I guess my problem is with David, in his capacity as an unreliable narrator. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not against having an unreliable narrator wholesale; sometimes it works in interesting ways and makes for a better story. I think my problem is the specific brand of unreliable narration David is guilty of. He admits to Arnie at one point that he exaggerates when he’s getting into the telling, as well as multiple times questioning whether or not he’s actually sane. The reveal of “monster Dave” towards the end only strengthens his unreliability, as it gives him even more motive to lie and twist the truth. Which leads to me reading the story and constantly pausing to ask myself, “Okay, but is any of this real?” For all we know, the entire story happens in John’s head while he sits in a padded room somewhere. Which doesn’t change the content of the story per se, but it does make finding the truth of it nigh impossible. Ultimately, I think the book shows a lot of promise. David Wong knows how to tell a tale and his writing is strong. This is ultimately a qualm over point of view. I’d love to read something from Wong in the future, just hopefully told through the eyes of someone a bit more trustworthy. Aliya will be back on February the 15th with Something Like An Autobiography by Akira Kurosawa. Follow our Twitter feed for faster news and bad jokes right here. And be our Facebook chum here.
