The X'ed Out trilogy packs a lot of punch in very small packages. This morning I reread the first two books before reading Sugar Skull and they really are brilliant. They layer story on story in a way that is genius and cinematic. Most people run into something weird and they think of David Lynch, but these books are much more William S. Burroughs, and by extension David Cronenberg. Strange, tragic, disturbing and smart. As you read them it seems almost impossible that they can be so detailed, so complicated and that they can resolve themselves so perfectly without loose ends or cheats. The only complaint I can make is that readers were left hanging so long between books, but that's no longer a problem- now you can read all three in a row, no waiting. Strange conclusion to a strange series of books. I'm not entirely certain what was been going on in this trilogy, but at least with this final volume I'm able to find more coherence...and at least some of the questions are answered. But answering all the questions isn't what Burns's storytelling is necessarily about. Much of it is mood, context, and visual associations. In that way, it's much like a dream...or nightmare, take your pick.
What do You think about Sugar Skull (2014)?
A surprisingly touching ending of this mind-blowing story. Brilliant!!!!
—Nick
Charles Burns' nightmarish fever dream comes to a close. Sort of.
—Lozzysmit
A self centered protagonist that was stuck in his past.
—melissa
