A group of suburban teenagers become victims of a new sexually transmitted disease that causes bizarre physical mutations, becoming ostracized in the woods outside of town. Chris, Keith, Rob, and Eliza live in the suburbs of Seattle in the mid-1970's. Teenagers all throughout town are disappearing, having transmitted a mysterious new disease known as "the teen plague". These infected young people form a sort of colony in the woods outside of town. Early in the story, Chris contracts the illness from Rob. Rob's disease manifests itself in the form of an extra mouth that grows on his neck, gurgling occasionally. He hides it with a scarf. Chris is unaware that Rob is infected until after they have had sex. When she finds out, she feels betrayed, but soon finds the skin on the bottom of her foot splitting wide. The two are gradually go into self-exile with the other infected teenagers on the outskirts of town.
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Keith gets the disease from Eliza while he is at her house buying drugs. Her deformity is a short tail that he can see through her shirt. He is aroused by it, not recognizing it as a manifestation of the plague. After some period of time, the two join the rest in the woods. Many of the dozens of deformed teenagers live independently, even exiled as they are. Keith is able to bring food to the colony, his deformity being easily hidden. It is rumored that there is an even more grotesquely deformed man living deeper in the woods, preying on the isolated teenagers. Rob disappears and it is later discovered that he was killed by this man. The other kids live in fear. Unable to make a life together, and fearful that they will be killed like Rob, the remaining teenagers break up and wander away from their town and into the wilderness.
Black Hole is the novelized form of a 12 part graphic serial.
Best part of story, including ending:
The vibe of this book is deeply immersive. The themes run beneath the surface, the pace is perfect, and the suspense makes the skin crawl. It's like nothing I've ever read.
Best scene in story:
The early scenes when everybody is getting sick but no one knows why are particularly powerful. It brings to mind the early days of the AIDS epidemic when no one knew what it was.
Opinion about the main character:
The main characters are all relatable. Their decisions to do drugs and have sex isolate them from other parts of society. They find themselves changed in ways they didn't anticipate. It's an over-the-top but effective metaphor.
