by Stacy (link)
Genre comedy, drama
Pairings Isaac/OFC, Taylor/OFC, Zac/OFC
Length 24 chapters
Status Unfinished
A genre you don’t see often in hanfic, at least on its own, is comedy. As someone who has attempted it, I can say that it’s the hardest to write. What you find funny may not be what others find funny, which can make it difficult to judge a comedy objectively. I’ll give Hysteria, Bloody Hysteria, which I think I may have read years and years ago, my best try.
The plot involves, just as the introduction suggests, a dead cat. It really doesn’t get any deeper than that and the standard drama involved in being part of a family of nine where the three eldest children are famous. There’s something kind of charming about that sort of domestic drama, although in this case the attempts at humor often just make me roll my eyes. Stacy tends toward physical humor, which is better in live action than written down. A little more wordplay aside from her occasionally sarcastic narration would have added a lot to the story.
Stacy’s physical humor often goes a little too far and involves some rather unbelievable plot twists. That makes it even more of a surprise when she throws in a random, deep subplot. I’m not sure what to make of that, since it never had a chance to go far before she stopped writing the story. The Hanson family members are all distinct characters, if some do verge of over the top stereotypes at times. Still, the writing itself is technically strong, even if the plot leaves a lot to wish for. And in case you were wondering, there is one chapter that pinged my memory and proved that I did, in fact, read Hysteria, Bloody Hysteria back in the day. I found it mildly enjoyable then, as I recall, and that assessment stands.
Review by Bethany (website)