"Tampa"

Tampa (Alissa Nutting)

I have to give this book a lot of credit; it's the most gross, inappropriate, squicky, skin-crawling novel I've ever read, starting with the unpleasant furry black dust jacket.
The main character, Celeste (I almost absentmindedly typed "our heroine"; never has that been more inappropriate) is the book's strongest element, a genuinely scary psychopathic predator with a taste for young teenage boys who sums herself up in one sentence on page 41: ""Why did anyone pretend human relationships had value?"
As unsettling and cringe-inducing as the book can be (and the author does not shy away from showing in graphic detail what Celeste is doing to her victims), it's quite gripping, and - I admit this doesn't sound right - entertaining. As horrible as the main character is, the book is capably leavened by a considerable amount of very dark humor, ably assisted by the book's other unforgettable character, Janet Feinlog, a trainwreck of a fellow teacher that Celeste has as much disdain for as I had for the main character herself. It's weird to find myself recommending a novel that's full of graphic sexual abuse, but what can I say? This is a weird book, and unless you're completely disgusted from just reading about it, I'd suggest at least getting it out of your local library.

Grade: A