“Dirty Little Angels” is an uncompromising, emotionally-draining story. Chris Tusa’s rich, evocative language brings New Orleans alive, so much so I could taste the prawn gumbo as I read. Sentences like, “Verma scratched an itch deep in the clump of her grey hair” and “His eyes were tiny and round, like drill holes in a casket” use few words but put them together in a way which makes them breathe.
Nasty, wholly believable characters fill the novel. Characters like Moses, the cult leader who threatens to cut off his girlfriend’s hand off for stealing his sugar. And Meridian, who likes her men dumb and muscly and ‘comes from a long line of sluts'.
The sense of place is palpable, from the dog fights to the filthy toilets.
Tusa’s dialogue and descriptions of place are so clear reading this book was like watching a movie.
Underlying it all is a sense of decay, of entropy, but there is also a strong and significant sense of unconditional love, sister for brother, brother for sister, which gives the story hope.
Nasty, wholly believable characters fill the novel. Characters like Moses, the cult leader who threatens to cut off his girlfriend’s hand off for stealing his sugar. And Meridian, who likes her men dumb and muscly and ‘comes from a long line of sluts'.
The sense of place is palpable, from the dog fights to the filthy toilets.
Tusa’s dialogue and descriptions of place are so clear reading this book was like watching a movie.
Underlying it all is a sense of decay, of entropy, but there is also a strong and significant sense of unconditional love, sister for brother, brother for sister, which gives the story hope.