Sourpuss, a new novel by Merricat Mulray (which is actually two sisters), is a bleak look at the underbelly of college life. It's billed as dark comedy, but it's not very funny. The story centers on track star Mallory, who is expected to run in the Olympics. After an injury, she is assigned a student trainer, Graham, a fraternity president whom she abhors, but who will help her rehab. Of course they fall in love. But both of them are such miserable jerks that the reader is never convinced that they aren't just manipulating each other.
Both Graham and Mallory are self-centered, unlikable jerks. Actually, every character in this story is completely unlikable. The other frat members, Mallory's teammates, her coach, her gay roommate, and on and on. It's like they're living in the world of the despicable. Every character is a caricature. In fact, the whole book is a caricature of college life. I don't know if the Mulray sisters went to college. Either they didn't, and they take every college life stereotype and blow it up larger than life, or they did go to college and created this story to lampoon every person they hated.
Just as I thought the story would redeem itself a little, that maybe some of the characters had grown through the tough lessons they learned, and just as I thought the story might have something positive to say about reforming the misogynistic, debauched frat culture, the story abruptly ended in a most unsatisfying way. I know they're going for satire, they're going for dark comedy, but the overall result is overwrought, disturbing, and unenjoyable.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the complimentary electronic review copy!
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