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callieisreading's review
4.0
Steve Himmer has such a wonderful, weird voice. This story is about a college kid who goes to work overnights at a convenience store. He comes into contact with all sorts of strange characters, and he finds himself changing accordingly.
At 70 pages, it is well worth the read. Between this and the Bee-Loud Glade, Steve Himmer is becoming a favorite.
At 70 pages, it is well worth the read. Between this and the Bee-Loud Glade, Steve Himmer is becoming a favorite.
discomagpie's review
4.0
I gave this book 4/5 stars on InsatiableBooksluts.com.
Review excerpt:
"I started reading this yesterday as I was sitting under the hair dryer at the salon, squinting through my one good eye (curse you, allergies) and holding it at arm’s length to keep from melting my Kindle. I have to admit, the first sentence made me a little frowny. “Stubborn daylight fades black”? I read on, uncertain. Gloria, the manager, had “gerbil eyes” and the protagonist was “performing semi-robotic functions gleaned from half-attention to yesterday’s training”. I was dubious of the overly-descriptive prose, I admit it. I had 15 minutes under the hot air, though, so I made a go of it.
I’m glad I did, because Himmer caught his stride quickly. I became engrossed in the story, which is about a college student who moonlights as a night clerk at a convenience store. Himmer paints scenes full of colorful characters: hookers, hobos, young kids trying to scam cigarettes. Most chapters run 1-2 pages; they don’t feel abrupt when you’re reading, as some works with short chapters tend to do. The quick vignettes meld, emphasizing nature of the clerk’s job–the kind of job where the moments, hours, and days eventually blur into one long question about what the hell you’re doing with your life."
Want the full review? Read it at our blog.
Review excerpt:
"I started reading this yesterday as I was sitting under the hair dryer at the salon, squinting through my one good eye (curse you, allergies) and holding it at arm’s length to keep from melting my Kindle. I have to admit, the first sentence made me a little frowny. “Stubborn daylight fades black”? I read on, uncertain. Gloria, the manager, had “gerbil eyes” and the protagonist was “performing semi-robotic functions gleaned from half-attention to yesterday’s training”. I was dubious of the overly-descriptive prose, I admit it. I had 15 minutes under the hot air, though, so I made a go of it.
I’m glad I did, because Himmer caught his stride quickly. I became engrossed in the story, which is about a college student who moonlights as a night clerk at a convenience store. Himmer paints scenes full of colorful characters: hookers, hobos, young kids trying to scam cigarettes. Most chapters run 1-2 pages; they don’t feel abrupt when you’re reading, as some works with short chapters tend to do. The quick vignettes meld, emphasizing nature of the clerk’s job–the kind of job where the moments, hours, and days eventually blur into one long question about what the hell you’re doing with your life."
Want the full review? Read it at our blog.
kfan's review
4.0
This was so great. A lot of Steve's writing is about nature and our relationship with the environment, so it was really delightful to read this story, which takes place in about as urban a location as you can get: a sad-ass convenience store in the middle of the night. Steve's writing here is really loose and fun, but he still describes these bizarro, odd-ball interactions with the weirdos who tend to haunt a convenience store at 3 am with a really insightful & thrilling clarity. It's a novella, a quick read, but it's packed with memorable scenes, both hilarious and depressing. 100% recommended.
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