Book Review: Suffer! by A.C. Sloan

I wasn’t always involved in the audio drama community. Before that, I used to write short stories and novels. In fact, I’ve got at least three or four unpublished book manuscripts. There are plenty of other people like me, but what about the reverse? That is, people who started in the realm of audio dramas, but then expanded into prose fiction? Well, we are going to discuss one such example in today’s review. We are taking a look at Suffer! by A.C. Sloan. 

Theo has a lot on her plate. She’s a part-time college student, she works various part-time gig to help make ends meet, and she helps look after her autistic sister Pris and their great-aunt Dottie. Still, every week she can get away from it all for one hour on Thursday night. That is the night the hit show Suffer comes on. It follows the adventure of Marcia Suffer. Played by Roxy DeVine, Marsha’s a victim rights attorney who also works as a vigilante. Marsha does whatever it takes to bring justice to her clients, even if it means going outside the law at times. Theo always watches with her best friend Sam, along with Pris and Dottie. They also have their own YouTube fan channel called The Suffragettes of Arleta. Theo enters a contest to meet Roxy DeVine not expecting much. To her surprise, however, she wins. Roxy is coming to Theo’s house to watch the Suffer season finale with Theo and the gang. It’s a dream come true. However, Theo and company will soon learn that all that glitters is not gold. For things are rarely what they seem in the land of Hollywood.

A.C. Sloan is better known as Ann Sloan. You might remember her as the creator of The Carlötta Beautox Chronicles and Who is Cam Candor? It was certainly exciting to hear that Ann was going to be publishing a novel. Doubly so when I discovered that it would have an audiobook adaption. So, I saw Ann giving out free review copies on Twitter. I asked if there were any audiobooks available for review. I’d previously reviewed the audiobook of The Supervillainy Saga Vol 1 at the request of author C.T. Phipps. Ann said that there were indeed, and I leapt at the opportunity. And here we are now.

So, first things first, are there any references to The Carlötta Beautox Chronicles. Well, Suffer! is an original work with no connections to Ann’s previous works. That said, there are a couple little nods and references to be found. At various points, the characters spray paint cheaper shoes red to make them look like Louboutins. This is something that Carlötta did at the end of season one, and she even left red footprints just like Sam does. There’s also one point in Suffer! where it is said that some news is best taken with loins girded. “Gird your loins” is pretty much Carlötta’s catchphrase.

In terms of style, Suffer! is a bit more grounded and down to earth than The Carlötta Beautox Chronicles. It still has Ann Sloan’s signature humor, but it tones down the wackiness a bit. This is certainly understandable. What works in an audio drama isn’t necessarily going to translate into book form. Books and audio dramas are different mediums, and they each have their own conventions. Suffer! also brings several moments of genuine seriousness and introspection. I think it is really great to see Ann Sloan branching out and trying new things. The more introspective and emotional scenes show that Ann is capable of writing more than just screwball comedies.

So, let’s talk about the characters. As previously stated, Theo has received a lot of hard knocks in life. Her dad died when she was young, her stepdad wanted nothing to do with her, and her mom sided with Theo’s stepdad. So, Theo was sent to live with Dottie, but that was okay. Dottie was a lot more fun, and actually gave her love and attention. Theo is absolutely devoted to being the best big sister possible to Pris. This is good, as Pris is autistic, and Theo is way more of a mother to her than their actual mother. In fact, a minor plot thread throughout the book involves Theo trying to find a way to become Pris’ legal guardian. Theo knows that the world is an often and cruel and unkind place, and she wants to help make it better. That’s why she aspires to be a victim’s rights attorney, just like her hero Marsha Suffer. Theo is the rock that the other characters rely on, and often serves as the voice of reason when things get especially crazy.

The major themes of Suffer! involve bullying, victims becoming bullies, the cycle of hurting, and how we break that cycle. Unsurprisingly, Theo has had to deal with a lot of bullies in her life. The part that really struck a chord with me was a flashback to when Theo was in third grade. Her class did that whole Secret Santa thing, and Theo got assigned to the mean girl who made her life living hell. They had to give a gift every day that week. First day, Theo got nothing, but then she got mean spirited gifts, like chewed gum or a shaken soda can. The teacher tried to get involved, but that just made things worse. And despite it all, Theo still did her best to give genuinely good gifts to the boy she was assigned. I mean, ouch, that all really hit home. I had several things like that happen to me in grade school. I really hope Theo got a hug a some point.

I looked up Arleta, as I wasn’t previously familiar with it. One of the pictures on the Wikipedia page for Arleta is a high school. But to be perfectly frank, it looks more like a prison. Of course, Theo and Sam would probably say that’s a pretty accurate description. And yet, despite all of this, the descriptions of daily life in Arleta, and the neighborhood Theo and Dottie live in, have a certain fondness to them. I wonder if Ann Sloan might be drawing from personal experience.

Dottie is Theo’s great-aunt. As previously stated, she’s the one who raised Theo for most of Theo’s life. Dottie always speaks her mind, and doesn’t hold back with sharp comments. Her generally approach to life can best be summarized as “Screw you, and up yours! I’m too damn old for this shit!” She reminds me a bit of my mother, who has a similar outlook on life. Theo has had help take care of Dottie more as she’s gotten older. Still, Dottie certainly doesn’t let old age, or needing an oxygen canister, slow her down.

Pris, short for Pristine, is Theo’s little sister. As previously noted, she is a high-functioning autistic. I would say that Pris is one of the best representations of an autistic person I’ve ever seen in media. I don’t know if Ann Sloan has anyone autistic in her life, but if not, she clearly did her research. Pris is also significant in that she’s half-Latina and a girl. Autistic girls and, autistic racial minorities, are still fairly rare in fiction. I also liked that one of Pris’ stims is that she flaps her hands. This is something I do myself, and Suffer! was the first time I actually encountered an autistic character in fiction who did that too. Stims are little respective behaviors autistic people do; often to help cope with stress. Pris has a good memory, but not to a superhuman degree. 

I also really appreciated how her dialog was written. A frustratingly common stereotype is that autistic people talk like robots. In reality, autistic people run the full spectrum when it comes to modes of speech. Pris’ dialog is deliberately stilted, but feels natural, and doesn’t come across as a caricature. As someone who is on the autism spectrum, I really appreciated how Pris was written.

Rounding out the main four is Sam Ruiz. He’s been Theo’s best friend since middle school. He’s tall, gay, flamboyant, and has a personality that is larger than life. He’s here, he’s queer, and he will not let your forget it. Sam works as a nurse by day, and likes it well enough, but he yearns for something more. He is an incredibly talented makeup artist, and quite knowledgeable about fashion. Sam’s also occasionally been known to cosplay as Marsha Suffer, and looks fabulous while doing so. And no, Sam was not named after me. Ann Sloan certainly liked my reviews of her shows, but I doubt it was that much. Also, I am neither tall, gay, Mexican, nor fabulously flamboyant.

And let us not forget Roxy DeVine, the actress who portrays Marcia Suffer. She has become incredibly wealthy thanks to her work on Suffer. However, she’s also very vain, high-strung, and is a general nightmare to work with. This can partially be traced back to her youth. Roxy had the stage mother from hell. Roxy’s mother was always quick to criticize and nitpick. Roxy didn’t have any friends growing up; her extremely good looks tended to make other girls jealous. Technically, all the pushing the Roxy’s mother did paid off. Roxy is a highly successful, and extremely wealthy actress. However, she’s managed to alienate pretty much everyone around her, and still feels unfulfilled. Roxy puts up a tough exterior because, deep down, very deep down, she’s still the same sad kid she was in grade school. Of course, as previously mentioned, a big theme of the novel is that having a rough childhood only gets you so much sympathy. Eventually, you have to move on from the past, and stop using your own misery as an excuse to hurt others. Theo got hit by several hard knocks in life, but she managed to not turn out like Roxy.

I’ll also make a few remarks about the way the entertainment industry is presented. So, Suffer is part of the big Thursday line-up of shows. I’m getting some hints of Shonda Rhimes, and all of the shows she’s made. Shonda Rhimes shows always air on Thursday, and have a devoted following. Though those shows air on ABC, but the network that Suffer airs on sounds more akin to The CW. The characters are all excited to attend a convention called DramaCon. It’s somewhat similar to ComicCon, or various anime conventions, but is aimed at a more mainstream crowd. Well, I would say ComicCon is pretty mainstream at this point. As are most stereotypical “nerd” properties like Star Wars and the MCU. I have to assume that mainstream means people who watch shows on network television. DramaCon is also, somehow, even bigger than ComicCon. Now, this is an Ann Sloan book, so the rules of reality are out to lunch, if a bit less so than in her previous works. So, I’m willing to suspend my disbelief that something like DramaCon could be that successful.

I’d also like to take a moment to talk about the audiobook. After all, it is the reason we are here. The audiobook is narrated by Chelsea Kwoka, who previously appeared on The Carlötta Beautox Chronicles. She does a wonderful job capturing all of the characters. She nails Sam’s larger-than-life personality and Dottie’s “I’m too old to give a damn” attitude. I especially like how she handled Pris’ dialogue. She made Pris sound a bit stilted, and overly formal, but it never felt like a caricature of an autistic person. Her performance sounded very believable and accurate. So, great performances all around from Chelsea Kwoka.

Okay, now we’re getting into the spoilers section. So, if you don’t want any of that, turn back now.

Last chance, you sure you want to continue?

If everyone who wants out is gone, then let’s get into it.

So, from reading various synopsis blurbs, and listening to the preview sample on Audible, I knew that Roxy would get kidnapped and held hostage. I assumed that Theo and company would have to save her, if only to keep Suffer on the air. Well, it turns out I was half-correct. Roxy did indeed get held against her will…except Theo and the gang are her captors. Roxy, during her disastrous visit to Theo and Dottie’s home, slips and hits her head. I briefly wondered if things were about to turn into Weekend at Bernie’s, and Theo would have to convince the world that Roxy was still alive. I also considered that maybe Roxy might get amnesia, and believe that she actually was Marcia Suffer. But no, turns out we got a comedic hostage situation.

In fairness, Roxy was a complete jerk to absolutely everyone up to that point. In particular, she was mean to Pris, and that is pretty much unforgivable. Well, I guess Roxy learned that, sometimes, karma comes at you hard and fast. It certainly was fun seeing her run through the wringer. Still, in keeping with the anti-bullying themes of the novel, the punishment must fit the crime. Roxy might have been a jerk, but Theo and the gang couldn’t keep her locked up forever. Why, if they did, Marcia Suffer would never make her triumphant return on Suffer. Oh, and holding someone against their will is wrong and immoral. That’s bad too, I guess.

Well, I do have a few minor points of criticism here. Theo eventually comes to realize that holding Roxy hostage makes her a bully. I suppose this is keeping with the anti-bullying themes, but holding someone hostage is a tad worse than bullying. I would be one thing if Theo was blackmailing Roxy, but holding Roxy hostage is straight-up criminal activity. In fairness, the book does acknowledge this, but there were probably better examples to go with for an anti-bullying message.

Theo and Roxy eventually bond by sharing experiences of their terrible mothers. Theo also explains how much Marcia Suffer means to her. Okay, all well and good. This was set up as a major turning point in Roxy’s extended stay with Theo and the gang. But that being said, I feel we could have used just a smidge more time to really make Roxy’s character development feel properly earned. It felt like we went from those bonding scenes, and then immediately to Roxy agreeing not to turn Theo over to the police. The plot was on the right track, but maybe needed just a tad longer to bake.

This next part isn’t a complaint, but more of an observation. The characters use a water gun they got at DramaCon to keep Roxy in-line. The water gun is modeled off of Marcia Suffer‘s gun, and is hyper-realistic. In real life, toy guns and water guns always have a bright red or orange cap at the end to identify them as such. These colorful caps are legally required. The requirement was made specifically because of people using toy guns to, among other things, rob banks and cash registers. That, and so the police didn’t accidentally shoot kids with toy guns. In fact, sawing-off the tip of a toy gun, or painting it, is actually a crime. So, a water gun as realistic as described in the book would land its manufactures in some seriously hot waters. Of course, this was another instance where I was willing to suspend my disbelief for the sake of the story.

I would like to emphasize that my critiques are, in the grand scheme of things, minor issues. Overall, I found Suffer! to be an incredibly enjoyable novel. I was in the mood for something fun and lighthearted, and it managed to scratch that itch. At the same time, it also managed to deliver some genuinely heartfelt and rather touching moments. This was actually what I would have expected from a debut novel written by Ann Sloan. I expected Suffer! to be excellent, and a lot of fun, and it certainly did not disappoint. It has Ann Sloan’s trademark humor, but also shows that she is capable of tackling more serious fare. Also, as an aside, I really love the cover art. Colorful, stylized, and understated. An excellent choice for a book cover.

If this is the start of a novel writing career, I for one can’t wait to see what comes next. So, if I haven’t made it clear by now, purchase a copy of Suffer! today.

I think that should do it from me for now. I will see you guys next time.

The Audio File: The Carlötta Beautox Chronicles

It is a new year, and that means there are new reviews of audio dramas to be had. There’s nothing really more for me to add, so I’ll get straight to the point. We’re taking a look at The Carlötta Beautox Chronicles. 

Kitty Kinicki was just a girl from Picatinny, New Jersey. She had big dreams, and she knew that she should expect more out of life than working at the town armory and eating chicken parm on Sunday nights. So, she decided to throw caution to the wind. She moved to Hollywood with big dreams of becoming an actress. To that end, she would need to reinvent herself. So, she picked a new name, a name as glamorous and exciting as her dreams: Carlötta Beautox! Carlötta has high hopes…but her acting abilities leave something to be desired. Still, come hell or high water, she will do whatever it takes to become a famous celebrity. Gird your loins, Hollywood, because here comes Carlötta Beautox!

The Carlötta Beautox Chronicles is created by Ann Sloan and is a member of the Fable & Folly network of podcasts. Amusingly, it turns out that the Fable & Folly network exists in Carlötta’s world as well. There’s a scene during season three where Carlötta goes to a podcast convention. She learns about what audio dramas are, and of one team that is creating a comedy set in Hollywood. To this Carlotta responds, “So, not in space, or a fantasy realm?” This is s sly reference to fellow Fable & Folly shows We Fix Space Junk and Alba Salix, Royal Physician.

I first became aware of The Carlötta Beautox Chronicles while listening to…hmm, which Fable & Folly show was it? I want to say either We Fix Space Junk or Alba Salix. Probably wasn’t Harlem Queen. In any event, I had a gap in my listening schedule, and decided to give The Carlötta Beautox Chronicles a try. It only took a few episodes before I was hooked, and before long I’d listened to the entire show. How can I best describe The Carlötta Beautox Chronicles? Well, start with The Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt, but with the rules of reality turned down even lower. Actually, send the rules of reality out to lunch, and make damn sure they don’t return. Add a pinch of paint fumes for flavor, and you have this audio drama.

The Carlötta Beautox Chronicles is almost completely lighthearted and silly. There’s nary a serious moment to be found, and the show is all the better for it. The show has a great theme song, and the lyrics change every season to reflect major developments in Carlötta‘s life. Let’s take a look at the cast of characters who inhabit this world, shall we?

As I have said, Carlötta has high hopes, but zero talent. To give one example among many, in the first episode she gets cast as a corpse on Castle. She had to keep perfectly still and play dead, but manages to fails rather spectacularly. But hey, she did make number eleven on Variety’s “Top 10 Extra’s Nobody Want to Work With” list. So, win some lose some, I guess. In terms of intelligence, Carlötta is somewhere between a sack of bricks and a bag of half-eaten cannolis. Still, despite how funny it is to listen to her fail, she’s endearing enough that we all want to see her succeed, even if only a little. Carlötta supplements her acting gigs, such as they are, by working various odd jobs. Among other things, she’s been a dog-walker, a personal assistant, and even babysat some alpacas. She thought they’d be alpacas sweaters, not literal alpacas, despite a galactic-sized amount of evidence to the contrary. Carlötta is voiced by Samantha Gordon, who is clearly having an absolute blast with the role.

Of course, Carlötta wouldn’t get anywhere without her trusty manager/landlord Dave. He helps find acting roles, and assorted odd jobs, for Carlötta. He’s actually pretty good at it too. For example, he manages to score Carlötta a job selling merchandise at Cannes. Yes, the world famous film festival, and what’s really surpassing is that they usual don’t sell…oh dear, that’s not correct at all. I’m sorry everyone, that was my mistake. Let’s take it from the top, shall we?

What I meant to say is that Dave gets Carlötta a job selling merchandise at Cans, the largest porno convention in America. In his defense, Carlötta can’t really afford to be picky with her jobs. And hey, at least it was selling porno merchandise, not actually being in a porno. And Dave does usually get better gigs for Carlötta. He gets her a job in a film where she plays an Irish person. Naturally, Carlötta felt the need to take a DNA test just to be sure she wasn’t committing cultural appropriation of Irish culture. Thankfully, Carlötta is part Irish, and part, well, just about everything. She even has DNA from nations that don’t have set ethnicity, like Canada. Did I mention that the rules of reality are out to lunch on this show? As you can see, while The Carlötta Beautox Chronicles does occasionally touch on serious and/or controversial issues, it does so with tongue planted firmly in cheek.

Dave is voiced by Trevör Lissauer. Dave sounds kind of like Gubbin from The Axe and Crown, and I initially thought it might be the same voice actor, but I was wrong.

Dave also took a DNA test, and discovered that he is 100 percent Neanderthal. Interestingly, most humans, other than those of predominantly Sub-Saharan African ancestry, have a small amount of Neanderthal DNA. I myself am 2.1 percent Neanderthal. Of course, having near 100 percent would be pretty much unheard of, but again, this isn’t a show where reality is on the guest list. Dave does later discover that he is distantly related to a minor British noble named Dame Pickles. He goes to the United Kingdom to visit her, and winds up with a mouth full of spotted dick when Carlötta calls him unexpectedly.

It’s a type of British steamed pudding, get your minds out of the gutter. Yeah, The Carlötta Beautox Chronicles gets a lot of mileage out of words and phrases that have multiple meanings. One episode see Carlötta get a visit from her Aunt Flo. No, not her period, her Aunt Florence. She is referred to as Literal Aunt Flo by everyone for the rest of the episode. In another episode, after eating wild berries, Carlötta goes on a vision quest and receives wisdom from the Fairy God Cougar. As in, a magical talking mountain lion, not the other kind of cougar. Although, the way the Fairy God Cougar talks certainly brings the other kind of cougar to mind.

Rounding out the main trio is Siri. Yes, the virtual assistant from Apple. She’s rather snarky and sarcastic, constantly makes fun of Carlötta. Of course, during the ads, Siri gives Ann Sloan no end of grief. You know, I do wonder if Ann Sloan might be drawing from her own life, at least a little, for Carlötta‘s misadventures. Some of the jokes about living in a small town in New Jersey do feel like they’re poking fun in an affectionate sort of way. Ann and Carlötta also both moved to Hollywood with dreams of big success.

In any event, there are a lot of references to current celebrities, as is to be expected. Normally, this would potentially limit the shelf life of a series. However, I think that The Carlötta Beautox Chronicles has some staying power. Mel Brooks once said that a parody should still be funny even if you don’t know what it is making fun of. I would argue that The Carlötta Beautox Chronicles falls into this category. It is still perfectly funny even if you don’t know who all of the celebrities are.

But which celebrities make appearances? I’ll give a few examples. The first episode, being on the set of Castle, features a cameo by Nathan Fillion. Well, the voice actor sounded nothing like him, but knowing this show, I’m tempted to say that was deliberate. Another episode sees Carlötta discover that a beloved talk show host is, in fact, a terrible person. Said host is only identified under the fake name of Helen. Hmm, talk show host, name rhythms with Helen, scandalous secrets…I’m stumped. Could be anyone really. What’s that now? Ellen DeGeneres? Why ever do you say that?

Carlötta frequently says that Khloe Kardashian is her spirit animal, and even gets to meet her at the end of season one. The voice actress playing her sounds fairly spot-on. Ooh, Carlötta better be carful. Native America social media activists aren’t going to take kindly to her using the term spirit animal. Native Americans have some serious reservations about that sort of thing. There are several other celebrity cameos, but I’ll leave those for you to discover. Even the ones I couldn’t place still managed to be funny, so I usually got the gist of the jokes.

Well, I think that covers everything not related to serious spoilers. Yes, even a show like this has serious plot-line related spoilers. If you want to know why I said “paint fumes” when describing this show, well, you’ll see when you get to the end of season one.

Suffice it to say, I am very glad that I gave this show a chance. The Carlötta Beautox Chronicles is a wacky, zany, tongue-in-check look at Hollywood and celebrity culture. It is lighthearted, silly, doesn’t take itself too seriously, and is a lot of fun. I strongly recommend that you give it a listen today.

Well, I think that should do it from me for now. I will see you guys next time.