Review from a Transgressive Fiction Fan
Kiss Me Judas had me constantly feeling as though I’d stepped off a mental Tilt-A-Whirl. While it’s never confusing, it’s often confounding and Baer gives the reader just enough information to keep up with the wild pace. Kiss Me Judas is dark, gritty, endearing, and confusing — it is the essence of neo-noir.
The novel starts with a cliched urban legend — the protagonist, Phineas Poe, wakes up in a bathtub full of ice with his kidney missing and revenge on his mind. He falls in love with the woman who stole his kidney, becomes a drug addict, and travels across the country in search of his missing organ. The story has enough twists and turns to keep the reader on their toes, but doesn’t lack in the character department. By the end of the book, I found myself rooting for Phineas and his friends as well as other characters I started off hating. Baer has produced a stellar novel.
“Insightful” Review from a Mainstream Reader
Good god- I am finally finished with this terrible book! Blegh. I hated this. I only read it through til the end due to my guilty feelings on having so many unfinished books in my queue.