Stray

Stray is a wild book, in more ways than one. Thematically, it is about domination and submission; literarily, it changes perspectives, even using 2nd person in sections; and spatially, it transpires at some wild parties and intimate abodes.

The story begins with Dominic approaching Andrea, who is a professor but also dabbles as a dominatrix on the side. Andrea was  instructed by her friend Silvia, who recently broke up with Dominic, “to fix him.” The two develop an intense relationship, with Dominic seemingly interested in Andrea. Andrea helps Dominic discover things about his past, spanks him for smoking cigarettes, and waxes all the hair from his body. 

The story changes perspective frequently, between straightforward 3rd person past tense for scenes between Andrea and Dominic, to messages on a message board, to recalled events, to disturbing phantasmal scenes. 

A sense of intrigue develops as a mysterious character seeks to uncover Andrea’s past.

The book also reminds me of a bygone era. The characters leave messages on a message board, which brings me back to the 2000s. Also, it probably goes without saying, but the book does contain some sexual material; the domination depicted often isn’t explicitly sexual, but there are a few graphic scenes. 

Spoiler warning:

The book has a literary style, written by a real writer’s writer. The complex perspective changes, the mediums of storytelling, all culminate into a grand resolution that never occurs. The grand reveal at the end is sickening and shocking and leaves the reader and the characters within the book longing for what might have been. 

That might sound like a negative thing, but I think an open-minded reader can appreciate that a word that evokes strong emotion, even if negative, can be a masterpiece. 

Length: 356 pages

Perspective: Many

Tense: Past  

Kindle Unlimited: No

Where to buy:

https://draft2digital.com/book/3079191