Permanent Obscurity

Permanent Obscurity: Or a Cautionary Tale of Two Girls and
Their Misadventures with Drugs, Pornography and Death
Author: Richard Perez
Published by Ludlow Press
ISBN: 978-097134154-8

Reading the title of the book…at first left me a bit shaky. “AM I FINALLY GOING TO BE heaving into EROTICA FILLED WITH NOTHING BUT unreal WRITING ABOUT JUST SEX”? But I love myself for giving Permanent Obscurity a try because Richard Perez brings and delivers this impressive 'cautionary tale' beautifully. Despite the fact that it does contain explicit substance in the tome; this character motivated scheme of the plot held my attention from the beginning to end. Heck, the drugs, pornography and death are what make this book so gripping to read.

This book is mainly what the title presents, “A Cautionary Tale of Two Girls and
Their Misadventures with Drugs, Pornography and Death.” It's a dark comedy about the difficulties relationships go through and the rhetorical question about Fame over Infamy. It’s about two girls, Dolores Santana and her best friend Serena Moon whom when one of them ends up in dept for her favourite street product, the other stays by her side and together, they brainstorm the just the right idea to fetch in the green and be free of the debts. However, not all good things last and soon, they go into tunnel from which both of them cannot escape from.

What I find so great about this book is the way that the characters are developed and presented. Believe me, there are a few books that leave me hanging “Um…was he really supposed to be doing that or am I just reading crap now” kind of a feeling. I believe characters make books possible and this one just made me grip tight on it because the characters were very plausible and realistic. I’m no “Dolores” (one the main characters in Permanent Obscurity) but reading about her just makes you feel like your crawling under her skin, actually feeling her very emotions to the depth of actually coming out of your comfort zone and wanting to help her.

My only (short) complaint is the draggy 2/3 of the ending. It was an incredible read but I feel it could’ve been “shorter” near the end. But anyhow, out of all the books in this style I've picked up over the years, this one has delivered exactly what I expected of it. I finally understand the idiom "don't judge a book by its cover" because you should never. It is a deliciously seedy romp of a tale, well written and with characters that, while you may not relate to them, you certainly enjoy reading about. This is a feisty must read that leave you feeling unforgettable.