Apeshit

Trying to summarize or describe a Carlton Mellick III novel is never easy or simple since they are so surreal and often nonsensical (in the best possible ways), but I will attempt to give a generalized attempt at it:What starts as a deliberately stereotypical, yet delightfully satirical, homage to classic horror movie/slasher premises gradually evolves (or maybe devolves) into one of the most insane and uncomfortably disturbing tales you will likely ever read. The POV cyclically shifts by chapter from one of each of the main six main characters to the next, around and around again. Like the premise, the characters are also the stereotypical teen architypes found in many popcorn horror movies. However, every time the focus comes back around to each of them you learn a little bit more about them that had not previously been revealed and every time it's that much more horrifying. You will keep thinking that it can't get worse than what you just read but it continually will.That's about all I'll say. If you aren't squeamish and you like things that make you feel all kinds of gross and weird inside, this story is for you. It is easily my second favorite book by Mr. Mellick III after Satan Burger.

Book was absolutely insane. This was the first CM3 book I read, and what a deep dive it was!

Right off the bat I give this book three stars for a clever horror premise partially well executed. I won't spoil it, but the central premise of the book was a damn fine concept that I haven't seen used elsewhere in the genre and in parts, it made for a damn fine book. Where the author lost me is the characters. I'm not bothered by flawed unlikable characters, but every major character in this book just kind of randomly turns out to be some manner of gross, deeply broken mutated or self-mutilating freak and that's just... weird. That's "Gonzo Horror" I guess and if that kind of thing appeals you more power to you, but I found it all extremely offputting and distracting. Still, in parts this was a good book. It started well, ended well and had parts in between that I wouldn't consider a total loss, so yeah, three stars from me.

This book is described on the back as follows, "Apes*** is Mellick's love letter to the great and terrible B-horror movie genre."I have to say I agree, this book has the classic elements in place for a very standard B-horror movie that we have all seen a hundred times. From the 6 teens on their way up to a mountain cabin retreat for a weekend of drugs, booze and sex to the isolated mountain itself that is so far out of the way that they have to drive up a very thin cliff face road where the tires of the van are hanging off the edge to get up to the cabin at all.The great fun of this book is by far the characters that Carlton has woven together into this sinful, strange mix of personalities.Desdemona the punk chic, she has a Mohawk and her entire body is covered in tattoos. She is in love with two men, Rick and Kevin.Rick has perhaps the biggest secret of all the cast in this deadly little drama, while Kevin is bi and has a big secret of his own to share, he is an absolutely terrible person because his is the kinda secret you really cannot keep, but he does and once you find out about it, you will hate him for it.Stephanie has a secret of her own as well and everyone thinks they know what it is but they really don't and of course if they had bothered to ask they might have all felt a bit differently about her, which of course, as in all great B-movies, they realize much too late.Jason who's father owned this cabin and who owns the van they show up in is the rich jock douchebag of the story at first, but honestly his character turns a big corner about halfway through and you suddenly realize what a sick little boy he is and has been. He is anything but a typical jock that is for sure.Crystal, who up until her recent mohawk, tattoo phase looked almost exactly like Desdemona has a fetish that I am sure will shock even the staunchest most addle-proof mind. I honestly thought I had heard everything. But this young lady has a fetish that is so vile and disgusting it made me rethink the word gross and come out the other side understanding that words like gross and disgusting are nowhere near descriptive enough for this young lady and her sick little fantasies. A new word must be invented. A word that combines the corruption of depravity, the offensiveness of repulsive and the self-hatred of loathsome. Deprepulsesome? Sounds good to me.Let me make this clear I loved this book, this is by no means a bad review, I am merely trying to convey the absolute conviction with this story has been written and the canvas Carlton used to craft it. This is a colossal homage to gore. This is a tattoo of your favorite death metal bands logo right on your face. This is out there in the no refunds, no returns, take it or leave type of fiction that goes so far beyond other novels and stories that there really is nothing to compare it to at all.It is fricking brilliant!For instance at one point they have to carry a couch into the basement and one character has to take her disemboweled guts and put them on the cushions of the couch so she can help carry it without tripping. Also, trust me that is one of the mildest things that happens in this story.If you have ever been a fan of b-horror movies, and slasher genre tales, if you have ever loved that sort of thing then you will love this book.I cannot recommend it highly enough.You will love it.T. Patrick RooneyAuthor of Bakemono07/04/2011

This is one of my favorite horror novels. Its surreal and campy and gory. I mean it's really, really gory. It goes beyond splatter punk. I would say it's even more disturbing than Edwards Lees stuff. Maybes it's not as excessive. Buts its really vile.At first it just seems like a generic horror story. It's about a group of bratty teens partying in a cabin in the woods. These teens start getting hunted down by a crazed monster that lives in the woods. But there's a twist. I don't want to give it away. Cause this book has one of the best surprise endings I have ever read. The book ends up being a truly pro-founds story about transformation and the afterlife.This is one of Mellicks Best.

I bought this for the title, expecting something lightweight and forgettable. I was not disappointed. The characters are one-dimensional stereotypes borrowed from every teen slasher flick I've ever seen. The plot is ridiculously transparent. It was closer to "Scary Movie" than "Friday the Thirteenth." The only thing that provoked any reaction from me was the utterly grotesque "abortion" scene. They could have dropped the first syllable from the title and had an accurate description of this book.

Arrived in excellent condition and very happy with it. Difficult to get hold of due to the somewhat disturbing content, not for the faint-hearted but great if you like this sort of splatter horror novel.

Si presenta come il tipico horror movie di serie b, con una comitiva di sei fikissimi studenti liceali che vanno a trascorrere in una casetta nei boschi un tranquillo week-end di paura. Orribili maniaci mutati e disumani li aspettano per fargli la festa. Ma più si va avanti nella novella, più la storia diventa grottesca, e gli stessi protagonisti prendono a comportarsi in modo strano, violando i cliché del genere. Di questi sei personaggi, non ce n'è uno normale. Fino a una serie di colpi di scena conclusivi che ribaltano il tavolo. No: questa non è proprio la classica storia horror.Apeshit ricorda il cinema trash auto-parodico di Rodriguez, solo ancora più sanguinolento e più folle – e invece di ridere e basta come degli scemi, si passa dal riso all'orrore al dramma. Una delle più belle rivisitazioni dello stereotipo horror-slasher della casa nel bosco, accanto al film prodotto da Joss Whedon Cabin in the Woods.Per stomaci forti che vogliono qualcosa di insolito. Gli amanti di Edward Lee potrebbero adorarlo

Der Titel für das Buch erschließt sich mir nicht ganz, aber vielleicht hat Mellick ihn gewählt, weil das Buch eine völlig andere Richtung einschlug, als er es zu Beginn noch wollte. Ich hatte mich sehr auf Apeshit gefreut, da es eine Hommage an alte Slasherfilme sein soll und mir The cannibals of candyland von Mellick sehr gut gefallen hat. Zu Anfang fühlt man sich auch stark an Evil dead erinnert, doch dann schlägt das Buch eine völlig eigene Richtung ein. Unterwegs gibt es eine Menge merkwürdige Szenen, welche das Bizarro Genre eben so ausmachen. Ich hatte mehr von dem Buch erwartet, aber obwohl es ein hohes Tempo hat, wurde es nicht wirklich spannend. Irgendwo langweilten die teils sehr langen Szenen mich irgendwann und nicht jede Idee gefiel mir. Was mich am Ball hielt war eine Figur, die trotz schwerer Verletzungen am Leben bleibt, in lauter makabre Situationen gerät und dabei sogar noch trockenen Humor beweist. Das Buch ist kein kompletter Reinfall, keineswegs. Aber man sollte vorsichtig mit seinen Erwartungen sein. Beim Bizarro Genre weiß man nie so genau, was man kriegt.

Nachdem ich Warrior Wolf Women of the Wasteland vorher gelesen hatte, war ich von Apeshit etwas enttäuscht. Das liegt nicht am recht vorhersehbaren Plot, das ist im Bizarro Genre nicht unbedingt ungewöhnlich. Carlton Mellick hat in diesem Roman Elemente eingefügt, die mir nicht schlüssig vorkamen und das Gefühl von "weird for the sake of being weird" hinterliessen, etwas, das Bizarro eigentlich auf keinen Fall sein will.Das Buch ist unterhaltsam zu lesen, aber es ist sicher nicht Carlton Mellicks bestes Werk.

Do not read unless you're already familiar with his work. I am very familiar with his work, and he's one of my favourite authors. Even so, I was NOT prepared for some of the scenes in Apes***. LOL