."
I bought the book, and now I'm so grateful that the kid decided that I was the vampire loving type of chick.
It is impossible to completely classify this book. So when you see the basic description of "A love story" on the cover, that's the best way to explain it. It's a love story of vampires that is hysterically funny!
I can't even begin to try and explain why it's funny, so just read it. You'll start out being a little stunned, then you'll giggle, then you'll just laugh continuously.
Whatever you do, DO NOT READ THE LAST SENTENCE OF THE BOOK UNTIL IT'S TIME! It's a special sentence that will break you for a few days, but you need the context of the book first.
My favourite characters? Abby Normal and Chet, the huge shaved cat. -
Another very funny book from Christopher Moore, this one the middle book in his vampire trilogy.
Not as outrageous or imaginative as the other two, this is still vintage Moore with his unique way of dealing with a well worn fantasy subject.
Moore may have thought of this trilogy a long time ago, and so he may not be a part of the glutted market (or he is) but not even his comedic talent can completely offset the rush to vampirism that has plagued our books for a while.
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Funny, with some definitely quotable moments. However, for me, Moore's vampire series is the weakest of his work. That's not an insult--I still enjoy them and definitely snicker out loud in ways that make those around me pick up their things and stealthily move away from the crazy person, but they're a little too "wink, wink, nudge, nudge" sometimes in their humor. What impresses me with Moore is that, often among all of the wacky chaos, he can sneak up on you with a beautiful turn of phrase or moment that catches you off-guard. The scene where Jody feeds off of a man with terminal cancer is beautiful and touching without being maudlin. Don't worry that there are too many moments like this, though, as there's plenty of Moore's trademark "heinous fuckery most foul."
Cross posted at
This Insignificant Cinder -
This is my first Chris Moore book. I quickly realized that this was a sequel, but I was already into the story. Why? Because Moore is fricking hilarious. This is the story of two rookie vampires (Jody and Tommy) who are doing their best to avoid the law, former friends, and giving in completely to their primal natures. And of course they need a minion. Enter Abby Normal. Her greatest struggle is trying to shove down her inherent perkiness and embrace the darkness of goth, or whatever she is. Her narration of the story is one of the most entertaining aspects of the book. Then there’s the bronzed (literally) vampire who sired Jody. The two fledgling vampires must decide what to do with him so he will no longer be a threat. So, if you like vampires who don’t take themselves too seriously (or brood, or sparkle), hilarity, and the mocking of goth/emo/death punk kids (and who doesn’t?), this is the book for you.
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When I picked up this book to fulfill a book club requirement, I did not know that it was the second book of a trilogy. I don't feel that I missed much. I think the Author gave enough of a backstory that I did not need to go back and read the first book. For me, it did well as a stand alone book. I didn't love it but I didn't hate it either. I liked it. It had some clever and funny moments. The part of the book I enjoyed most was Abby's diary entries. They were fun.
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Quick review:
Cover: Eh
Rating: NC-17
Steaminess: Steamy
Thumbs Up: 4
Overall: Still funny
Characters: Well Written
Plot: The accidental vampire and her lover still mucking things up
Page Turner: Yes
Series Cont.? Yes
Recommend: Yes
Book Boyfriend: Thomas C. Flood
SUMMARY (50 words or less)
I wasn’t sure when I started this one if it would live up to the first one, but as I got into it, the laughs were plentiful. Floor and Abby Normal were priceless. The hilarity of taken an accidental vampire and how she copes continues on in this installment.
For a full review and yummy pic, see my blog post at:
http://mybookboyfriend.blogspot.com/2...
Audio Review
Susan Bennett brings this narration to life. I swear I’m not sure I would have enjoyed the book quiet as much without her lively interpretation. She just brings that little extra. -
Blech.
I really enjoyed the last Christopher Moore novel and decided to try another, despite the fact that the plot isn't ordinarily one that would draw my attention. I picked this one because (1) it was handy on the library shelf, and (2) it was written after A Dirty Job and I thought that meant it was likely to be written at least as well.
That was a mistake. This one's going back to the library unfinished, because I'm just not wasting any more time on it. I read about a quarter of the book, in which stupid, not particularly likable characters bumble their way through a stupid and artificial plot. Usually, if I read even that much of a book, I'll see it through to the end, if for no other reason than to find out what happens to the characters I've started to know. This time, though, I really don't care. -
This follow up tp Bloodsucking fiends is as good or better. Again, still one of the few vampire stories I personally enjoy. 10 of 10 stars.
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This is a laugh-out-loud novel in which vampirism meets slacker youth in San Francisco. The opening line is a classic “You bitch, you killed me! You suck!” Young Tommy Flood awakes to find that his girlfriend, Jodi, has killed him, with her bite transforming him into a creature of the night. She wanted company and the old guy who turned her only a few months back was not to her liking. He had not been able to do much about it, having been attacked, robbed and ultimately bronzed by Tommy and his buddies, a Greek chorus of comedic mayhem known as the Animals.
The learning curve is a steep one and Tommy is faced with learning the ins and out of his new self. It is particularly important figuring out how to get some coffee as the vampire body is highly resistant to anything resembling normal human fare.
The cast of characters is a rich one, with The Emperor, a homeless guy who runs things on the street, William, a homeless derelict and owner of a very large cat, a 16-year-old wannabe who attaches herself to Tommy and Jodi, a Vegas hooker who had made herself blue to keep business alive, and who the Animals had acquired while running through the several hundred grand they’d gotten from the old bloodsucker. A memorable line here was “Admit it. Didn’t you always want to bone a Smurf?” Neither the plot nor the outcome matters much here. The joy of this book is the journey and the characters. Maybe not an appropriate read for the stuffy, but for those with a sense of humor, and who can tolerate being stared at by other subway passengers for out loud guffawing, it is a delicious read. -
DNF at 26%.
That's it, I'm calling it. Not only is the story flat and boring (I get the impression the author had to find a way to make this last for a trilogy), but a quarter of the book in I haven't smiled once, let alone chuckled or even burst out laughing!
Even if the story was gonna get better and the characters stopped being such assholes on top of always having been idiots, IT'S JUST NOT AMUSING. *sighs*
So unfortunately, the title became the name of the game. :( -
3.5 stars
You Suck: A Love Story is a hilarious romp through San Francisco. The book focuses on Jody and Tommy, two new fledgling vampires and their rather unconventional love. Jody bites Tommy and makes him a vampire. He is not too happy with his new condition, but is easily distracted by Jody and the allure of wild monkey sex with her.
Christopher Moore’s vampires have interesting powers. They can turn to mist when necessary, which helps them get out of trouble (or causes trouble). They burn in the sunlight or with UV ray exposure. During daylight, they sleep like the dead.
The attraction of this book was the unique cast of characters. Everyone in this book is crazy in their own special way. Each character or set of characters gets their own little subplot, guaranteed to make you laugh. Parts of the book are narrated by Abby von Normal, a teenage wannabe nosferatu and sometimes goth. Abby is Tommy’s minion, his daylight helper. She is infatuated with Tommy, and would do anything to become a vampire. In fact, she thinks she is a vampire after Jody takes a drink from her. Abby’s diary contains astute observations, a little bit of teen rebellion, and a lot of great new vocabulary like “endorken.” Abby’s friend Jared adds some humor to the mix. He is a gay teenager living with his parents who are in denial.
Other cast characters include Chet the really big shaved cat (who makes a rather large appearance in the next book). Tommy’s night shift friends from the Safeway store – the Animals – add even more comic relief as they cash in their money from the previous book and run off to Vegas. They return with the Blue, a blue prostitute with rather large silicon implants. She manages to service the boys and steal all of their money.
Jody and Tommy continue to try to evade Jody’s maker – Elijah. They had him encased in bronze but he manages to escape. Much mayhem ensues.
I truly enjoyed this series. Each book can be read on its own, or even out of order. It doesn’t really matter. If you need a book to cheer you up and make you laugh, then this is the book for you. -
I was expecting more from this book since Moore wrote it after Dirty Job. But, where Dirty Job was nicely crafted, well-paced, and original, You Suck was not quite the same. It is certainly an original take on a story that's been told over and over again. Vampires are not original but Moore does add some nice texture and moral complexity to the creatures. Unfortunately, I found the pacing awkward.
Moore switches back and forth from third person narrative to first person through the conceit of having one of the characters write in a diary. For me, it ruined the flow of the third person narrative. Just as some of the scenes would get to the climax, Moore goes into diary mode and describes the scene as a past event. The effect was interesting the first time, curious the second, and, ultimately, annoying. That being said, the diary sections are pretty humorous. All things considered, it is a fun, entertaining, and quick read.
Note to Christopher Moore: What is the deal with "palming" doors shut? Is it like some secret game to see how many novels you can put it in? Why? Personally, I was it over by the second time it appeared in Diry Job, but then I saw it in Island of the Sequined Love Nun, You Suck, Blood Sucking Fiends, Lamb, and Fluke. Though it is entirely possible that by the time I got to Fluke I was just seeing things. You know, like those pschology tests where your brain fills in the parts that are missing.
Also, I like you as a writer. You take some risks with style and convention that I think pay off nicely. With Dirty Job, I felt like you'd finally hit your stride. You Suck seemed like either you wrote it before Dirty Job and just didn't get it published right away or you'd spent too much time with the Animals turkey bowling and then had to cram to make deadline. Anyway, please don't go all Tom Clancy/Ann Rice on us. You know, write a great story, write another great story, keep repeatedly writing the same once great, now tired story over and over and over. -
A hugely entertaining lightweight page turner about modern day vampires living in SF. A cast of very likable characters kept me thoroughly captivated. This is especially true of one Abby Normal, 16 year old goth girl, minion to The Vampire Flood, and part time narrator through her diary entries like this:
Chapter 16: Being the Chronicles of One Abby Normal, Completely Fucked Servant of The Vampire Flood.
OMFG! W00T!! I have failed. Left my duty undone, like so much dog poop on the blooming sidewalk of the tragedy that is my life. Even as I sit here at the Metreon Starbucks, writing this. The froth slaves seem to move like silver eyed zombies, and my nonfat soy amaretto mochachino has gone as bitter as snake bile, which is like, the bitterest bile you can get. If there wasn’t a TOTALLY hot guy two tables away, acting like he doesn’t notice me, I would weep. But real tears make your mascara run, so I’m staying chilly in my despair. You’re loss cute guy, for I have been chosen. Suffer bitch.
I had to leave lord Flood to his own devices last night. But before I left I confessed my undying love for him. I am a hopeless ho’s beast. All I had to do was say goodbye, but no, I just barked it out. It’s like he has this power over me. Like I have an eating disorder and he’s a package of Oreo Double Stuffed cookies. I don’t have an eating disorder, I’m just skinny because I enjoy eating mass quantities and then yacking it back up. It’s not a body image problem. I think my system has always wanted to survive on a liquid diet, and until I’m brought into my Dark Lord’s loving embrace, it’s Starbucks for me.
(Transcribed from Audio, so I probably got the punctuation wrong.)
Yeah, I'm totally tickled. -
I enjoyed this installment of A Love Story more than I did BLOODSUCKING FIENDS. I suppose because this didn't contain a "comedic" scene about consent. In this case, the tone is also much more consistently black humor. Our protagonists are now both vampires and bodies start dropping around them constantly with a blue-skinned hooker, a returned ancient vampire fresh from being bronzed, and really bad self-control from our antiheroes. The real gem of the book, though, is Allison a.k.a Abby Normal the Perky Goth Girl minion our protagonists recruit despite being two of the dumbest vampires in the history of fiction. Abby is a nonstop dribble of hilarious observations, rapid fire quips, and verbal diarrhea that attempts to be profound but is just entertaining as hell. In other words the perfect sixteen year old. Some of the jokes verge on the uncomfortable then go sailing right past it but I found it had quite a lot going for it. Certainly, Abby is awesome.
8/10 -
I started this and thought "Really? This is dumb." Then I looked up my friend's reviews and was like…"Hmmmm, they seem to like it." It was a challenge book for me, so I decided to keep on…hoping it would get tolerable at least. As I got further, I found that I was more interested….had a few chuckles. I started thinking…"Oh yeah, I remember these characters…they are quite funny." By 80%……I was LAUGHING OUT LOUD!!! Too funny. Christopher Moore you crack me up! Abby Normal is "the bomb!" Not quite a 4, but 3.5 for sure!
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I did not finish this book. There was a rape that happened (and it was played for laughs) on page 2. I tried to keep reading but I couldn't stop thinking about that situation and how it was dealt with by the main characters. I just couldn't keep reading beyond page 37.
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Previously, on Ben’s reviews…Jody and Thomas. I can’t even.
I find Jody’s characterization hugely problematic…. I just wish Moore hadn’t ruined what might have been a great thing by falling back on clichéd jokes, like, “I could stand to lose five pounds.” We get it: women are obsessed with their weight! Hah-hah, very funny. I’ll pencil in a laugh sometime next week.
I’m going to try the next book, because Moore has earned a lot of credit with me. But if Thomas pulls anything like that again, I’m out of here. I have better things to do with my time than watch an insecure guy try to stop his vampire ladyfriend from leaving her in progressively creepier and rapier ways.
And now, the continuation…
You Suck picks up almost literally where Bloodsucking Fiends left off: C. Thomas Flood is a vampire, having been bitten by his vampiric girlfriend Jody. Once her daylight minion, now they have to find a new minion for the both of them. But the heat is on in San Francisco, because they have savvy detectives, an Emperor, and a Safeway night shift crew breathing down their pale necks.
I have to say, this book starts off with much more promise than Bloodsucking Fiends. Tommy and Jody’s relationship dynamic has changed. I wouldn’t say they are on “equal” footing now, but they are both vampires, at least. Jody herself is definitely more confident here, and Moore explicitly shows how much she delights in flaunting her sexuality for herself, because she no longer fears walking alone at night. That’s all well and good.
Indeed, I’ll go ahead and say that the characterization of the two protagonists is much improved. The other characters? Not so much. Every remaining character falls back into one or more stereotypes in Moore’s attempt to wring as much clichéd humour from this book as possible. I started to tune out and skim when he introduced Blue, the hooker-with-a-heart-of-gold (and blue skin), and almost entirely checked out when dead whores started showing up.
Right, Moore, look … I don’t care whether your book has a “strong female protagonist.” I don’t care if your book has two female protagonists who show interesting and different sides to living as a woman in San Francisco. (I love Abby’s gothy teenage geekiness!) Fridging women is not OK. Joking about fridging dead whores is also not OK. The former does not, will never, excuse the latter. Similarly, the fact that Blue comes back—out of the blue—as a vampire doesn’t make up for the tasteless jokes at her expense.
Any enjoyment I was getting from You Suck was sucked out of me—pun intended—by these missteps.
At least Bloodsucking Fiends had stakes. (No, I mean plot stakes, not wooden stakes—gah. Why is this happening?!) The elusive and mysterious Elijah was a credible antagonist in the first book. Now he’s just a nuisance, and most of the conflict comes from Tommy and Jody running around trying to train Abby and move. Yes, this entire book is a sitcom about moving to the apartment down the block.
Towards the very end, the book shifts more and more into Abby’s first-person diary perspective. Now, I love Abby, and I loved her diary entries when they were intermittent. The more frequently they appeared, the more they grated in tone, though. The sudden appearance of Steve as a vampire hunter/love interest for Abby at the eleventh hour is almost as unsatisfactory as the wimpiness of the new vampires on the block.
Sigh.
I didn’t even realize how worked up I was about this until I wrote this review, and now I just can’t even.
Do I read the third book? It’s on my shelf, checked out the same time I borrowed this one. They are quick—I read this at a ball game, so I could read book three in less than an afternoon. But is it worth it? The cover copy seems to promise that it foregrounds Abby and includes a vampire cat.
But is it worth it?
I have since read the third book. It was worth it. Kind of. Review forthcoming!
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One really amazing new character, and one really not balances this second book out.
World: The world buildling is fun, from the insane premise to the rules and the characters that inhabit this weird crazy slice of San Francisco it’s a hoot. Everytime I read Moore’s book I think of Hiaasen who has the same knack for setting an absurd and hilarious stage for his characters to wander around in. This time around it’s a direct sequel so the pieces of the world are all there, there is a slight expansion but not really and that’s fine with me.
Story: The story continues from the events of the last book, and it’s a fun ride. The consequences of book one are felt here and leads to move insane drama and situations that will make you laugh out loud. You’ll laugh, you’ll feel uncomfortable, you get annoyed, all the emotions are all there. The new addition of Abby is absolutely fantastic and is the best thing in the series after Jody (more below) and the introduction of Blue and honestly the entire storyline of the Animals was pointles and irksome and pretty gross to say the least. They do balance each other out in the end and my love for Abby and my loating of Blue makes this book on par with the first book (if there was no Blue this would have been amazing). The end was interesting, not what I expected but it was heartfelt and also bonkers and hilarious. I look forward to the next chapter of this series.
Characters: Jody and Teddy are great, they have such great chemistry together, their banter and their relationship is pretty weird and unhealthy but at the same time beautiful and romantic, they are well done. Their arc this time around is deceptively simple, but the emotions involved, the hidden feelings of how couples grow and learn to live with each other is really well done, even if it’s insane. Abby is the best thing in the book hands down, her dialog, her personal voice is mental and every time she opened her mouth I laughed out loud, she’s a stereotypes and so are a lot of the characters in this satire but wow is she the best or what!? Blue was a meh character and her story along with the Animals felt tacked on and there because the these characters were in the last book and needed to show up, but honestly I really don’t care about them, these guys and gals are pretty unsavory in a raunchy disgusting way which I usually don’t mind that type of comedy but here it’s just...a step too far.
I liked this second book, it has an amazing new character and if not for the other not so amazing one would have blown the first book out of the water.
Onward to the next book! -
There are many distinct umbrages I would like to take with Christopher Moore in general and this book in particular. However, I realize the problem here is more with me than it is with Moore. Like most of his work, "You Suck" is an outlandish, mildly entertaining story within a story that references previous books and resurrects old characters. Unfortunately, I simply do not have the ability to retain much of what Moore writes in my head for more than a few minutes. I finished reading this book no more than a month ago and I already remember next to nothing about it other than the rough outlines of its vampires-in-love plot and the fact that one of the book's characters happened to be a female prostitute styled after members of The Blue Man Group. Similarly, Moore's previous books (except "Fluke", which I really enjoyed) have long since departed from my memory, leaving many of the references and characters in this book completely lost on me and the entire work feeling incomplete. All that aside, "You Suck" is definitely good for a few laughs and moves swiftly, making it well suited for a frivolous summer read.
Moore remains the rather unexceptional lovechild of Tom Robbins and Jimmy Buffet, inheriting only the superficial silliness of the former and the general insouciance of the latter. And I remain an inexplicably loyal reader who, twelve months from now, will likely find myself wondering why the next Christopher Moore book seems lacking as it references this work. -
YOU SUCK Christopher Moore. Actually, you're okay. The book YOU SUCK was okay too. Not great, not awful. Okay. This is my second foray into Christopher Moore and as with the first go around, I found myself fighting to care about the story. I knew this was book two of the series but I was assured by many folks it would not matter to read this first. It seemed most backstory was provided so I don't think that's where the disconnect started.
I can't place my finger on what the disconnect is, either. This time around I found it difficult to rally around the characters and latch onto a single one of the to care about. Perhaps Abby Normal, a perennial Moore character, had the most appeal but she played more of a supporting role in this one.
The story itself was enjoyable enough and it rallied to a strong ending.
My own writing is often compared by readers to that of Christopher Moore. It was that comparison that made me want to pick up this book. I can see the parallels too which makes it all the more perplexing as to why I can't seem to connect with his books. Maybe I relate too much. Maybe I need to read something else from Christopher Moore. PRACTICAL DEMONKEEPING looks good. -
I didn't think this book was that good. The first book was funny, but the jokes in this just got too juvenile, I think. The characters just aren't interesting.
Like the first book, it is very slow paced for the most of it, and then ''the big battle'' at the end goes over pretty quickly. And again it cuts between different characters way too fast.
You don't have to read the first book to read this one, as everything is explained. -
Didn't suck.
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So.
This book.
I read the first one in this trilogy, Bloodsucking Fiends, probably in 8th grade or freshman year of high school. At the time, it felt edgy, and I felt a little naughty reading it. Most of all, it was funny. Sometimes a little ridiculous, but quite entertaining. After re-reading it last month, it still mostly holds up that way for me. It's a quick, fun read.
This, however, was... less fun.
I think one of the worst things about it is that the first book was published in the latter half of the 1990s. At that point, hardly anyone had a cell phone, and if I recall correctly, that is even mentioned in the first book.
This book starts the day after Bloodsucking Fiends ends, but was published in 2007. That's a large amount of time between books, but the author seems to have forgotten that his original story happened in the late 90s, because suddenly the characters are all carrying cell phones and downloading music at Starbucks with WiFi.
It was a fast read, and it was interesting to see what he came up with as the continuing story of Jody and Tommy. But overall, it fell kind of flat. Abby was funny at times, so that was nice.
Despite this trilogy being called, "A Love Story," I still don't believe that Jody loves Tommy. Or vice versa, actually. This installment just made that more glaringly apparent.
Now I'm trying to decide if I should read the third book. -
-Humor grueso y vampiros.-
Género. Narrativa Fantástica.
Lo que nos cuenta. Tommy descubre que Jody le ha convertido en vampiro y eso le aterra, pero no tendrá más remedio que acostumbrarse a su nueva condición y descubrir sus habilidades y necesidades con la ayuda de su amada, que tampoco lleva demasiado tiempo siendo vampira. Secuela directa de “La sanguijuela de mi niña”.
¿Quiere saber más de este libro, sin spoilers? Visite:
http://librosdeolethros.blogspot.com/... -
This is so funny that I kept cracking-up listening to this audiobook while walking the dog. Love it!
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Últimamente todos los libros de Moore que leo vienen geniales pero la caga irreparablemente con los finales.
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Well that was certainly a different vampire book. I was expecting more humor, but it was pretty good. The ending definitely pushed it over into 3 stars. GREAT ending.
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Pues sigue el tono de la primera, ligero, divertido y sin más aspiraciones ni resultados. Es breve y se lee rápido, lo que hoy en día no es mérito menor.
