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Black Heart Boys' Choir
Great art demands sacrifice.
Lucien Beaumont is a teenage misfit and musical prodigy ostracized by his peers and haunted by familial tragedy. When he discovers an unfinished song written by his dead father—a song that holds terrible power—Lucien becomes obsessed. As he chases after the secret nature of his father's music, the line between gruesome fantasy and real life violence begins to blur.
To complete his father's work Lucien believes that he and his group of outcast friends must appease a demonic force trapped within the music with increasingly sadistic offerings. As things spiral out of control he finds that the cost of his art will be the lives of everyone around him, and perhaps his very soul.
Lucien Beaumont is a teenage misfit and musical prodigy ostracized by his peers and haunted by familial tragedy. When he discovers an unfinished song written by his dead father—a song that holds terrible power—Lucien becomes obsessed. As he chases after the secret nature of his father's music, the line between gruesome fantasy and real life violence begins to blur.
To complete his father's work Lucien believes that he and his group of outcast friends must appease a demonic force trapped within the music with increasingly sadistic offerings. As things spiral out of control he finds that the cost of his art will be the lives of everyone around him, and perhaps his very soul.
252 pages, Kindle Edition
Published September 8, 2019
14 people are currently reading
285 people want to read
About the author
Curtis M. Lawson
43 books234 followersCurtis M. Lawson is a writer of unapologetically weird, dark fiction, poetry, and comics. His work includes Black Heart Boys' Choir, It’s a Bad, Bad, Bad, Bad World, and The Devoured.
Curtis is a member of the Horror Writer’s Association and hosts the Wyrd Transmissions podcast.
Curtis is a member of the Horror Writer’s Association and hosts the Wyrd Transmissions podcast.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 44 reviews
August 23, 2019
BLACK HEART BOYS' CHOIR required a bit of time on my part for everything to sink in. Once it did, I felt liking shouting BRAVO and throwing some roses at the author. A friend took me aside and told me this was frowned upon, so I decided to write this review instead.
Lucien has recently lost his father to suicide. Shortly after that, he loses his mother to grief, (among other things.) To top it all off, he and his mother are required to move from their rather posh house, to a humbler home in a condominium. He is full of anger and disgust-with himself, and his weak parents. He begins hearing music in his head, as well as voices, and shortly thereafter he discovers a piece of orchestration that his father began to write but never finished. He sets out to quiet those voices and the music-will he be triumphant? You'll have to read this to find out!
I became a fan of Curtis Lawson last year and immediately bought another of his books when I finished the first. (I haven't been able to get to it yet-story of my life.) However, when he offered me a chance to read this one early, how could I say no? At first, I was a bit confused as to what was going on, and to be honest, I wondered if this novel was going to require some kind of musical knowledge or at least the ability to read music. I needn't have feared, since all that was required was close attention on my part. That wasn't hard to give because the narrative soon swept me up and carried me to the denouement, much like a wave at the beach carries you to shore.
Why did I need time to mull over this story? I can mention some of the reasons here, some I cannot because...spoilers. Lucien was not altogether likable, even before some of the more distasteful events occurred. Luckily, I'm okay with real people being the main character-meaning in real life, people are not all good or bad, so why do some expect that in their fiction? Another reason I needed to mull for a moment is mental illness. (Lucien reminded me a lot of a young man I knew who suffered from Schizophrenia.) In the end, this tale broke another way, but somehow I came away from it with a better understanding of the young man I once knew. (Or at least, I think I did.)
As a whole, BLACK HEART BOYS' CHOIR tackles a lot in its few pages: suicide, death, abuse, neglect, teen friendships, (and many of us know the friendships made during that difficult time in life are hard to break), resentments, music, mental illness (?), demons...well, you get the picture.
Hopefully, you now understand my reasons for mulling over this tale. I believe I will be thinking about it for quite some time. These are generally the types of stories that stick with me-the mull-ers. If what I've described above sounds good to you and if you enjoy thinking about a story long after it's finished, then I highly recommend BLACK HEART BOYS' CHOIR!
*Thank you to the author for the e-ARC of this novel in exchange for my honest feedback. This is it.*
Lucien has recently lost his father to suicide. Shortly after that, he loses his mother to grief, (among other things.) To top it all off, he and his mother are required to move from their rather posh house, to a humbler home in a condominium. He is full of anger and disgust-with himself, and his weak parents. He begins hearing music in his head, as well as voices, and shortly thereafter he discovers a piece of orchestration that his father began to write but never finished. He sets out to quiet those voices and the music-will he be triumphant? You'll have to read this to find out!
I became a fan of Curtis Lawson last year and immediately bought another of his books when I finished the first. (I haven't been able to get to it yet-story of my life.) However, when he offered me a chance to read this one early, how could I say no? At first, I was a bit confused as to what was going on, and to be honest, I wondered if this novel was going to require some kind of musical knowledge or at least the ability to read music. I needn't have feared, since all that was required was close attention on my part. That wasn't hard to give because the narrative soon swept me up and carried me to the denouement, much like a wave at the beach carries you to shore.
Why did I need time to mull over this story? I can mention some of the reasons here, some I cannot because...spoilers. Lucien was not altogether likable, even before some of the more distasteful events occurred. Luckily, I'm okay with real people being the main character-meaning in real life, people are not all good or bad, so why do some expect that in their fiction? Another reason I needed to mull for a moment is mental illness. (Lucien reminded me a lot of a young man I knew who suffered from Schizophrenia.) In the end, this tale broke another way, but somehow I came away from it with a better understanding of the young man I once knew. (Or at least, I think I did.)
As a whole, BLACK HEART BOYS' CHOIR tackles a lot in its few pages: suicide, death, abuse, neglect, teen friendships, (and many of us know the friendships made during that difficult time in life are hard to break), resentments, music, mental illness (?), demons...well, you get the picture.
Hopefully, you now understand my reasons for mulling over this tale. I believe I will be thinking about it for quite some time. These are generally the types of stories that stick with me-the mull-ers. If what I've described above sounds good to you and if you enjoy thinking about a story long after it's finished, then I highly recommend BLACK HEART BOYS' CHOIR!
*Thank you to the author for the e-ARC of this novel in exchange for my honest feedback. This is it.*
July 28, 2019
In Black Hearts Boys' Choir, Curtis M. Lawson conducts an eloquent, page-turning symphony of destruction. It's a brave, singular vision of unbridled rage.
The book commences with rather dense prose composed with a nearly lyrical flourish. If that's not your cup of tea, fear not—the story spreads it wings quickly and takes flight. The underlying concept could have easily encouraged an overwrought execution, but Lawson skillfully dodges self-indulgence in favor of a tense and ever-escalating plot.
Despite having a protagonist that sways between sympathy and villainy for a portion of the book, Lawson manages to keep characters relatable (if not redeemable) even when that line is irrevocably crossed.
Aligning more with the genre of dark fantasy perhaps than traditional horror, I can see this novel appealing to a broad audience, from teenage and adult fans of Billie Eilish and Lana Del Rey to more seasoned horror aficionados.
Lawson has created a work of art entirely his own, and I highly recommend it.
The book commences with rather dense prose composed with a nearly lyrical flourish. If that's not your cup of tea, fear not—the story spreads it wings quickly and takes flight. The underlying concept could have easily encouraged an overwrought execution, but Lawson skillfully dodges self-indulgence in favor of a tense and ever-escalating plot.
Despite having a protagonist that sways between sympathy and villainy for a portion of the book, Lawson manages to keep characters relatable (if not redeemable) even when that line is irrevocably crossed.
Aligning more with the genre of dark fantasy perhaps than traditional horror, I can see this novel appealing to a broad audience, from teenage and adult fans of Billie Eilish and Lana Del Rey to more seasoned horror aficionados.
Lawson has created a work of art entirely his own, and I highly recommend it.
March 21, 2021
"I shall be immortal in my art, the best parts of me captured in stave and song. Neither death nor Hell can undo that magic."
Few books make me want to throw it across the room and exclaim 'hurrah!' in ecstasy. If you do not feel the overwhelming urge of joy after reading this book, than you are most likely dead. I don't just say this because I consider Curtis my friend, but because this book is simply that good.
Lucien Beaumont is an insufferable prick, but once you understand his home life, you would most likely understand why. His dad's dead, his mother's gone off the rails and has succumbed to despair turning to drugs to avoid the pain of her existence, and he's now going to a public school that he hates. Lucien isn't like most people, he's acquired his father's gift for music and his obsession to be the best is what drives him to do things that most people wouldn't dare to do.
While there were certainly bits where I wanted to punch his smug, stupid face, there were also bits where I actually sympathized with the son of a bitch. Curtis certainly knows how to make people root for a guy who is not the best person, he understands why people root for characters like Walter White or what makes such repugnant characters as Alex DeLarge or Patrick Bateman so appealing (though Lucien isn't as sadistic as Alex nor as emotionally detached as Patrick). I felt for this character, I got angry at him, but never for long. I almost rooted for him to win even though I cringed in disgust at what his goals entailed. I felt his rage and his hatred, but also the bits of sympathy and humanity within that slowly dwindles as the novel goes on. There were even moments where I wished I could sit down with him and tell him that he's not alone in how he feels and he doesn't have to go down this path.
But make no mistake people, Lucien is not a sort of folk hero or martyr for a noble cause, he's an angry kid who wants to make people hurt in the way that he has hurt, much like in the case of school shooter phenomenon that Curtis initially wanted to tackle with this work, but much like My Friend Dahmer, I simply couldn't shut off my sympathy for this kid, as much as I could hate him at times. But if you come out of this thinking that Lucien is a Che Guevara of our generation, then you have most likely missed the point of the book.
Curtis writes with a smooth flow, never getting bogged in repetitive detail or going on tangents that no one cares to read about. Curtis has that 'just right' quality about his prose that I like to encounter in the books that I enjoy to read. I usually don't knock out books in several days unless I am truly invested in the story that is being told, and Curtis certainly knows how to keep one turning the page. The rest of his characters felt as alive as Lucien did, I probably felt the most connection to Max, as I was most like him when I was in high school, which to think of it was not all that long ago. He was the one that I felt the most for and one that I think I might've been friends with if I existed in the universe of the novel, and I did genuinely feel sorry for him and the situation that he got himself into, as well as feeling bad for him having such an egotistical, manipulative, and cantankerous friend as Lucien.
No book is perfect, and as much good as there is to Black Heart Boys' Choir, there are some issues that I've found after having thought of it. The ambiguity that the novel entails, while done mostly well, can become disorienting (though, I do understand that it was most likely the point). Also the portrayal of the female character Violet is....interesting. It's not bad or tasteless for the matter as some of the other novels that Curtis took inspiration from, at first she seems like Lucien's Jean, the girl who's most likely in love with him, though unlike Jean she is not innocent or 'pure' but rather vain and egotistical. She seems to be his Jean in the way that she is an object of his obsession rather than someone that he 'loves.' To be fair, she does have her moments of depth, but I never found that it was as impactful or hit as hard as it did for Lucien or his friends. Also some of the slang is dated. I know, weird, insignificant criticism, but nonetheless.
If there's one lesson to be learned from Black Heart Boys' Choir, it is that hatred solves nothing. As euphoric as the final pages of the novel are, there is also that lingering, bitter taste that comes from all of the violence and despair that had to come about from Lucien's obsession and how this could have easily been avoided if someone had chosen to care about Lucien, or any other of the Luciens around the world. Curtis never seeks to glorify, but rather to understand. His portrait of troubled youth seeks to be an empathic warning about the dangers of rage and hatred, and how pointless that it all is at the end of the day. Truly a haunting, yet still euphoric experience.
Few books make me want to throw it across the room and exclaim 'hurrah!' in ecstasy. If you do not feel the overwhelming urge of joy after reading this book, than you are most likely dead. I don't just say this because I consider Curtis my friend, but because this book is simply that good.
Lucien Beaumont is an insufferable prick, but once you understand his home life, you would most likely understand why. His dad's dead, his mother's gone off the rails and has succumbed to despair turning to drugs to avoid the pain of her existence, and he's now going to a public school that he hates. Lucien isn't like most people, he's acquired his father's gift for music and his obsession to be the best is what drives him to do things that most people wouldn't dare to do.
While there were certainly bits where I wanted to punch his smug, stupid face, there were also bits where I actually sympathized with the son of a bitch. Curtis certainly knows how to make people root for a guy who is not the best person, he understands why people root for characters like Walter White or what makes such repugnant characters as Alex DeLarge or Patrick Bateman so appealing (though Lucien isn't as sadistic as Alex nor as emotionally detached as Patrick). I felt for this character, I got angry at him, but never for long. I almost rooted for him to win even though I cringed in disgust at what his goals entailed. I felt his rage and his hatred, but also the bits of sympathy and humanity within that slowly dwindles as the novel goes on. There were even moments where I wished I could sit down with him and tell him that he's not alone in how he feels and he doesn't have to go down this path.
But make no mistake people, Lucien is not a sort of folk hero or martyr for a noble cause, he's an angry kid who wants to make people hurt in the way that he has hurt, much like in the case of school shooter phenomenon that Curtis initially wanted to tackle with this work, but much like My Friend Dahmer, I simply couldn't shut off my sympathy for this kid, as much as I could hate him at times. But if you come out of this thinking that Lucien is a Che Guevara of our generation, then you have most likely missed the point of the book.
Curtis writes with a smooth flow, never getting bogged in repetitive detail or going on tangents that no one cares to read about. Curtis has that 'just right' quality about his prose that I like to encounter in the books that I enjoy to read. I usually don't knock out books in several days unless I am truly invested in the story that is being told, and Curtis certainly knows how to keep one turning the page. The rest of his characters felt as alive as Lucien did, I probably felt the most connection to Max, as I was most like him when I was in high school, which to think of it was not all that long ago. He was the one that I felt the most for and one that I think I might've been friends with if I existed in the universe of the novel, and I did genuinely feel sorry for him and the situation that he got himself into, as well as feeling bad for him having such an egotistical, manipulative, and cantankerous friend as Lucien.
No book is perfect, and as much good as there is to Black Heart Boys' Choir, there are some issues that I've found after having thought of it. The ambiguity that the novel entails, while done mostly well, can become disorienting (though, I do understand that it was most likely the point). Also the portrayal of the female character Violet is....interesting. It's not bad or tasteless for the matter as some of the other novels that Curtis took inspiration from, at first she seems like Lucien's Jean, the girl who's most likely in love with him, though unlike Jean she is not innocent or 'pure' but rather vain and egotistical. She seems to be his Jean in the way that she is an object of his obsession rather than someone that he 'loves.' To be fair, she does have her moments of depth, but I never found that it was as impactful or hit as hard as it did for Lucien or his friends. Also some of the slang is dated. I know, weird, insignificant criticism, but nonetheless.
If there's one lesson to be learned from Black Heart Boys' Choir, it is that hatred solves nothing. As euphoric as the final pages of the novel are, there is also that lingering, bitter taste that comes from all of the violence and despair that had to come about from Lucien's obsession and how this could have easily been avoided if someone had chosen to care about Lucien, or any other of the Luciens around the world. Curtis never seeks to glorify, but rather to understand. His portrait of troubled youth seeks to be an empathic warning about the dangers of rage and hatred, and how pointless that it all is at the end of the day. Truly a haunting, yet still euphoric experience.
September 9, 2019
The end of the world, as it expresses itself at this place and in this time, is set to music. My choir sings as one, and bodies fall all around us, each a universe unto itself, now forever extinguished.” – Curtis M. Lawson, Black Heart Boys’ Choir
I love horror. I love music. When Curtis Lawson put a call out for reviewers, I couldn’t turn down this synopsis. Music is as wide and varied as the horror genre and I think there just isn’t enough musical horror out there. Recently I’ve read Scapegoat and We Sold Our Souls as well as a few others, but I need MORE. I’ve read a few of Lawson’s short stories in anthologies like Doorbells at Dusk, so it really was an immediate “YES” from me.
Lucien Beaumont is not a nice kid. Frankly, I detested him most of the time while still being utterly fascinated with his horrible thoughts and actions. He comes off as entitled, tortured, and just a bit of a jerk to most people. There are redeeming qualities though. Lawson manages to strike a fine balance between making him unbelievably contemptuous and just heartbreakingly real. He suffers a massive loss and may be suffering from some form of mental illness, but I am not 100% sure on this. His parents, while somewhat present, aren’t exactly paradigms of good behavior. I believe this is treated well. I think the appearance of a Duke of Hell in the form of an evil unicorn may be enough to make anyone behave unusually.
Set in a local public school, I worried that the scenes between the teenagers would feel unreal or contrived. I have a good amount of experience with the behaviors and problems of today’s teenagers. After reading it, I’m wondering how Lawson managed to get this setting and the side characters just right. The “stereotypes” one might think of do exist in some form. The popular and talented girl, the jock with something to prove, the friend to everyone who just wants to get along, and the kids who are mislabeled as “trouble-makers” and seen as “other”. I think the author nails it.
Note: don’t think that because this book has a cast of mostly teenaged characters and is set within a school that it doesn’t deliver the darkness. It is brutal and unapologetic. There are moments when I wasn’t exactly sure what was happening, when the fabric of reality bent a little for me as the reader. The author writes beautifully and has a way of explaining what is happening. He takes it just to the point of understanding and then lets the reader take it the rest of the way.
There is a mystery to be uncovered within these pages and it felt as if I made these discoveries right along with Lucien. There were moments when I HATED being inside this characters head; I felt almost complicit in some of the crimes he committed. But it wasn’t too much. I let go and enjoyed the ride – I needed to see how this all ended up.
Be sure to check this one out. And if you hear of any compelling combinations of music and horror – let me know.
I love horror. I love music. When Curtis Lawson put a call out for reviewers, I couldn’t turn down this synopsis. Music is as wide and varied as the horror genre and I think there just isn’t enough musical horror out there. Recently I’ve read Scapegoat and We Sold Our Souls as well as a few others, but I need MORE. I’ve read a few of Lawson’s short stories in anthologies like Doorbells at Dusk, so it really was an immediate “YES” from me.
Lucien Beaumont is not a nice kid. Frankly, I detested him most of the time while still being utterly fascinated with his horrible thoughts and actions. He comes off as entitled, tortured, and just a bit of a jerk to most people. There are redeeming qualities though. Lawson manages to strike a fine balance between making him unbelievably contemptuous and just heartbreakingly real. He suffers a massive loss and may be suffering from some form of mental illness, but I am not 100% sure on this. His parents, while somewhat present, aren’t exactly paradigms of good behavior. I believe this is treated well. I think the appearance of a Duke of Hell in the form of an evil unicorn may be enough to make anyone behave unusually.
Set in a local public school, I worried that the scenes between the teenagers would feel unreal or contrived. I have a good amount of experience with the behaviors and problems of today’s teenagers. After reading it, I’m wondering how Lawson managed to get this setting and the side characters just right. The “stereotypes” one might think of do exist in some form. The popular and talented girl, the jock with something to prove, the friend to everyone who just wants to get along, and the kids who are mislabeled as “trouble-makers” and seen as “other”. I think the author nails it.
Note: don’t think that because this book has a cast of mostly teenaged characters and is set within a school that it doesn’t deliver the darkness. It is brutal and unapologetic. There are moments when I wasn’t exactly sure what was happening, when the fabric of reality bent a little for me as the reader. The author writes beautifully and has a way of explaining what is happening. He takes it just to the point of understanding and then lets the reader take it the rest of the way.
There is a mystery to be uncovered within these pages and it felt as if I made these discoveries right along with Lucien. There were moments when I HATED being inside this characters head; I felt almost complicit in some of the crimes he committed. But it wasn’t too much. I let go and enjoyed the ride – I needed to see how this all ended up.
Be sure to check this one out. And if you hear of any compelling combinations of music and horror – let me know.
August 8, 2019
Black Heart Boys' Choir is the first novel I've read by Curtis M. Lawson, and I loved it! This story is creative, dark, and entertaining. It begins at the end, and then jumps back to the beginning to explain what happened to get there. I feel like this format worked really well for the story that was being told, and I anticipated seeing how everything unraveled.
The main character, Lucien, is complicated. Lucien is technically the protagonist, but he's also a villainous character. He kind of reminds me of Charlie Bartlett, except if he was a real asshole. He has sociopathic tendencies, but still feels relatable sometimes. I loved how my feelings toward him were all over the map the more that I got to know him.
Black Heart Boys' Choir also has a unicorn demon as a character, and I never knew this was something I needed in my life. This book was so good and grim. It comes out on 9/8, and this would be a perfect addition to your Halloween month TBR.
The main character, Lucien, is complicated. Lucien is technically the protagonist, but he's also a villainous character. He kind of reminds me of Charlie Bartlett, except if he was a real asshole. He has sociopathic tendencies, but still feels relatable sometimes. I loved how my feelings toward him were all over the map the more that I got to know him.
Black Heart Boys' Choir also has a unicorn demon as a character, and I never knew this was something I needed in my life. This book was so good and grim. It comes out on 9/8, and this would be a perfect addition to your Halloween month TBR.
April 16, 2021
When you sit back, close your eyes, and think about horror, what's the first thing that comes to mind? Whatever it is, I am going to go out on a limb and guess that it’s not classical music. Probably not unicorns either. I mean, who in their right mind conjures up a story about a demonic unicorn trapped inside the notes of a piece of sheet music just waiting to unleash it’s nefarious evil influence upon the world? Oh, Curtis M. Lawson would, that's who. If that doesn’t scream unique originality (keep it down though, this is the kind of concert where screaming would be frowned upon) then I don’t know what does.
BLACK HEART BOYS’ CHOIR is a strange kaleidoscopic journey into the mind of a misunderstood outcast teenager as he attempts to come to terms with his new life after the tragic suicide of his father. That teenager is Lucien Beaumont and if I'm being honest he's a bit of a prick (I can say that, right?). Arrogant, snobby, condescending (shall I go on?). Yet, for all his flaws you can't help but feel sorry for him in some way. Maybe even root for him a little? He's dealing with the loss of his father, his mother is basically non-existent nowadays, and he went from living a life of privilege and prestige to having to sell off family heirlooms to scrounge by. The kid is smart and talented but feels like he's just wasting his time in public school now that he no longer attends a private academy. Life for Lucien sucks, that is until he discovers an unfinished piece of music composed by his late father, then things start to get weird, really weird.
In his obsessive quest to discover the missing pieces of his father’s unfinished composition Lucien falls into this self perpetuating spiral of violence and madness (mental illness?) where the lines between fact and fiction, fantasy and reality begin to blur and bleed together. Are the fantastical things that Lucien experiences real or are they figments of a shattered and grieving mind that is slowly losing its grip on the here and now? Did I mention the demonic unicorn already? Are we the readers along for the ride with an unreliable narrator or is everything on the page meant to be taken as gospel for how it really happened? It’s for you to decide for yourself. That is one thing that I really enjoyed about BLACK HEART BOYS’ CHOIR, there is no hand holding here. You are thrown into this world where you have to navigate through classical music, anxieties, demons, fears, clefs, passions, greed, notes, and desires. Lawson doesn’t spoon feed it all to you, not that it is a complicated story by any means, but he allows the reader to come to their own conclusions as to what is really going on which I appreciated.
Lucien recruits (brainwashes?) others to join his choir of black hearted boys in his mission to bring harmony and music to the ears of the world, whether they want to listen or not. Lawson has crafted a tale in which he takes the readers right up to the edge and in the final vividly brutal cinematic moments takes that extra step out over the void, not afraid of holding anything back. Without trying to give too much away I interpreted this as an allegory for the type of tragedy that sadly occurs all too often in our day and time and was left a bit shocked with what I had just finished reading. Bravo sir, bravo.
Wickedly smart, brave, and wholly original. Unlike anything that I have ever read before, BLACK HEART BOYS’ CHOIR by Curtis M. Lawson is a fierce manic assault on the senses. This one was devilishly fun. If you are in need of some classical music infused into your horror then look no further. Lawson’s imagination and storytelling ability makes me want to pick up and read everything that he writes.
I received a copy of this book from the author for review consideration.
Video review: https://youtu.be/_8krpjVVWrY
BLACK HEART BOYS’ CHOIR is a strange kaleidoscopic journey into the mind of a misunderstood outcast teenager as he attempts to come to terms with his new life after the tragic suicide of his father. That teenager is Lucien Beaumont and if I'm being honest he's a bit of a prick (I can say that, right?). Arrogant, snobby, condescending (shall I go on?). Yet, for all his flaws you can't help but feel sorry for him in some way. Maybe even root for him a little? He's dealing with the loss of his father, his mother is basically non-existent nowadays, and he went from living a life of privilege and prestige to having to sell off family heirlooms to scrounge by. The kid is smart and talented but feels like he's just wasting his time in public school now that he no longer attends a private academy. Life for Lucien sucks, that is until he discovers an unfinished piece of music composed by his late father, then things start to get weird, really weird.
In his obsessive quest to discover the missing pieces of his father’s unfinished composition Lucien falls into this self perpetuating spiral of violence and madness (mental illness?) where the lines between fact and fiction, fantasy and reality begin to blur and bleed together. Are the fantastical things that Lucien experiences real or are they figments of a shattered and grieving mind that is slowly losing its grip on the here and now? Did I mention the demonic unicorn already? Are we the readers along for the ride with an unreliable narrator or is everything on the page meant to be taken as gospel for how it really happened? It’s for you to decide for yourself. That is one thing that I really enjoyed about BLACK HEART BOYS’ CHOIR, there is no hand holding here. You are thrown into this world where you have to navigate through classical music, anxieties, demons, fears, clefs, passions, greed, notes, and desires. Lawson doesn’t spoon feed it all to you, not that it is a complicated story by any means, but he allows the reader to come to their own conclusions as to what is really going on which I appreciated.
Lucien recruits (brainwashes?) others to join his choir of black hearted boys in his mission to bring harmony and music to the ears of the world, whether they want to listen or not. Lawson has crafted a tale in which he takes the readers right up to the edge and in the final vividly brutal cinematic moments takes that extra step out over the void, not afraid of holding anything back. Without trying to give too much away I interpreted this as an allegory for the type of tragedy that sadly occurs all too often in our day and time and was left a bit shocked with what I had just finished reading. Bravo sir, bravo.
Wickedly smart, brave, and wholly original. Unlike anything that I have ever read before, BLACK HEART BOYS’ CHOIR by Curtis M. Lawson is a fierce manic assault on the senses. This one was devilishly fun. If you are in need of some classical music infused into your horror then look no further. Lawson’s imagination and storytelling ability makes me want to pick up and read everything that he writes.
I received a copy of this book from the author for review consideration.
Video review: https://youtu.be/_8krpjVVWrY
August 22, 2019
I've never read music horror before, let alone music speculative fiction in general. But, I was pleasantly surprise by Lawson's Black Heart Boys' Choir. I'm a huge horror fan and a big believer in the "anti-hero, somewhat villainous, pretty ass hole-y" type of protagonist. Lucien is just that type and I love it. Not a perfect hero, not a save the world perfect man, not a rescue the damsel in distress for love. None of that. And, it works beautifully. The story kicks off with the end, but learning the journey is what fills the guts of the book. In many fantasy books, this is becoming a sort of trope or archetype, but in horror it's seen less.
As the story progresses, Lucien grows more obsessive and psychotic with his fathers unfinished song. The single most thing that causes him the most disdain. But, he has real world issues changing him too; bullying, strange and new place, lost parents.
I won't spoil anything else (okay, but first the un-unicorn-like unicorn was... definitely original), but the writing itself was wonderful.
As the story progresses, Lucien grows more obsessive and psychotic with his fathers unfinished song. The single most thing that causes him the most disdain. But, he has real world issues changing him too; bullying, strange and new place, lost parents.
I won't spoil anything else (okay, but first the un-unicorn-like unicorn was... definitely original), but the writing itself was wonderful.
May 25, 2021
There’s a certain intersectionality in fiction between horrorspecific storytelling and music. From the musicians turned authors, notably Greg Kihn and Douglas Wynne, to authors who simply write about music. It’s often really good, Kihn and Wynne are both excellent. And occasionally less so, like Jeremy Wagner’s cheesy gorefest Armageddon Chord. And of course, sometimes authors will just write great scary stories featuring music without being able to strum a single chord, because, you know, fiction.
I don’t know if Lawson has a musical bone in his body. Joshi, who provided a very favorable foreword, does, specifically choir music, so there’s that, but the thing is no choral music experience is necessary to enjoy this book. The protagonist of it, young Lucien Beaumont, loves it enough for everyone. In fact, it’s his life’s greatest passion.
Sadly, Lucien’s life otherwise in pretty much in the dumps. Since the death of his beloved father, whom he had idolized and imitated to the sartorially perfected classical music adoring tee, Lucien’s junkie mother has wasted away the family’s money, so no more mansion, no more private school, etc. Now the two of them are living in a condo in a small town and Lucien has to attend (gasp) public school. The boy still has his suits, but in his new school to no one’s surprise his impeccable personal style is about as appreciated as standoffish attitude and his general mien of exaggerated superiority…not at all.
Eventually, beating the odds, he finds some simpatico souls and forms a choir of four with the end goal of eventually being able to perform a mysterious madrigal his father left behind. The madrigal is sinisterly titled, all but destroyed when Lucien finds it and appears to be nightmare inducing, but obsessions being that they are…Lucien can’t seem to stay away from it. No matter what. Not even when it becomes obvious the music might be demon’s work. Not even when it demands sacrifices to reveal itself. Not even when the cost of knowing it might be his very soul.
So fun, right? Somewhere there is an intersectionality of Faust and Carrie that spawned this dark ditty. Though make no mistake, this has all the makings of an original. It might have gone the wrong way, especially with all the protagonists being high schoolers, it might have gone (gasp) YA. But rest assured, it’s much too dark and weird for the simplicity of young adult fiction.
In fact, it very deliberately adds complexity and vulnerability to the main character, who otherwise might have very easily read as a sort of American Psycho Jr. Lucien is dramatically underparented (specifically unmothered and overfathered), there simply is no one there to guide him in any way or offer support. Plus for all his snobbery, he isn’t always wrong. Sometimes he’s just the kid who says the darndest things, about the decline of social standards, among other things, especially in relation to his new school which does its best to kill any spark of originality in the name of homogenous easily digestible blandness. In all those respects the book works well as a sort of social commentary and this both elevates the overall quality and gives dimensionality to a protagonist who might have otherwise ended up a cliched weirdo.
For genre fans, there are plenty of scares. The book announces its deadly ending from the very beginning and makes good on that all the merrily murderous way through. For fans of classical and choral music this will definitely resonate (buh dum dum) on a profoundly dark and disturbing level.
Overall a pretty fun quick read. Registering somewhere in the upper ranges of liked it, but GR's rating are so inflexible. Recommended.
This and more at https://advancetheplot.weebly.com/
I don’t know if Lawson has a musical bone in his body. Joshi, who provided a very favorable foreword, does, specifically choir music, so there’s that, but the thing is no choral music experience is necessary to enjoy this book. The protagonist of it, young Lucien Beaumont, loves it enough for everyone. In fact, it’s his life’s greatest passion.
Sadly, Lucien’s life otherwise in pretty much in the dumps. Since the death of his beloved father, whom he had idolized and imitated to the sartorially perfected classical music adoring tee, Lucien’s junkie mother has wasted away the family’s money, so no more mansion, no more private school, etc. Now the two of them are living in a condo in a small town and Lucien has to attend (gasp) public school. The boy still has his suits, but in his new school to no one’s surprise his impeccable personal style is about as appreciated as standoffish attitude and his general mien of exaggerated superiority…not at all.
Eventually, beating the odds, he finds some simpatico souls and forms a choir of four with the end goal of eventually being able to perform a mysterious madrigal his father left behind. The madrigal is sinisterly titled, all but destroyed when Lucien finds it and appears to be nightmare inducing, but obsessions being that they are…Lucien can’t seem to stay away from it. No matter what. Not even when it becomes obvious the music might be demon’s work. Not even when it demands sacrifices to reveal itself. Not even when the cost of knowing it might be his very soul.
So fun, right? Somewhere there is an intersectionality of Faust and Carrie that spawned this dark ditty. Though make no mistake, this has all the makings of an original. It might have gone the wrong way, especially with all the protagonists being high schoolers, it might have gone (gasp) YA. But rest assured, it’s much too dark and weird for the simplicity of young adult fiction.
In fact, it very deliberately adds complexity and vulnerability to the main character, who otherwise might have very easily read as a sort of American Psycho Jr. Lucien is dramatically underparented (specifically unmothered and overfathered), there simply is no one there to guide him in any way or offer support. Plus for all his snobbery, he isn’t always wrong. Sometimes he’s just the kid who says the darndest things, about the decline of social standards, among other things, especially in relation to his new school which does its best to kill any spark of originality in the name of homogenous easily digestible blandness. In all those respects the book works well as a sort of social commentary and this both elevates the overall quality and gives dimensionality to a protagonist who might have otherwise ended up a cliched weirdo.
For genre fans, there are plenty of scares. The book announces its deadly ending from the very beginning and makes good on that all the merrily murderous way through. For fans of classical and choral music this will definitely resonate (buh dum dum) on a profoundly dark and disturbing level.
Overall a pretty fun quick read. Registering somewhere in the upper ranges of liked it, but GR's rating are so inflexible. Recommended.
This and more at https://advancetheplot.weebly.com/
Read
July 25, 2019Lucien Beaumont is a teenage musical prodigy who has fallen on hard times after a family tragedy. When he discovers an unfinished piece of music by his late father he becomes obsessed with completing it. It is no ordinary song, and Lucien will discover that great art requires great sacrifice.
Music horror is one of my favorite things, and this is an excellent take that kept me fully engaged right from the start. Even knowing the endgame, the journey to that end was full of surprises and little connections and references that kept it exciting throughout (not to mention the least whimsical unicorn I can think of). There's something about cursed art (be it painting, music, literature--you name it) and an artist character descending into obsession and madness that never fails to pull me in. Throw in a demonic entity goading said artist, and I am 100% here for it.
While cursed music and demons are plenty scary, the scariest aspect of this story is Lucien himself. Told entirely from his perspective we experience his disdain for nearly everyone and everything around him, and the violent fantasies that accompany it. His thoughts are so believable written that this would have been a deeply uncomfortable read even without the inclusion of a demonic song designed to end the world, but the song takes the story up many a notch by giving Lucien's hatred and violence a focused obsession. That's not to say Lucien is entirely unsympathetic, he has lost one parent (and the other is essentially lost as well) and is dealing with daily bullying and harassment in an unfamiliar environment with little support. So while I didn't particularly like Lucien, I felt Lawson did a fantastic job at making sure I understood him, and absolutely made him interesting.
The writing here is lush and descriptive without being overblown and BLACK HEART BOYS' CHOIR delivered everything I wanted it to (and them some). Definitely recommend checking this one out in September!
August 24, 2019
Author: Curtis M. Lawson
Length: 252 Pages
Release Date: September 8, 2019
Publisher: Wyrd Horror
Being a fan of the author's other books, including his book Devoured and his Bad World series, it was a pleasant surprise to get an advanced review copy of his new release, Black Heart Boys' Choir. It is definitely a step back towards his horror roots after a swing into urban fantasy with Bad World and Weird West with The Devoured.
PLOT SUMMARY
Lucien Beaumont and his family have fallen on hard times. His father, a famous composer, committed suicide, and he and his mother have been forced to relocate to a much less affluent town in Massachusetts. This also means Lucien had to leave his prep school and start into public school. Being an intelligent, sophisticated music prodigy, Lucien dresses in suits, has manners, and has a superiority complex about who he is in comparison to the other kids. This of course leads him into conflict with the cool kids cliques, which are particularly nasty. He also runs afoul of the Glee Club kids, who he considers untalented pop music hacks. its under these conditions that the plot proceeds.
After some run ins with the school bully and the Glee club, Lucien and his only friend Maxwell decide to start their own musical group. they enlist a couple outsiders like themselves who appreciate classical music, and start practicing. They are told on to the school administration, though, and banned from using school premises. This is where they pick up the name of their group, the Black Heart Boy's Choir, from their penchant for wearing all black suits and being aloof to the other students.
It is also about this time that Lucien discovers his obsession, his father's last piece of unfinished work. It has been defaced, but he starts to reconstruct it. He also starts to have strange visions, as he sees into the past to events he sees in whole new light, seeing his father was inspired by more than a creative muse to create his masterpiece, the Madrigal of The World's End. the inspirations may or may not be an ancient demon named Amduscias, who manifests (or maybe not) in Lucien's mind as a black unicorn. As the group reconstructs the music though ever more terrifying and horrible means, the music comes together at last in a crescendo of blood, chaos and madness, as the Choir performs the finished piece to a very unknowing audience, with completely shocking results.
CHARACTERS AND WORLD BUILDING
The world building in this one takes a realistic approach, using an abandoned city n Massachusetts, reimagined as a suburb of Boston. Gritty, lower middle class, you can fairly see the variety of neighborhoods in the city, giving it a lived in atmosphere. The author goes into some loving detail with several of the locations, without going into info dump territory.
Characters are such a strength in this book. while you would think that high school kids would be cardboard cutouts of pop culture teens like those in Heathers, Mean Girls or Fast Times at Ridgemont High, these characters are surprisingly nuanced. The characters deal with realistic situations in realistic ways, while handling real world problems, like social hierarchy, bullying, decaying family structure, suicide, political correctness and class differences. Lucien is a great character, who has to deal with so many issues, and how he handles them is well written, if sad and terrifying at the same time. The various other characters get attention paid to their growth as well, and it really helps round out the story.
FINAL THOUGHTS
I was amazed how much this dark story spoke to me. I remember those feelings of loneliness and ostracism being an outsider at a new high school. Lucien is a complex, and ultimately horribly flawed character, but its hard not seeing a bit of myself in him, although with much different results. The end of this book is extremely relevant currently, and I recommend this book to anyone looking for a dark story with genuine, flawed characters on the path to ruin. One of the best reads of 2019 for me.
Length: 252 Pages
Release Date: September 8, 2019
Publisher: Wyrd Horror
Being a fan of the author's other books, including his book Devoured and his Bad World series, it was a pleasant surprise to get an advanced review copy of his new release, Black Heart Boys' Choir. It is definitely a step back towards his horror roots after a swing into urban fantasy with Bad World and Weird West with The Devoured.
PLOT SUMMARY
Lucien Beaumont and his family have fallen on hard times. His father, a famous composer, committed suicide, and he and his mother have been forced to relocate to a much less affluent town in Massachusetts. This also means Lucien had to leave his prep school and start into public school. Being an intelligent, sophisticated music prodigy, Lucien dresses in suits, has manners, and has a superiority complex about who he is in comparison to the other kids. This of course leads him into conflict with the cool kids cliques, which are particularly nasty. He also runs afoul of the Glee Club kids, who he considers untalented pop music hacks. its under these conditions that the plot proceeds.
After some run ins with the school bully and the Glee club, Lucien and his only friend Maxwell decide to start their own musical group. they enlist a couple outsiders like themselves who appreciate classical music, and start practicing. They are told on to the school administration, though, and banned from using school premises. This is where they pick up the name of their group, the Black Heart Boy's Choir, from their penchant for wearing all black suits and being aloof to the other students.
It is also about this time that Lucien discovers his obsession, his father's last piece of unfinished work. It has been defaced, but he starts to reconstruct it. He also starts to have strange visions, as he sees into the past to events he sees in whole new light, seeing his father was inspired by more than a creative muse to create his masterpiece, the Madrigal of The World's End. the inspirations may or may not be an ancient demon named Amduscias, who manifests (or maybe not) in Lucien's mind as a black unicorn. As the group reconstructs the music though ever more terrifying and horrible means, the music comes together at last in a crescendo of blood, chaos and madness, as the Choir performs the finished piece to a very unknowing audience, with completely shocking results.
CHARACTERS AND WORLD BUILDING
The world building in this one takes a realistic approach, using an abandoned city n Massachusetts, reimagined as a suburb of Boston. Gritty, lower middle class, you can fairly see the variety of neighborhoods in the city, giving it a lived in atmosphere. The author goes into some loving detail with several of the locations, without going into info dump territory.
Characters are such a strength in this book. while you would think that high school kids would be cardboard cutouts of pop culture teens like those in Heathers, Mean Girls or Fast Times at Ridgemont High, these characters are surprisingly nuanced. The characters deal with realistic situations in realistic ways, while handling real world problems, like social hierarchy, bullying, decaying family structure, suicide, political correctness and class differences. Lucien is a great character, who has to deal with so many issues, and how he handles them is well written, if sad and terrifying at the same time. The various other characters get attention paid to their growth as well, and it really helps round out the story.
FINAL THOUGHTS
I was amazed how much this dark story spoke to me. I remember those feelings of loneliness and ostracism being an outsider at a new high school. Lucien is a complex, and ultimately horribly flawed character, but its hard not seeing a bit of myself in him, although with much different results. The end of this book is extremely relevant currently, and I recommend this book to anyone looking for a dark story with genuine, flawed characters on the path to ruin. One of the best reads of 2019 for me.
May 7, 2020
A dark melody that transfixes you to the page... you cannot escape.
To paraphrase the author's demon, great art cannot be achieved without great sacrifice. Given the quality of this novel, I wonder just what the author might have sacrificed to create it. Certainly, a lot of his time and effort, and perhaps a good chunk of his heart and soul.
I should note that I know this author and think very highly of him as a person and an author. I am also a true fan of his writing style, dark sense of humor, and penchant for action in his horror. For those reasons, I did NOT want to read Black Heart Boys' Choir. Not only did it seem a more serious delve into the literary, but the presence of a unicorn in it made my nose twitch. Quite frankly, I did not think I would enjoy that aspect of the book at all and didn't want to have to give the author an honest response if he asked if I read and liked the book. Other than the movie Legend, I can't think of anything I've ever liked that featured a unicorn.
Until now. Minor spoiler The referenced character is not only enjoyable, but next to Lucien Beaumont, the main character, a wonder to behold: fantastically imagined and sinisterly rhythmic.
I listened to the book on Audible, and the choice of voice for Lucien Beaumont was nothing short of perfect. Lucien is a hateful human being: violent, arrogant, and spoiled, with a chip on his shoulder as big as a mountain... and perhaps not entirely in the wrong. That is the magic of the character. Far from being a traditional protagonist or even the antihero, Lucien is an outcast who many might find relatable (though hopefully not to be emulated) despite his wicked and vile deeds. His actions are beyond redeemable, but they are in part reactionary to a world that has failed him, adults who have abandoned him, administrators and others with responsibilities for his development who have shunned him and treated him as a lost cause, and peers who ostracize and bully him. This story gives voice to the voiceless on the most crucial of subjects, not in a manner that condones or excuses or glorifies the character's actions, but that examines them so that they might be prevented, so that the mentally ill might get the help they need before they spiral out of control.
On top of that, the writing is beyond reproach. The author has really created something beautiful here, both as harmonious and discordant as the masterpiece Lucien seeks. The sophisticated vocabulary suits the character perfectly, defining who he is and what he's about while making us love and loathe him. I am speaking in contradictory terms, I know, but Lucien is complex enough to warrant them. This book will make you feel anger and melancholy, make you cry for vengeance while begging for mercy from it. It may make you reflect on who you were in high school and remember those times you might have been better but fell short.
I cannot say enough good things about this book nor recommend it more highly. It is masterful horror written by someone I think may someday be among the masters of horror. As the subject matter is difficult for some, I would only take that into consideration before reading.
To paraphrase the author's demon, great art cannot be achieved without great sacrifice. Given the quality of this novel, I wonder just what the author might have sacrificed to create it. Certainly, a lot of his time and effort, and perhaps a good chunk of his heart and soul.
I should note that I know this author and think very highly of him as a person and an author. I am also a true fan of his writing style, dark sense of humor, and penchant for action in his horror. For those reasons, I did NOT want to read Black Heart Boys' Choir. Not only did it seem a more serious delve into the literary, but the presence of a unicorn in it made my nose twitch. Quite frankly, I did not think I would enjoy that aspect of the book at all and didn't want to have to give the author an honest response if he asked if I read and liked the book. Other than the movie Legend, I can't think of anything I've ever liked that featured a unicorn.
Until now. Minor spoiler The referenced character is not only enjoyable, but next to Lucien Beaumont, the main character, a wonder to behold: fantastically imagined and sinisterly rhythmic.
I listened to the book on Audible, and the choice of voice for Lucien Beaumont was nothing short of perfect. Lucien is a hateful human being: violent, arrogant, and spoiled, with a chip on his shoulder as big as a mountain... and perhaps not entirely in the wrong. That is the magic of the character. Far from being a traditional protagonist or even the antihero, Lucien is an outcast who many might find relatable (though hopefully not to be emulated) despite his wicked and vile deeds. His actions are beyond redeemable, but they are in part reactionary to a world that has failed him, adults who have abandoned him, administrators and others with responsibilities for his development who have shunned him and treated him as a lost cause, and peers who ostracize and bully him. This story gives voice to the voiceless on the most crucial of subjects, not in a manner that condones or excuses or glorifies the character's actions, but that examines them so that they might be prevented, so that the mentally ill might get the help they need before they spiral out of control.
On top of that, the writing is beyond reproach. The author has really created something beautiful here, both as harmonious and discordant as the masterpiece Lucien seeks. The sophisticated vocabulary suits the character perfectly, defining who he is and what he's about while making us love and loathe him. I am speaking in contradictory terms, I know, but Lucien is complex enough to warrant them. This book will make you feel anger and melancholy, make you cry for vengeance while begging for mercy from it. It may make you reflect on who you were in high school and remember those times you might have been better but fell short.
I cannot say enough good things about this book nor recommend it more highly. It is masterful horror written by someone I think may someday be among the masters of horror. As the subject matter is difficult for some, I would only take that into consideration before reading.
August 30, 2019
Was a 3.5 until the last 40 pages or so totally flipped it up to that 4. Full review to come!
July 23, 2021
I remember pre-ordering this and being excited to read it. Like so many others, my TBR is insane, but now I wish I would’ve dove in right away. I’ve read a few of Lawson’s releases, but frankly, this is a completely different level. How this book wasn’t nominated for a ton of dark fiction/speculative fiction awards is beyond me and truthfully, it’s frustrating when you see a book this stunning seemingly slip through and not get the recognition is deserves.
The story is brutal, the characters are flawed, real and relatable. You know these kids, you went to school with these kids. We were all one of these, whether the outcasts, the glee club or the jock group. And ultimately, this story feels completely bonkers but also completely realistic and topical.
What I liked: The story follows former rich kid, Lucien as he finds himself in public school. His father was a renowned classical musician, who took his life and as a result, his schooling was no longer being paid for.
He feels abandoned. By his father, his drug-addicted mother, and his former school. He’s angry. Time and time again, the adults have failed him.
It’s this anger that ultimately drives him throughout the actions within the book.
He’s made a friend, someone who shares his interests. But it’s not until Lucien discovers an unfinished piece of music his father was composing with another musician that his anger is joined by obsession.
Lawson does a truly amazing job of crafting an all-too-real high school. You can practically smell the B.O. and Axe body spray. It’s been almost 25 years since I graduated from Nakusp Secondary School, but reading this brought me back to when I was walking the hallway – as a bully, a jock, an outcast and a loner. High school for so many of us was a strange and odd time in our lives, and because of this you can really understand the ‘why’ of Lucien’s plight.
I really loved how over the course of the novel you can see Lucien’s transition. Almost like Gollum finding his precious and while those dream like occurrences at first can feel odd and out of place, his experiences with the black unicorn were truly phenomenal.
The ending to this may come off as extreme, but really, was there any other ending? Was this going to have a different conclusion? I don’t think so and Lawson finished it off perfectly and exactly how it should’ve ended.
What I didn’t like: It’s odd, because I thought this novel was perfect, but I wished we would’ve had a bit more push back from J.C. and Asher when things really take a turn, especially with Leo. I won’t say more, spoilers and all, but they just seemed to accept that obsession of the Madrigal and go with it.
Why you should buy this: This is one of the best books I’ve ever read, and one of the best books featuring music that I’ve ever read. I’ve heard varying opinions on S.T. Joshi, but his foreword was spot on when he stated that you’ll feel the music while reading, which seems impossible but is actual fact. You could feel the hum and vibration throughout.
Lawson has done such an amazing job, more of you absolutely need to read this outstanding piece of dark fiction. Curtis has something truly special here and I’m angry and sad and ashamed that I didn’t get to this sooner to sing it’s praises and that this book hasn’t had its praises sung from the mountain tops. This book will leave you wrecked. Sad. Angry. Frustrated. Everything you want a book to make you feel.
Outstanding work. Outstanding.
The story is brutal, the characters are flawed, real and relatable. You know these kids, you went to school with these kids. We were all one of these, whether the outcasts, the glee club or the jock group. And ultimately, this story feels completely bonkers but also completely realistic and topical.
What I liked: The story follows former rich kid, Lucien as he finds himself in public school. His father was a renowned classical musician, who took his life and as a result, his schooling was no longer being paid for.
He feels abandoned. By his father, his drug-addicted mother, and his former school. He’s angry. Time and time again, the adults have failed him.
It’s this anger that ultimately drives him throughout the actions within the book.
He’s made a friend, someone who shares his interests. But it’s not until Lucien discovers an unfinished piece of music his father was composing with another musician that his anger is joined by obsession.
Lawson does a truly amazing job of crafting an all-too-real high school. You can practically smell the B.O. and Axe body spray. It’s been almost 25 years since I graduated from Nakusp Secondary School, but reading this brought me back to when I was walking the hallway – as a bully, a jock, an outcast and a loner. High school for so many of us was a strange and odd time in our lives, and because of this you can really understand the ‘why’ of Lucien’s plight.
I really loved how over the course of the novel you can see Lucien’s transition. Almost like Gollum finding his precious and while those dream like occurrences at first can feel odd and out of place, his experiences with the black unicorn were truly phenomenal.
The ending to this may come off as extreme, but really, was there any other ending? Was this going to have a different conclusion? I don’t think so and Lawson finished it off perfectly and exactly how it should’ve ended.
What I didn’t like: It’s odd, because I thought this novel was perfect, but I wished we would’ve had a bit more push back from J.C. and Asher when things really take a turn, especially with Leo. I won’t say more, spoilers and all, but they just seemed to accept that obsession of the Madrigal and go with it.
Why you should buy this: This is one of the best books I’ve ever read, and one of the best books featuring music that I’ve ever read. I’ve heard varying opinions on S.T. Joshi, but his foreword was spot on when he stated that you’ll feel the music while reading, which seems impossible but is actual fact. You could feel the hum and vibration throughout.
Lawson has done such an amazing job, more of you absolutely need to read this outstanding piece of dark fiction. Curtis has something truly special here and I’m angry and sad and ashamed that I didn’t get to this sooner to sing it’s praises and that this book hasn’t had its praises sung from the mountain tops. This book will leave you wrecked. Sad. Angry. Frustrated. Everything you want a book to make you feel.
Outstanding work. Outstanding.
October 6, 2019
It must have been sometime during junior high. A man with long, sticky hair, a neck tattoo, and piercings stuck in a wide variety of places along his face arrived at our church to warn us about the devil. Apparently Satan had infiltrated the music we were listening to, the toys we held onto from childhood, and the dice games we played in our basements. Because this man looked like he escaped a heavy metal band or was living on the streets hustling for heroin he seemed authentic enough that the church administration and by extension our parents accepted his fear-mongering hook-line-and-sinker. It seemed the devil had eclectic taste, he was into Led Zeppelin, My Pretty Pony, He-Man, and very involved narrative-based games that people who hated sports tended to gravitate towards. Somehow, if you were sophisticated enough to get your record player or boom box to play your music backwards the devil had a secret message for you. I was not given to electrical engineering so had no clue how to receive Beelzebub’s bidding.
Over the years, I have thought a lot about these after-hours church meetings filled with the threat of evil invading our small town. All us junior high kids were teetering on the edge of damnation in those days it would seem. Since then, I have read a lot about the Satanic Panic of the 1980s. I have even digested the F.B.I.'s exhaustive report on devil worship in America.
So I was very excited when I started reading Curtis M. Lawson’s Black Heart Boy’s Choir. Here was a story that delved into the darkness of demon worship and music. It’s the story of Lucius, the son of a composer, who was given every advantage as a child, but after the death of his father watched his mother spiral into depression and the family fortune dwindle. He is forced to leave private school and join the proletariat in the public square. Quickly, his flashy suits and supercilious attitude towards the howling masses invite torment and ridicule.
But Lucius has a secret weapon. He discovers his father’s unfinished masterwork and learns that it is possessed by a demon that wants to employ Lucius and his musical crew to usher the end of the world, or at least the end to his high school, which, if you remember high school, is the world for those four years.
Every time Lucius kills he can hear the notes and refrains of his father’s unfinished composition. In the wake of each murder, he begins to transcribe the melodies the demon let him hear under the spell of his rage.
Lawson’s book explores the reclusive nature of the artist while delving into the psyche of the troubled genius that despises the culture before it has time to learn to appreciate the work.
Lawson’s prose sings. I have read two other books by Lawson and this one has a clarity to the descriptions that cut like glass. Although his work belongs on the shelves with cosmic horror, his writing leans on the figurative language rather than the telling detail.
For all of Lucius' anti-social violence, it seems Lawson found a unique way to cast this character. He harkened back to many figures we have seen before but Lawson imagined him in new ways and breathed new life into the high school sociopath that in another’s hands might have come across as trite and banal.
Just in time for Halloween, this is the kind of horror story that will keep you turning pages until the horrible finale.
Over the years, I have thought a lot about these after-hours church meetings filled with the threat of evil invading our small town. All us junior high kids were teetering on the edge of damnation in those days it would seem. Since then, I have read a lot about the Satanic Panic of the 1980s. I have even digested the F.B.I.'s exhaustive report on devil worship in America.
So I was very excited when I started reading Curtis M. Lawson’s Black Heart Boy’s Choir. Here was a story that delved into the darkness of demon worship and music. It’s the story of Lucius, the son of a composer, who was given every advantage as a child, but after the death of his father watched his mother spiral into depression and the family fortune dwindle. He is forced to leave private school and join the proletariat in the public square. Quickly, his flashy suits and supercilious attitude towards the howling masses invite torment and ridicule.
But Lucius has a secret weapon. He discovers his father’s unfinished masterwork and learns that it is possessed by a demon that wants to employ Lucius and his musical crew to usher the end of the world, or at least the end to his high school, which, if you remember high school, is the world for those four years.
Every time Lucius kills he can hear the notes and refrains of his father’s unfinished composition. In the wake of each murder, he begins to transcribe the melodies the demon let him hear under the spell of his rage.
Lawson’s book explores the reclusive nature of the artist while delving into the psyche of the troubled genius that despises the culture before it has time to learn to appreciate the work.
Lawson’s prose sings. I have read two other books by Lawson and this one has a clarity to the descriptions that cut like glass. Although his work belongs on the shelves with cosmic horror, his writing leans on the figurative language rather than the telling detail.
For all of Lucius' anti-social violence, it seems Lawson found a unique way to cast this character. He harkened back to many figures we have seen before but Lawson imagined him in new ways and breathed new life into the high school sociopath that in another’s hands might have come across as trite and banal.
Just in time for Halloween, this is the kind of horror story that will keep you turning pages until the horrible finale.
June 23, 2022
video review:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5sGqm...
I get a kick out of reading a horror story that involves music. I’ve read a few over my lifetime and always seem to enjoy them. Usually the music involved in a good horror story is some sort of Rock music, or Metal. Metal and Horror seem to be a great fit.
Never did I think I would thoroughly enjoy a psychedelic cosmic horror story involving classical music as it’s main storyline. But, never say never.
Curtis M. Lawson brings us “Black Heart Boys’ Choir.” This is definitely one that takes you on a trippy psychedelic ride of evil, and the soundtrack is Beethoven.
Meet Lucien Beaumont. He is a teenage misfit, but he is a musical prodigy. This makes him an outcast. Figure in his father’s death and you have a recipe of someone with loads of potential crashing and burning before that talent comes to life. Lucien becomes obsessed with a piece of unfinished music written by his father. He allows the obsession to take control of his life and lead him down a dark dead end of a journey, surely to leave a trail of blood.
To finish the music his father started, Lucien brings together an outcast group of other talented musicians as he does whatever is needed to release the sinister force trapped within the music notes.
Making my way through the story, I got a feeling of American Psycho crossed with A Clockwork Orange. This seemed like the two’s lovechild creation.
It gets trippy. It gets weird. It gets colorful. I felt at times I was reading a lot of colors. Not reading the color names, but reading and seeing a different realm of colors. Things were blending, creating new colors, creating new shapes.
Lawson creates the perfect character to get under your skin. He is this music snob. Arrogant to the core. Just a downright jerk, walking around in his custom suit, with his nose turned up at everyone. The kind of person you want to hang by his underwear strap in the locker room. But you can’t help to feel sorry for him just a little. He’s a young kid who seems lost in a world where he is abandoned by his father’s death and his mother just checking out mentally. He has no guidance.
The lines of reality and fantasy are blurred as we see the life of Lucien spiral more and more out of control. And what is really fascinating to me is the whole time reading this, I pictured the author doing what a music conductor does. Standing in front of us, waiving his wand and making movements of his arms and hands. As if he is conducting us through this book but I say that at the same time feeling like he throws us into the belly of this beast, this evilness that is within this music.
And let me just say it’s pretty clear Curtis M. Lawson did some homework when it comes to the references made about classical music throughout. There were parts that were just beyond my fried old man rock and roll brain to comprehend.
Overall this is a very powerful, in-depth original story, mixing a world of classical music with a psychotic teenager who sets out to make his own art with other people’s blood. With the line of reality and fantasy being so blurred, a lot of the parts are up for interpretation by you.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5sGqm...
I get a kick out of reading a horror story that involves music. I’ve read a few over my lifetime and always seem to enjoy them. Usually the music involved in a good horror story is some sort of Rock music, or Metal. Metal and Horror seem to be a great fit.
Never did I think I would thoroughly enjoy a psychedelic cosmic horror story involving classical music as it’s main storyline. But, never say never.
Curtis M. Lawson brings us “Black Heart Boys’ Choir.” This is definitely one that takes you on a trippy psychedelic ride of evil, and the soundtrack is Beethoven.
Meet Lucien Beaumont. He is a teenage misfit, but he is a musical prodigy. This makes him an outcast. Figure in his father’s death and you have a recipe of someone with loads of potential crashing and burning before that talent comes to life. Lucien becomes obsessed with a piece of unfinished music written by his father. He allows the obsession to take control of his life and lead him down a dark dead end of a journey, surely to leave a trail of blood.
To finish the music his father started, Lucien brings together an outcast group of other talented musicians as he does whatever is needed to release the sinister force trapped within the music notes.
Making my way through the story, I got a feeling of American Psycho crossed with A Clockwork Orange. This seemed like the two’s lovechild creation.
It gets trippy. It gets weird. It gets colorful. I felt at times I was reading a lot of colors. Not reading the color names, but reading and seeing a different realm of colors. Things were blending, creating new colors, creating new shapes.
Lawson creates the perfect character to get under your skin. He is this music snob. Arrogant to the core. Just a downright jerk, walking around in his custom suit, with his nose turned up at everyone. The kind of person you want to hang by his underwear strap in the locker room. But you can’t help to feel sorry for him just a little. He’s a young kid who seems lost in a world where he is abandoned by his father’s death and his mother just checking out mentally. He has no guidance.
The lines of reality and fantasy are blurred as we see the life of Lucien spiral more and more out of control. And what is really fascinating to me is the whole time reading this, I pictured the author doing what a music conductor does. Standing in front of us, waiving his wand and making movements of his arms and hands. As if he is conducting us through this book but I say that at the same time feeling like he throws us into the belly of this beast, this evilness that is within this music.
And let me just say it’s pretty clear Curtis M. Lawson did some homework when it comes to the references made about classical music throughout. There were parts that were just beyond my fried old man rock and roll brain to comprehend.
Overall this is a very powerful, in-depth original story, mixing a world of classical music with a psychotic teenager who sets out to make his own art with other people’s blood. With the line of reality and fantasy being so blurred, a lot of the parts are up for interpretation by you.
January 22, 2020
First book that I've read by Curtis Lawson. This was a truly original Horror Story. It reminded me of a mix between H P Lovecraft's "The Music of Erich Zann" and Anthony Burgess' "A Clockwork Orange".
October 29, 2022
A nasty, compelling story with some excellent characterization of a young misfit obsessed with a piece of music. Well worth your time.
December 19, 2019
I received a free copy of this audiobook from the author in response for an honest review.
Overall, I liked this book quite a bit, but I wouldn't say I loved it. It's well-written and imaginative, and the plot was somewhat predictable but otherwise fairly well plotted.
The main character/narrator is a pretentious, formerly-rich, fallen-from-grace white kid (named Lucien Beaumont, because of course) with a penchant for classical music and American Psycho-esque violence who's suffering from the double-edged traumas of his father's suicide and a mother who has all but abandoned him to live the rest of her "life" in a drug- and booze-fueled state of non-living, locked away in her room.
Early in the novel, Lucien finds a vandalized copy of a madrigal (a song) that his father was working on with another famous composer were working on before his father committed suicide. Lucien assumes that the destruction wrought upon the song's manuscript was caused by his mother who, in a drug-fueled haze, wanted to take revenge on his oh-so-saintly father for committing suicide. Despite the vandalism, Lucien is able to make out a few notes, and decides to recreate and finish the song, and in the process finds inspiration from an infernal muse, a demonic unicorn named Amduscias who is one of the Grand Dukes of Hell. Like you do.
While not an entirely unsympathetic character, Lucien is so pretentious and self-righteous in his self-imposed elitism that I found it difficult to care about him and what happens to him because he's just such a douchebag. The fact that he was also the only three-dimensional character in the book (or was that just his unreliable narration?) made it difficult for me to care about any of the other characters as well.
The audiobook narrator's performance was fine, but nothing groundbreaking. However, I didn't care for the production quality all that much, even though I appreciated what they were trying to do with it, especially in regards to Lucien's fantasies / inner monologues. I think the same effect could have been accomplished through the narrator's performance instead of through the production, but what can you do?
All that said, I enjoyed this book quite a lot, and I will definitely be reading more of Curtis M. Lawson's work in the future.
Overall, I liked this book quite a bit, but I wouldn't say I loved it. It's well-written and imaginative, and the plot was somewhat predictable but otherwise fairly well plotted.
The main character/narrator is a pretentious, formerly-rich, fallen-from-grace white kid (named Lucien Beaumont, because of course) with a penchant for classical music and American Psycho-esque violence who's suffering from the double-edged traumas of his father's suicide and a mother who has all but abandoned him to live the rest of her "life" in a drug- and booze-fueled state of non-living, locked away in her room.
Early in the novel, Lucien finds a vandalized copy of a madrigal (a song) that his father was working on with another famous composer were working on before his father committed suicide. Lucien assumes that the destruction wrought upon the song's manuscript was caused by his mother who, in a drug-fueled haze, wanted to take revenge on his oh-so-saintly father for committing suicide. Despite the vandalism, Lucien is able to make out a few notes, and decides to recreate and finish the song, and in the process finds inspiration from an infernal muse, a demonic unicorn named Amduscias who is one of the Grand Dukes of Hell. Like you do.
While not an entirely unsympathetic character, Lucien is so pretentious and self-righteous in his self-imposed elitism that I found it difficult to care about him and what happens to him because he's just such a douchebag. The fact that he was also the only three-dimensional character in the book (or was that just his unreliable narration?) made it difficult for me to care about any of the other characters as well.
The audiobook narrator's performance was fine, but nothing groundbreaking. However, I didn't care for the production quality all that much, even though I appreciated what they were trying to do with it, especially in regards to Lucien's fantasies / inner monologues. I think the same effect could have been accomplished through the narrator's performance instead of through the production, but what can you do?
All that said, I enjoyed this book quite a lot, and I will definitely be reading more of Curtis M. Lawson's work in the future.
October 31, 2019
Unreliable narrator... You bet! The entire time reading this book, I kept wondering is he in a psychotic break and it is all in his head and his friends are sucked into his messed up world wanting to grab a hold of anything that would give them an outlet for their violence. But I've gotten ahead of myself... back to the beginning
When I first started I found I liked the main character.... and I wanted there to be another book. So much so that I asked my husband if the start of the book as the real ending. I was disappointed... however once I got into it, I found Lucian is completely wackadoodle. While I hate bullies, I still found myself shouting at the main characters when they did something absolutely dumb or outrageous.
The book is good. It kept my attention the whole time. I really like the voice actor for this book. He has good range and brings the characters to life. While I found I wanted to like the main character as the book went on I found I was ok with how the book was going to end. I was so upset at poor Maxwell, a cinnamon roll that needed to be protected.
I especially liked the demon mentioning "Erich Zann" one of my favorite HP Lovecraft stories.
The books ending is perfect for the characters and I really enjoyed watching their fall into madness.
Bechdel test: Passed - only barely - Minor characters Violet and April talking to each other.
When I first started I found I liked the main character.... and I wanted there to be another book. So much so that I asked my husband if the start of the book as the real ending. I was disappointed... however once I got into it, I found Lucian is completely wackadoodle. While I hate bullies, I still found myself shouting at the main characters when they did something absolutely dumb or outrageous.
The book is good. It kept my attention the whole time. I really like the voice actor for this book. He has good range and brings the characters to life. While I found I wanted to like the main character as the book went on I found I was ok with how the book was going to end. I was so upset at poor Maxwell, a cinnamon roll that needed to be protected.
I especially liked the demon mentioning "Erich Zann" one of my favorite HP Lovecraft stories.
The books ending is perfect for the characters and I really enjoyed watching their fall into madness.
Bechdel test: Passed - only barely - Minor characters Violet and April talking to each other.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 22, 2019
I'll try not to spoil too much!
I must say that in the begining, I didn't know if I liked the main character or not, mainly because Lucien is often describing Violet in a weird sexual way. It was kind of annoying to me, and confusing, that Lucien would be offended by assholes who harrassed himself or others, but didn't hesitate to imagine sexual and violent things he would do to this girl. I tried to ignore it though, because Lucien is not even a bit sane.
He is not a reliable character at all: he is a sad and cynic teenager whose family just fell apart, and who thinks of himself as superior.
I liked his tendency to imagine the things he wants to do to people who wronged him (and who he thinks wronged him), and you soon realise that he was really completely crazy from the start, and not just misguided by a demon muse! I really liked his friends, who are just as crazy and vicious as Lucien, except for Maxwell, he was a cinnamon roll and did not deserved what happened :")
The end was good, and I wish the book was longer, because I really loved to see Lucien's descent into madness, taking his friends with him, and I wanted more!
I must say that in the begining, I didn't know if I liked the main character or not, mainly because Lucien is often describing Violet in a weird sexual way. It was kind of annoying to me, and confusing, that Lucien would be offended by assholes who harrassed himself or others, but didn't hesitate to imagine sexual and violent things he would do to this girl. I tried to ignore it though, because Lucien is not even a bit sane.
He is not a reliable character at all: he is a sad and cynic teenager whose family just fell apart, and who thinks of himself as superior.
I liked his tendency to imagine the things he wants to do to people who wronged him (and who he thinks wronged him), and you soon realise that he was really completely crazy from the start, and not just misguided by a demon muse! I really liked his friends, who are just as crazy and vicious as Lucien, except for Maxwell, he was a cinnamon roll and did not deserved what happened :")
The end was good, and I wish the book was longer, because I really loved to see Lucien's descent into madness, taking his friends with him, and I wanted more!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 23, 2020
Although I'm not big into supernatural horror, I fully enjoyed this book. It's a literary page-turner, aesthetically pleasing, and action-packed. From the first pages, I was in love with the main character, Lucien Beaumont, a musical prodigy with an uncompromising anachronistic style, savage elitism, and Nietzschean disdain for his decadent contemporaries. Lawson powerfully alternates the sublime moments when Lucien is uplifted by classical music with scenes of graphic, sordid violence, to show the deep psychological tensions plaguing the main character. This is a novel about the deep suffering of exceptional people, who are both shunned by the herd, and subjects of a burning, Satanic desire to always transcend their own limitations, in an asymptotic struggle for artistic perfection. Lastly, I think this book can be easily adapted into a powerful movie, an ungodly mix of Amadeus, Carrie, A Clockwork Orange, and The Craft
January 3, 2022
1-3-22 Note: Revised star rating to 4 from 3 because it was not fair to knock a star off for the narration which I did not care for. The story was a solid 4 stars. The narration a generous 2 stars.
I wasn't going to rate this one at all because I think the story was probably 4 stars but the narration was horrible and almost made me bow out of the thing altogether. Yes. I could have read it. But I was putting away the Christmas sh*t and I wanted to listen to it. Cost the story a minimum of 1 star though. Too bad.
I wasn't going to rate this one at all because I think the story was probably 4 stars but the narration was horrible and almost made me bow out of the thing altogether. Yes. I could have read it. But I was putting away the Christmas sh*t and I wanted to listen to it. Cost the story a minimum of 1 star though. Too bad.
January 22, 2020
I had to DNF this. Now don’t get me wrong, the book is brilliant! Is well written and have an awesome plot, horror made with music. I just couldn’t handle it my self. If you like books with horror, gruesome killings and devil talks then this is the book for you! like I say the book is not bad, I just couldn’t handle it. it was a little too much for me.
August 29, 2020
“Madness often takes up residence in the gifted”
Wow! This was an amazing book! Come listen to the music of Hell and follow Lucien Beaumont, an egotistical, entitled teenager that has to start at a new school because his mother, in her grief, drank her way thru all the money left by his late father. He always wears a suit to school and prefers classical music to pop songs. Seen as the weird new kid at school he becomes the brunt of jokes and bullying, he doesn’t care much for his fellow students in return. He does fantasize about violent acts towards them and others, but is able to keep these thoughts to himself, for now. He just wants to get thru with school so he can leave and begin his career in music, he is a musical genius that feels everyone should understand that he is too good for higher education and the mundane things studied there.
“Dear boy, you don’t possess the song, the song possesses you”
While looking thru the house Lucien finds an old unfinished song written by his father and partially destroyed by his mother. He becomes obsessed with finishing the song, the “Black Unicorn Sonata,” and finds that the music holds tremendous power, power that no man should possess. The demon in the music is none other than Amdusias, the Black Unicorn, the Infernal Conductor, muse to the damned and the 67th Duke of Hell. Soon Lucian and his friends will find that they must make the demon in the music happy or risk their very souls. A small price for Lucien to pay to get what he wants. This is a story of the occult, music, high school drama, severe bullying, oblivious parents and teachers, and the lengths some will go to get what they see as revenge for the wrongs done to them.
I can’t even express how much I loved this book! It was just exactly what I love reading. Elements of occult horror, music, dark characters and so much more. I found the writing to be lyrical and descriptive, and it kept me intrigued thru to the final page. Can’t wait to read more from this author!
Wow! This was an amazing book! Come listen to the music of Hell and follow Lucien Beaumont, an egotistical, entitled teenager that has to start at a new school because his mother, in her grief, drank her way thru all the money left by his late father. He always wears a suit to school and prefers classical music to pop songs. Seen as the weird new kid at school he becomes the brunt of jokes and bullying, he doesn’t care much for his fellow students in return. He does fantasize about violent acts towards them and others, but is able to keep these thoughts to himself, for now. He just wants to get thru with school so he can leave and begin his career in music, he is a musical genius that feels everyone should understand that he is too good for higher education and the mundane things studied there.
“Dear boy, you don’t possess the song, the song possesses you”
While looking thru the house Lucien finds an old unfinished song written by his father and partially destroyed by his mother. He becomes obsessed with finishing the song, the “Black Unicorn Sonata,” and finds that the music holds tremendous power, power that no man should possess. The demon in the music is none other than Amdusias, the Black Unicorn, the Infernal Conductor, muse to the damned and the 67th Duke of Hell. Soon Lucian and his friends will find that they must make the demon in the music happy or risk their very souls. A small price for Lucien to pay to get what he wants. This is a story of the occult, music, high school drama, severe bullying, oblivious parents and teachers, and the lengths some will go to get what they see as revenge for the wrongs done to them.
I can’t even express how much I loved this book! It was just exactly what I love reading. Elements of occult horror, music, dark characters and so much more. I found the writing to be lyrical and descriptive, and it kept me intrigued thru to the final page. Can’t wait to read more from this author!
November 5, 2021
I have always been a fan of lore, legends and whatnot, especially if dark and with some demons in it, so I am well acquainted with the 'Dictionnaire Infernal' by Jacquis Collin de Plancy, where I first heard of one of the main players in this book: Amduscias, in the book illustrated by one of my favourite illustrators ever: Louis Le Breton. That alone made me want to read this book and I was happy I did because it is a great story.
In 'Black Heart Boys' Choir,' Curtis M. Lawson shows a great prose, a great pacing and the editing and quality of the book is really high.
The characters feel like individuals, but what I loved the most is that it really felt like a descent to madness: if you're ever being obsessed by a project, the hours running away from you while you're obsessing over whatever you're doing, uncaring about the outside world, you know that this book nails it, with an infernal touch tossed in the mix.
It also really pins down perfectly the state of mind of the teenager who is both smart and angry, stuck in a little town which they loathe. It brought back feelings that I had almost forgotten to a scary degree.
Although I am a donkey when it comes to create music, I like my classical music and not only the 'soundtrack' of this book is great (what the protagonist listens to,) but I felt like I could almost hear the Madrigal around which the novel revolves.
Andrew Post publishes a list of the songs mentioned in the story at the end of his books, and I really wished Curtis M. Lawson did the same with this one.
My one criticism is that - without any spoilers - I could see where most of the storylines were headed some time in advance, but all in all, 'Black Heart Boys' Choir' is a great read and it feels fresh.
In 'Black Heart Boys' Choir,' Curtis M. Lawson shows a great prose, a great pacing and the editing and quality of the book is really high.
The characters feel like individuals, but what I loved the most is that it really felt like a descent to madness: if you're ever being obsessed by a project, the hours running away from you while you're obsessing over whatever you're doing, uncaring about the outside world, you know that this book nails it, with an infernal touch tossed in the mix.
It also really pins down perfectly the state of mind of the teenager who is both smart and angry, stuck in a little town which they loathe. It brought back feelings that I had almost forgotten to a scary degree.
Although I am a donkey when it comes to create music, I like my classical music and not only the 'soundtrack' of this book is great (what the protagonist listens to,) but I felt like I could almost hear the Madrigal around which the novel revolves.
Andrew Post publishes a list of the songs mentioned in the story at the end of his books, and I really wished Curtis M. Lawson did the same with this one.
My one criticism is that - without any spoilers - I could see where most of the storylines were headed some time in advance, but all in all, 'Black Heart Boys' Choir' is a great read and it feels fresh.
September 11, 2022
Lucien has been through a lot of changes at age sixteen. His father was a writer of music, until he hung himself. Lucien shared that love for music and wishes to hold onto the last unfinished composition his father was in the process of writing. But didhis Father actually write this music or was he compelled by something else? Lucien is learning the truth for himself. But will this composition bring the peace and closeness to his father like he thinks it will, or will it be his undoing in a very uncaring and unforgiving world?
Got this from the publisher for signing up for his newsletter but this review was optional.
This story was dark from page one. I had a ton of emotions going all over the place while reading this. Very well written and the list of music the author shares throughout the course of the book was an awesome touch.
All the characters were very fleshed out and the school systems portrayed as ridiculous and almost useless was spot on in light of the reality that every single person out there has had experiences where no one listens until it's too late.
I like the way this author writes and will be reading more of his work in the future. Highly recommend!!
Got this from the publisher for signing up for his newsletter but this review was optional.
This story was dark from page one. I had a ton of emotions going all over the place while reading this. Very well written and the list of music the author shares throughout the course of the book was an awesome touch.
All the characters were very fleshed out and the school systems portrayed as ridiculous and almost useless was spot on in light of the reality that every single person out there has had experiences where no one listens until it's too late.
I like the way this author writes and will be reading more of his work in the future. Highly recommend!!
July 8, 2022
So, what happened was... I was listening to the horror stories that I put on to go to sleep most nights. I'm pretty sure it was Youtube's Chilling Tales For Dark Nights channel. And they mentioned that the story I was listening to was written by a guy named Curtis Lawson and that he has written many other great books. So, I decided to look him up on audible. And wouldn't you know, I already had TWO of his books in my library and I just hadn't gotten a chance to listen to them yet. What are the odds of that? So I picked one and got right to listening! And it was great, gory, and held my attention throughout the entire book. The ending felt a little sudden, but that happens a lot in horror so it's probably just me. The narrator did a great job as well. He fit this part perfectly. Overall, I am a fan. And I hope to hear more from him on youtube and can't wait to start the next book that has been sitting in my library forever.
May 22, 2022
This was one of the most enjoyable books I've read recently. Although the music terminology can possibly pull some readers from its grasp, I still thoroughly enjoyed the book. It was such an interesting concept that I just couldn't help but be intrigued.
I did find it a bit difficult to have sympathy for the main character because of his arrogant attitude. Beyond that little quirk, the story was well told. Bravo, Mr. Lawson. Encore!
I did find it a bit difficult to have sympathy for the main character because of his arrogant attitude. Beyond that little quirk, the story was well told. Bravo, Mr. Lawson. Encore!
September 10, 2020
A stunning and honest contemplation of the nature of abuse, neglect, and despondency and the resulting violence they can produce. The protagonist wears his suit like a carapace against an unfeeling world, and his music is a cry of anguish and retribution which stokes and billows the flames and forces of hell. Essential reading for this day and age.
September 12, 2020
Terrific coming of age horror with a beautiful interspersing of musical theory and a decent into madness or hell (or is it both?) Well done, Mr. Lawson. Wonderfully told in first person, present tense and you’re never sure how reliable your narrator is, but what you are sure of is the horror he is seeing and inflicting. Terrific book.
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