TW: neglectful parenting; sexual assault by a stepparent; physical assault and implied sexual assault by a cop; drugs; alcohol; robbery; car crash; others.
SPOILERS.
I write this review in the grips of a covid subvariant where I am coughing and just very tired and detached, but I somehow still feel totally fine. It's an odd mix. Been going on for two weeks. I read this as a teenager and was utterly fascinated by it. I was convinced the cover model was related to Fairuza Balk. Twenty years later, I got my hands on a copy again. It was bland but somehow I whipped through it in less than two hours. Things that are normally triggering for me, in this, did nothing. The writing was just that bland. I was trying to find this book and turned to goodreads, and remarked in the post that "the author writes similarly to Francesca Lia Block, but it's not her." At the time, I couldn't remember what made me say that.
I read the book and instantly remembered: Dunnion's writing in this book is like a cheap version of FLB who is actually not trying to be edgy, but is actually being genuine to the story, but comes off as trying too hard somehow. I disliked the writing style. I couldn't connect to anyone. In the hands of a more engaging author, this might have been a gritty thriller considering the robbery for drugs and somehow, the kidnapping of a baby that occurs.

The character blabs about drugs, booze, sex work, her crush on and resentment of Cherry; and abruptly starts talking about being interested in a new gal. I liked this new gal a lot. Go new gal! I cheered for the two to get and stay together, thinking MC would learn a better life was possible. She was a great character foil for Cherry, whose nickname appears to exist because of a jacket she wears while moshing. Nicknames come from all kinds of places but here, it was just kind of stupid. If she had other clothing with cherries on them, I'd be less grumpy.

Cherry is sixteen. She insists that she seduced a thirty-year-old. Honey. Not how that works. He blatantly uses her and chases whoever he wants, and whoever will deliver drugs for him. Cherry ignores this. I was so, so annoyed at her for this. In another book, I would feel bad about myself for that. This adult man convinces Cherry to rob houses with him and sell the belongings for drug money. They do this, the police try to find them, and then they rob...a grocery store....and kidnap...a baby, who was....hidden under the register. The mom took the baby to work because she couldn't afford a sitter.

WHAT?!
WHY?! WHAT THE FUCK. And also, seriously, whole chapters are dedicated to the mother of the baby having this really supportive and wonderful, normal family, and how they coordinate babysitting. No one was available to babysit on the day the mom took her baby to work. I just--it--you know what, no. That's--I'm sorry, but that's not possible -to take a baby to a grocery store and hide it under the cash register.- It would cry, need to be changed, cry, need to be changed, need to be fed, and cry. Loudly. Managers would -not- approve. Even in modern-day, having a baby in a chest sling thing wouldn't be allowed. I like chest sling things for babies, I think it's great for everybody. Win-win. Not as a grocery employee though. And why the fuck did Cherry kidnap the baby? Ransom is never mentioned. She's on coke as well as other stuff and whines about the baby being there. So she just--grabbed the baby and the cash and headed out?
AND NO ONE NOTICED OR INTERVENED?!
And then she crashes the car of the adult man who's preying on her and I just did not care. I hate to admit it, but I was kind of hoping this fictional character would die after it. No, she's fine and just yowling about how unfair the world is. Baby's fine too, though, and I was relieved.

This book is terrible, stupid, and until the last hundred pages, I couldn't put it down. Please skip this. I'm wondering if it ever should have been written. Gross. ( )

Excellent novel. Great insight into the "lesbian culture". ( )

Book Description
Juliet meets her Juliets in this raw look at punk, young love and the sometimes cloudy road to adulthood. Mosh Pit, a compelling story of rebel girls in the modern city, stars Simone - torn between her loyalty to her rebellious heart - throb Cherry and her feelings for Carol, streetwise and distant enough to be alluring. This edgy young adult novel takes Simone through the modern equivalent of Hades where she gradually gains a sense of who she is and more importantly who she can be.

"Teens will devour it, parents will fear it and smart booksellers will stock it."
-- Canadianbookseller
"Dunnion assembles a memorable cast of dykes, she_males and wannabe rock stars with an authentic teen vibe."
-- Herizons

"Dunnion brings to light a punk sub_genre with an authenticity that can astound unaware readers in this affecting novel."
-- Calgary Herald

"Reminiscent of S. E. Hinton_s The Outsiders."
-- Montreal Mirror

http://www.amazon.com/Mosh-Pit-Kristyn-Dunnion/dp/0889952922