Rachel the Book Harlot

"PORN tells the tragic tale of Victoria Sheldon - a young lady who wanted nothing more than to become an actress.

With times being hard Victoria finds herself in the world of Adult Movie Industry where she soon carves a name for herself. Soon the offers are flowing in, as is the money, as she becomes more and more popular amongst the producers but then she meets him...A man with an offer she can't refuse. A man who has other ideas about how pornographic films should be filmed. A man catering for a much, much darker audience."

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Well. This was deeelightful....if your definition of delightful starts with the word 'fucking' and ends with the word 'crazy'. Apparently that's my definition because while this story was disturbing, I also thought it was quite good. It's powerful stuff and though it made me cringe, squirm, and even at one point attempt to read with my hand covering my eyes (FYI: this doesn't work), I was completely riveted. While not the most disturbing or extreme thing I've ever read--that honor still belongs to R. Lee Smith's Heat, though for different reasons--Shaw's Porn is still high on the gruesome-o-meter. Be warned, if there are lines you wish not to see crossed, this story will not only cross them, but it will stomp them, decapitate them, and place the remains in your refrigerator.

As many have described, this is a story about revenge. Told solely from Victoria's point of view, the tale alternates between the present day and the past as she recounts the events leading up to her current circumstances. The shifting from the present day story to the past works really well. It not only helps maintain the suspense, but it somehow makes you feel more immersed in Victoria's psyche. And Victoria's mind is an extremely interesting place to be. I actually really liked her. Though I may not have agreed with all of her actions, I liked her honesty, for lack of a better word. I also liked her voice.

Another aspect of the story that was good was the trip we take into the porn industry. Though a brief glimpse, it was an interesting look at some of its inner workings.

So why the 3 star rating? The author pulls a fast one that left me feeling disappointed and cheated.

Aside from that very unhappy circumstance, there were also some minor editing issues: occasional tense shifts, odd uses of hyphens, and some typos. There was also the tendency by the author to reiterate things that didn't need to be reiterated. While these editing issues were not egregious, I still think the story would have been better served with some additional polish.

So, would I recommend this? Yes. Yes, I would. Despite my disappointment, I still think it's worth a read. 

Final Rating: 3 stars