Lost Souls
by Poppy Z. Brite
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Book Reviews of Lost Souls
Book Review: I couldn't write enought to do this book justice!
Summary: 5 Stars
I must agree with Miss Kali, the person from Kirkus Review must not be very dedicated to the notion of *reading* the book before reviewing it. NOTE TO THE STUPID KIRKUS PERSON: It's Missing Mile NORTH CAROLINA, not Louisiana, and there is only one rape in the entire novel. I'd hate to see what they'd say about "Exquisite Corpse". I hope the stupidity doesn't turn people off who've never read it...As with some others who have posted, I have also lost this book numerous times to "friends" i've loaned it to. Can't blame them, though it's such a FABULOUS novel. With so many characters, one wouldn't think Ms. Brite would be able to go into such depth of who they are as a person. Even Jessy, who makes the briefest appearance in the book (besides Laine, hee hee) touches you with her rebellion and romanticism. Poppy takes me on the vampiric trios journey, perfectly displays the sensitivity of Ghost, Nothing, Ann, and Steve, by the end of the book, I feel like I know them, they are friends. Not many authors can do that and the few that can aren't close to Poppy's caliber when it comes to description-I can smell, taste, see, and feel everything in this book. As anyone with a brain in their head should know, this book is not for people who don't indulge in decadent adventures, midnight road trips, or a good round of Chartruese (which I've been blessed enough to drink in Paree). For those yet to delve into the world of PZB, this first novel is the perfect introduction to her twisted, dead-on, dark-as-four-AM vision.Book Review: A Quick Read if Nothing Else
Summary: 2 Stars
When I first read the summary of Lost Souls I knew I had to get this book. So, on what would end up being an long journey, I phoned my local second hand book stores and after going to three finally found one that actually had a copy (despite the others that were 'supposed to have one, miss, sorry'). I couldn't wait to read it, and in two days I'd finished the book.
Now, perhaps it was because my sights had been set so high, or perhaps I expected a well written novel when there was none, but 'Lost Souls' disappointed me severely. As another reviewer said Nothing, the main character, is possibly one of the most selfish characters I've come across. I'm fine with selfish characters, I myself loved Lestat of the Vampire Chronicles, but only when they're well written. We're meant to sympathize with him but I found it impossible to do so. He is honestly a selfish teenager and even while reading this when I was a teenager I wanted Nothing to come to some revelation. I found the only character I felt bad for in the novel died early on. While the rest of the novel was supposed to be tense, or possibly filled with horror, I found I was flipping through without a true care as to what happened to the main characters. There were a few moments of suspense but nothing too frightful. In all honesty, the book reminded me of the countless horror stories that fill writing websites [...]
Overall, I would say it's worth a read if you've nothing else to do and are craving any type of vampire story. Just don't expect too much.
Book Review: One of the best horror/vampire/all around novels ever!
Summary: 5 Stars
It's hard to believe that it's been almost 10 years since my friend Damien told me that he had just read the most disturbing novel of his life, one in which "loss of innocence" is suspect as the innocence is never so innocent, but the vampirism is more cruel than pretty.This book is about a teenage goth who is distinguished from other goths as he really is a vampire. Running away he hooks up with his family and they find that his taste for blood is more than teenage angst. Incest, bad births, betrayal, obsessed wanderers and vampires of utter horror is what you get with this book.
Unlike the works of Anne Rice, the vampires possess a dark and horrible beauty but they don't pretend to be decent souls. They are thoroughly horrid people that shouldn't have survived for human lifetimes much less centuries. The twist of having vampires borne but eating their way out of their mothers is truly twisted as is most of this book. Rendered in some of the most lucid and poetic prose ever, you are enraptured and seduced by the deadly horror of this text. The only other vampire book that even comes close is Dark Dance by Tanith Lee.
I read an interview with Poppy Z. Brite complaining that she doesn't want to be called the vampire writer, but this book is still her best work and she has yet to write a book that so balances the beautiful and the horrid. Exquisite Corpse might be more disturbing but it doesn't stay with you like this one.
Book Review: Recommended for Teens and Pre-teens Only
Summary: 2 Stars
I've come to the conclusion that when I struggle to finish a novel and find myself rereading parts in order to comprehend the material, that it's less the writing itself that gives me trouble and more the main characters in the story that do so: can I relate to them, do I care about what happens to them, and are they real? In the case of this novel, I most definitely did not have much in common with the homosexual vampires and cookie-cutter goth waifs that the tale revolves around, hence my boredom and inability to grasp what all the fuss is about concerning Lost Souls. It seems like there might be some sort of goth/horror "clique" that revolves around Poppy Brite and Tanith Lee, maybe even John Shirley and Melanie Tem, and when such a thing exists, watch out--the reputation of their writings are apt to far exceed the quality that actually exists.
If I had read this novel while in highschool or junior high, I might have had a different outlook, but I doubt it; even at a much younger age, I had the ability to differentiate between a writer who's "telling the truth" and one who's trying to garner scene points from the greater horror/goth/coffeehouse community.
Sorry for not being too specific, but there's plenty of that here already--you can read a synopsis of the plot in about 75% of the reviews here, so I thought it'd be kind of refreshing to not spoil the story for someone who hasn't read it yet.
Book Review: Lifesaver!
Summary: 5 Stars
Exactly a year ago today, I read Lost Souls for the first time and was astonished by it's power on my life.....I don't know why I bought it - I just felt compelled to do it, as if I had read some of it before but couldn't remember where...it was one of the most important choices in my life but I did not know it then.....
I can't say any different to what has been stated by others before me, only that I haven't stopped thinking about it for a whole year, and that has never happened to me with a book before (and I read a LOT!). I try to keep Ghost in my head as much as I can, as it is like he is one of my best friends and I can tell him anything (but he will know anyway - after all, he IS psychic, isn't he!).....
The novel itself has had a profound effect on my life, and I know that sounds dramatic, but it's true. When I was little, I was a person who was made up of both science and art...but as I grew up, I lost most of my artistic streak in me and felt "wrong" in terms of balance. I truly believe that Lost Souls saved me from being imbalanced in a way that I would have inevitably suffered from, as it helped me to fulfill my artistic desires and prevented it from waning so much that I no longer possessed it.....
If anyone feels that they need more creativity in their life or that they are suffering a loss of art in this way, then I would seriously advise you to read this