A cruise ship on the back of a sleeping kaiju. A transgender bartender trying to come terms with who she is. A rift in dimensions known as The Sway. A cruel captain. A storm of turmoil, insanity and magic is coming together and taking the ship deep into the unknown. What will Carol the bartender learn in this maddening non-place that changes bodies and minds alike into bizarre terrors? What is the sleeping monster who holds up the ship trying to tell her? What do Carol’s fractured sense of self and a community of internet trolls have to do with the sudden pull of The Sway?
Title: F4 | Author: Larissa Glasser | Publisher: Eraserhead Press | Pub. Date: January 2018 | Pages: 150 | ISBN13: 9781621052531 | Genre: Bizarro | Language: English | Triggers: None | Rating: 5 out of 5 | Source: Self-Purchased
F4 Review
Sailing on a cruise ship created from a sleeping kaiju. What could possibly go wrong?
F4 is the story of Carol, a trans bartender and sex worker on board The Finasteride with her sister Roz and friend/love interest Chloe. Carol has escaped to the seas from a cult of internet trolls, post murder trial, where she testified as a witness to the crime.
During the cruise, strange movements from the kaiju can be felt. However, the kaiju is the least of their worries. Someone wants to take the crew, the ship and holidaymakers straight through to another dimension where bizarre, grotesque creatures are at the wheel. Get ready for crazy because it is coming for you.
The first thing you notice about this book is the voice. I could read Larissa over and over again. She is insightful, funny and incredibly entertaining in her storytelling. You had me at a toothless guy sucking dick and crotchless bikini bottoms. I had the pleasure of joining Larissa at the bar at StokerCon for casual conversation and she is as lovely as she is talented. Reading this book draws you in as if you were sitting next to her while she describes her wild trip on a kaiju last week. Bartender, keep them coming.
Within the crazy story you get insight into the lives of trans women and guess what? They are just the same as you and I! Desire, fear, anger, pain, hope for more, and love for family are universal. Carol experiences all of these things. If the book never mentioned the staff were trans, it could be anyone. Trans men and women are human and should be treated as such. Period. There is the subject of consensual sex work which Larissa approaches respectfully, but with humor. I truly believe sex work is valid work if by choice. Enough with the shame. People have to live.
This story rides on waves of action and emotion. There really isn’t a dull moment as every paragraph moves in multiple directions capturing the chaos that is unfolding. I couldn’t help to feel emotional on Carol’s journey, then she kicks up the dust again with serious laugh out loud comedy. More importantly, this is a story about trans women written by a trans woman.
This book is five stars because this tale is out of this world wild, the voice is gripping, and I just loved the style- I read it in a day. Give it a go and support making horror diverse in its narratives.
You can find F4 at many retailers via clicking on the appropriate link on Goodreads; however, in the spirit of supporting literacy programs, we would like to point out that you may be able to purchase this book through BetterWorldBooks.
V. Castro is a Mexican American writer living in London. She is the author of Maria The Wanted and the Legacy of The Keepers and the forthcoming erotic novella, The Erotic Modern Life of Malinalli The Vampire. When not caring for her children she is writing, exploring London and watching way too much telly. www.vvcastro.com
