In case it wasn't obvious from the title, this is a short story collection that is a bit different. Yo A$$ is Gra$$!, by Jimmy Pudge is a varied set of short stories. They range from comedic erotic horror, to a scifi mythology story. Most of the stories are written in the first person and in a small town Georgia patois. Overall I really enjoyed this collection; they are a very entertaining set of stories. However, some were a bit better than others. The first one was one of my favorites though.
Everything She Touch Turn to Doo Doo was one of the comedic erotic horror stories, and it had me laughing out loud. It is about a man who is selling drugs in his trailer park, and he picks up a woman who promises sexual favors in exchange for drugs. Little does he know that she is not all she seems to be. This story was pure entertainment. It was extremely funny and Pudge fleshes out the characters quite well in a few short pages.
The Parade brings us back to more a more traditional horror setting; a small town filled with odd people who are offering something that is too good to be true to a young couple. While this story was also entertaining, it lacked the dark edge that it would have needed to make it more than an average story; the ending was a bit too predictable to make this story stand out.
The Wine, the Bitch, and the Broom Closet was much more original, or at least I don't often read things from the point of view of a prison trustee. It started out in a very promising way, but was lacking in the ending. It is never quite explained what the Bitch has become, only that she is there and turns out to be quite menacing.
Good Omen is the third and last of the average stories; again, this one is a bit predicable. It is about two state employees, one of whom wins the lottery and offers to share the winning jackpot with the other. Despite it's predictability it was still an enjoyable read and again I think Pudge developed the characters well here.
Pissing the Night Away is another comedy, only this one is about a man who wants to have a threesome with his cousin, only he and his friend need to give her some meth first. Unfortunately, they are broke so they find the next best thing- urine from another meth addict. Yes, that is disgusting as it sounds. It also has some very unintended consequences that took me by surprise. Pudge was able to deliver a strong ending to this story, and make me laugh at something that would normally make me gag.
Bob's Country Store is another comedic horror story, and I think comedy is something Pudge is able to do well. It is about a man who finds himself in the back of a truck in chains, and he is told by the man who has taken him that he will be turned into sausage. This is cannibalism made funny, and with a surprising and humorous ending.
I Wish I had Jeffery's Girl brings us back to more serious horror, and this time it is about love that has turned into obsession. It also plays with the reader's notion of the gender of one of the characters; this was an interesting and dark story. I felt that the ending could have been a little stronger than it was, but over all it was well done.
Stone Cold is a scifi story that also dabbles a bit in Greek mythology; this was the best story in the entire collection. Here, Pudge manages to bring together a compelling set of characters into a crime drama that made me stop and think a bit about our current legal system. It also has a strong ending that I think was lacking in some of the other stories; the reader is left with the chilling feeling that all is not well in the world.
Overall I enjoyed this entertaining set of stories, and I am looking forward to reading other things by Pudge.
You may purchase this title by clicking on these links: Amazon US, Amazon UK, Amazon DE, Amazon FR
I give it three and a half cocktails.
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