Status
Available
Call number
Series
Genres
Publication
Lunatic Ink (2011), 302 pages
Description
New author Allison Moon indulges the feminine wild by giving the classic werewolf myth a lesbian twist. Lexie Clarion's first night at college, she falls in with a pack of radical feminist werewolf hunters. The next morning, she falls for a mysterious woman who may be among the hunted. As Lexie's new lover and the Pack battle for Lexie's allegiance, the waxing moon illuminates old hatreds, new enemies, and a secret from Lexie's childhood that will change her life forever. Lunatic Fringe is the first book in the Tales of the Pack series.
User reviews
LibraryThing member csoki637
This novel takes an interesting concept (lesbians & feminists meet werewolves), but with terrible politics and purple prose it's a disappointing mess rather than a delight.
First bad sign was when the protagonist decided to consistently "he" the only butch character, immediately after establishing
Another bad sign was the dismissal of Andrea Dworkin in favor of Kate Bornstein (p. 35). (She's not "interesting," apparently.) Then the explanation it's not the patriarchy, it's the kyriarchy (p. 59). You know, the kyriarchy, led by... kyriarchs?
The women's studies professor establishes on p. 22 that feminism doesn't mean "must hate men" or "the lack of a sense of humor." Giant eye-roll. Thank you very much.
(I did appreciate this exchange though:
Duane: That sounds fun.
Jenna: You're not invited.
Duane: What if I'm gender non-conforming?
Jenna: Nice try, frat boy.
(p. 26))
Then there's the painfully descriptive narration:
Never before had Lexie seen a woman who looked like her. She wore her hair in a fluffy corona, a halo of soft black suds held back from broad forehead with an eggplant-colored wrap. Her skin was the color of walnut heartwood, with flecks of darker freckles sprayed across the bridge of her nose. She stood a head taller than Lexie, all smooth swishes and spindly appendages indicating a normal-shaped girl who had been stretched. Her ribcage dipped into a narrow waist, then flared out full and sturdy hips that made the girl look like a sexy teaspoon." (pp. 31–32)
Sexy teaspoon? What the? Later, "Would it be racist to say she had never met someone who looked like Renee before?" (p. 38) (It's unclear why Lexie is so shocked by Renee's existence, when it's established earlier on that she has met black and mixed-race people before.)
And the sex scenes: "She pressed her soaking groin against Archer's abdomen" (p. 178); "her fingertips grazed her cervix" (p. 179) — could anything be less sexy?
There's a vivisection of a rat in biology class, the only critic dismissed as a "protein-deficient crazy man" (p. 190).
Then there's the rape apologism. A rapist is an "innocent" (p. 276). The victim of a gang rape: "Whatever. It wasn't even that bad, the rape" (p. 214). Beating up abusive men, on the other hand, is "sociopath[ic]" (p. 193).
What is Allison Moon trying to achieve? I have no idea.
First bad sign was when the protagonist decided to consistently "he" the only butch character, immediately after establishing
Show More
her as a woman. Why? "Something about using 'she' to describe you feels odd," she explains (pp. 34–35). Is it the short hair? The plaid shirts? The white T-shirts? Hmm, must be the "man-dals" mentioned later on p. 115. (Apparently Mitch can do nothing without reference to its gender-defying nature: When she's at the grill, Lexie muses on what to call it: "manning–womaning?–the barbecue" (p. 30)? Actual quote.)Another bad sign was the dismissal of Andrea Dworkin in favor of Kate Bornstein (p. 35). (She's not "interesting," apparently.) Then the explanation it's not the patriarchy, it's the kyriarchy (p. 59). You know, the kyriarchy, led by... kyriarchs?
The women's studies professor establishes on p. 22 that feminism doesn't mean "must hate men" or "the lack of a sense of humor." Giant eye-roll. Thank you very much.
(I did appreciate this exchange though:
Duane: That sounds fun.
Jenna: You're not invited.
Duane: What if I'm gender non-conforming?
Jenna: Nice try, frat boy.
(p. 26))
Then there's the painfully descriptive narration:
Never before had Lexie seen a woman who looked like her. She wore her hair in a fluffy corona, a halo of soft black suds held back from broad forehead with an eggplant-colored wrap. Her skin was the color of walnut heartwood, with flecks of darker freckles sprayed across the bridge of her nose. She stood a head taller than Lexie, all smooth swishes and spindly appendages indicating a normal-shaped girl who had been stretched. Her ribcage dipped into a narrow waist, then flared out full and sturdy hips that made the girl look like a sexy teaspoon." (pp. 31–32)
Sexy teaspoon? What the? Later, "Would it be racist to say she had never met someone who looked like Renee before?" (p. 38) (It's unclear why Lexie is so shocked by Renee's existence, when it's established earlier on that she has met black and mixed-race people before.)
And the sex scenes: "She pressed her soaking groin against Archer's abdomen" (p. 178); "her fingertips grazed her cervix" (p. 179) — could anything be less sexy?
There's a vivisection of a rat in biology class, the only critic dismissed as a "protein-deficient crazy man" (p. 190).
Then there's the rape apologism. A rapist is an "innocent" (p. 276). The victim of a gang rape: "Whatever. It wasn't even that bad, the rape" (p. 214). Beating up abusive men, on the other hand, is "sociopath[ic]" (p. 193).
What is Allison Moon trying to achieve? I have no idea.
Show Less
LibraryThing member bibrarybookslut
Allison Moon's Lunatic Fringe is a truly wonderful read, the kind of story that manages to simultaneously by clever, sexy, frightening, and engaging. It's one of those books where you're never quite sure what to expect, but are never disappointed by the surprises on the next page.
The story takes
Before we get into the characters, though, we are exposed to a healthy dose of social politics. The early chapters have a very 'college' feel to them, with a lot of ideas tossed around, but it's done very well. Allison manages to make an otherwise polarizing subject exciting by intimately tying the issues of sexual identity and gender equality to the characters, giving the politics both a face and a personality. There is even a genderqueer member of the Pack who, as I'm sure will come as no surprise, easily crept into my heart alongside our stunning heroine, Lexie.
There's so much I want to say about this, so many key scenes and snippets of dialogue that I'm dying to share, but it really is the discoveries that make the story. Allison manages to merge the threads of social politics, lesbian romance, werewolf adventure, and college drama into a story that takes hold and never lets go. A story that's both fun and thoughtful at the same time is a rarity in and of itself, but one that's also beautifully written, with such a deft command of narrative and dialogue, is a gem that must be shared.
The story takes
Show More
quite a while to really settle into the core storyline, but Allison establishes the world so carefully, and builds up the characters so beautifully, you don't begrudge the long introduction. I tend to have a hard time with names (both in person and on the page), but these characters immediately stuck in my head. I found myself subconsciously dividing them into friends, allies, and adversaries (something I don't normally do unless I'm really engaged) and categorizing them according to likability. With a cast of characters as well-balanced as they are well-rounded, picking sides makes for a really fun read.Before we get into the characters, though, we are exposed to a healthy dose of social politics. The early chapters have a very 'college' feel to them, with a lot of ideas tossed around, but it's done very well. Allison manages to make an otherwise polarizing subject exciting by intimately tying the issues of sexual identity and gender equality to the characters, giving the politics both a face and a personality. There is even a genderqueer member of the Pack who, as I'm sure will come as no surprise, easily crept into my heart alongside our stunning heroine, Lexie.
There's so much I want to say about this, so many key scenes and snippets of dialogue that I'm dying to share, but it really is the discoveries that make the story. Allison manages to merge the threads of social politics, lesbian romance, werewolf adventure, and college drama into a story that takes hold and never lets go. A story that's both fun and thoughtful at the same time is a rarity in and of itself, but one that's also beautifully written, with such a deft command of narrative and dialogue, is a gem that must be shared.
Show Less
LibraryThing member LupLun
Lunatic Fringe was significantly better than the last self-pub book I read, and better than a lot of books from big publishers, too. But it ran hot and cold. Author Allison Moon's craftsmanship is alternately talented and slapdash, so that at the end of the day, I felt that the book wasn't as
Read the full review at Lupines and Lunatics
Show More
enjoyable as it could have been. Possibly it's a matter of perspective. This book is aiming at a rather specific niche, and I may not be in tune enough with the target audience to "get" it. But Moon has potential. She may not be able to make the most of it in this debut outing, but the raw talent is there.Read the full review at Lupines and Lunatics
Show Less
LibraryThing member Noeshia
The rating is for my enjoyment of the book. It has issues, sure, the plot can be a bit squishy in some places where I wasn't sure what was going on, but this was a good book. I feel like maybe spacing some things out a little more might have helped? Or maybe someone had the author edit out some
P.s. I'd love to make a wrap or something themed from this book cover. That green, teal, blue, and rich yellow mix is really nice to look at.
Show More
interactions she shouldn't have? Either way I'd definitely read a sequel or another book by the author. Uh, if you are taking my recommendation and sex scenes aren't your thing just know you might have to skip around in a few places. I don't mind erotica, but uh, this one had some intense scenes that I'm betting won't be everyone's cup of tea.P.s. I'd love to make a wrap or something themed from this book cover. That green, teal, blue, and rich yellow mix is really nice to look at.
Show Less
LibraryThing member caedocyon
This has the distinction of being the first e-book I've ever bought. (Yes, despite the fact that I've had a kindle for over a year---Project Gutenberg, miscellaneous free ebooks, fanfic, and internet articles for the win!) The moment I saw "lesbian separatist werewolf hunters," I knew I HAD to have
The characters and writing were clunky in places, but not too bad. The best part is Moon's particular version of werewolf mythology, though! Much as I like Bitten and Stolen (which are my other go-to werewolf novels), their premise---that women are inherently unsuited to being werewolves---still pisses me off whenever I think about it. That's the dumbest damn thing I have ever heard; the only reason I can imagine Kelly Armstrong did it that way is that tired old stereotype about men being 'natural' and 'tough' and 'wild' and women being 'artificial' and 'weak' and 'civilizing.'
Well, Moon's book (and may it be the first of many) makes up for that disappointment. She uses the "drinking from a wolf's paw" myth! And her explanation of why women are better at being werewolves than men doesn't stop at biology. It's glorious. It's perfect. I won't spoil it for you. Just go read about lesbian separatist werewolf hunters, ok? You know you want to.
Show More
it.The characters and writing were clunky in places, but not too bad. The best part is Moon's particular version of werewolf mythology, though! Much as I like Bitten and Stolen (which are my other go-to werewolf novels), their premise---that women are inherently unsuited to being werewolves---still pisses me off whenever I think about it. That's the dumbest damn thing I have ever heard; the only reason I can imagine Kelly Armstrong did it that way is that tired old stereotype about men being 'natural' and 'tough' and 'wild' and women being 'artificial' and 'weak' and 'civilizing.'
Well, Moon's book (and may it be the first of many) makes up for that disappointment. She uses the "drinking from a wolf's paw" myth! And her explanation of why women are better at being werewolves than men doesn't stop at biology. It's glorious. It's perfect. I won't spoil it for you. Just go read about lesbian separatist werewolf hunters, ok? You know you want to.
Show Less
Awards
Gaylactic Spectrum Award (Nominee — Novel — 2012)
Goldie Award (Finalist — Paranormal Romance — 2012)