I quite liked this. While it was oddly formatted (really, it did not have to look like a 'zine) it was still perfectly well readable. And I enjoyed the stories for being slices of odd things that happened to people who are in their way perfectly normal, mostly, or normal things that happen to perfectly odd people.

Some of the stories were touching, a few of them were gross, and a couple of them left me with a feeling of "Uhh, what?" I confess that I mostly skipped the medical section due to being profoundly medical-procedure phobic, but other than that, more enjoyable than not. I wish the 'zine was still being published. I'd read it every issue. ( )

This was terribly disappointing. The annoyances were numerous including, but not limited to:

- The format of the book - It's printed in newspaper type with two columns per page as if it were still a zine. It makes reading it difficult.

- The introduction - This is printed as in a regular book and starts out okay, but quickly devolves into self-congratulatory drivel. Yes, yes, you are the coolest, gothest ever. We all bow to your amazingness.

- The writing - Almost universally mediocre. These were the 40 best items?

- The illustrations - If you had a goth friend in high school who doodled cartoons in their notebook, you'll recognize these.

Out of 298 pages and 40 or so essays only one of them was worth reading - Souvenir of Hell by Brian Thomas - about visiting Auschwitz and Birkenau. Thank you, Mr. Thomas, for writing about this experience in an intelligent and honest way.

This book got two stars because of Mr. Thomas' essay - a long-winded way of saying you might as well skip this. ( )