Book Review - X, a novel

Originally published in Broken Pencil, Issue 99.

New counterculture … or what The Matrix Revolutions’ nightclub gimps do off the set. 

This speculative novel provides a window into a fictional world of New York’s BDSM subculture within LGBTQ+ community in an apocalyptic world. 

The central premise is sadomasochist Lee’s search for character named X after a BDSM session. Lee operates within a community where parties, drugs, and sex are the norm. The two secondary storylines revolve around Lee’s mother and childhood; and Petra, their first love. Within the speculative frame, this community is slowly being deported from the USA. 

Lee take us through this subculture via casual BDSM encounters in a shock & awe manner. The narrator omits information and leaves the reader to connect the dots but the dots are not always there, so we never quite learn why the urgency to find X or what happened to Petra. These omissions make for a dissatisfying narrative and the novel struggles to maintain momentum. 

Where X shines is in its unique observations and points of view. The most amusing one being guessing Jesus’ shoe size “..., Jesus … all the way down to his bleeding feet (American size 9, maybe), …” (page 95). Another is Lee viewing art primarily through the gender lense and stating non-heterosexual art being superior “Straight as she is, Maxine’s art is good.” (page 173). One of the most mind-bending ones is referring to a heterosexual male as “it,” “..., the lurking straight … . Its finger dances on her shoulder. … It doesn’t fuck off.” (page 183). This countercultural take is the most original but also somewhat fascist. It proves such cultural Syphilis can decay any culture’s mind. Davis certainly deserves recognition for pushing the boundary here. 

All in all, the sexual aspects make for an entertaining vacation read but one wouldn’t feel compelled to read on once the rain outside stops.