From Library Journal
This debut collection by the 22-year-old McManus shows promise, though perhaps his style and talent are not fully formed. Most of the stories deal with reckless, disaffected young people numbing themselves with drugs and alcohol, and while McManus shows us flashes of their inner struggles, their antisocial behavior makes them hard to care about. Still, the strongest stories make the book's purchase worthwhile: "The Future Is Orange" features a frustrated burst of rage that is utterly believable because of the time taken by the author to set it up, "Vlad the Nefarious" details a troubled teen's constant need for stimulation, and "Gegenschein" is an eerie tale about an encounter in the woods. Full of gritty detail, these stories are not for everyone. For larger collections.DChristine DeZelar-Tiedman, Univ. of Idaho Lib., Moscow
Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc.
McManus is a young writer, but his debut collection of stories is impressive in its reflection of intense life experiences. In the title story, intoxicated college students race the Baltimore beltway to determine who pays the evening's bar tab; with genuine suspense, the story traces one man's initial resistance and inevitable submission to the dangerous ride. Other stories explore similar issues of masculinity and challenge. The collection's strongest story, "Megargel," pits common notions of masculinity--swearing, destructive behavior, and bucking against feminine order--against a sensitive boy named Luke. Luke is sent to stay with cousins in Mississippi, where boys his own age mock him; even Luke's grandfather, a retired merchant marine, uses each moment alone with Luke as an opportunity to violently threaten him for his girlishness. McManus, a Tennessee native, writes unpredictable, accomplished stories; and his language is rich with playful southern accents.
James KliseCopyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved
