Vibrant Mood Swings
Scott Lewis, 50 pgs, Serious Ink Press, seriousinkpress.com, $24.99
If you don’t read this book’s summary before trying to read the thing itself, I’m afraid you’d end up lost. I was lost for awhile… and I did read the summary. Then, a spectacular moment happens, and you just get it.
Scott Lewis’ Vibrant Mood Swings is an eccentric take on the inner workings of the author’s mind. He outlines the characters, or “denizens,” that take up the magical world he has created. Some of the stories are shorter than others, and many are funny.
When reading through the many characters, the book almost plays as a zodiac chart for the reader. Are you a complete Troy, with an intense “desire to impress other members of the Fraternal Order of Augmentation Agents?” Perhaps you see yourself in Dorthea, the girl who is constantly working on herself so that one day she will be enough.
The art work that accompanies the stories are the highlights of Vibrant Mood Swings. This makes sense when you consider that this is a book by a well-known painter. Each portrait and scene is laid out in bright hues, allowing me to see the story for more than what was written.
The fiery reds and upset eyes that portray Constance vividly demonstrate, for instance, that, “even if you did not see or hear Constance, you knew she was there.” Eyes would begin to burn, nostrils twitch and skin itch.” The visual aspects of this book invite the reader to live inside the story.
While you may not want to see your-self in this book’s pages, I imagine that you will. Even if you don’t, take a look into the flaws of others and enjoy the compel-ling art.