Reviewed by: Kris

Written by: Chuck Palahniuk

Titled: Invisible Monsters

The fashion-model protagonist of Invisible Monsters has just about everything: a boyfriend, a career, a loyal best friend. But one day she's driving along the freeway when a sudden "accident" leaves her with half her face, no ability to speak, and next to no self-esteem. From being the beautiful center of attention she becomes an invisible monster, so hideous that no one will acknowledge she exists. Enter Brandy Alexander, Queen Supreme, one operation away from becoming a real woman; Brandy will teach her that reinventing yourself means erasing the past and making up something better. And that salvation hides in the last places you'll ever want to look.

In this hilarious and daringly unpredictable novel, the narrator must exact revenge upon Evie, her best friend and fellow model; kidnap Manus, her two-timing ex-boyfriend; and hit the road with Brandy in search of a brand-new past, present, and future. Changing names and stories in every city, they catapult toward a final confrontation with a rifle-toting Evie-by which time the narrator will have learned that loving and being loved are not mutually exclusive, and that nothing, on the surface, is ever quite what it seems. By turns witty, poignant, and exhilarating, Invisible Monsters will take you on a ride you'll never forget.

Well, I must first tell you this is one of the most screwed up books I have ever read in my entire life. I have read some screwed up things, such as Helter Skelter, The Stranger Beside Me, 1984, Cockpit, and A Brave New World, to name a few. Now, a few things you must know about this novel. If you get queasy at the talk of plastic surgery, blood, gore, violence, sex, homosexual acts/talk, or drug use, you will not enjoy this novel. It contains all of these elements, and not in small quantities mind you. If you don’t mind any of those things, then you should be just fine when reading this, even when they are talking about the specifics of recreating a jaw using bones from other parts of the body. Ok, moving on.

I like this book. Yes, I do have weird taste, but I like it. This book has more twists than a Kevin Spacey and David Fincher film combined, and trust me, that’s saying a lot. You will think one thing, and about fifty pages later, you will learn that you were completely wrong. I was shocked by some of the things that changed on me, but I suppose the clues are there, but hard to pick up on. This is a novel about life. It’s about how the person who you love and the person who loves you are never, ever the same person. It’s about being happy with who you are. And, most of all, it’s about being happy with who you have become and what you will become.

This is a classic Chuckie P novel. If you like any Chuckie novels you will definitely like this one. Like most of his novels, you will be flipped upside down, and pile-driven into the floor. Like I said, this is the most screwed up novel I have ever read. Well, until I read my next book, which is supposedly weirder than this, and no that one isn’t by good ole Chuckie. Hmmm...like I said this book is good and I like it, but many people will not. This isn’t a book where you can sit down and say, This looks like a marvelous book to read on this bright, sunny Saturday afternoon. If you do that, your Saturday will be ruined. Read this book at night, before you go to bed so you aren’t depressed for the rest of the day.