June 1, 2000
It's bad enough that when Mr. and Mrs. Ngm adopt Joey they tell him that he has no heritage and is only a substitute for the child they couldn't have, but losing an unsolicited graduate fellowship at Columbia a semester before graduation sends him over the edge. Joey's confrontation with Whitlock, the man responsible for yanking his fellowship, leads to a series of events, from a new job to infatuation with Amy, who mysteriously asks to share his apartment, to his finally learning something about his real relationship with Whitlock. Part Lewis Carroll, part Franz Kafka, Nersesian (The Fuck-Up) leads us down a maze of false leads and dead ends, while Joey pursues Amy, battles Whitlock, and investigates his heritage. Joey's dilemmas are told with wit and compassion, drawing the reader into a world of paranoia and coincidence while illuminating questions of free will and destiny. Highly recommended.--Joshua Cohen, Mid-Hudson Lib. Syst., Poughkeepsie, NY
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