Reading Geek Love was entertaining, disturbing and suspenseful. It's the only novel I can think of where I really dislike the characters while at the same time remain fascinated by what will become of them. For me, the physical deformities became less central to the story because of the unconcealed human frailty the characters possess. This examination of the darker side of human emotion and personality is part of the reason the novel is so unsettling. I can see myself in these "freaks,"–does that make me more freakish, or does it make them more "normal"? Arty's jealousy, Al's greed and Lil's subservience intermingle with Oly and Chick's desperate need for love, something that is elusive in the Binewski family. The twins' eventual fate seems representative of the struggle within us all, and our capacity for self-destruction.
I would argue that, as with most things in life, there is a continuum of freak/geek. Some of us will fall closer to the extremes than others, and the perception of what is freaky or geeky will differ from person to person and change according to the time in which we live. Social norms change as people who are considered "deviant" push the boundaries and widen our view of what is acceptable in terms of thought and behaviour (including outward appearance). The characters in Geek Love may look different, but it is in the mental and not the physical sphere where freaks are created.
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