Rating: 
Summary: Blood in My Hairspray
Review: > BIMH is the funniest book I have read in ages! The author has a uniquely
> inspired sense of humor. The book is very campy and highly creative . Much
> of the humor is subtle in the style of "Queer Eye for the Straight
> Guy"...and it comes at ya fast on every page! I can't believe this is a
> debut novel from this author. His writing skills are phenomenal.
> The main character of the book is a gay New York hairdresser who caters to
> Mafia wives. Though mostly comedic, the book has a good deal of mystery as
> well because of the death of one of his clients, as well as some tampering
> of one of his signature beauty products. You will definitely keep turning
> the pages to find out who dunnit! There is a car wash scene that is so
> descriptively funny that it will be forever ingrained. Every time I see a
> car wash, I crack up all over again.
> I would say that the gay community will just howl over this book, but
> that would leave out everyone else. As a straight midwestern momma, I too
> found it just too funny to put down. I would definitely recommend this
> book! Unless you have no sense of humor, you will love it!
>
Rating:
Summary: Blood in My Hairspray
Review: > BIMH is the funniest book I have read in ages! The author has a uniquely
> inspired sense of humor. The book is very campy and highly creative . Much
> of the humor is subtle in the style of "Queer Eye for the Straight
> Guy"...and it comes at ya fast on every page! I can't believe this is a
> debut novel from this author. His writing skills are phenomenal.
> The main character of the book is a gay New York hairdresser who caters to
> Mafia wives. Though mostly comedic, the book has a good deal of mystery as
> well because of the death of one of his clients, as well as some tampering
> of one of his signature beauty products. You will definitely keep turning
> the pages to find out who dunnit! There is a car wash scene that is so
> descriptively funny that it will be forever ingrained. Every time I see a
> car wash, I crack up all over again.
> I would say that the gay community will just howl over this book, but
> that would leave out everyone else. As a straight midwestern momma, I too
> found it just too funny to put down. I would definitely recommend this
> book! Unless you have no sense of humor, you will love it!
>
Rating:
Summary: With a character named Shtup you can't go wrong
Review: A wild foray into the dysfunctional world of unorganized crime, dysfunctional "there is no m-word" wives, butylated hydroxy toulene and the "ice cube trick". Schreibman should change his name to Scribeman...never has a writer since Robert Braff been able to be so goofy yet so entertaining. One gets the idea somewhere around the third chapter that this literary effort was largely inspired by an author whose exposure to sodium laurel sulfate was a little more than just accidental. Not quite "Moby Dick" (the alternative version by Robert G. Braff) but a lot more fun.
Rating: 
Summary: Earnest, yet flat
Review: Damian Shtup is a hairdresser for mafia wives in New York City. When one of his clients drops dead in his salon and then his famous hair care products are tampered with, his world spins out of control. Joined by his sassy salon employees and the ... police detective, Damian attempts to figure out these events and look fabulous in the process. Earnest in his endeavor to merge John Waters with Myra Breckinridge (or somesuch), Steven Schreibman does achieve moments of campy humor, but overall the book feels too self-indulgent and flat to me. I wanted to believe "Blood in My Hairspray" as full of comic hilarity as the book jacket claims, but it just didn't happen. Instead the characters flit through a vapid story that's partially a mystery, but mostly it's just a showcase for various witticisms.
Rating: 
Summary: The book doesn't take itself too seriously.
Review: Damian Shtup is the flamboyant hairdresser to bored suburbanites and mafia housewives. He has his own line of styling products, a successful salon, the requisite sidekicks, and moderate fame. Everything's going great until Connie Marinara, wife of a mob boss, drops dead of a heart attack on his pristine white floor.Soon, Damian's already bizarre life takes an unexpected twist into the absurd. It begins with a can of bloody hairspray and a fetal horse's head in his disinfectant. The official investigation brings Officer Edgar Ramirez onto the scene. Damian figures they can solve the mystery and still have time for kisses in the backroom, but then the case takes a few unexpected turns-from a rash of fainting spells to a trip through a car wash, atop a car.Steven Schreibman's writing style is irreverent, confidential, and quirky. He has a way of humorously describing even the most violent moments. Damian's personality leaps off the page, making him a very real person to pass a couple of hours with. The supporting cast isn't as memorable, being somewhat flat, but their unique characteristics can always be counted on for a laugh.The story starts out strong, instantly drawing one in and compelling them to keep reading. This is a fast-paced joyride, with enough elements to keep anyone's interest, including crime, romance, mystery, and comedy. It's obvious the author researched all aspects of this story, from Hell's Kitchen to hairstyling.At times, the plot gets confusing, leaving the reader with the sensation they have blinked and missed something. Midway through the book, the plot seems to lose focus as Mr. Schreibman's focus shifts to encompass more events. While it retains its strong element of humor and bizarreness, the latter half isn't as compelling as the first. The resolution to the mystery is a bit predictable, though the motivation is a surprise.Damian is an original enough character to balance the plot weaknesses. He's someone you won't soon forget. If you're looking for a fun, entertaining read, you can't go wrong with Blood In My Hairspray.--Written by Kit Tunstall, Editor-in-Chief of Dog-eared Webzine
Rating:
Summary: Mystery is stylish
Review: Damian Shtup owns and operates the most faaaabulous hair salon in the City, catering in particular to the wives of "respected legitmate businessmen" - women who enjoy having their hair teased and touched-up as much as they enjoy the banter between stylists. Damian's follicle-enhanced creations are enough to leave the ladies of the B-52's fuming with envy, though as Damian narrates in Blood in My Hairspray, not everyone is pleased. The usual crowd at the Shtup Stop is horrified when a regular customer drops dead in the salon for no apparent reason; Damian, while shocked, seems to be more distraught over the bloodstains on his pristine floor, but that's to be expected in the Damian-centric universe, where his word is law and where some people aren't even allowed to lose their ethnicity (just ask the Girl from Canada). The event is nearly pushed out of the stylist's mind until a chance encounter with a tainted can of hairspray leaves Damian seeing red, literally. Suddenly Damian's attitiude towards expiring customers is not so pithy anymore, not when the possibility of murder looms among his name-brand line of hair care products. Not when there is the possibility that he, too, is a target. Not when there is the possibility of making time with the hunky officer assigned to his case. Blood in My Hairspray reads as a hybrid thriller/memoir - though heavier on the humor than the thriller - as narrated by hair care king (or rather queen?) Shtup. Actually, "narrated" is too mild a term to apply here; Shtup assaults the readers with full force. He doesn't just chew the scenery, he thrusts it into a blender set to liquify and serves it to everyone as smoothies. Hairspray is his story from beginning to end, told as only he can tell it; should the story stray a bit into a pained soliloquy about the trials of running a salon or a dreaded visit from the parental units, then so what? Shtup's energy is infectious, and one has to wonder if author Schreibman had difficulty at times keeping the character corralled. In this case, however, it's not necessarily a bad thing. Let's hope Shtup's salon chairs have seatbelts, Hairspray is a wild ride.
Rating:
Summary: Don't read it in church...
Review: Good luck reading Blood in My Hairspray without laughing out loud. This is the funniest book I have read in many years. I loved it! From the very creative story line to the endearing and involving personalities, this murder-mystery should appeal to anyone who likes to laugh. Hats off to Mr. Schreibman for what I consider to be the best first effort since John Grisham. Genius!
Rating:
Summary: Don't read it in church...
Review: Good luck reading Blood in My Hairspray without laughing out loud. This is the funniest book I have read in many years. I loved it! From the very creative story line to the endearing and involving personalities, this murder-mystery should appeal to anyone who likes to laugh. Hats off to Mr. Schreibman for what I consider to be the best first effort since John Grisham. Genius!
Rating:
Summary: A fun indulgence
Review: I found this book to be a great peek into the indulgent gay persona. Steven Schreibman did a wonderful job helping me, a naive straight from Arizona, enjoy great humor in a very foreign world of gays, New Yorkers, hairdressers, and more. While centered around a mystery, the unique and in-your-face humor is the core of this book. It was "marvy!"
Rating:
Summary: A fun indulgence
Review: I found this book to be a great peek into the indulgent gay persona. Steven Schreibman did a wonderful job helping me, a naive straight from Arizona, enjoy great humor in a very foreign world of gays, New Yorkers, hairdressers, and more. While centered around a mystery, the unique and in-your-face humor is the core of this book. It was "marvy!"
|
