Book Review: Billy Purgatory: I am the Devil Bird

Remember when I wrote about Tears of the Broken and I said that it felt like such work that they should pay me to read the book? This book, Billy Purgatory: I am the Devil Bird, is the direct opposite of that. In fact, because I got the book for free, I feel like I’ve gotten away with something. I feel almost guilty for not paying for the opportunity to read it (almost). This book is that good.

Where the last book I read was a chore, this one feels like Space Mountain, and I want to get on the ride again. I can’t see the twists and turns, but I know they are there and that they are coming fast and furious. There’s so much going on in so many different directions that I almost get whiplash trying to keep up with the action. And just when I’m starting to feel like things are about to slow down, the narrative does a complete 180 and I’m right back in the thick of it, trying to keep my head from falling off my neck. The Medusa Chapter was so brilliant I’m jealous and equally as brilliant was the second to last chapter culminating in one of the better action scenes I’ve ever read. I don’t want to give anything away, but that chapter in the hospital was incredible and left my mind blistered.

It’s not just the action that’s got more twists and turns than a Six Flags theme park. The characterization is just as much of a roller coaster. The book starts off by being narrated by a God (Artemis to be exact), then switches to the third person as the action follows the pro-antagonist (Yes, Billy is enough of a Hell raiser to be exactly both) Billy Purgatory around for a while, and then we get a few chapters here and there written from the perspective of the vampire girl who is connected to Billy Anastasia, then chapters from the perspective of Lisandre, another girl who is a feral gypsy trying to live in a forest who is also connected to Billy. And the perspective continues to switch pretty effortlessly throughout the entire book. These characters feel so lived in without being completely fleshed out in the mind of reader.Mysteries still abound for each and every character, but that's part of what makes them so interesting.

But the best part is the fun the author seems to be having with just crafting sentences that stick in your mind and don’t let go. I mean I highlighted so many fun and chewy passages that I don’t know where to begin. We’ll Start with this one:

“I’m Billy Purgatory, and buster, you’re about to find out what you get when you piss in a grizzly’s punchbowl.”

Freaking Brilliant! And so much fun to Read it’s ridiculous. I found myself cackling at certain passages like this:

“That night was not one of those nights. This wasn’t another thrilling episode of hobos with drinking problems.” 

I start getting a fit of church giggles just reading that again.

And it just gets better:

“Cherubs leave you and go flitting off in search of new lonely fools who’ll pretend angelic giggling glitter piss from above is really the warm rain before amore’s eternal sunbeam shines.”

 It’s as crazy and absurd as they come and absolutely perfect.

And let me also say that thanks to this book, I am trying create a scenario in my life in which I can yell “Lone Wolf” out into a crowd and start going apeshit on people, because that was brilliant!

I could go on and on in about a million different directions. This book was just all out fun. The only criticism I could lob is yeah it was a little all over the place, but that’s the same thing I loved about it, so it’s a very mild criticism. Consider me on pins and needles until I can get my grubby little hands on the second book. Do you Hear me Jesse J. Freeman? Get that sucker out! I neeeeeeeeeeed iiiiiiiittttttt! A-

(Stay tuned for a post in which i dreamcast the movie based on the book, you know, just for fun. Although, Hollywood, you should really get on that. )