What do you get when you combine drugs and near limitless technology? One hell of a trip.

I fully admit that I was expecting zombies after reading the first two pages. If you did want zombies though, this one isn’t that, but it is a whole lot of other things. There is quite a bit of gore, and sex, and drugs along with lots of grandiose posturing from a person who really shouldn’t have that high an opinion of themselves. Though like most in that person’s shoes, it’s likely covering up for something else. Despite that disclaimer, I do actually encourage fans of science fiction to give this one a read. Quite often, this reminded me of the television series Mr. Robot which should indicate what one might expect from it.

This was not my typical read, but the premise and the excerpt I read influenced me enough to give it a try. Part near-future science fiction, part social-commentary-bordering-on-manifesto, the underbelly of New York ends up being a wise choice of setting. Even though Popsicle felt like a drug-induced trip at many times, some of the locations help ground an otherwise unmoored narrative.

I can honestly say I adamantly disliked the main character, but I still found myself turning page after page, actively rooting for him all the same. The read is not an easy one though, rambling and tumbling from one thought to another, one scene to another. Normally, this wouldn’t have worked, but given happens within the novel and who the point of view character is, this style of approach made sense.

Two things kept this from being a must read for me though. One is the inconsistency with the use of dialect within prose. Every so often, a word would be misspelled or grammar bent to be more colloquial. Yet, this wasn’t done enough I think, and it often just felt more like typos instead. The other issue I had was with just how often there would be time skips back or forth with little fanfare. Yes, the confusion makes sense with the story of the novel, but it didn’t have to be convoluted enough that it was almost impossible to follow the thread without rereading a few sentences.

Popsicle is available to buy on Amazon.

Verdict:

READABLE