A hilarious, poignant tour de force of American angst, where love matches wits with reality.
Jerry Becker is so obsessed with the country's ills, his girlfriend Amy gives him an ultimatum; either see a psyche detective who claims he can cure angst in one day, or it's over. And so ensues the most bizarre 24 hours of his life in a dangerous part of town known as the Crosshairs District.
Jerry's only weapon is a sharp sense of humor, but in the dead of night with bullets flying, is anything funny? Will he die laughing? Will Amy wait for him? Will God have dibs on his body, or Visa?
And where, during all this, is Amy? He wouldn't want to know.
Assessment:
Born worrier Jerry Becker goes to see enigmatic psyche investigator -- or “brain dick” -- Mason Burr to save his relationship in this smart, relevant comedy. While Jerry and Mason’s voices are sometimes too similar, Elless has a knack for bringing wit to the book’s action and physical descriptions so that not a word feels wasted. The author pulls off some of literature’s harder tactics (long speeches, flashbacks) with comic timing reminiscent of your favorite irreverent stand-up.
Date Submitted: September 06, 2016