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Blood Sugar
In a ruined house at the end of Yellow Street, an angry outcast hatches a scheme to take revenge for all the wrongs he has suffered. With the help of three alienated kids, he plans to hide razor blades, poison, and broken glass in Halloween candy, maiming or killing dozens of innocent children. But as the clock ticks closer to sundown, will one of his helpers—an innocent himself, in his own streetwise way—carry out or defeat the plan?
From the dark imagination of bestselling novelist Daniel Kraus, co-author with Guillermo del Toro of The Shape of Water, comes a Halloween crime story that's like nothing you've ever read before.
Told from the child's point of view, in a voice as unforgettable as A Clockwork Orange, Kraus' novel is at once frightening and emotional, thought-provoking and laugh-out-loud funny. It'll make you rethink your concepts of family, loyalty, and justice—and will leave you double-checking the wrappers on your Halloween candy for the rest of your days.
From the dark imagination of bestselling novelist Daniel Kraus, co-author with Guillermo del Toro of The Shape of Water, comes a Halloween crime story that's like nothing you've ever read before.
Told from the child's point of view, in a voice as unforgettable as A Clockwork Orange, Kraus' novel is at once frightening and emotional, thought-provoking and laugh-out-loud funny. It'll make you rethink your concepts of family, loyalty, and justice—and will leave you double-checking the wrappers on your Halloween candy for the rest of your days.
224 pages, Paperback
First published October 8, 2019
About the author
Daniel Kraus
58 books1,109 followers“Kraus brings the rigor of a scientist and the sensibility of a poet.” – The New York Times
DANIEL KRAUS is a New York Times bestselling writer of novels, TV, and film. WHALEFALL received a front-cover rave in the New York Times Book Review, won the Alex Award, was an L.A. Times Book Prize Finalist, and was a Best Book of 2023 from NPR, the New York Times, Amazon, Chicago Tribune, and more.
With Guillermo del Toro, he co-authored THE SHAPE OF WATER, based on the same idea the two created for the Oscar-winning film. Also with del Toro, Kraus co-authored TROLLHUNTERS, which was adapted into the Emmy-winning Netflix series. His also cowrote THE LIVING DEAD and PAY THE PIPER with legendary filmmaker George A. Romero.
Kraus’s THE DEATH AND LIFE OF ZEBULON FINCH was named one of Entertainment Weekly‘s Top 10 Books of the Year. Kraus has won the Bram Stoker Award, Scribe Award, two Odyssey Awards (for both ROTTERS and SCOWLER), and has appeared multiple times as Library Guild selections, YALSA Best Fiction for Young Adults, and more.
Kraus’s work has been translated into over 20 languages. Visit him at danielkraus.com.
DANIEL KRAUS is a New York Times bestselling writer of novels, TV, and film. WHALEFALL received a front-cover rave in the New York Times Book Review, won the Alex Award, was an L.A. Times Book Prize Finalist, and was a Best Book of 2023 from NPR, the New York Times, Amazon, Chicago Tribune, and more.
With Guillermo del Toro, he co-authored THE SHAPE OF WATER, based on the same idea the two created for the Oscar-winning film. Also with del Toro, Kraus co-authored TROLLHUNTERS, which was adapted into the Emmy-winning Netflix series. His also cowrote THE LIVING DEAD and PAY THE PIPER with legendary filmmaker George A. Romero.
Kraus’s THE DEATH AND LIFE OF ZEBULON FINCH was named one of Entertainment Weekly‘s Top 10 Books of the Year. Kraus has won the Bram Stoker Award, Scribe Award, two Odyssey Awards (for both ROTTERS and SCOWLER), and has appeared multiple times as Library Guild selections, YALSA Best Fiction for Young Adults, and more.
Kraus’s work has been translated into over 20 languages. Visit him at danielkraus.com.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 206 reviews
November 5, 2019
If you want an idea of how gross this book is, the first person narrator has a case of untreated pink-eye, and that’s just the start. But hey, it’s in addition to being completely disgusting it’s also depressing as hell.
I’m selling the hell out of this one, aren’t I? The crazy thing is that it’s a very good book, one of the best I’ve read this year. But it’s not exactly a joy ride.
Robbie is a complete outcast that is hated by everyone in town. He lives in a decaying house that’s filled with junk, trash, bugs, and mice, and his only friends are three young kids. He decides to finally get revenge on the community by lacing Halloween candy with drugs and razor blades, and he wants the kids to help. However, Robbie isn’t exactly a criminal mastermind, and his minions aren’t much better.
Jody’s mother has mental health issues so he’s pretty much raising himself as well as the young mute foster kid, Midge, that his mom took in for the money. Unfortunately, Jody’s ideas of health and hygiene leave a lot to be desired. Jody’s schoolmate Dag comes from a seemingly solid middle class family, but while she may have nicer clothes and a better diet, she has her own issues.
The thing about this book is that it’s so far off from your usual narrative that it’s hard to even describe. On the surface it’s about a lowlife enlisting three at-risk children to help him poison kids on Halloween so Robbie should be the villain of a story told to us by Jody. However, as the story unfolds and we learn more about the backgrounds of each character you realize that not everything is as it seems. Robbie may be a disgusting dirtbag who is out to kill some innocent trick-or-treaters, but gradually you learn that he’s got a tragic backstory of his own so that you can’t help but feel some sympathy towards him by the end.
There’s also some very clever things going on in regards to the narration and structure of the book. Most of the story come from Jody’s first person account, and since he’s a not-too-bright kid who is a poster boy for neglect his account is mainly made up slang and references to the Lord of the Rings movies he loves so it takes some translation to even understand what Jody is talking about. We also get some interludes that are letters that Robbie writes to various people, and it quickly becomes clear that he has his own problems. There’s also some letters from Dag, and while she’s obviously the smartest of the crew we learn what led her to befriend these people who are so clearly not part of the same social or economic class as her.
It’s great writing that establishes the different voices, and it also pays off as each revelation makes the story become clear. Eventually we understand everyone, even the mute Midge, and their tales are all heartbreaking in one way or another. The book left me feeling sickened, but it wasn’t the gross and filthy details that did it. It was the way these young people were all abandoned or let down so that they ended up in these circumstances while no one around them seemed to notice or care.
OK, so some of it was the gross and filthy details. Seriously, I was glad I had a tetanus shot recently while reading this, but it’s totally worth it.
I’m selling the hell out of this one, aren’t I? The crazy thing is that it’s a very good book, one of the best I’ve read this year. But it’s not exactly a joy ride.
Robbie is a complete outcast that is hated by everyone in town. He lives in a decaying house that’s filled with junk, trash, bugs, and mice, and his only friends are three young kids. He decides to finally get revenge on the community by lacing Halloween candy with drugs and razor blades, and he wants the kids to help. However, Robbie isn’t exactly a criminal mastermind, and his minions aren’t much better.
Jody’s mother has mental health issues so he’s pretty much raising himself as well as the young mute foster kid, Midge, that his mom took in for the money. Unfortunately, Jody’s ideas of health and hygiene leave a lot to be desired. Jody’s schoolmate Dag comes from a seemingly solid middle class family, but while she may have nicer clothes and a better diet, she has her own issues.
The thing about this book is that it’s so far off from your usual narrative that it’s hard to even describe. On the surface it’s about a lowlife enlisting three at-risk children to help him poison kids on Halloween so Robbie should be the villain of a story told to us by Jody. However, as the story unfolds and we learn more about the backgrounds of each character you realize that not everything is as it seems. Robbie may be a disgusting dirtbag who is out to kill some innocent trick-or-treaters, but gradually you learn that he’s got a tragic backstory of his own so that you can’t help but feel some sympathy towards him by the end.
There’s also some very clever things going on in regards to the narration and structure of the book. Most of the story come from Jody’s first person account, and since he’s a not-too-bright kid who is a poster boy for neglect his account is mainly made up slang and references to the Lord of the Rings movies he loves so it takes some translation to even understand what Jody is talking about. We also get some interludes that are letters that Robbie writes to various people, and it quickly becomes clear that he has his own problems. There’s also some letters from Dag, and while she’s obviously the smartest of the crew we learn what led her to befriend these people who are so clearly not part of the same social or economic class as her.
It’s great writing that establishes the different voices, and it also pays off as each revelation makes the story become clear. Eventually we understand everyone, even the mute Midge, and their tales are all heartbreaking in one way or another. The book left me feeling sickened, but it wasn’t the gross and filthy details that did it. It was the way these young people were all abandoned or let down so that they ended up in these circumstances while no one around them seemed to notice or care.
OK, so some of it was the gross and filthy details. Seriously, I was glad I had a tetanus shot recently while reading this, but it’s totally worth it.
October 17, 2019
Before you read BLOOD SUGAR by Daniel Kraus, I feel this sense of responsibility to set you up for success. I don’t want this book to fall victim to a litany of reviews that focus on the unusual storytelling. Daniel Kraus has made a bold choice using his protagonist Jody to be the primary narrative. Jody’s voice is audacious, unabashed and full of slang terms, both familiar and unfamiliar. At first, it’s distracting but soon, the reader will grow accustomed to Jody’s unique wordsmithing and the story is well-worth hanging in there. I found myself laughing out loud at Jody’s keen observations and cringing when he launches into descriptions of his ongoing battle with pink-eye.
Tagging along with our protagonist is Dag (short for Dagmar) a girl with a sensitive spirit and a soft spot for a disgusting stray dog that probably nobody else in the world would care about, and Midget, Jody’s mentally handicapped foster sister who talks to bugs.
This band of misfits befriends a lonely, struggling man named Robbie who opens his dilapidated home to these castoff kids.
Kraus expertly does two things at once in this story: He openly and unflinchingly paints a realistic, disturbing picture of neglected kids on the street who are exposed to every foul and harmful thing while at the same time employing humor and childlike innocence to alleviate the depravity of it all.
I appreciated this because this is the way the protagonist sees his life--through the lens of his own context--not the reader’s perspective or the author’s perspective which would be a pretty grim read. It's authentic that Jody gets excited and enthusiastic about "Supermilk"(a milkshake made with drugs that Robbie makes for the kids) even though it's a rough scene to read.
My mom-heart was destroyed from the beginning. These poor kids left alone in the world to raise themselves befriending this guy who clearly has some mental health issues and then have to work together to stop this guy from hurting innocent children? It’s a bleak, heartbreaking story but oddly enough, I loved it. I think it’s an original, weird, little Halloween tale that captures the reader’s imagination, exploits our feelings and offers a memorable new voice to the horror genre--we won’t soon forget our time with Jody in the story BLOOD SUGAR. I hope Daniel Kraus continues to make bold character choices like this-I’m here for it
Tagging along with our protagonist is Dag (short for Dagmar) a girl with a sensitive spirit and a soft spot for a disgusting stray dog that probably nobody else in the world would care about, and Midget, Jody’s mentally handicapped foster sister who talks to bugs.
This band of misfits befriends a lonely, struggling man named Robbie who opens his dilapidated home to these castoff kids.
Kraus expertly does two things at once in this story: He openly and unflinchingly paints a realistic, disturbing picture of neglected kids on the street who are exposed to every foul and harmful thing while at the same time employing humor and childlike innocence to alleviate the depravity of it all.
I appreciated this because this is the way the protagonist sees his life--through the lens of his own context--not the reader’s perspective or the author’s perspective which would be a pretty grim read. It's authentic that Jody gets excited and enthusiastic about "Supermilk"(a milkshake made with drugs that Robbie makes for the kids) even though it's a rough scene to read.
My mom-heart was destroyed from the beginning. These poor kids left alone in the world to raise themselves befriending this guy who clearly has some mental health issues and then have to work together to stop this guy from hurting innocent children? It’s a bleak, heartbreaking story but oddly enough, I loved it. I think it’s an original, weird, little Halloween tale that captures the reader’s imagination, exploits our feelings and offers a memorable new voice to the horror genre--we won’t soon forget our time with Jody in the story BLOOD SUGAR. I hope Daniel Kraus continues to make bold character choices like this-I’m here for it
September 21, 2022
First of all, can we all take a second to appreciate how utterly AMAZING this cover is?! Okay now that we’ve all feasted our eyes on the awesome cover, let’s get to the goods inside. Somehow, the story is as good as the cover is, if not BETTER. This is some dark subject matter and definitely not for the faint of heart, it had me feeling sick to my stomach at some points, in the best way possible of course! I loved the way it was written, the slang like language made me really feel like I was inside the characters very troubled mind and it made this read all the more chilling. If you’re looking for an utterly terrifying read that happens on the best night of the year, Halloween, look no further. Blood Sugar is IT.
* I received a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review and this in no way changes or affects my review.
* I received a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review and this in no way changes or affects my review.
October 9, 2019
Blood Sugar Delivers
Blood Sugar is a kind of a cross between Eminem’s Eight Mile, A Clockwork Orange, and every punked-Out hood rat story you ever heard. Get used to Jody’s inner city rap ‘cause this whole deal is told in a distinct vernacular that once you get used to it feels honest and pointed. Be ready for more Tolkien references than a Led Zeppelin song as well as constant references to sharkweek.
The story has little to do with Halloween except that’s the setting time-wise. It’s not a horror story, ghost story, or goblin-fest. Rather, it’s a commentary on the sad ways people go as their dreams get dashed and they end up frittering away their days watching television, planning a shoplift, hoarding junk, or blending up supermilk drug-drinks.
Maybe the world don’t owe you nothing but, if like fatboy you were going to be a football star and ended up abused behind the locker room, there maybe ain’t no way to end the pain, no rage fest that can end it, nothing you wouldn’t wish on a world that turned its back on you. Maybe some razor infested candy will show them.
Jody hangs out there in fatboy’s junkie crib cause his mom has shut herself in the bedroom watching endless Oprah reruns. Foster sister midget tags along when she’s not too busy eating bugs. And, Dags somehow made her way across the tracks to Hang out too even though at home she’s got the full Ozzie and Harriet routine. A splendid, if problematic, cast of characters.
But, really, the real star here is the narrative that captures the mood so well. This may not be for everyone, but Blood Sugar delivers precisely what it sets out to. And it’s a glimpse of a world that isn’t exactly unicorns and fairies.
Blood Sugar is a kind of a cross between Eminem’s Eight Mile, A Clockwork Orange, and every punked-Out hood rat story you ever heard. Get used to Jody’s inner city rap ‘cause this whole deal is told in a distinct vernacular that once you get used to it feels honest and pointed. Be ready for more Tolkien references than a Led Zeppelin song as well as constant references to sharkweek.
The story has little to do with Halloween except that’s the setting time-wise. It’s not a horror story, ghost story, or goblin-fest. Rather, it’s a commentary on the sad ways people go as their dreams get dashed and they end up frittering away their days watching television, planning a shoplift, hoarding junk, or blending up supermilk drug-drinks.
Maybe the world don’t owe you nothing but, if like fatboy you were going to be a football star and ended up abused behind the locker room, there maybe ain’t no way to end the pain, no rage fest that can end it, nothing you wouldn’t wish on a world that turned its back on you. Maybe some razor infested candy will show them.
Jody hangs out there in fatboy’s junkie crib cause his mom has shut herself in the bedroom watching endless Oprah reruns. Foster sister midget tags along when she’s not too busy eating bugs. And, Dags somehow made her way across the tracks to Hang out too even though at home she’s got the full Ozzie and Harriet routine. A splendid, if problematic, cast of characters.
But, really, the real star here is the narrative that captures the mood so well. This may not be for everyone, but Blood Sugar delivers precisely what it sets out to. And it’s a glimpse of a world that isn’t exactly unicorns and fairies.
October 23, 2019
Written in the lingo of a wannabe thug who is simply a child in limbo, this story revolves around the disenfranchised, the abused and the unfortunate whose lives were tugged out from under them. Flypaper costumes, overpriced junk, rage, and the saddest stories you've ever heard meld to form street monsters with beating hearts with nowhere to move but forward. Humor is sprinkled over poisoned treats that may or may not hit their targets. Heartbreaking and tough as nails, this book delivers the goods in all their soiled wrappings.
October 27, 2019
From the start you know this isn't going to be any ordinary book; seeped in slang, the story set among squalor, Blood Sugar is at once creative and consuming. It absorbs the reader in a heartfelt story hiding behind the curtains of malicious intent and a twisted form of vengeance.
The narrative is insightful innocence spoken through a veil of ignorance that's all too real and scary as hell - more as a result of the plot's initial intent as apposed to the outcome.
While misleading, the cover is true to the book; make no mistake Halloween is the centerpiece but you won't find witches, monsters, or ghosts here. Just four down-on-their-luck characters who bond to form an unconventional family unit.
I loved every page.The unique style and over indulgent use of ebonics provided the characters with a voice that's honest and full complimentary to the story's place-setting; a perfect fit for the tone of the book. I give this a solid 5 stars. Blood Sugar will no doubt be on my 'Best of 2019' list come years end.
The narrative is insightful innocence spoken through a veil of ignorance that's all too real and scary as hell - more as a result of the plot's initial intent as apposed to the outcome.
While misleading, the cover is true to the book; make no mistake Halloween is the centerpiece but you won't find witches, monsters, or ghosts here. Just four down-on-their-luck characters who bond to form an unconventional family unit.
I loved every page.The unique style and over indulgent use of ebonics provided the characters with a voice that's honest and full complimentary to the story's place-setting; a perfect fit for the tone of the book. I give this a solid 5 stars. Blood Sugar will no doubt be on my 'Best of 2019' list come years end.
July 30, 2019
Abandoned by his parents and desperate for revenge against those in his town who have made his life a living hell, twenty-something recluse Robbie has come up with a shameful scheme. On Halloween night, with the assistance of his friends Jody, Dag and Midge, Robbie will give out candy filled with pins and poison. Will he follow through with his despicable plan or will his cohorts stop him before it’s too late?
Blood Sugar is unlike any book I’ve read. Author Daniel Kraus presents Jody, Robbie’s young friend, as the principal narrator. In doing so, Kraus worms his way inside Jody’s brain by writing in Jody’s completely unique voice. In flipping some choice swear words by using phrases like “that’s some serious sharkweek” or “mightyducker” helps to endear him to the reader. Even though I’m not a Lord of the Rings fan, I appreciated his love for the books/movies and the fact that he covers his coat in quotes from the series. Made me laugh out loud on a few occasions.
While Jody is the one who narrates the majority of the book, Kraus allows us to get into the heads of the other main characters through letters they write. I thought this worked really well. We get to see a lot of character development that would otherwise go unnoticed by their brief interactions with Jody. The brightest spotlight shines on Dag who has the biggest evolution from over-achieving, stable teen to something else entirely; something dark and twisted.
Blood Sugar, while ultimately a crime novel, is a very poignant and dark look at life in urban America for those who are struggling both financially and mentally. Robbie’s story is a deeply tragic one and although Jody tries to remain positive for Robbie by putting up a front throughout the novel, it’s clear that he is just a push away from shattering. And he’s not the only one.
Sure, you could probably find scarier books to read this Halloween, but like many of Hardcase Crime’s offerings, Kraus’ Blood Sugar is definitely not to be missed.
Blood Sugar is unlike any book I’ve read. Author Daniel Kraus presents Jody, Robbie’s young friend, as the principal narrator. In doing so, Kraus worms his way inside Jody’s brain by writing in Jody’s completely unique voice. In flipping some choice swear words by using phrases like “that’s some serious sharkweek” or “mightyducker” helps to endear him to the reader. Even though I’m not a Lord of the Rings fan, I appreciated his love for the books/movies and the fact that he covers his coat in quotes from the series. Made me laugh out loud on a few occasions.
While Jody is the one who narrates the majority of the book, Kraus allows us to get into the heads of the other main characters through letters they write. I thought this worked really well. We get to see a lot of character development that would otherwise go unnoticed by their brief interactions with Jody. The brightest spotlight shines on Dag who has the biggest evolution from over-achieving, stable teen to something else entirely; something dark and twisted.
Blood Sugar, while ultimately a crime novel, is a very poignant and dark look at life in urban America for those who are struggling both financially and mentally. Robbie’s story is a deeply tragic one and although Jody tries to remain positive for Robbie by putting up a front throughout the novel, it’s clear that he is just a push away from shattering. And he’s not the only one.
Sure, you could probably find scarier books to read this Halloween, but like many of Hardcase Crime’s offerings, Kraus’ Blood Sugar is definitely not to be missed.
October 12, 2024
the filth, slime, abuse, horror, candy, regret, sadness is non-stop.
Great characters told thru a great vehicle.
Each page is an ode to poverty, life changing experiences and rage.
Great characters told thru a great vehicle.
Each page is an ode to poverty, life changing experiences and rage.
November 5, 2019
A fascinating look at the underbelly of the young and extremely poor that does some interesting things with main character and point of view but is marred by some of the worst "adult writing a kid" writing that I have ever read. On one page we read something like "I've gotta get ahold of some crack, yo!", only to read a page later something like "I'm being a poo poo diaper baby" and "I can't make pee". Kraus also tried to make up his own slang like A Clockwork Orange but it is just laughably awful: "You're my Robocop and that's a Mighty Duck but this is straight up shark week, yo!".
Modern ghetto kids making up a slang made up of 80s and 90s movie references and Discovery channel specials? It sounds like something a middle-aged, rich, suburban white dude would come up with (and what do you know, it is!).
Modern ghetto kids making up a slang made up of 80s and 90s movie references and Discovery channel specials? It sounds like something a middle-aged, rich, suburban white dude would come up with (and what do you know, it is!).
November 19, 2019
Unnerving Magazine Review
Listen to my conversation with the author here: https://www.unnervingmagazine.com/sin...
An entertaining and original offering on an urban myth (mostly). At times endearing and at other times gut-churning. Textured and told with a somewhat experimental voice and method. A truly interesting read.
Listen to my conversation with the author here: https://www.unnervingmagazine.com/sin...
An entertaining and original offering on an urban myth (mostly). At times endearing and at other times gut-churning. Textured and told with a somewhat experimental voice and method. A truly interesting read.
October 3, 2019
ARC review
Markedly different from every other Kraus on its surface level, though there's definitely some familiar themes he's continuing to explore. Most interesting is that despite not really being a horror novel, it's probably Kraus' most disgusting book yet. Yes, the same author who had two whole epic novels about the protagonist slowly decaying. Yes, the same author who wrote a book about grave robbing. Rotters may have been the only book to really effectively evoke smell for me, but Blood Sugar made me lose my appetite and go wash my hands on several occasions. At least there were plenty of Lord of the Rings references, and even one Watership Down reference, to wash it down. This book might ruin candy for you. If it doesn't, it might ruin milk, or McDonald's. Just don't do what I did, and read this during your lunch breaks. Seriously. You might be thinking "whatever man, I read Zebulon during my lunch break". I did too. Trust me.
Blood Sugar is a slim, fast moving novel and this coupled with the narrator's voice makes it in many ways the exact antithesis of Zebulon Finch. It's also never predictable. I was never sure where it was headed until the last few pages. The ending is terrific, the kind of gut punch that few authors can pull off well.
Markedly different from every other Kraus on its surface level, though there's definitely some familiar themes he's continuing to explore. Most interesting is that despite not really being a horror novel, it's probably Kraus' most disgusting book yet. Yes, the same author who had two whole epic novels about the protagonist slowly decaying. Yes, the same author who wrote a book about grave robbing. Rotters may have been the only book to really effectively evoke smell for me, but Blood Sugar made me lose my appetite and go wash my hands on several occasions. At least there were plenty of Lord of the Rings references, and even one Watership Down reference, to wash it down. This book might ruin candy for you. If it doesn't, it might ruin milk, or McDonald's. Just don't do what I did, and read this during your lunch breaks. Seriously. You might be thinking "whatever man, I read Zebulon during my lunch break". I did too. Trust me.
Blood Sugar is a slim, fast moving novel and this coupled with the narrator's voice makes it in many ways the exact antithesis of Zebulon Finch. It's also never predictable. I was never sure where it was headed until the last few pages. The ending is terrific, the kind of gut punch that few authors can pull off well.
October 17, 2024
The best Halloween book out there and you cannot change my mind.
October 22, 2019
It is difficult to nail down this one. With the cover and being part of the Hard Crime series you're not expecting much, but Kraus has a pedigree coming into this so maybe it'll be a fun read. The current trend in the books I keep getting recommended is how dark can we go? The basic premise here is a group of lost kids with absence of parents planning to poison Halloween candy.
So what goes wrong. First off, the way the book is written is tedious to get through. It reads like a grown man trying to write like teenagers via early 90s hip hop culture. For a big chunk of readers this is going to be a deal breaker. I've read quite a few of these stream of concious narratives and I felt it difficult to get through. Second there isn't a whole lot of redemption here, it's a straight up bummer. You can feel bad for these kids only to a certain point. I avoid reviews until after I've posted mine, but I think there may be people who give Kraus too much credit here. Yes, I got these people were chewed up by the system but Kraus doesn't do enough to make us hope these characters get redeemed.
There are interesting narratives here, but even at just over 200 pages I can't think of anyone I would reccomend this book to. I recently read "Opiod, Indiana" by Brian Allen Carr which is in a similar vein but I felt much better in both style and narrative.
So what goes wrong. First off, the way the book is written is tedious to get through. It reads like a grown man trying to write like teenagers via early 90s hip hop culture. For a big chunk of readers this is going to be a deal breaker. I've read quite a few of these stream of concious narratives and I felt it difficult to get through. Second there isn't a whole lot of redemption here, it's a straight up bummer. You can feel bad for these kids only to a certain point. I avoid reviews until after I've posted mine, but I think there may be people who give Kraus too much credit here. Yes, I got these people were chewed up by the system but Kraus doesn't do enough to make us hope these characters get redeemed.
There are interesting narratives here, but even at just over 200 pages I can't think of anyone I would reccomend this book to. I recently read "Opiod, Indiana" by Brian Allen Carr which is in a similar vein but I felt much better in both style and narrative.
November 5, 2019
The cover of this book is awesome!
The stuff inside is not. It is written in a style that is really difficult to read, with nonsense words substituted for swear words. And it moves slowly, with unlike able characters.
I feel cheated of my money. If this were a movie, I’d demand a refund. Ten bucks wasted.
The stuff inside is not. It is written in a style that is really difficult to read, with nonsense words substituted for swear words. And it moves slowly, with unlike able characters.
I feel cheated of my money. If this were a movie, I’d demand a refund. Ten bucks wasted.
October 10, 2019
Review coming soon on Sci Fi and Scary
October 18, 2019
I picked up this book because of the amazing cover, but it wasn't what I was expecting it to be. The cover makes it look like a retro crime story that's maybe a little sexy. This is actually a modern day, super depressing story with extremely dark and damaged characters. I spent the first 2/3 of this book not really knowing what was going on, where it was leading or whether or not I was even enjoying it. The last 1/3 is where all the meat of the story is which I did really enjoy.
The main narrator of the story is one of the children who speaks in his own weird language which is a mishmash of pop culture references and street slang. The audiobook's narrator did a great job of voicing him and made the dialogue less obnoxious than it could have been.
I don't know who to recommend this book to. It's a weird story that doesn't fit into any one particular genre. Read at your own risk.
July 13, 2019
Very strong stuff. Unpleasant. But also poignant .... and 100% committed. I had to admire it. He gets inside his protagonist's head so completely it made me squirm--because this is a very sad, bleak tale indeed. Not without some mightducking humor, however.
September 27, 2019
I almost didn't finish the book, and that's because the first half of the book was something I found barely readable. Because it was Daniel Kraus, I kept reading, because I thought that something better was on the way. It was, but not enough to fully make up for the first half of the book.
The book's structure was at fault, first because of the ghastly dialect that the main character used, a sort of pseudo-urban illiteracy spiced up with weird punctuation and strange substitutes for profanity. Second, because none of the characters make sense for the first half of the book. We don't initially learn the source of Robbie's rage, or why Dagmar would even possibly go along with it. The main character, in whose voice the story is told, seems totally uncaring about the awful thing he's about to do, and his foster sister is just too far out to care, apparently.
That said, the second half of the book finally kicks in, and after that I found myself caring somewhat about Robbie and the little foster girl Midget, but not so much for Dag or the main character. Robbie seems to have a solid reason for wanting to act out, but the other two, eh, not so much, not for actions that would hurt or perhaps even kill an unknown number of small children.
So, I can give the book three stars for craftsmanship, but it makes me less likely to read his next book.
The book's structure was at fault, first because of the ghastly dialect that the main character used, a sort of pseudo-urban illiteracy spiced up with weird punctuation and strange substitutes for profanity. Second, because none of the characters make sense for the first half of the book. We don't initially learn the source of Robbie's rage, or why Dagmar would even possibly go along with it. The main character, in whose voice the story is told, seems totally uncaring about the awful thing he's about to do, and his foster sister is just too far out to care, apparently.
That said, the second half of the book finally kicks in, and after that I found myself caring somewhat about Robbie and the little foster girl Midget, but not so much for Dag or the main character. Robbie seems to have a solid reason for wanting to act out, but the other two, eh, not so much, not for actions that would hurt or perhaps even kill an unknown number of small children.
So, I can give the book three stars for craftsmanship, but it makes me less likely to read his next book.
November 4, 2019
This book hurt my heart with it's realness, but also made me laugh out loud.
The storytelling is unique and unusual, but it works so well once you get into it. You feel for the characters and if you're me you know people like these characters and it makes everything hit a bit harder.
Don't take this book too seriously though.
Would recommend for those not weak of heart. Very NSFW with it's imagery and language, but holy mothertrucking sharkweek did I love it.
4.5 stars just because the ending was off for the rest of the book.
The storytelling is unique and unusual, but it works so well once you get into it. You feel for the characters and if you're me you know people like these characters and it makes everything hit a bit harder.
Don't take this book too seriously though.
Would recommend for those not weak of heart. Very NSFW with it's imagery and language, but holy mothertrucking sharkweek did I love it.
4.5 stars just because the ending was off for the rest of the book.
October 12, 2019
Blood Sugar takes place all during Halloween day/evening. I loved reading this book in Jody's voice. It was a unique narrative that took a few pages to get used to, but I think it was a great way to tell the story. The story tells about each character and how they ended up hanging out together. It's funny, oddly heartwarming, and a little horrific. This is a quick read that I finished in just a few hours. It's a great book to add to an October reading list!
August 2, 2020
Blood Sugar by Daniel Krause is one extremely disturbing novel. Krause dumps you in the deep end from the beginning-you start saddled with an underage narrator who speaks his own idiosyncratic lingo. Once you parse that out you may immediately think you know what is going on. Trust me-you don't. This book just gets more and more disturbing the further down the rabbit hole you go. This one packs a wallop.
November 10, 2024
Blood Sugar is pure, unadulterated voice that sets up an ideal spooky season read. A unique spin on coming of age, written in a way that simultaneously drops the reader into the deep end of a pool full of unusual slang/lexicon, and also, subtly, through context, never allows them to lose sight of what's happening. Just one more reason why Daniel Kraus is one of the most talented authors working today.
April 8, 2024
Definitely not what I thought it was going to be. Pretty heavy subject matter. Really just like the book for the cover art now after finishing the book.
October 11, 2021
Blood Sugar is a perfectly twisted, disturbing, and gross crime novel. It is a really unique story, all taking place on Halloween, told from the point of view of a delinquent child. He has a unique way of talking and his viewpoint and understanding of things can be shocking.
A grown man wants to poison candy meant for trick or treaters. There's a lot more to it than that though. The crimes in the story are past and present ones and are about many different people in different ways.
I felt anxious throughout and also sad. Blood Sugar will play with your emotions. The writing was very good. I could imagine everything. The ending was a little abrupt and it's not entirely clear what happened or will happen. This is a good read, especially perfect if you enjoy dark and twisted tales.
A grown man wants to poison candy meant for trick or treaters. There's a lot more to it than that though. The crimes in the story are past and present ones and are about many different people in different ways.
I felt anxious throughout and also sad. Blood Sugar will play with your emotions. The writing was very good. I could imagine everything. The ending was a little abrupt and it's not entirely clear what happened or will happen. This is a good read, especially perfect if you enjoy dark and twisted tales.
March 25, 2022
I cannot fucking write but this was great and a lot more formally inventive than I expected
October 27, 2019
This book is a bit of a marvel. I don’t know how it ‘works’, but it does.
The first characteristic of BLOOD SUGAR that grabs your attention is the street/hood (and partially made up) language of the main character. 85% of the book is Jody talking to you in this manner. Right away, on page 1, I found myself questioning if I really wanted to struggle through a whole book written in this way. It turned out not to be a struggle. Not at all (I cnduo't bvleiee taht I culod aulaclty uesdtannrd waht I was rdnaieg).
Once you acclimate to the vocabulary, the prose is so sharp. I felt as if I were a fly on the wall in a bar as Tarantino & Chuck Palahniuk exchanged barbs and banter over drinks. Not to say that Kraus writes like them, but only that my reactions & emotions to his words are most like how I feel when taking in those others’ writings.
There have been various books in my past that, while reading, I have felt grimy and depressed, regardless of the settings that those characters were liveing through (usually that’s what the author intends). In BLOOD SUGAR, the setting is absolutely grimy and depressed, but somehow my mood never was. You’re in it, but manage to float just above it as the author takes you through his creation.
The fact that the book takes place at Halloween made this a perfect read for this weekend.
The first characteristic of BLOOD SUGAR that grabs your attention is the street/hood (and partially made up) language of the main character. 85% of the book is Jody talking to you in this manner. Right away, on page 1, I found myself questioning if I really wanted to struggle through a whole book written in this way. It turned out not to be a struggle. Not at all (I cnduo't bvleiee taht I culod aulaclty uesdtannrd waht I was rdnaieg).
Once you acclimate to the vocabulary, the prose is so sharp. I felt as if I were a fly on the wall in a bar as Tarantino & Chuck Palahniuk exchanged barbs and banter over drinks. Not to say that Kraus writes like them, but only that my reactions & emotions to his words are most like how I feel when taking in those others’ writings.
There have been various books in my past that, while reading, I have felt grimy and depressed, regardless of the settings that those characters were liveing through (usually that’s what the author intends). In BLOOD SUGAR, the setting is absolutely grimy and depressed, but somehow my mood never was. You’re in it, but manage to float just above it as the author takes you through his creation.
The fact that the book takes place at Halloween made this a perfect read for this weekend.
October 17, 2019
I went back and forth on giving this a 4.5, but I think 4 is fair.
First let me say upfront, that I was provided this book for review purposes by Kaye Publicity. With that out of the way, lets get to the review.
I had a blast with this, which feels weird to say, considering the book is full of very bleak content. Kraus finds a way to infuse his characters with verve and humour, even while they inhabit a grim world, and this makes for easy reading. This could easily have been a stumbling block, as it's a balancing act that requires a deft hand.
I'm struggling to place the book, in terms of genre definitions, because it doesn't comfortably sit anywhere. Not really. I guess for simplicity's sake, it is a crime novel, but that doesn't begin to do it justice.
We have here a striking story told (mostly) from the point of view of a young male character, who really jumped off the page to me, and felt like a real person, despite his idiosyncrasies, or maybe because of them. His unique voice pulled me in very quickly, and the pacing made the book a breeze to read. Our other characters are described mostly by our protagonist, although we do get some good glimpses into their psyche's via creative means.
Kraus doesn't overstay his welcome, and I suspect that had he tried to elongate the novel, it may have lost some of it's impact. I don't know how to truly describe the book without perhaps making its potency less marvelous, so my hope is that you will give it a try if the synopsis makes it sound at all appealing to you - and then be prepared to have it take you in directions you were completely unready for.
First let me say upfront, that I was provided this book for review purposes by Kaye Publicity. With that out of the way, lets get to the review.
I had a blast with this, which feels weird to say, considering the book is full of very bleak content. Kraus finds a way to infuse his characters with verve and humour, even while they inhabit a grim world, and this makes for easy reading. This could easily have been a stumbling block, as it's a balancing act that requires a deft hand.
I'm struggling to place the book, in terms of genre definitions, because it doesn't comfortably sit anywhere. Not really. I guess for simplicity's sake, it is a crime novel, but that doesn't begin to do it justice.
We have here a striking story told (mostly) from the point of view of a young male character, who really jumped off the page to me, and felt like a real person, despite his idiosyncrasies, or maybe because of them. His unique voice pulled me in very quickly, and the pacing made the book a breeze to read. Our other characters are described mostly by our protagonist, although we do get some good glimpses into their psyche's via creative means.
Kraus doesn't overstay his welcome, and I suspect that had he tried to elongate the novel, it may have lost some of it's impact. I don't know how to truly describe the book without perhaps making its potency less marvelous, so my hope is that you will give it a try if the synopsis makes it sound at all appealing to you - and then be prepared to have it take you in directions you were completely unready for.
October 21, 2019
Blood Sugar is a treat dipped in blood and wrapped up in emotions.
A trio of neglected kids hang around with an older man(but in many ways a kid himself) and get caught up in numerous mischiefs. Halloween is approaching and they have a very special plan to celebrate it.
Our narrator and protagonist, Jody, has a very unique voice and way of talking, which at first might be a bit off-putting, but when you get used to it, it flows like the great river Anduin(if you're a fan of LOTR like me you'll find many references to swoon over!). Although hardened by the ways of the street and lack of parental warmth and guidance, the kids maintain a childhood innocence that puts a lighter and more hopeful note on an otherwise bleak and extreme story.
Daniel Kraus managed to make me feel a bit sorry even for Robbie, the adult of the story, who is clearly a sociopath, but even in his perverse mental state manages to maintain a, let's say, code of conduct towards his young accomplices, although he's not really that successful.
A beautiful little story of innocence lost and (maybe?) innocence regained for some, it's a perfect October read.
A trio of neglected kids hang around with an older man(but in many ways a kid himself) and get caught up in numerous mischiefs. Halloween is approaching and they have a very special plan to celebrate it.
Our narrator and protagonist, Jody, has a very unique voice and way of talking, which at first might be a bit off-putting, but when you get used to it, it flows like the great river Anduin(if you're a fan of LOTR like me you'll find many references to swoon over!). Although hardened by the ways of the street and lack of parental warmth and guidance, the kids maintain a childhood innocence that puts a lighter and more hopeful note on an otherwise bleak and extreme story.
Daniel Kraus managed to make me feel a bit sorry even for Robbie, the adult of the story, who is clearly a sociopath, but even in his perverse mental state manages to maintain a, let's say, code of conduct towards his young accomplices, although he's not really that successful.
A beautiful little story of innocence lost and (maybe?) innocence regained for some, it's a perfect October read.
November 29, 2019
This review and others posted over at
my blog.
From the back of the book: In a ruined house at the end of Yellow Street, an angry outcast hatches a scheme to take revenge for all the wrongs he has suffered. With the help of three alienated kids, he plans to hide razor blades, poison, and broken glass in Halloween candy, maiming or killing dozens of innocent children. But as the clock ticks closer to sundown, will one of his helpers – an innocent himself, in his own streetwise way – carry out or defeat the plan?
I can’t blurb this book because I wasn’t prepared for how much it would fuck me up and I don’t know how to summarize it without going into way too much detail.
Let me start this review by saying I had ZERO IDEA what the hell this book was about going in. Yes, I read the back of the book. Yes, I know that some guy deciding to poison candy with the deliberate intent to hurt and kill children is dark. Yes, I know kids being involved in this plan is even darker. But, holy fuck, this book is DARK.
I took me ages to read what’s a relatively short book with reasonably sized font (you know, not like some fantasy or historical fiction books that are printed in like size 3 font and are 600 pages long) with lots of spacing at the end of each chapter. This was a heavy book, content-wise, and I had to keep putting it down after only reading a small portion.
I want to say this book was good. It’s well-written for sure. But it really just messed me up, so I can’t say that I liked it. Yet. It’s hard to describe. It took me almost as long to sit down and write this review (actually, maybe longer?) because I really don’t know how to talk about this book. But I’ll try!
The tone does take some getting used to – our narrator, Jody, almost speaks his own language (though it’s easier to understand than A Clockwork Orange). He’s making a concerted effort not to swear, so he uses words like sharkweek for shit and mightyducking for motherfucking. He doesn’t use apostrophes in his contractions and his grammar is mostly terrible. It’s charming, amusing, and mildly annoying.
But I really liked Jody. I’m not sure how old any of the characters are, but I would guess Jody is maybe 12-14. He’s a total nerd and loves Lord of the Rings (so much so that he decorated his jean jacket with quotes, including: “They have a cave troll”) and Ellen (“The only time I go in Moms room these days is for Ellen. We love that dancing bitch.”) He’s also desperate to be seen as tough and streetwise, but typically only picks on an old black man who works at Walgreens, or starts fights with Robbie.
From Jody’s point of view, we see his little corner of life with Dagmar (known as Dag, also probably Jody’s age), Midge (his adopted sister, maybe 6-9?) and Robbie (our “villain”, maybe 23-30???). Jody’s mother is severely depressed and basically doesn’t leave her bed or stop watching TV, so Jody and Midge hang out at Robbie’s house. Robbie has been abandoned by his parents and is living in their old house, which is essentially a dump. Robbie clearly suffered from childhood trauma, and as the book goes on we find out all about what he went through. Dag is escaping the pressure of her own seemingly posh life by hanging in the hood with Jody and the gang. Midge only talks to bugs (we find out why that is too and it was utterly disgusting.)
I won’t talk about the plot really, because it’s tied in with the character development. Most of the story is told from Jody’s perspective over the course of one day (Halloween), but we do get flashbacks from Jody and letters written by Dag and Robbie. It’s all very intense, or at least it was for me.
Blood Sugar has a lot more depth than I expected for a crime novel, especially because I judged this one by the cover. I figured it would be pulpy with a down-on-his-luck-but-lovable detective character thrown in. I think what lends to the depth is Jody’s perspective. Despite his wanting to be a tough little punk, he’s very aware that his situation and that of his friends is a seriously messed up one. He knows that something isn’t right with his mom. He pities Robbie. He knows that Midge needs help, that’s it not right for a child to speak only to bugs.
This is illustrated throughout the novel, but one example I marked is his reaction to something Midge has done:
“Im freaking. Its like I dont want to see. Like I dont want to see nothing no more, not ever. Like I want to rip my eyeballs out so they have to give me a seeing eye dog with a special official vest and I can just pet it and never have to see nothing confusing or scary ever again.”
The ending was grim and also incredibly ambiguous. I decided to tell myself it was the tiniest bit hopeful, but I think I was lying to myself.
I don’t know what else to say. I don’t know that I’ve ever read a book quite like Blood Sugar. Maybe it’s me. I don’t read a lot of crime novels and I’ve never read a ‘Hard Case Crime’ novel. I’ve never read a book that caused me to feel such a mixture of depression, pity, humor, and hope. Do crime novels do this to other people!? I’ve never read anything else by Kraus – are all his books like this? I don’t know if I could handle another book by him.
Y’all know I don’t generally give trigger warnings, but because I felt like I had no idea what I was getting myself into, I wanted to throw some out there for you guys. This is not what I would expect from a “typical crime novel” and maybe this book wouldn’t have felt so heavy if I’d had a better idea of what I was going to be reading about. Warnings for: rape and sexual abuse, child abuse, drug use, drug use by children, suicide, murder, and probably more fucked up things that I didn’t think to label or don’t know how to describe.
I won a copy of this book on an IG giveaway and now I’m not sure what to do with it. I know I’ll never read it again. As I said earlier, I’m not sure if I could get through another Kraus book if they’re all this intense. But I didn’t dislike this book, I just disliked the content and the way it made me feel. Haha. But it was still funny at times! I don’t know!
From the back of the book: In a ruined house at the end of Yellow Street, an angry outcast hatches a scheme to take revenge for all the wrongs he has suffered. With the help of three alienated kids, he plans to hide razor blades, poison, and broken glass in Halloween candy, maiming or killing dozens of innocent children. But as the clock ticks closer to sundown, will one of his helpers – an innocent himself, in his own streetwise way – carry out or defeat the plan?
I can’t blurb this book because I wasn’t prepared for how much it would fuck me up and I don’t know how to summarize it without going into way too much detail.
Let me start this review by saying I had ZERO IDEA what the hell this book was about going in. Yes, I read the back of the book. Yes, I know that some guy deciding to poison candy with the deliberate intent to hurt and kill children is dark. Yes, I know kids being involved in this plan is even darker. But, holy fuck, this book is DARK.
I took me ages to read what’s a relatively short book with reasonably sized font (you know, not like some fantasy or historical fiction books that are printed in like size 3 font and are 600 pages long) with lots of spacing at the end of each chapter. This was a heavy book, content-wise, and I had to keep putting it down after only reading a small portion.
I want to say this book was good. It’s well-written for sure. But it really just messed me up, so I can’t say that I liked it. Yet. It’s hard to describe. It took me almost as long to sit down and write this review (actually, maybe longer?) because I really don’t know how to talk about this book. But I’ll try!
The tone does take some getting used to – our narrator, Jody, almost speaks his own language (though it’s easier to understand than A Clockwork Orange). He’s making a concerted effort not to swear, so he uses words like sharkweek for shit and mightyducking for motherfucking. He doesn’t use apostrophes in his contractions and his grammar is mostly terrible. It’s charming, amusing, and mildly annoying.
But I really liked Jody. I’m not sure how old any of the characters are, but I would guess Jody is maybe 12-14. He’s a total nerd and loves Lord of the Rings (so much so that he decorated his jean jacket with quotes, including: “They have a cave troll”) and Ellen (“The only time I go in Moms room these days is for Ellen. We love that dancing bitch.”) He’s also desperate to be seen as tough and streetwise, but typically only picks on an old black man who works at Walgreens, or starts fights with Robbie.
From Jody’s point of view, we see his little corner of life with Dagmar (known as Dag, also probably Jody’s age), Midge (his adopted sister, maybe 6-9?) and Robbie (our “villain”, maybe 23-30???). Jody’s mother is severely depressed and basically doesn’t leave her bed or stop watching TV, so Jody and Midge hang out at Robbie’s house. Robbie has been abandoned by his parents and is living in their old house, which is essentially a dump. Robbie clearly suffered from childhood trauma, and as the book goes on we find out all about what he went through. Dag is escaping the pressure of her own seemingly posh life by hanging in the hood with Jody and the gang. Midge only talks to bugs (we find out why that is too and it was utterly disgusting.)
I won’t talk about the plot really, because it’s tied in with the character development. Most of the story is told from Jody’s perspective over the course of one day (Halloween), but we do get flashbacks from Jody and letters written by Dag and Robbie. It’s all very intense, or at least it was for me.
Blood Sugar has a lot more depth than I expected for a crime novel, especially because I judged this one by the cover. I figured it would be pulpy with a down-on-his-luck-but-lovable detective character thrown in. I think what lends to the depth is Jody’s perspective. Despite his wanting to be a tough little punk, he’s very aware that his situation and that of his friends is a seriously messed up one. He knows that something isn’t right with his mom. He pities Robbie. He knows that Midge needs help, that’s it not right for a child to speak only to bugs.
This is illustrated throughout the novel, but one example I marked is his reaction to something Midge has done:
“Im freaking. Its like I dont want to see. Like I dont want to see nothing no more, not ever. Like I want to rip my eyeballs out so they have to give me a seeing eye dog with a special official vest and I can just pet it and never have to see nothing confusing or scary ever again.”
The ending was grim and also incredibly ambiguous. I decided to tell myself it was the tiniest bit hopeful, but I think I was lying to myself.
I don’t know what else to say. I don’t know that I’ve ever read a book quite like Blood Sugar. Maybe it’s me. I don’t read a lot of crime novels and I’ve never read a ‘Hard Case Crime’ novel. I’ve never read a book that caused me to feel such a mixture of depression, pity, humor, and hope. Do crime novels do this to other people!? I’ve never read anything else by Kraus – are all his books like this? I don’t know if I could handle another book by him.
Y’all know I don’t generally give trigger warnings, but because I felt like I had no idea what I was getting myself into, I wanted to throw some out there for you guys. This is not what I would expect from a “typical crime novel” and maybe this book wouldn’t have felt so heavy if I’d had a better idea of what I was going to be reading about. Warnings for: rape and sexual abuse, child abuse, drug use, drug use by children, suicide, murder, and probably more fucked up things that I didn’t think to label or don’t know how to describe.
I won a copy of this book on an IG giveaway and now I’m not sure what to do with it. I know I’ll never read it again. As I said earlier, I’m not sure if I could get through another Kraus book if they’re all this intense. But I didn’t dislike this book, I just disliked the content and the way it made me feel. Haha. But it was still funny at times! I don’t know!
October 30, 2019
BLOOD SUGAR is not your usual Hard Case Crime book. It is, for one, an original story, newly written and released, as opposed to the rare, out-of-print and/or long-lost novels that this venerable and indispensable imprint typically publishes. For another, it is not a crime novel, as that term is normally used in the literary world. It most certainly revolves around a crime, or at least the potential for one, and therein lies part of the reason for its presence here.
That said, BLOOD SUGAR makes demands. It is told in a stream-of-consciousness fashion, and the stream is polluted. The particular body of water of the piece is named Jody, who hangs out with Dagmar, Midget and Robbie. It is Robbie who is considered the leader of the club, though Jody may have a thing or two to say about that. They are a group of four somewhat unpleasant but occasionally charming kids approaching adolescence who are up to no good from page one.
The time is Halloween, and the consideration is candy. The plot basically centers on a plan to obtain candy --- stealing it, of course --- and then tainting it before passing it out to (hopefully) dozens of kids who will fall ill, or worse. It is a story full of suspense, given that one of the participants exhibits some hesitation when it comes time to pull the pin on this holiday hand grenade. BLOOD SUGAR is more than a story of maybe/maybe not, though. It’s a character study in which Daniel Kraus drops hints and incidents throughout the narrative that explain how these people got together and find themselves on the cusp of engaging in a heinous act with the potential for far-reaching consequences.
You may not know the author’s name, but you almost certainly have at least a passing familiarity with his body of work, specifically those that he co-authored with Guillermo del Toro, which include the Netflix-adapted “Trollhunters” and the novelization of The Shape of Water. Kraus takes BLOOD SUGAR in a slightly different direction. It’s extremely gritty, and while there isn’t really any sex or violence, there is some cringe-inducing and unblinking focus on bodily fluids and functions that you won’t want to encounter while drinking or eating. There is, however, plenty of suspense of the will-they-or-won’t-they type, and the character development that Kraus whittles out of the vignettes ultimately elevates the book above the street-level situations it describes in nuanced detail before the reader is aware of it.
BLOOD SUGAR is not a long book, and whatever difficulties one might have with the breathless narrative --- it takes a bit of time for the reader to catch up with what Jody already knows --- are balanced by the short chapters and frequent chapter breaks. The cover art, courtesy of Paul Mann, features a fetching broom-riding witch and has absolutely nothing to do with the story, other than that both concern Halloween. It works for me.
Reviewed by Joe Hartlaub
That said, BLOOD SUGAR makes demands. It is told in a stream-of-consciousness fashion, and the stream is polluted. The particular body of water of the piece is named Jody, who hangs out with Dagmar, Midget and Robbie. It is Robbie who is considered the leader of the club, though Jody may have a thing or two to say about that. They are a group of four somewhat unpleasant but occasionally charming kids approaching adolescence who are up to no good from page one.
The time is Halloween, and the consideration is candy. The plot basically centers on a plan to obtain candy --- stealing it, of course --- and then tainting it before passing it out to (hopefully) dozens of kids who will fall ill, or worse. It is a story full of suspense, given that one of the participants exhibits some hesitation when it comes time to pull the pin on this holiday hand grenade. BLOOD SUGAR is more than a story of maybe/maybe not, though. It’s a character study in which Daniel Kraus drops hints and incidents throughout the narrative that explain how these people got together and find themselves on the cusp of engaging in a heinous act with the potential for far-reaching consequences.
You may not know the author’s name, but you almost certainly have at least a passing familiarity with his body of work, specifically those that he co-authored with Guillermo del Toro, which include the Netflix-adapted “Trollhunters” and the novelization of The Shape of Water. Kraus takes BLOOD SUGAR in a slightly different direction. It’s extremely gritty, and while there isn’t really any sex or violence, there is some cringe-inducing and unblinking focus on bodily fluids and functions that you won’t want to encounter while drinking or eating. There is, however, plenty of suspense of the will-they-or-won’t-they type, and the character development that Kraus whittles out of the vignettes ultimately elevates the book above the street-level situations it describes in nuanced detail before the reader is aware of it.
BLOOD SUGAR is not a long book, and whatever difficulties one might have with the breathless narrative --- it takes a bit of time for the reader to catch up with what Jody already knows --- are balanced by the short chapters and frequent chapter breaks. The cover art, courtesy of Paul Mann, features a fetching broom-riding witch and has absolutely nothing to do with the story, other than that both concern Halloween. It works for me.
Reviewed by Joe Hartlaub
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