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Book Review of Suicide Blonde

Suicide Blonde
rocky1 avatar reviewed on + 52 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 1


Suicide Blonde is the story of Jesse, a young woman living in San Francisco, her boyfriend Bell, and the troubled relationships she has with everyone in her life.
Jesse cleans house for a woman called Madam Pig. Pig wants Jesse to get in touch with her daughter Madison,who works as a stripper. Jesse develops strange relationships with both Madison and Pig, as well as men who drift in and out of Bell's life. Jesse also meets Kevin, Bell's lover of over ten years ago, who is getting married in Los Angeles, and experiences feelings that overcome her.

First and foremost, this is an adult book. Although there are some sex scenes (some to my liking, some not) I would not call this erotica (or the typical erotica one reads for fantasy). The sex is often lurid, with strangers, and devoid of any love or connection. Both Bell and Jesse are very unhappy individuals, with Bell wanting Kevin's love, and Jesse yearning for Bell to love her in return.

The descriptions of San Francisco are beautiful (I lived there for awhile, so maybe that is why I am partial to this book). However, the story of Jesse's life is very depressing-and in the end we are not sure that she will ever find happiness. The language is prose like and beautiful too, in a sad, unrequited way, which perhaps fits the tones of the book.

Overall I enjoyed it and found it to be a good read, but other readers should be cautioned against the themes of sex and despair-if you cannot stand either, this might not be the book for you.