Review: The Rules of the Road

5 stars. OF COURSE, after a long reading slump, I went into this with low expectations, thinking it would be a solid 3 star read at best. OF COURSE it would be this one to snap me out of it, a debut with a long list of mediocre reviews from readers who didn't even finish it AND a kind of gimmicky premise. I just really enjoyed it. I found it to be fun and funny and mean and nasty in all the right ways. 

It's late at night, you're on the road. You've been on the road for awhile, with nothing but headlights to guide you. Maybe you're in the middle of nowhere. Maybe you're getting sleepy, so you turn on the radio. Maybe, instead of Top 40 or Classic Rock, you hear the voice of a DJ, a voice that seems to suck you in. Maybe he drops some specific details, and seems to know a little too much about you. As you listen, he preaches to you a rule: a rule of the road. Hopefully, you listen. Maybe, you don't. 

The book is presented as a collection of stories submitted by folks who have supposedly heard versions of this special, spooky broadcast. Each individual hears a different rule, and acts accordingly - sometimes in compliance, sometimes with defiance. Either way, each of them faces consequences beyond belief. Why are some people punished, others spared, others forced into loss or terrible tragedy? What's the system? Who is the DJ? Where are the answers?

It's addicting, this one. The writing flows and the fast pace really keeps you engaged. The stories are - as many reviewers have pointed out - a little repetitive, but I didn't mind at all, and they were ultimately very distinct - distinct enough to keep me guessing. It's also not just premise, or gimmick. There are some super dark, meaty themes here - really it's partly a book about America, just as it's partly a book about music, and partly a book about love, and partly a book about death. The quest to find the meaning of life is certainly not a new one, nor is a bleak resolution to the quest. But the author here infuses enough heart and soul and warm creativity that you sense some deep, meaningful shit between these pages. I would like to read it again.

Of course I loved the superficial surface-level stuff too. The tropes, the monsters, the cosmic lore, the cheesy moments. The twists! So many fun twists. The clever details. I just really loved it, and would've been happy to sink my teeth into a few more episodes/stories. Adapt this immediately as a podcast or an anthology film! I've used the word "fun" like 50 times but I'd use it again! Loved it.

The Rules of the Road on: Amazon | Bookshop.org | Goodreads