Subcutanean

I was intrigued to hear of this novel where every printed copy is a unique variation. Would the flow of the novel suffer? Would the seams show? Would it feel contrived? Is it just gimmick?

I'm happy to report that the experiment turned out very well, at least in my copy generated from seed #44346. If I had read the novel with no context I wouldn't have guessed it was assembled from text variations.

It's a horror novel, creepy not gory. Well maybe some variations get gory, I don't know. (hmm, this is hard to review)

It's also gay coming of age story. The narrator is a gay college student in the 1990s, with an unrequited crush on his best friend. He eventually works through that... after a series of horrifying events. I think it's likely that element exists in all versions of the book.

And the uniqueness of every book copy? Not a gimmick. It ties into the story the author wanted to tell. Aaron Reed did a magnificent job. I'll probably read another version of the book some day.

I contributed to the IndieGogo but didn't actually read my copy (#10969) until just now, and I feel so foolish for letting it sit so long in my to-read pile. The story Reed wanted to tell requires that the book's shape and distribution take the form that they do (i.e., every copy is unique and must be custom-ordered); beyond that, the richness of the prose feels even richer by virtue of the fact that any sentence you read must be read against the affordances of the system that produced it. I have adored Reed's writing since Blue Lacuna, but he really has outdone himself here. It's so rare to read a book that is this heartfelt and so true to its conceit, but that still pulls you forward through it with such momentum. It's also rare as a horror novel—it is spooky (sometimes terrifying) without gore or intense violence; and Reed refuses to resolve or reify the supernatural ambiguity at the story's core. I'm honestly overwhelmed by how much I loved this book and I just ordered another copy so I can read it again!