Donald's a Douche

I love this statement, particularly when considering "Donald" in Shift.

Shannon Cudney, in a review of my novel, On the Edge, has this imminently quotable line:

At first I hated Joe and didn't know if I was going to make it through the book. He seemed to be such a douche. But as the story began to unfold, I found that some of the douchery was really his own anxieties taking hold. 

Who can't like the word "douchery." What is even better is that she decides that not only Joe but the entire book is worthwhile in the end.

From that point forward I wanted to learn more about this guy and what makes him tick. The novel is full of twists and turns that keep the reader engaged. The story line is realistic and detailed. I am sure the author's military background made all the difference for me in the flashback scenes. Many times I will gloss over these types of things (military stories just aren't my cup o' tea) but Hannah truly painted a picture with his words that keep me intrigued.

There is a little bit of everything in this book. Suspense. Mystery. A little taste of romance. And pretty deep character development packed into a fairly short novel. It was a really good read and I recommend it to anyone who enjoys "who done it?" mystery/thriller books.

One of the reasons that this speaks to me is that I think Donald in Shift is a similarly milque toasty character. I almost don't want to read on because he is so passive and incredibly blase'. That being said, the plot is compelling, the Silo universe is so terrifically rich that I have to overlook Donald and read on. I'm glad to see that my own book has the same compelling nature.