DeMerse's Book #1: Geek Love

Geek Love is the story of the Binewski family. Al Binewski inherited his family’s traveling carnival at age 24 and within a few years its popularity began to fade. The idea to save the carnival came to Al while visiting the Rose Garden in Portland, OR. He realized, like the roses in the test garden, that children could be designed. So, he and his wife, Crystal Lil, experimented with illicit and prescription drugs, insecticides, and even radioisotopes during her pregnancies. Papa’s ‘roses’ were Arturo (Arty), who had flippers for hands and feet; Electra (Elly) and Iphigenia (Iphy), the Siamese twins; Olympia (Oly), the albino hunchback dwarf; and Fortunato (Chick), the telekinetic baby with no physical deformities.

Oly is the narrator of the novel and the majority of the story is set during her childhood. It describes her familial relationships as well as those between the Binewskis and the ‘norms’. When Oly asks Arty if reading scared him he replied “These are written by norms to scare norms. And do you know what the monsters and demons and rancid spirits are? Us, that’s what. You and me. We are the things that come to the norms in nightmares. The thing that lurks in the bell tower and bites out the throats of the choirboys—that’s you. And the thing in the closet that makes the babies scream in the dark before it sucks their last breath—that’s me.” Although Oly narrates the story I would argue that Arty is the main character. Over time he takes control of the carnival and manages to manipulate just about everyone he comes in contact with. Even those who see his dark side are still enamored and loyal. This explains how he ends up starting his own cult.

The rest of the story occurs in Oly’s mid to late 30’s. She lives in the same building as her mother and daughter yet neither know that she is anything more than a neighbor - Crystal Lil because she’s lost her mind and Miranda because she was raised by nuns and never knew who her birth mother was. I liked these later years but didn’t like the fact that they were interspersed throughout the novel…I’m not a big fan of hopping back and forth unless it adds to the overall story and I don’t feel that this did.

Geek Love took me longer to read due to my frequent closing of the book and cringing, but I was compelled to continue - with the amputations, murder, topless dancing, and lobotomies - I wanted to know what was going to happen next! Unfortunately I was a bit disappointed in both the ending of the carnival and the book’s ending. When the carnival closed Oly was forced into a world of houses without wheels and explanations. Her answer to the what-the-hell-happened-to-you-looks was "My father and mother designed me this way" and she was proud if it. All of the 'freaks' were proud to be original instead of normal but never really seemed happy. None of them had normal romantic relationships. Iphy explained that "it's OK for me to love a norm like that. But if he comes to loving me it's because I've twisted him and changed him. If he loves me he's corrupted. I can't love him anymore."

Geek Love was both engaging and deeply disturbing. It had me disgusted, envious, frustrated, and sad all at the same time. I just finished last night and I'm still not sure if I feel relieved that it's over or bereaved.