What did I just read?! And I mean that in a good way. My mind is always blown when a brand new author debuts with a book so well-written that it feels like the work of a pro. Don’t get me wrong – this book is all over the place and will be hard for some readers to follow. But falling down the rabbit hole is also kind of the point.
It’s hard to say what this book is about or exactly what genre it falls into. The blurb does a better job explaining this than I can. “A cleverly diverting narrative that remixes folklore, pop culture, multiculturalism, gender roles, history, sci-fi, noir aesthetics, and urban decay.” All of those elements are mixed into a story centered around a combat veteran struggling to figure himself out as he navigates the world(s) around him.
I love flawed characters who are aware of their screwed-up-ness. What’s even better is when we see the flaws of society through that character’s eyes. A good writer is supposed to see the world around them and be able to point out what everybody knows in new and interesting ways, and that keen insight of the author/main character might be my favorite thing about the book. There is plenty of commentary about society, about different kinds of people, etc.
All of this is beautifully weaved into a story where the main character (and you as the reader) are trying to figure out what the heck is going on. At times, the book does get a bit bogged down in its own cleverness, distracting from the plot, but even these sort of side note bits were engaging and interesting insights into something about the world. The writing itself at times sounded in my head a bit like Dave Eggers and a bit like S.A. Hunt, another veteran author I’ve had the pleasure of reading.
If you’re into literature that pushes your brain, grab this book.
See it on Amazon!
Sunshine Somerville 
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