For every great work of art, there’s going to be a spoof. For horror movies there is Scary Movie.  Of course there is Mel Brooks, the master of all spoofs.  Monty Python, the spoof of everything in general. Now erotica has it’s first spoof work. Bonus, it’s a choose-your-adventure spoof (sort of)!

To be honest, I did not finish the first volume of The Adventures of Mari Shu. There was only so many times I could read “pee-pee nub” before I was mentally gagging. It also forever tainted most erotica scenes I read afterwards as the words “pee-pee nub” flashed into my head. “Pee pee nub” kinda takes the smexy out of these scenes. I dare you to tell your significant other that you want them to go to town on your PEE PEE NUB. Then time how quickly pajamas are put on and you’re watching TV.

PEE PEE NUB.

Those words were a deal breaker for me but the humor matches with my humor. She even gave herself a glowing review on Goodreads. I definitely snorted up some water by accident a few times. It was just the same kind of joke over and over again that made it old real fast. Imagine a really nice coworker telling you a funny story the first time. Hilarious. Second mention of this story, uncontrollable spurts of laughter. The fifth time, a grin. The seventh time, a patronizing smile. By the twentieth time, you’re just nodding your head and smiling at the “Hang In There” poster by the water cooler.

For every good thing about this work was that there was a matching “but”. So it just comes down to the reader preference if they can keep on going or will they get hung up like I did on PEE PEE NUB. Wallace is great at writing parodies.. Her writing is smooth for the most part. I can easily imagine this world where Sexxoring is an occupation. There is a very believable heroine.  The joke must be that she is absolutely clueless about sex in general but that naivety became too silly. The constant breaking of the fourth wall jokes overshadows the writing style. Imagine that same coworker from above and now add constant elbowing to your side.  The point is clear, it’s a spoof.

PEE PEE NUB.

Who grew up with “Choose Your Own Adventure” books? I did. The idea was that the reader would read to a certain point where several options were given to proceed to the next part of the story. You would turn to that page until the next set of options and so on. My favorites were the “Give Yourself Goosebump” by R.L. Stine. We all cheated, we all went back after choosing the first part. Whatever you chose however would still go forward. The most technical flaw I encountered while reading Mari Shu: Book 1 was after choosing an option, seeing that through, I had to go back to the first prompt to continue the story. It wasn’t as if choosing a choice gave you a different direction or ending, it seemed to just add an alternative perspective to what could happen. Interesting, but not as fun as the original concept for “Choose-your-own-adventure”. It further disrupted the flow of the reading for me and took me out of the story.

PEE PEE NUB.

I can’t get over that description.

For the first of it’s kind, it’s a great start. Others may be able to get over the PEE PEE NUB descriptor and enjoy the book even more. The writing is well done and the jokes are pretty funny. It would be a great read to share with friends who share the same appreciation of erotica.  Despite all the hiccups, it was still an enjoyable read until PEE PEE NUB.

I just have to add, author has some mad skillz in the crochet department. Check it out here.

Length: Interactive (tee hee) novel
Genre: erotica spoof
Primary Book Format: e-format
Publisher/Imprint: Meankitty Publishing (self-publish?)
Blush Quotient: pee pee nub red
Smart Girls Rating:  3 Stars

Order it here: Amazon

Find out more info about the author and series here.

(Disclaimer: This book was given for review.)