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A review by discomagpie
The Second Most Dangerous Job in America by Steve Himmer
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.