His style makes it so claustrophobic for the readers, knowing what we know and only hoping for the best to come out of it all. But that is nothing compared to what Morozzi has written for them. When it becomes clear the alarm is not signaling, they really start to worry, with the passage of every minute adding to the pressure.Īldo starts talking about theories, like maybe it's just a local blackout or, worse, a terrorist attack. What adds to the tension is that none of their cell phones get a signal, in addition to the initial shock of the stop adding to the nervousness of everyone. Between the 11th and 12th floors, the elevator makes its final stop for the day. This is when the fun starts for these three. Tomas gets on that elevator to grab what he needs from his home, with a train ticket in his back pocket, all ready to go. Her name is Francesca and they plan on running off together to Europe. After weeks of exchanging messages, they meet at a Pearl Jam cover band show, and it's love at first sight. Making this trio complete is a teen named Tomas, a young music fan who likes to start flame wars on some low-rent Pearl Jam message board, until he strikes up a relationship with a member named Bee Girl. She just wants to ride the bus home and avoid any men in the area, who she feels are all after her. While returning home in the oppressive heat ,she reflects about her girlfriend, who is off filming a movie somewhere. She's disgusted with how she is treated by her boss, a total pig and leech who spies on the women when they change and makes them dress in some hooker-like outfit while on the clock. Aldo is part of the faithful elevator trip because he's headed to his secret apartment, where he keeps the movies he makes with his victims.Ĭlaudia is a waitress at a local bar and hates everything about it, working there just to pay for her tuition. After Aldo has skinned a poor boy's face, he decides to put it back on with a nail. If that was not enough to add to the stress, one of the three is a serial killer.Īldo Ferro is our killer, who slowly tortures his victims in a brutal way, gaining ideas from the comic book PREACHER. It all takes place during a holiday weekend, so no one is around to help them. Unfortunately, some unnecessary sadism and a contrived closing twist will leave some readers feeling less than satisfied.' - Publishers Weekly 'Another translated treat from Bitter Lemon Press, Gianluca Morozzi's BLACK OUT plays upon the situation of being trapped in an enclosed space for a long period of time - particularly, three characters trapped in an elevator seemingly stuck between floors. Clearly influenced by Hollywood movies and such classic Japanese manga as Battle Royale, the story offers plenty of suspense and well-drawn characters. But as the temperature rises and tempers snap, all three react to the stress in ways true to their nature. When chance brings them together, stuck between floors in a deserted building on a summer weekend, they first try to survive. Morozzi gradually cranks up the tension until events in the lift reach a horrific climax, and then produces a stunning twist which turns a psychological suspense novel into a savage satirical commentary on Italian society.' - Sunday Telegraph 'In Morozzi's overly clever psychothriller, three people get trapped in an elevator in Bologna, Italy-Claudia, a student moonlighting as an exotic dancer Tomas, a teenager planning to rendezvous with his girlfriend in Amsterdam and elope and Aldo Ferro, who looks like Elvis and just happens to be a serial killer. When the lift suddenly stops between floors they are condemned to hours of imprisonment in the tiny, almost airless space. Sixteen-year-old Tomas is about to elope with his girlfriend, who will be waiting for him at the railway station Claudia is longing to get out of the skimpy uniform she has to wear in her job as a waitress in a sleazy bar and Aldo, a demented serial killer, is on his way to another torture session with his current victim. Three people get into a lift in a building on the outskirts of Bologna. 'Anyone suffering from claustrophobia is likely to find Blackout by Gianluca Morozzi a disturbing read.
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