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Fangboy: A Demented Fairy Tale For Adults
A dark comedy fairy tale novel from the Bram Stoker Award-nominated author of PRESSURE, DWELLER, and A BAD DAY FOR VOODOO. Nathan Pepper seemed like an ordinary baby…except for a mouth full of scary sharp teeth. Because his life began with his grandmother strongly recommending that he be destroyed as soon as possible, it’s safe to say that Nathan was not destined for a typical existence. He hated the nickname “Fangboy,” but nobody could deny that he was the most frightening little boy in town. And he would have adventures of every sort. Tragic adventures, like what happened to his parents. Dangerous adventures, like his encounter with the sinister Professor Mongrel. Thrilling adventures, like the part where he’s on an out-of-control horse and he can’t make it stop running and you think “Well, he should just jump off,” but he CAN’T because it’s going too fast and he could break a leg. And, yes, one particularly gruesome adventure, though it is not described in great detail. Will things end happily for Nathan? Will he bite somebody? Gather your family and your most deranged friends, make some chocolate chip cookies, and share the twisted comedy treat of FANGBOY, a bizarre yet heartwarming yet rather tasteless saga that—all ego aside—will define a generation. “An adventure that has all the elements of a classic fairy tale, only told from Strand’s dark and often demented perspective.” – The Horror Fiction Review
191 pages, Kindle Edition
First published March 28, 2011
43 people are currently reading
319 people want to read
About the author
Jeff Strand
229 books2,219 followersBram Stoker Award-winning author of a bunch of demented books, including PRESSURE, DWELLER, CLOWNS VS. SPIDERS, AUTUMN BLEEDS INTO WINTER, MY PRETTIES, the official novelization of ATTACK OF THE KILLER TOMATOES, and lots of others!
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 55 reviews
December 30, 2019
Ah yes, Jeff Strand...I truly believe that people with a very good sense of humor will enjoy most of his work.
This story was a little different:
FANGBOY is indeed a demented fairy tale for adults. As strange as this may sound, I'm going to call it a mix of SHREK and PERFUME: THE STORY OF A MURDERER. I can't go into too much detail about it, or I will give something away. But imagine a story where ridiculous things sometimes happen, but still set in a fairly rational world, but people really get killed in horrendous (and sometimes hilarious) ways.
In a nutshell, this is some light reading for people who share my taste for humor and horror, and maybe even the fantasy fans?
Anyhoot - jolly well done, sir!
This story was a little different:
FANGBOY is indeed a demented fairy tale for adults. As strange as this may sound, I'm going to call it a mix of SHREK and PERFUME: THE STORY OF A MURDERER. I can't go into too much detail about it, or I will give something away. But imagine a story where ridiculous things sometimes happen, but still set in a fairly rational world, but people really get killed in horrendous (and sometimes hilarious) ways.
In a nutshell, this is some light reading for people who share my taste for humor and horror, and maybe even the fantasy fans?
Anyhoot - jolly well done, sir!
July 16, 2021
"I'm not going to lie to you," he said. "It is the least typical infant mouth I've ever seen."
I was warned about Fangboy going in - that it was the most divisive of Strand's books. Some fans loved it, others thought it was total shit. I'm very happy to report...I thought it freaking rocked. There was a whole lotta weird happening in this story, but it was so charming, I fell in love from the very first page.
I'll admit, I was 97.6% certain FANGBOY would be a major dud for me. I didn't even appreciate fairy tales as a child, so my reading enjoyment in the demented, adult version didn't seem highly likely.
Enter Jeff Strand...
FANGBOY was strange, hilarious, bizarre, wacky, heartwarming, disturbingly abnormal, and full of Strand's wicked, deadpan humor.
I would have given this a full five stars if not for the spiders. (Dammit, Jeff!) Instead, it's getting 4.5 stars. Just do yourself a favor and go buy his entire library, like I unabashedly did.
Available NOW on Amazon, and FREE on Kindle Unlimited!
I was warned about Fangboy going in - that it was the most divisive of Strand's books. Some fans loved it, others thought it was total shit. I'm very happy to report...I thought it freaking rocked. There was a whole lotta weird happening in this story, but it was so charming, I fell in love from the very first page.
I'll admit, I was 97.6% certain FANGBOY would be a major dud for me. I didn't even appreciate fairy tales as a child, so my reading enjoyment in the demented, adult version didn't seem highly likely.
Enter Jeff Strand...
FANGBOY was strange, hilarious, bizarre, wacky, heartwarming, disturbingly abnormal, and full of Strand's wicked, deadpan humor.
I would have given this a full five stars if not for the spiders. (Dammit, Jeff!) Instead, it's getting 4.5 stars. Just do yourself a favor and go buy his entire library, like I unabashedly did.
Available NOW on Amazon, and FREE on Kindle Unlimited!
January 8, 2026
3.5 stars. As per usual, the story was written so very well and the author continues to impress me. It's unique, heartfelt, and pulls out all sorts of emotions from the reader. Where it lost me a bit was the lack of focus throughout. Our lead, Nathan, was on this troubled journey going from abusive situation to abusive situation, with his physical deformity, occasionally and rarely seeing kind acts and people floating in and out of his life. And that was fine for a bit but became rather repetitive and mundane after a while, taking up almost the entire book. Almost like my time reading Phantom by Susan Kay. The points were made way too many times and were beaten into the reader, which wasn't necessary, and only cheapened the plights of our characters. Here, by the time I got to the ending, it just felt like all that build up led to nothing much at all. And that really took away from the overall experience, which was otherwise strong. I was also very confused why The End was written on page 172, when it wasn't actually the end of the book. I liked a lot more than I took issue with, but this really needed to have more of a fine-tuned arc for Nathan to bring everything together.
April 20, 2011
I think I could read Jeff Strand just for the prose. It feels less like I'm reading a horror author and more like I am reading a comedian who happens to write in the horror genre.
What I also like about his writing style is that he takes a very conversationialist approach with the reader using a dead-pan-state-the-obvious kind of satire. The danger here is that you can end up getting the author's direct voice with very little plot or character development. Not with Jeff Strand. In fact, there has been very few authors in the horror genre (at least that I'm aware of), outside of Jeff Strand, that have successfully pulled off this kind of style.
As to Fang Boy, I found it to be a very enjoyable and entertaining romp through Lemony Snicket territory. It was just one unfortunate event after another that befell poor Nathan Pepper, or those he was closely associated with. Although some of the characterization was brief for many of the sub-characters, I still felt fairly invested in them and their outcomes.
I highly recommend this one... though keep in mind... this story really does defy classification. If you go in with expectations of a "horror" story, you may be dissapointed. If you are looking for a fun tongue-firmly-in-cheek tale of misfortune, you will most certainly enjoy!!
What I also like about his writing style is that he takes a very conversationialist approach with the reader using a dead-pan-state-the-obvious kind of satire. The danger here is that you can end up getting the author's direct voice with very little plot or character development. Not with Jeff Strand. In fact, there has been very few authors in the horror genre (at least that I'm aware of), outside of Jeff Strand, that have successfully pulled off this kind of style.
As to Fang Boy, I found it to be a very enjoyable and entertaining romp through Lemony Snicket territory. It was just one unfortunate event after another that befell poor Nathan Pepper, or those he was closely associated with. Although some of the characterization was brief for many of the sub-characters, I still felt fairly invested in them and their outcomes.
I highly recommend this one... though keep in mind... this story really does defy classification. If you go in with expectations of a "horror" story, you may be dissapointed. If you are looking for a fun tongue-firmly-in-cheek tale of misfortune, you will most certainly enjoy!!
May 29, 2014
This book was down-right entertaining. Mr. Strain was certainly at his best. I honestly kept wondering how a man can sit (or stand), write such humorous dialogue and situations, and keep the story fresh, interesting, and moving along with a good rate of speed.
This book had few to zero editing problems. I found no grammar errors, misspelled words, or crazy mixed up subjective/objective useage. While not an all out horror, there were many horrific scenes.
Highly recommended
August 6, 2014
A wonderful reading experience.Reads like classic Roald Dahl. Very different from Jeff Strands other books. Highly recommended for adults and older children.
July 13, 2020
“The devil is here! The devil is here!”
Jeff Strand is one of those authors that delivers uniqueness and I’m never disappointed in his work. This is is very much a dark, humorous and demented “fairy” tale that grabs you from the beginning.
Nathan Pepper is born to average parents that keep him from the public because of his abnormality... he was born with a mouthful of fangs. Unfortunately, he was forced into society after his parents’ accidental demise. Nathan’s journey begins at an orphanage run by a horrible man and the other children give him the nickname, “Fangboy.” The children try to use Nathan’s abnormality as a weapon to escape the horrible man but it backfires forcing Nathan to run away. After the orphanage, Nathan is taken onto a wild adventure from sisters trying to normalize him to going to jail to being sent off to a freak show.
Fangboy is a fun, demented ride that carries a Lemony Snicket vibe. The narrative and plot were hilariously entertaining. Nathan goes through a lot of dark misfortune but Strand wraps it with humor, cleverness and deranged amiableness. The ending does seem slightly thrown together in a hurry considering all he went through but it falls into the fairy tale “happily ever after” realm to complete the feel of the story. 3.5/5 stars (rounded up to 4 for Amazon and GoodReads).
Please visit my website or GoodReads account for reviews! Thank you!
Jeff Strand is one of those authors that delivers uniqueness and I’m never disappointed in his work. This is is very much a dark, humorous and demented “fairy” tale that grabs you from the beginning.
Nathan Pepper is born to average parents that keep him from the public because of his abnormality... he was born with a mouthful of fangs. Unfortunately, he was forced into society after his parents’ accidental demise. Nathan’s journey begins at an orphanage run by a horrible man and the other children give him the nickname, “Fangboy.” The children try to use Nathan’s abnormality as a weapon to escape the horrible man but it backfires forcing Nathan to run away. After the orphanage, Nathan is taken onto a wild adventure from sisters trying to normalize him to going to jail to being sent off to a freak show.
Fangboy is a fun, demented ride that carries a Lemony Snicket vibe. The narrative and plot were hilariously entertaining. Nathan goes through a lot of dark misfortune but Strand wraps it with humor, cleverness and deranged amiableness. The ending does seem slightly thrown together in a hurry considering all he went through but it falls into the fairy tale “happily ever after” realm to complete the feel of the story. 3.5/5 stars (rounded up to 4 for Amazon and GoodReads).
Please visit my website or GoodReads account for reviews! Thank you!
March 3, 2012
I wanted to like this book a lot more, I really did, but instead of a magical and fun, dark fairy tale ride it is just sort of a list of odd things that happen to an odd boy and doesn't really amount to much. It starts out good but just spirals into confusion and, sorry to say, dullness. Oh well - next?
April 21, 2011
I thoroughly enjoyed this dark comedy fairy tale.
June 1, 2011
Brilliant madness and completely barmy. A catalogue of the terrible mishaps in the life of a fang-toothed boy.
February 19, 2020
Not my cup of tea and I should have dnf'd it when I first thought of it. For me it was not worth the time it took up
December 19, 2019
Before Fangboy, I had never read anything by Jeff Strand. I had certainly heard of him. Nominated twice for the Bram Stoker award and author of almost 20 novels, it was inevitable that a work of his would come across my plate. Holy hell, am I glad it was this one.
You can read Steve's full review at Horror DNA by clicking here.
You can read Steve's full review at Horror DNA by clicking here.
December 4, 2019
Demented, But In A Good Way
I've read a number of Jeff Strand's YA books, and enjoyed them all. The books run the gamut in terms of plot, (zombie movies, summer camp), but they all share one defining characteristic - sly, witty, and dryly deadpan banter and narration. The books aren't just clever or witty or merely funny; they are virtual tutorials in how to write comedy. Think of a stand up comedian who has perfect timing; then think about how hard it must be to write material that somehow still has perfect timing built into it on the page.
This time out the author has turned to macabre dark humor, rather than the more explicit horror I gather he's best known for. It is good humored in a deranged fashion, and the reader is constantly unbalanced by the combination of sweetness and misfortune that can turn on a dime, and sometimes within the span of a single sentence. It's sort of as if Oliver Twist had been adopted by the Addams Family, and then everyone was hit by a bus.
So, a terrific find and Kindle freebie gold. (Please note, in that regard, that I found this book while browsing kindleunlimited freebies. I have no connection at all to either the author or the publisher of this book.)
I've read a number of Jeff Strand's YA books, and enjoyed them all. The books run the gamut in terms of plot, (zombie movies, summer camp), but they all share one defining characteristic - sly, witty, and dryly deadpan banter and narration. The books aren't just clever or witty or merely funny; they are virtual tutorials in how to write comedy. Think of a stand up comedian who has perfect timing; then think about how hard it must be to write material that somehow still has perfect timing built into it on the page.
This time out the author has turned to macabre dark humor, rather than the more explicit horror I gather he's best known for. It is good humored in a deranged fashion, and the reader is constantly unbalanced by the combination of sweetness and misfortune that can turn on a dime, and sometimes within the span of a single sentence. It's sort of as if Oliver Twist had been adopted by the Addams Family, and then everyone was hit by a bus.
So, a terrific find and Kindle freebie gold. (Please note, in that regard, that I found this book while browsing kindleunlimited freebies. I have no connection at all to either the author or the publisher of this book.)
June 1, 2017
In 'Fangboy', Nathan appears to be an ordinary boy except that he has sharp shark-like teeth that make him feel ashamed. Plagued by a series of hardships and complications from the moment he was born, he finds himself experiencing a life filled with adventures. He vows to return home to the two kind women who genuinely care about him despite his teeth but will he be able to do so safely?
The fast pacing combined with the fluid writing style turned this simple story into one that was incredibly engaging and unpredictable. The author did a great job delving into Nathan's feelings regarding his teeth. He was understandably self-conscious of them thus he tried his best to conceal them by smiling with his mouth closed. Basically he just wanted to fit in with kids of his own age. He was a likeable character so much so that I could feel his pain and felt frustrated whenever things didn't go his way.
Heavy subjects such as abuse and death were tackled realistically without getting too dark. There were also several humorous moments scattered throughout the story - the lightheartedness worked really well here as the author knew how when to turn up or tone down the humour. Besides that, following Nathan along on his journey was enjoyable as he met numerous types of characters and got into a whole lot of trouble. The ending was satisfying as he finally had though I wished .
Overall, 'Fangboy' featured the right blend of humour and seriousness thus making it a quick, delightful read.
The fast pacing combined with the fluid writing style turned this simple story into one that was incredibly engaging and unpredictable. The author did a great job delving into Nathan's feelings regarding his teeth. He was understandably self-conscious of them thus he tried his best to conceal them by smiling with his mouth closed. Basically he just wanted to fit in with kids of his own age. He was a likeable character so much so that I could feel his pain and felt frustrated whenever things didn't go his way.
Heavy subjects such as abuse and death were tackled realistically without getting too dark. There were also several humorous moments scattered throughout the story - the lightheartedness worked really well here as the author knew how when to turn up or tone down the humour. Besides that, following Nathan along on his journey was enjoyable as he met numerous types of characters and got into a whole lot of trouble. The ending was satisfying as he finally had though I wished .
Overall, 'Fangboy' featured the right blend of humour and seriousness thus making it a quick, delightful read.
February 1, 2013
Ok, this is just a wild, weird story, even by the brilliant comedic standards of author Jeff Strand. It is definitely not horror, so don't go into this one thinking you'll get that type of story. It's more of a whimsical adventure or fable told about Nathan Pepper, a child born with fangs. The cover art shows that, yes, predictably he ends up with at least a limited sideshow stint, but there is a slightly deeper moral--or message being explored, if you will--about being accepted with physical flaws.
Some of the tale was just too over the top, almost like I felt like the last part of The Haunted Forest Tour (his collaboration with James A. Moore). Humor is sooooo hard to do well and luckily for us, Jeff Strand delivers more than fails. Can't say I recommend this one, though, as it's just a really odd read. If you are in the mood for something very non-horror and more silly adventure, this one might be appealing.
Some of the tale was just too over the top, almost like I felt like the last part of The Haunted Forest Tour (his collaboration with James A. Moore). Humor is sooooo hard to do well and luckily for us, Jeff Strand delivers more than fails. Can't say I recommend this one, though, as it's just a really odd read. If you are in the mood for something very non-horror and more silly adventure, this one might be appealing.
April 23, 2016
In this charming little book, we are treated to a fairy tale that depicts Nathan Pepper's, a boy born with fangs, journey in life.
It's fun, it's sad, it's mad and an altogether captivating dark comedy that may warm your heart and bring a smile to your face.
It's fun, it's sad, it's mad and an altogether captivating dark comedy that may warm your heart and bring a smile to your face.
January 8, 2026
Ladies and gentlemen, practice your gasps and cross your legs, for I present to you...Fangboy!
OK, just try to stick with me here: imagine someone snuck into the PIXAR (or DreamWorks, it doesn't matter) studios and managed to pump in a lot of gassificated hallucinogens into the air system which runs constantly because you simply can never allow your animators to become overheated. So much gas is pumped in in fact that the folks present began to imagine that they were the reincarnation of either (or both) Carlo Collodi and/or Lewis Carroll who had together set off on a massive bender. And during this time, they decided they wanted to come up with a story that would rival a time-travelling Dr. Seuss - their imaginary but well-defined rival who only wears green-striped pantaloons in this reality - and ultimately get them banned by the Pope himself. Sounds a bit silly now, doesn't it?
It's not such a bad life, once you lower your expectations.
Well, if NOT, then perhaps you are indeed ready to read Jeff Strand's "Fangboy: A Demented Fairy Tale For Adults". This is a story within a story within a bunch of stories and good gods if I have to continue I will indeed pull all my hair out. Or teeth if we're being more relevant to the situation. This is simply the wildest mix of - hang on, I'll use the genres listed by goodreads - horror (there is none), humor (meh), fantasy (and then some), um fiction you'll find anywhere. It vacillates (a word that for some reason I desperately want to spell with an "f") between some of Strand's more amusing and even silly works and something that just strikes me as a middle grade adventure that went terribly, terribly wrong along the way, forgetting completely that it should be consistently suitable for younger ages.
"Does he really have an urge to kill?"
"All children do these days."
Fangboy née Nathan Pepper is not a bad person by any stretch of the imagination, nor is he the horrible monster that people either accuse him of being or want him to portray for their own greedy purposes, despite one rather unfortunate biting episode (he makes it count!). He is simply a young man that is born with a mouthful of already exposed, long, and very pointed teeth that you must agree makes him somewhat unique ("I don't think I'll be breastfeeding him."). Alas, his life is very quickly filled with all manner of tragedy, most of it having nothing to do with his own efforts to live a free and happy life. Because at any opportunity he has for same, well, something rather awful happens even to the point that we all begin to wonder if he is in reality some sort of talisman that brings misfortune to anyone's life he touches. This is naturally just as ridiculous as the rest of the plot so ignore anything I'm saying just to be safe.
A boy without courage is like a bat without rabies.
The book seems to even bounce around in terms of actual time periods, beginning as one does in the present and then seemingly jumping back to a time when freakshows with bearded ladies and travelling by horse-drawn carriages was the norm. I kept wondering if the book was somehow supposed to mirror "Pinocchio" in some way (hence my earlier reference to Carlo Collodi - and I bet you didn't know his name either!) but I just never was able to make enough connections. Now I can't say for certain if this was or was not the case as I've only seen the Disney versions of this tale (which were not mentioned earlier as I suspect they are much more libelant than anyone has ever been) and Nathan definitely does not get swallowed by a whale, though he finds himself constantly in mortal danger ("Help! Help me, somebody! Anybody will do!"). Or at least as long as he's not frozen solid for eleven years! Still, you could argue that the final part of this book does have him becoming somewhat more "real" in that his physical appearance - the one and only true factor in which any human truly judges another - does take a turn towards the positive.
As far as I know, there are no insane people in the DMV. Let's hide there.
At the end of the day though, I am left with two very vague, almost "remembered through the haze of a bender" (see?) thoughts. First and foremost, as silly and utterly inane as it was, I needed this. I'm trying my best to get through a read-a-thon featuring evil or disturbed children (this is a weak addition, I'll admit, but I'm counting it gods be damned!) and my emotions are worn thin. Secondly, I have absolutely no idea what Jeff Strand was trying to accomplish by writing this (maybe "We want our audience to be reduced to blobs of boneless jelly wobbling in the breeze!"??). I do enjoy his books, particularly those where he so deftly combines a bit of horror AND humor in them (e.g. "Clowns vs. Spiders", "Mandibles", "Benjamin's Parasite" as well as his various contributions to different anthologies), but this one will leave me shaking my head for quite a while.
The market for freshly born infant noses is alive and well.
I guess that's why at the end of the day I'm leaving a wishy-washy rating to go with a well-worn, bottom of your mom's purse moistened towellette of a review for "Fangboy". If there was ever a book that needed a good Afterword clipped on to help walk us through the author's thought process (e.g. "sorry I was drunk and didn't mean to hit 'SEND'…") then it's this one. I mean, it's so unusual, I can't even recommend it to avid and diehard fans of Strand who might take up arms with other fans of Strand with slightly different opinions. Anyway, come for the weirdness, stay for the controversy, and what not. Me? I've got a severe urge to go brush my teeth and floss until my gums are spewing blood…
OK, just try to stick with me here: imagine someone snuck into the PIXAR (or DreamWorks, it doesn't matter) studios and managed to pump in a lot of gassificated hallucinogens into the air system which runs constantly because you simply can never allow your animators to become overheated. So much gas is pumped in in fact that the folks present began to imagine that they were the reincarnation of either (or both) Carlo Collodi and/or Lewis Carroll who had together set off on a massive bender. And during this time, they decided they wanted to come up with a story that would rival a time-travelling Dr. Seuss - their imaginary but well-defined rival who only wears green-striped pantaloons in this reality - and ultimately get them banned by the Pope himself. Sounds a bit silly now, doesn't it?
It's not such a bad life, once you lower your expectations.
Well, if NOT, then perhaps you are indeed ready to read Jeff Strand's "Fangboy: A Demented Fairy Tale For Adults". This is a story within a story within a bunch of stories and good gods if I have to continue I will indeed pull all my hair out. Or teeth if we're being more relevant to the situation. This is simply the wildest mix of - hang on, I'll use the genres listed by goodreads - horror (there is none), humor (meh), fantasy (and then some), um fiction you'll find anywhere. It vacillates (a word that for some reason I desperately want to spell with an "f") between some of Strand's more amusing and even silly works and something that just strikes me as a middle grade adventure that went terribly, terribly wrong along the way, forgetting completely that it should be consistently suitable for younger ages.
"Does he really have an urge to kill?"
"All children do these days."
Fangboy née Nathan Pepper is not a bad person by any stretch of the imagination, nor is he the horrible monster that people either accuse him of being or want him to portray for their own greedy purposes, despite one rather unfortunate biting episode (he makes it count!). He is simply a young man that is born with a mouthful of already exposed, long, and very pointed teeth that you must agree makes him somewhat unique ("I don't think I'll be breastfeeding him."). Alas, his life is very quickly filled with all manner of tragedy, most of it having nothing to do with his own efforts to live a free and happy life. Because at any opportunity he has for same, well, something rather awful happens even to the point that we all begin to wonder if he is in reality some sort of talisman that brings misfortune to anyone's life he touches. This is naturally just as ridiculous as the rest of the plot so ignore anything I'm saying just to be safe.
A boy without courage is like a bat without rabies.
The book seems to even bounce around in terms of actual time periods, beginning as one does in the present and then seemingly jumping back to a time when freakshows with bearded ladies and travelling by horse-drawn carriages was the norm. I kept wondering if the book was somehow supposed to mirror "Pinocchio" in some way (hence my earlier reference to Carlo Collodi - and I bet you didn't know his name either!) but I just never was able to make enough connections. Now I can't say for certain if this was or was not the case as I've only seen the Disney versions of this tale (which were not mentioned earlier as I suspect they are much more libelant than anyone has ever been) and Nathan definitely does not get swallowed by a whale, though he finds himself constantly in mortal danger ("Help! Help me, somebody! Anybody will do!"). Or at least as long as he's not frozen solid for eleven years! Still, you could argue that the final part of this book does have him becoming somewhat more "real" in that his physical appearance - the one and only true factor in which any human truly judges another - does take a turn towards the positive.
As far as I know, there are no insane people in the DMV. Let's hide there.
At the end of the day though, I am left with two very vague, almost "remembered through the haze of a bender" (see?) thoughts. First and foremost, as silly and utterly inane as it was, I needed this. I'm trying my best to get through a read-a-thon featuring evil or disturbed children (this is a weak addition, I'll admit, but I'm counting it gods be damned!) and my emotions are worn thin. Secondly, I have absolutely no idea what Jeff Strand was trying to accomplish by writing this (maybe "We want our audience to be reduced to blobs of boneless jelly wobbling in the breeze!"??). I do enjoy his books, particularly those where he so deftly combines a bit of horror AND humor in them (e.g. "Clowns vs. Spiders", "Mandibles", "Benjamin's Parasite" as well as his various contributions to different anthologies), but this one will leave me shaking my head for quite a while.
The market for freshly born infant noses is alive and well.
I guess that's why at the end of the day I'm leaving a wishy-washy rating to go with a well-worn, bottom of your mom's purse moistened towellette of a review for "Fangboy". If there was ever a book that needed a good Afterword clipped on to help walk us through the author's thought process (e.g. "sorry I was drunk and didn't mean to hit 'SEND'…") then it's this one. I mean, it's so unusual, I can't even recommend it to avid and diehard fans of Strand who might take up arms with other fans of Strand with slightly different opinions. Anyway, come for the weirdness, stay for the controversy, and what not. Me? I've got a severe urge to go brush my teeth and floss until my gums are spewing blood…
August 13, 2015
So funny it will make you laugh aloud in public, make a fool of yourself because of it, and not even care. Noone can do this as well as Strand and he is one of the very few authors that I still view as reliable whenever I am desperate to read something fantastic. This wins the prize for the funniest novel I have ever read as well as the most rewarding and terrible death of a villain I have ever had the pleasure to read. Couldn't recommend it highly enough. Hey, I am just greatful it gave me a few hours away from Grossman's The Magicians. It wins praise for that alone.
May 8, 2011
This is not what I expected when I started reading this book for sure. I was a little hesitant going into the start of the book but it turned out to be a great story. Something you can become a part of and identify with the story. The characters in the story are great but it is the true wit of Strand and the humor that keep this book flowing throughout without this is may have become too dull for me.
November 7, 2013
Thoroughly enjoyed this dark tale. It's about a boy that was born w/a mouth full of sharp teeth & his mostly unfortunate adventures. It's not a horror story & it may be over the top for some, a true dark fantasy delight (w/some delicious humor, too). Thoroughly enjoyed it, perfect for my personal reading appetite.
March 18, 2014
I had no idea this was going to be a funny story. I loved the sarcastic humor. Could have had more things happing to Nathan because of his teeth. Quite a wonderful mix of wild characters. Kind of a strange ending but that should not be surprising with the way this book was written. Well worth the time.
August 29, 2018
Words: dark humor
Comments:
- The narrative of the book was hilarious and the best part about Fangboy. The story followed weird twists and turns but kept me reading throughout and the only reason it's not 5 stars is the ending, it wasn't a satisfying conclusion based on the epic tale that came before, but everything else - would recommend!
Comments:
- The narrative of the book was hilarious and the best part about Fangboy. The story followed weird twists and turns but kept me reading throughout and the only reason it's not 5 stars is the ending, it wasn't a satisfying conclusion based on the epic tale that came before, but everything else - would recommend!
May 2, 2011
I liked this a lot. A wonderful introduction to Jeff Strand's work. My full review can be found at HorrorTalk.com.
April 17, 2013
So much fun
August 8, 2015
This was a fun read. First time I have read his writing. Very witty. Tight story. Loved the Fangboy character. Will be trying more of Mr Strands work in future
August 15, 2015
This is a cute story if you think of it as a fairytale in the vein of Edward Scissorhands.
August 27, 2016
Great book! Once again Strand makes it easy to create a movie in your mind as you read. Hard to put down.
January 21, 2017
sweet
Jeff Strand's books are highly entertaining. Fangboy was no exception. Have loved reading his way of writing, smart and funny.
Jeff Strand's books are highly entertaining. Fangboy was no exception. Have loved reading his way of writing, smart and funny.
August 5, 2024
This book started off good, but ultimately went way off the rails for me.
In this tale, we follow a young boy Nathan who was born different. He's got sharp fangs for teeth, and in an effort to protect him, his parents have sheltered him. But after a tragic accident, Nathan's life is upended and he embarks on a fantastical journey.
Okay, so I liked the premise of this. A kid born with fangs and being misunderstood seemed like a recipe for success, and at first it was. This book is lighthearted and has a whimsical feel to it, which at first kind of reminded me of Edward Scissorhands. The situations felt real, and though events were exaggerated here and there, I was having a good time.
Sometime in the middle of the book, things changed drastically with the story. The narrator's small stints of taking over and explaining things to the reader became more and more frequent and overly grandiose, and the plot became wild and confusing. Things that didn't make any logical sense were happening left and right, and I'm not sure what happened for the author to take things in such a different direction.
Were they bored with the story? I'll never know I guess, but it left me wanting a lot more by the end. I'm certainly going to read more books by this author because most of them have been amazing so far, but I don't recommend this one.
In this tale, we follow a young boy Nathan who was born different. He's got sharp fangs for teeth, and in an effort to protect him, his parents have sheltered him. But after a tragic accident, Nathan's life is upended and he embarks on a fantastical journey.
Okay, so I liked the premise of this. A kid born with fangs and being misunderstood seemed like a recipe for success, and at first it was. This book is lighthearted and has a whimsical feel to it, which at first kind of reminded me of Edward Scissorhands. The situations felt real, and though events were exaggerated here and there, I was having a good time.
Sometime in the middle of the book, things changed drastically with the story. The narrator's small stints of taking over and explaining things to the reader became more and more frequent and overly grandiose, and the plot became wild and confusing. Things that didn't make any logical sense were happening left and right, and I'm not sure what happened for the author to take things in such a different direction.
Were they bored with the story? I'll never know I guess, but it left me wanting a lot more by the end. I'm certainly going to read more books by this author because most of them have been amazing so far, but I don't recommend this one.
January 9, 2019
Welch herzzerreißende und anrührende Geschichte...
Im Nachgang kann ich durchaus sagen, dass die Story durchaus den Touch eines Märchen für Erwachsene inne hat...
Wir begleiten Nathan Pepper, später auch Fangboy genannt, vom Augenblick seiner Geburt an... Er war seit jeher außergewöhnlich... Das lag sicherlich zum einen an seinen spitzen, fast raubtierhaften Zähnen... Aber zum anderen auch an seiner ganz besonderen, liebevollen Art...
In noch recht jungen Jahren, muss der kleine Junge in ein Waisenhaus, weil seine Eltern leider verstarben. Dort ist er den Hänseleien und der Willkür der anderen Kinder und des Aufsehers ausgesetzt... Aber anstatt zu kapitulieren, beginnt sich Nathan auf eigene Faust durchs Leben zu schlagen.
Höhen und Tiefen, Liebe und Verlust, Angst und Freude liegen in dieser tollen Geschichte immer nah beieinander.
Die Atmosphäre wirkt wahrlich märchenhaft an, auch wenn Nathan doch einige brenzlige Situationen meistern muss..
Von mir ganz klar 🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤
Jeder, der außergewöhnliche und nicht alltägliche Geschichten sucht, wird hier definitiv fündig werden!!
Im Nachgang kann ich durchaus sagen, dass die Story durchaus den Touch eines Märchen für Erwachsene inne hat...
Wir begleiten Nathan Pepper, später auch Fangboy genannt, vom Augenblick seiner Geburt an... Er war seit jeher außergewöhnlich... Das lag sicherlich zum einen an seinen spitzen, fast raubtierhaften Zähnen... Aber zum anderen auch an seiner ganz besonderen, liebevollen Art...
In noch recht jungen Jahren, muss der kleine Junge in ein Waisenhaus, weil seine Eltern leider verstarben. Dort ist er den Hänseleien und der Willkür der anderen Kinder und des Aufsehers ausgesetzt... Aber anstatt zu kapitulieren, beginnt sich Nathan auf eigene Faust durchs Leben zu schlagen.
Höhen und Tiefen, Liebe und Verlust, Angst und Freude liegen in dieser tollen Geschichte immer nah beieinander.
Die Atmosphäre wirkt wahrlich märchenhaft an, auch wenn Nathan doch einige brenzlige Situationen meistern muss..
Von mir ganz klar 🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤
Jeder, der außergewöhnliche und nicht alltägliche Geschichten sucht, wird hier definitiv fündig werden!!
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