| Title | : | Satanic Summer |
| Author | : | |
| Rating | : | |
| ISBN | : | 0984969292 |
| ISBN-10 | : | 9780984969296 |
| Language | : | English |
| Format Type | : | Paperback |
| Number of Pages | : | 236 |
| Publication | : | First published July 14, 2012 |
Satanic Summer Reviews
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This is without a single doubt, one of the most disturbing books I have ever read. Word of warning, this book is not for the faint of heart, it is brutal and graphic and there are A LOT of potential triggers throughout. It feels weird giving such a book 5 stars because I wouldn’t really say I enjoyed it in the typical sense you normally enjoy a book. My skin was crawling the whole way through and I often had to pause to collect myself while reading it because I was just so disturbed and horrified by what I was reading. Thank fucking god it’s fiction because I can’t even begin to process what kind of monster would do such things. I don’t even know how or why it’s labelled as horror comedy because I sure as hell wasn’t laughing. I’m even a big slightly disturbed that an actual person made this story from their imagination, that must be one fucked up place to come up with such atrocities and I’m glad I’m not in Prunty’s head for longer than the time I spent reading this story! That being said, I absolutely fucking loved it and I highly recommend it to my equally disturbed fellow horror fans.
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Doug Backus is raised in an extremely strict Christian household where all forms of sin and temptation are outlawed. He devotes himself to being as pure and guilt-free as possible, but when he lives in a town where nothing but sin, debauchery and temptation are all around him, he finds it increasingly difficult to remain clean as he pushes through puberty. Along with his blasphemous metalhead friend Crank and his disturbed outcast neighbor Whitney, he becomes involved in a terrifying revelation of the town's secrets that will either lead them to their doom or answer all the questions he has about almost everything. A ritualistic bloodbath in honor of an ancient creature who parades the town of Clover ensues.
A sleazy horror comedy about friendship, religion, and satanic orgies in a summery modern town. It's extremely violent, disgusting, funny and horrifying. I went in expecting a fun and mindless gorefest that shamelessly indulged in its own shock value, and that estimation wasn't too far off. What I wasn't expecting was the strong character writing, intimidating dialogue and a slew of genuinely terrifying prose and situations. It's been a while since I've read something that managed to disgust and disturb me while also having lots of funny and emotional moments scattered throughout the mayhem. I also enjoyed the constant allusions to death metal and black metal music to add to the imagery, atmosphere and edgy humor.
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If you're looking for some dark ambient music for reading horror, dark fantasy and other books like this one, then be sure to check out my YouTube Channel called Nightmarish Compositions:
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCPPs... -
This being my first Prunty, I wasn’t sure what to expect and was more than pleasantly surprised how well this was written and how effortlessly the characters were fleshed out. There was a whole lot more sex and violence than I was anticipating and no shortage of offbeat, dark humor either. All of this added up to an enjoyable wild and whacky ride.
Doug Backus has been raised as a good, God fearing, Christian young man. For 18 years he has managed to shy away from sinful activities, minus the occasional beer and masturbatory fantasy. Doug and his friends are going to need all the goodness they can muster to fight off the terrible evil threatening to destroy the small town of Clover, Kentucky. Once a quiet little town, now plagued with murderous Satan worshippers bent on preforming a centuries old ritual to literally open the gates of hell.
An Old Milwaukie condom sculpture, penis sniffing Pork, goat home delivery, Chainsaw Enema, stink hand Perry and an old fashioned bloody orgy revival. Let the good times roll! A solid 4+ Stars and highly recommended. -
Book Info: Genre: Bizarro
Reading Level: Adult
Recommended for: Sick puppies (like me!)
Trigger Warnings: Violence (to women, to men, to animals with ritual sacrifice), explicit sex (straight, lesbian, with a goat-man, and with a goat), general weird nastiness
Disclosure: I picked up this book when it was on a free promotion on Amazon. All opinions are my own.
Synopsis: Doug Backus is a normal young man trying to lead a clean Christian life but when mysterious and gruesome deaths begin occurring in his town of Clover, Kentucky, he learns that his life can never be as wholesome as he wants. Along with his heathen friend Crank and pariah neighbor Whitney, he becomes involved in an exploration of the town's secrets that will either lead them to their doom or answer all the questions Doug has about almost everything. Only one thing becomes certain: Salvation is not an option. From Andersen Prunty, author of Fuckness and Hi I'm a Social Disease comes a sleazy horror comedy about friendship, religion, and satanic orgies.
My Thoughts: I first discovered Andersen Prunty when I picked up and read a copy of his book
The Sorrow King (reviewed in June of 2012, link where formatting is available). I really liked his style, so when I saw this book up for promotion on Amazon, I grabbed it (I also have a few more, which I’ll be reading next). Let’s make this clear – I have never actually been contacted by Prunty asking for reviews, nor ever interacted with him to my memory. I chose these books based upon personal interest, and have decided to review them because I’m in the mood to do so.
Okay, so, if you’re bothered by explicit sexuality, violence, or general weirdness, this book isn’t for you, but damn, I had a great time reading it! Prunty does such a great job of going into Doug’s head – such a typical 18-year-old, trying to do the right thing but endlessly distracted by his libido. It was hilarious! And this description of Crank’s band’s practice made me almost fall off the bed laughing:“Crank played his battered electric guitar furiously and without any recognizable chords or notes. The drummer, who went by the name Patrick Crayze, had his drum kit set up backward so he faced the trailer and away from the band. The keyboardist, Lurk, had passed out or something. The keyboard was off the stand but still turned on. Lurk’s head rested on random keys providing a constant and eerie wash of sound. None of the band members wore shirts. Stupid tattoos were as ubiquitous as empty beer cans. Crank’s mom held a hose and stood watering the side of the trailer. Doug felt like he had stumbled into recreation time at a mental institution.”
The goat delivery service (“Baal’s Goats on Demand”) also made me laugh like crazy. Chainsaw Enema’s last show was tragical, but also hilarious – some classic black humor – and Crank’s reaction to Whitney’s call to storm the church was classic: “Crank thought that sounded way beyond arena rock. He thought it sounded totally black metal.”
I tell you, if you can’t laugh at horrifying things like that, this book is not for you. But if you’re a totally sick puppy, like I am, then you will really enjoy this book. -
While it might seem paradoxical to describe anything as "feel good horror," there is no better way to accurately sum up many of the campy 80s horror flicks like Monster Squad, The Lost Boys, and Critters. Those movies were great. There's some great character dynamic at work in those films, and usually the pinnacle of horror is left to the imagination, kind of an homage to early Hitchcock work.
Since those feel good films, folks have been trying to re-create that campy 80s horror feel with little success. Satanic Summer succeeds where other books and films fail. Everything I love about the horror I grew up with is present in this book, complete with quirky protagonists who gear up and kick ass between experimenting with the vices of most American teens. This is a fun book with a subtle mystery. I can't really determine whether this book falls into a character driven or plot driven category comfortably. It's a nice balance of everything.
"Prunty's got nards!"
The cherry on top is the poetic raunch that decorates the story. Many sexual fetishes are alluded to or explored in the text, but Prunty gently guides you by the hand through many of those, and they don't water down the plot or characters at all. This books isn't an encyclopedia of perversions. You get the sense that Prunty is well beyond trying to shock folks with dutch ovens, chocolate starfish and shit like that. Sex contributes to plot and character development, unlike that non-sequitur sex scene featuring Marlon Wayans in Requiem for a Dream. What a shitty movie that was. If you own it, go trade it in at a local flea market and pick Satanic Summer up. You'll get more bang for your buck, literally and figuratively. And you can wake up the next morning without feeling cheap and used. Because Satanic Summer stays the night, and it'll even cuddle if you want it to. -
Satanic Summer is a juggernaught, freight train straight from your deepest, darkest, lustiest, goriest sexual fantasy nightmares.
I finished this book moments ago, reading it like my brain was on fire. I legitimately couldn't put it down. Prunty wrote one helluva a good time horror novel. This book doesn't explore heavy relationship building, or get deep into character work, nor does it need to. Satanic Summer is just a STRAIGHT UP twisted good ride, and I loved the hell out of it. There were no bells or whistles, just a fiery plot with insanely lusty, grindy, freaky goodness.
Satanic Summer gripped me from the start and never let up for even a single moment. HUGE recommend from me. Five stars baby! -
"Morning there, Miss Winthrop.
Good morning, Officer Viled.
You’re looking very chipper and naked and covered in blood.
Oh yes. Isn’t it glorious?"
What a summer 😅 -
Entertaining, to say the least. An ending I cannot totally jive with. Interesting characters who, at first, seem ultra one-dimensional but then develop into full-fledged "I care about these motherfuckers"-type characters, all thanks to the inner-monologue. Tons of gross out stuff, but it's a book about Satanic stuff, so what do you expect? I like to read Prunty because he is a natural story-teller. Page-turner in every sense of the word. I know that no matter what Prunty is writing about, or what the ending is, I will be entertained in the "during." Totally enjoyed myself. Absolutely.
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I planned on starting this book on June 13th in which I did. But what was funny on that day I had to pick up my brother-in-law. His name is Doug and he plays video games a lot. (main character) Doug Backus.
Doug is a church goer, his best friend the complete opposite. Screwing girls vs waiting for marriage. but that not all that goes down in the town of Clover this summer. A beast is waiting to have a virgin's blood spread over his choosen woman and then sex for days. As the story goes on you get goat f**king, slashed throats, erections and a lot of sex. I hope my summer does not turn out like this, although I don't go to church, but there is one over the fence in my backyard.
Goat sex, maggots, death, blood and more sex in a bizarro story told by Andersen Prunty author of Hi I'm a Social Disorder and many others. get your summer reading in folks! -
Glory glory!! Ever since I was a kid I've loved stories where kids have to face off against adults to thwart some imminent threat. I love stories about weirdos and outcasts. This book has all of that and so much more. From the first page to the last, this is one of, if not the, most fun books I have ever read. I felt sad when it ended.
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Hysterical, gross, gorey and filled with whacked out satanic imagery. Even had a nice message about not blindly following religion! Whats not to love?
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4.5 My first Prunty and definitely not my last.
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Overall, a very fun, perverse read. Very good flow overall, really moves along right from the start. The character development was good, not too much and as the story moves along you can get a good enough idea of the characters. A bit vague though at times along the story. At the end some things get filled in, but I think throughout the story more details would have made it a better book. Also did not like the ending too much. Very abrupt. While there were many perverted parts of the book, I think there was could have been a better balance with that and the violence. Most of the characters who were "satanic" were really just perverts, it seemed most of the time ha-ha. I did enjoy this read, just felt it was missing parts though, and again not a fan of the quick end after all the buildup.
Spoilers below:
A young man in a small backwoods' town is trying to stay a devote church loving man, even though the book starts with him drinking alone in his room lol. Everyone in town seems to be devoted church goers and what not. Turns out their church worships the devil though. And all love to have all kinds of sex with each other ha. This young man is being groomed to be a sacrifice so their "god" can stay on earth. His whole life is a lie, and he does not know it. He will not either until the end of the story. HIs best friend and neighbor (who turns out was being groomed herself to be one to belong to the devil, but refused so was taken out of town) end up saving the day in the end. Not the most original of ideas, but there were a lot of fun twists to make it unique. More details would have made this a much better, 4-star book. Also, at the end the beast just gets hit with a cross, his head explodes, and the kids run away. Lots of just unbelievable things too, not about the beast or anything, but like at the end the kids just get handed money from the convince store owner, and was like take my car too, I'm out of this town. Or how even the people not in the "church" are all sexual deviants lol. I still really enjoyed this book, just wish it was more I guess. -
Andersen Prunty's prose is always engaging, truly hilarious, and wonderfully bizarre. Satanic Summer is no different, but besides being an enjoyable read, it also packs a ton of sex and a critique of religion wrapped in a comedy about friendship, being young, dealing with temptation, and the pains of having a regular job. Although it sounds like a cliché, reading Prunty's work is a great way to remember just how much fun dark fiction can be. The author has a knack for taking slices of lowbrow and slathering them with intelligence.
You can read Gabino's full review at Horror DNA by
clicking here. -
3.5 stars. Dark, witty, and well written but I keep comparing all of Prunty's books to
The Sorrow King and so far I can't find anything that beats it. Satanic Summer is a good runner-up but it still just isn't The Sorrow King. -
I loved this book! What a twisted, hilarious, disgusting treat of a novella. Read it in one afternoon-evening on kindle (for really cheap!). Other sickos should really enjoy it.
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I feel dirty now.
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Ah, Mr. Prunty...no one understands living in the midwest like you do...I am fortunate enough to have a stack of Andersen Prunty's amazing books just waiting to be devoured. As always, I am reading way more than I can ever keep up with (I tend to keep a book in every room except the kitchen) and with the holidaze I have been lax in my reviews. That in no way reflects on this book. Although the book is f*cked up. In a wonderful way.
Despite the irreverence I find in all of Prunty's work, there are always hidden gems--humor in a weird place, disturbing images (not the obvious ones)and truly evocative description. I often refer to the settings of his books because I too am from the midwest and there is a language there that is easily understandable and painfully funny if you have lived here most of your life.
Satanic Summer follows the events troubling a tiny town with a strong religious bent and specifically young Christian Doug Backus and his circle (albeit tiny...) of friends. Although there is a lot of sound and fury--(animal and human sacrifice, nasty and sometimes brutal sex, every sin you can imagine) there is a quiet heart in the center of the story. Despite the chaos and over the top action, there is a surprisingly gentle connection between 3 weirdos trying to survive a backwards and suffocating town. Don't get me wrong---the weirdos are brutal as well (and I use weirdos in the most affectionate way) but they have a humanity that stands out. As with most of Prunty's books, I have no idea what is going to happen next--that is so refreshing to me--I read a lot of stuff--some good, some bad and a lot of in between but the one thing that happens is that even non-fiction will be unsurprising in it's twists and turns. That's how most things work--there are archetypes and we tend to follow them. I never feel that with Prunty's work. I truly never know what is going to happen next. There are what I think of as paper doll characters (mostly there as set dressing or to move action along) but the characters at the center of the story have a realism that makes you care about what happens even if they have some very icky attitudes or behaviors. Work like this is necessary for fiction, in my opinion--sort of the way that punk rock kicked lazy, debauched music in the ass, Prunty's work kicks predictable fiction in the ass and warns other authors "do better, be original" or face extinction. -
In general I'm a huge fan of Andersen Prunty, he's like the Ramones of really nihilistic hardcore horror/weird fiction. Always fast and true, puts out a stinker here and there, but overall delivers on a pretty high level. I absolutely loved Morning is Dead, but I think that the short story is where he should stay. This was a pretty great book, gruesome summertime Satanic horror, but the story just falls apart. That's ok, because every scene in the book is like the best scenes from an 80s horror movie, but he really excels keeping it short. Andersen the human always seems to be super apparent in his writing. I've never met him or even exchanged a message with him, but something about his writing makes you feel, maybe wrongly, that you know who he is. I imagine him to be a drinker, not an alcoholic but a big drinker, not good with money, not good with girls, doesn't like himself very much, probably has some friends, super cynical, I bet apolitical, probably likes the Ramones, though they're never mentioned in his books that I can remember. Love this guy, and I will read anything he writes. Even the worst book I've read by him (Creep House) is still pretty badass.
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I was really looking for something super weird to kick me out of this reading funk, and I stumbled upon the right book. Reading this is like taking a shot of bleach. Maybe two.
Graphic sex, drugs, and incredibly detailed descriptions of depravity‐‐Just what I needed! In all seriousness, though, if you're into shock/gore horror this will be right up your alley. If you're not REALLY into these though...stay far away.
The editing knocked off a star for me, as I think the whole thing could have been exponentially better with a lot of grammar issues and small inconsistencies fixed. Still, though, the sheer experience of reading this was something else. I'll be checking out other works by Prunty. -
I thought I'd love this- Sleazy horror with "Clerks" like characters sounded like great fun.
It was.. but I couldn't give it more than three stars because despite all the over the top sex and vivid characters, It wasn't a page turner for me. I put it down for awhile. I can't really love a book if I can take it or leave it.
Two thumbs up for virgin sacrifice and small town satanic orgies, though. They should make this a movie. -
This book was weird and definitely not for everyone. Someone bought it for me and I read it in one sitting. As someone who works with southern religious people professionally--I appreciate the level of demonic and seedy sacrilegious moments. However, I'm also somewhat prudish I think. So I couldn't give it more than 3 stars. LOL!!! Like the book though. Had a lot of laughs.
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Great sex scenes
An interesting read with a plot that is superficially cliche but the sex and action sequences are enough to keep me interested. It's almost if the writer wanted used the Devil as an excuse to write about women cumming from dominant sex constantly which is interesting. Part satire. I would love to see this movie made into a dark comedy. -
This is more porny than scary, but the trio of friends, Doug, Crank, and Whitney, are compelling, and the story is overall entertaining. Andersen Prunty is a secret that should probably not be kept. I did enjoy this book.
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Review will follow shortly
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More satanic than I was expecting.
