Image from Goodreads.com
Peyote Trip makes deals for Hell and has discovered a loophole: if you can make five deals with your own genetic line, you get a second chance at life on Earth. The problem is, you slowly start to forget your life while you’re in Hell.
The novel has three storylines: Peyote’s attempt to get the fifth deal to make a Complete Set, Calamity Ganon’s past and how she’s trying to fight against God’s army, and Mickey Harrison; a teenager who has a brand new very best friend Ruth.
The novel has a lot of potential. It’s darkly funny in spots, the depiction of Hell – with pens that don’t work, constant car alarms going off randomly, and only serving Jägermeister in bars – is amusing and different, and the coming-of-age storyline of Mickey is relatable. But the novel didn’t feel very cohesive.
The story jumped around between the three plotlines in thankfully short chapters and everything tied up neatly in the end, but it felt clumsily executed. Calamity’s character in particular felt disjointed and, quite frankly, unnecessary. If her character was cut right out there would have been more room to explore Peyote’s character and how he’s related to Mickey, rather than rush-explain it at the end.
The narrative voice was interesting though. I did enjoy the flow and descriptive phrases. That’s pretty much what kept me reading. That, and solving the mystery in Mickey’s family of which brother killed a girl seventeen years prior.
Overall, this was an entertaining read, light and funny in places, touching in others. I’d read something else by the author simply for the narrative voice.
Should Be Writing 