You can’t read the first sentence in this book and not know that you’re in for a trip. The opening character, Billy Wayne Hooduk, leaves his morbidly obese mother and his timid life behind as he sets out to be God and start a happy cult of his own. After a traveling circus act goes horrifyingly wrong, Billy Wayne shoots a dangerous tiger, declares that he is God, and takes charge of the circus. If this doesn’t give you a taste of the delight in store, nothing else will.
I was enchanted by the sometimes distasteful but always likeable characters that populate this book. We spend time with cult-leader wannabe Billy Wayne, a broken journalist who is searching for his missing daughter, a gentle dancing bear who delights in delicious smells, and the traveling pesticide guy who unknowingly played an important role in Billy Wayne’s life. Each character manages to have their own unique voice without losing the continuity of the narration. The chapters are creative, interesting reads and I didn’t find my attention flagging. That’s always a good sign.
The writing itself was a joy. The winding narrative was sometimes a little difficult to wrap my eyes around, and at other times it was almost painfully beautiful. Either way that it ran, it was interesting and full of quirky whimsy. In fact, that’s how I would sum up this entire book. Quirky whimsy. Joyful heartbreak. A story of broken people who find a way to hold themselves and each other together.
I’d recommend it if you want a charming, bizarre tale with a satisfying, fate-driven ending. It reads a little like Christopher Moore but with more heart. If you are annoyed by flights of fancy, then you’ll want to stay away from The Bear In A Muddy Tutu. It’s fanciful, beautiful, and escapist to the core.
Want to win your own copy, plus some other fun, fantastic stuff? Regan Leigh is running a contest, and YOU SHOULD TOTALLY ENTER IT! The super easy guidelines are here. Also, leave a comment below to win more points!
13 Comments on “The Bear In A Muddy Tutu by Cole Alpaugh. And a Contest!”
This looks like a scrumptious and odd read, Mercedes. Thanks.
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Ditto Harley’s comment. I’m intrigued.
Oh gosh, this sounds bizarre but great 🙂 Definitely one I will be looking out for when needing an escapist read, thanks for the review!
The phrase “happy cult” just seems so wrong, haha.
Maybe I’ll put this on my Reading List but it’s such a long list already… O_o
This looks like such a fun book!
Joyful heartbreak and quirky whimsy=awesome. Nice review of the book!
Joyful heartbreak and quirky whimsy=awesome. Nice review of the book!
Great review. I can’t wait to read this book!
So glad I stumbled upon this book. I feasted on it like a literary glutton who had gone without for too long. I slurped up the prose and let the imagery rattle around in my imagination and spark up images of my history.
Another delight of this novel? It is the first time that I have read a book that portrays how I feel about my own relationship/love for my father- that precious connection that is visceral as it is vital to who I shaped up to be today.
And of course.. who can resist the wonderful insight of a gummy-tutu wearing dancing black bear who offers practical insight to snacking and good grooming 😉
Ha, Canadian! I’m glad you stumbled upon it! Reading it was genuinely a joy. 🙂
Will you even get this? I wonder. How funny is it that I was doing a bit of research on Camel Press anc came across your name in the process, and followed it to this review. This writer word–it is SMALL!
Terri! Hi! It IS small. And AWESOME. 😀