Barking Up the Wrong Geek

There are creatures that exist – thrive, even – in the darkest recesses of the Earth. Some sea life can survive at the bottom of the ocean in total darkness. To be sure, the evolutionary adaptations of such creatures to our eyes may appear bizarre and decidedly unattractive. Grotesque. But in their sheer existence they each can still exhibit a fragile beauty, nonetheless. And sometimes, to our surprise we discover a creature that despite its environs is truly beautiful in unexpected and spectacular ways.

Likewise, the characters found in Lauren Wolpert’s Barking up the Wrong Geek have adapted and evolved in order to survive. Their world is certainly dark and terrifying but this debut novel is neither a thriller nor horror story.

Wolpert’s unique (and, at times, disturbing) perspective is a gift. Their well crafted characters are never taken at face value but rather are exposed layer upon layer so that the reader may gradually see this gathering of odd folk with a degree of compassion and a hint of understanding, even if simultaneously being repulsed by them. With dark humor and unflinching honesty Wolpert has created a space unlike any other. Their storytelling is wry, twisted, insightful, wise-cracking, and always observant. At times enthralling, at times uncomfortable, Barking up the Wrong Geek is a magnificent journey among the damaged and ignored who, despite all obstacles, somehow continue on.

While in modern society physical beauty and attractiveness are frequently mistaken for virtue, strength and power, even Darwin might agree that for those living in darkness, there may be no real benefit derived by being beautiful. Who knows what passes for “beautiful” in such conditions?  I suspect that Wolpert has a deeper understanding than most and Barking up the Wrong Geek is their first (and hopefully not last) effort to help the rest of us understand true beauty.