I opened this book as a fan of Coupland's previous works, and was not disappointed. I could identify very much with Roger, even though I rarely drink and don't have an ex-wife or former bar flings. I wanted so much for his life to improve over the course of the book, and for Bethany as well.

And yet, their lives barely improved. Sure, he reconnected with someone from his past, at least by written letter, and Bethany stopped acting out through her wardrobe, but all she did was act out in other ways instead. At the end, the only character who seems to have benefited from the few hundred pages of reading was Roger, but that's speculative at best.

I finished the book eager to find out what happened to the characters next, not just because I grew attached to the characters, but because there was no sense of closure. Did Dee Dee and Roger continue to be friends? Hook up? Rekindle their past? Did Bethany make any changes to become "normal" without harming herself this time? Do they still write? Did Roger get a job, or stop drinking? Too many unanswered questions, and it is not usual for Coupland to write a book that begs for a sequel. A review on another site alluded that he ran out of ideas and finished on autopilot, and I suppose there's a lot of truth in that.

Still, it's worth the read. Just don't get your hopes up for a satisfying ending.

Share/Like this Review?