Book Review: Sexy Leper by Chad Stroup

Sexy Leper by Chad Stroup

Paperback, 180 pages

Published February 2019 by Bizarro Pulp Press/JournalStone

I have to say at the opening that Chad is a local homey. But as we are both straight edge hardcore kids I have no problem busting his balls, and if I didn't like his novel I would tell him. His first novel Secrets of The Weird shocked me. I expected to like his first book but it blew me away how amazing it was. I truly deeply thought it was an incredible novel.

At the time it was one of my top ten reads of the year "Secrets of the Weird is a fantastic read. This novel paints an erotic and dangerous picture of a city that you would only want to visit in the safety of a novel. I hope you'll take the trip and check it out."

That book was a fantastic Cliver barker-ish dark fantasy with a punk edge, A very sexy a weird vision of a fantasy world that had vivid characters and setting that was so Good I wondered what did he do to follow up. In Sexy Leper he went in a different direction. This is is a bizarro dark comedy that feels like one of the more tongue in cheek episodes of the twilight zone in tone. This is not your "Menstruating mall or "Insert dick here in title" style bizarro. It is horror but in the more surreal style that at times feels more in vein with a Swallowdown style of Bizarro lit.

The story has a Breakfast Club type of set wear a variety of Hollywood types (LA residents not industry) end up stuck together and trapped in their Halloween costumes. The store where they buy the costumes is kind of a perfect clique annoyed me and made me laugh at the same time. The humor is mostly subtle with a few knee slappers but it is creepy tone mixed in that gives this book a special feel.

Chad is a great writer and I will get everything he puts out. Personally, I think you should read Secrets of the Weird first but Sexy Leper is a different and bold follow-up.