Tomasz, a young college student in the year 2093, is like most people his age. He does not have many friends, spends most of his time in a virtual world, and lives in a society that is so enmeshed in technology that people barely interact with each other. Even though this isolated existence is all he has ever known, Tomasz feels as if he is missing something important in his life, something that would bring him meaning. His one chance at finding any sense of normalcy is in attending his love interest’s musical in a unique and colorful pink tuxedo.
As he prepares for this event he accepts a unique request—to deliver a mysterious package across the city for a large sum of money. Unbeknownst to him, this sets off a chain of events wherein he will go on the run from the police, survive a near-death experience, and come face-to-face with a disreputable group. They inform him of their dangerous plan and present to him a devious offer: go back to his previous life, or join them as they carry out one of the city's greatest crimes.
Plot/Idea: 5 out of 10
Originality: 5 out of 10
Prose: 5 out of 10
Character/Execution: 5 out of 10
Overall: 5.00 out of 10
Assessment:
Plot/Idea: Pink Tuxedo sets its sights high, pulling in several threads that promise action and a hint of suspense. Unfortunately, the novel doesn't quite realize that ambition, though readers will find Tomasz's journey amusing at times.
Prose: Acosta writes formal, sometimes robotic prose that leans heavily on philosophical asides to illustrate the novel's underlying themes.
Originality: Tomasz is a classic picture of a man in the wrong place at the wrong time, caught in an unlikely situation that forces him to rethink his interactions with society.
Character/Execution: Throughout Acosta's writing, Tomasz comes across as a man in over his head, bumbling through circumstances that challenge him at nearly every turn. That personality drives the main events as well—they unfold erratically, mirroring the way Tomasz navigates his progressively confusing world.
Date Submitted: August 05, 2024
