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Summary
Summary
Your life is no longer recognizable, every detail corrupted by unknown forces. The harder you struggle, the more you suffer. Your words mean nothing, your actions backfire, and one by one everybody you know is sucked down with you. You are: 1) Nick 2) cursed 3) afraid all the time That's because: a) someone or b) something is after you with a vengeance. Even with the help of other cursed people, you don't stand a chance because you're all, you know, cursed. That means you and everyone you know will: 1) suffer 2) die 3) amuse your tormentor That is, unless you figure out how to manipulate the person behind this and turn their power against them. Check your list a second time because they're probably on it. The only thing left to do is scratch them off.
Reviews (2)
Publisher's Weekly Review
Shipp (Sheep and Wolves) offers readers a tightly written story of suspense and occult horror. Nicholas believes that he has been cursed, and he is not alone; his eccentric love interest, Cicely, is convinced that the fate of the world depends on her possession of a tennis ball. As their loved ones express skepticism, Nicholas and Cicely seek out other curse victims, including accident-prone Abby and reluctant mentor Kin. Though at first the curses seem mere delusions, it soon becomes clear that a malevolent entity called Pete is amusing itself by tormenting them. Abby's fatalism, Nick's self-hatred and Pete's power and ruthlessness hamper their efforts to find curse-free lives. Using Nicholas's idiosyncratic voice and fondness for lists, Shipp effectively conveys the claustrophobic world of people caught up in events beyond their control. (Nov.) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
Booklist Review
With his offbeat first novel Vacation (2007), Shipp joined a growing cabal of authors practicing what's called bizarro fiction. Borrowing elements of sf, fantasy, and horror, the upstart genre appeals to readers interested less in story than in twisted scenarios and wacky wordplay. While staying true to his bizarro roots with an unconventional narrative, Shipp's latest nevertheless sticks to an engaging story line, albeit featuring some decidedly odd characters. Nick is a professional stuffed-animal creator and compulsive list-maker afflicted by a strange curse: at least once a day, someone slaps his face. His newfound best friend Cicely endures an equally anomalous curse: she must palm a tennis ball 24/7 or, she's convinced, the world will end. Comparing notes, the pair quickly surmises that one individual, whether human or demon, may be responsible for both curses. Together, they brave neurotic relatives, alien abduction, and imminent torture to unravel the mystery. What's missing in coherent plot here is made up for by witty dialogue and a profusion of well-timed, sardonically funny lists.--Hays, Carl Copyright 2009 Booklist
