“Beautiful book! … Fantastic work.”

The Two Knotty Boys are educators and the authors of “Two Knotty Boys: Showing You The Ropes” and “Two Knotty Boys: Back on the Ropes.”

Beautiful, collaborative art – by RJ Johnson “The Mayor of There”
“A beautiful art book that tells a useful parable about all relationships –not just those between vampires and spiders– “Relations That Suck” is a book that is wonderful for your coffee table or your lover’s nightstand.”
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These Images Don’t Adertise; They are Telling a Story… – by Romeo S. Ponsaran
“In Marilyn Yu’s mythology of post-modern love, she explores its essential character: the tension between ego and spirit, the challenge of loving across difference, and the dislocating influence of “objective” cultural mediators (media, technology, etc.) on identity and consciousness.

Using the fashion photography aesthetic, Yu uses a familiar and contemporary visual medium to ask a timeless question: “What is Love’s place in the world?” Through her archetypal yet original characters we follow their journey of love, explore love on the margins of society, and contemplate the possibilities of love in the 21st century. The fundamental tension of the human condition is retold-the age-old struggle between the ego and spirit is reborn.

Balancing style and substance, she provokes, satisfies and enchants she reader. In this unique and original tale, she narrates visual delicacies to invoke penetrating questions. With its many layers, she offers a classic mythology with a modern twist engaging to young and old.”
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relations DO suck! – by Francis E. Flores “Frankus”
“Relations That Suck is a fantastic and emotive love story that explores the intricacies of companionship. The artistry and detail within the photography and fashion make this a wonderful conversation book for people of all ages and lifestyles.”
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She sucks you in… – by Richard Deandrea
“The subject matter is not as important as the visual escapade. A story that tunes to the longings we all have, it is worth the look see for she really sucks you in…”
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Not your usual vampire story – by Elena
“What impressed me most about this book is how well the photographic content meshed with the story. The lighting and locations were well thought out and magically transported me into the story. Not your usual coffee table material but certainly more intriguing.”
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A wonderful book…. – by Y. L. Ha
“Part picture book of beautiful images, part modern fairy tale, and part meditation on the fragility of relationships. Relationships That Suck weaves a complex and delicate tale that deepens with each reading.”
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What a tangled web she weaves… – by Reflector Girl
“Beautiful book! Beautiful photography! Beautiful artwork! I love the pairing of spiders and vampires, and the idea of a vampire spinning a web of seduction. An intriguing story about relationships and personal identity. A tale everyone can relate to.”
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Theatrical. mysterious. dark. goth. fantasy. – J. Chang
“I was excited to enter this book, knowing full well that artiste Marilyn Yu never stops short of producing works of art that are shocking – yet understated in their calm presentation. It is obvious that this artist’s approach is to combine her magic, creative talent with an intelligent, structured approach.

While the story and costumes and models may be out of this world and absolutely extraordinary, at the same time they premise lies on a stalwart foundation of plausibility… even though the story concludes with a shocking ending, at the same time it left me thinking “… yes i can actually see that happening.” It is the author’s ability to weave (no pun intended as she is also a clothing designer) magic with reality, that allows one’s imagination to cross over into real world.

This is a beautiful coffee table book. And a mind-boggling short-story inside, replete with gorgeous designs and presentation.”
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Design for delight! – by KingoLego
“Marilyn jumps the chasm between fashion, photography and fantasy. I don’t know much about fashion, but I do know what I like! Looking forward to the retail stores, action figures and movie…. “

The fable is a difficult medium to work in, and Yu struggles with it a bit more than she does with the fashion (which is flawless in every frame). For a fable to work, it must be concise enough to read in one sitting, yet carry many layers above and beyond those which are presented. I think she makes a commendable effort here, with a story whose connotations touch on the dangers (and perhaps pleasures) of guilt, the balance of power in friendships, and whether or not a spider is ever really a proper roommate.

Overall, however, the strength of the book is visual: vampires in pretty clothing. And, really, how far can you go wrong with that as your premise?

Review by Haute Macabre, 28 August 2009

Each page of this book narrates the tale of Eva and Dries, yet the photographs really take the spotlight upon themselves. The photography is haunting and glamorous, and I felt that photographers Angela DeCenzo and Norma Cordova did a fantastic job capturing the moods of the story.

Marilyn Yu does spin a surprisingly touching tale, although I admit to being a bit puzzled as to why two very different models portrayed Eva.

Both models Jennifer Allford and Jennifer Lazorack are beautiful, yet one has light hair and the other a darker color. Perhaps this represents Good vs. Evil? I was left a bit unsure about that. Male models Calvin Jones and Marcus Wu appear as well, and handsomely suit their roles.

While most of the photographs could indeed be used as pages from a fashion design portfolio, there are a few graphic pictures showing Eva in her glory as a vampire.

In addition to the intriguing clothing, the hair styles and makeup are flawless, with most of it done by Christal Saville, along with contributions by hair stylist Matthew Mommer and makeup artist Nikol Dedischew. The locations for the photo shoots suit the story quite well, and I do think that above all else, the photography is outstanding.

This is a book I would recommend to people who love the fashion design world and the mystery of a good, short vampire story. The spider, Dries, is quite the character too!

Laura Hinds, MyShelf.com

Midori is the author of bestselling books “The Seductive Art of Japanese Bondage”, “Master Han’s Daughter” and “Wild Side Sex: The Book of Kink”. A regular advice columnist for Men’s Health, Midori has appeared on HBO and BBC, and has been featured in Vogue, Playboy, Der Spiegel, Cosmo and more. Multifaceted, she is a skilled photographer, artist in Japanese rope, presenting to art institutions such as Tanzquartier, Vienna and Das Arts in Amsterdam.

“San Francisco is proud to have an artist like Marilyn Yu who epitomizes the creativity and community that San Francisco is known for. Her book is a visually-stunning, experimental collaboration that showcases the best of San Francisco.”

David Chiu, San Francisco District 3 Supervisor

James A. Cox
“Reviewer’s Choice” in California Bookwatch: April 2009

Dries is a spider who loathes spinning webs. Instead he is a traveling spider, sending a line of silk into the air to fly to new places. He and Eva become quick friends after he brings her food. They explore the city together, until they run into the man Eva almost killed. He begs Eva to turn him into a vampire, too. She doesn’t want to but Dries convinces her to do something that has dire consequences.

“Relations that Suck” by Marilyn Yu is a dark and strangely entrancing book. It’s not so much the story itself (it is only 50-pages long). It’s how the pictures tell the story. It’s just… wow. I am most definitely a fan of Marilyn Yu and her designs now, and I recommend “Relations that Suck” to vampire and fashion fans.

Review by: Neha N. Kashmiri (age 14) from Reader Views – Book Reviews for teens by teens.

For reviewers who would like to request a review copy, please send a request to:

Marilyn Yu
P.O. Box 591105
San Francisco, CA 94159