Poppy Z. Brite delivers a fever dream of horror in Exquisite Corpse, blending the grotesque with the beautiful in a way that only they can. This book is visceral, disturbing, and unapologetically macabre. But beneath the blood and brutality lies something undeniably magnetic.

As a queer reader, I was especially drawn to how Brite weaves queerness into horror without compromise. The New Orleans setting is intoxicating, dripping with decadence and decay, as alive and dangerous as the characters that inhabit it. Brite captures the city’s shadowy allure perfectly, making it feel like a character in its own right.

The prose is lush and unapologetically indulgent, perfectly suited to a story that refuses to shy away from the darkest corners of human desire and depravity. It’s rare to find a book that’s this unflinching in its queerness, this unrelenting in its horror, and this beautifully written.

Exquisite Corpse is the kind of book you’ll either adore or want to throw across the room. For me, it was a twisted masterpiece. If you’re brave enough to step into Brite’s world, it’s an experience you won’t forget.