THIS IS THE WAY THE WORLD ENDS


By Jenny Orosel
The Fiction Works 1-58124-8032
E-book $6.95

Jenny Orosel is in a butt-load of trouble. This is the Way the World End is such a great book, I don't know how she will top herself with the next one she writes.

The story takes place in Los Angeles where radio psychic Grace Joseph announces to the world that it will die it one year. Grace and her source are never wrong and everyone takes her seriously.

Besides covering most of L.A., the story focuses on three clerks at a mall: Lenny, a co-dependent homosexual who mothers his lovers and lets them walk all over him; Shelly, a bored girl who just wants someone important in her life; and Jacob, a stuttering nerd with an over-bearing mother and craves Shelly's affection.

Now faced with the world ending, the characters set out to find that one thing missing in their lives. Lenny focuses on a new lover who is bad for him. Jacob finds fame and acceptance through pornography. Shelly searches for a life full of experience through sexual adventure. In the end, their journeys turn tragic and demoralizing, sending them down an emotional spiral of despair as the world reaches closer to the destruction point, as well as the reader.

What I love the most about the book is the characterization. Maybe it is because I've spent 8 years in the retail penitentiary, but I completely related to them and their frustration in life and love. There are also many references to horror icons: Cronenberg, Creepshow, and Argento. It is nice to see those names because it gives off a familiarity to the story. It feels like someone I 'know' is telling the story.

As heavy as Orosel turns in the story, there are some great moments of humor:

"Some were asking for the date of the end of the world (Grace had none). Others called in saying that it was God's punishment for the homosexuals, the drug addicts, the Muslims, the Jews, the Catholics, the democrats (Grace disconnected them all.) One person asked if her cat would be okay (it wouldn't)."

I won't say how the world will end, but Orosel ends the book quite beautifully with one sentence, depicting an image filled with hope and life.

I am not a fan of E-books. I mean, who would want to sit at their computer and read a screen for a few hours? Not me, so I printed it out. In my opinion, E-book is a stifling medium for this book. I hope it comes out in paperback soon - shit - hardback would be better.

This is the Way the World Ends is a beautifully written journey that expresses the core of humanity. It is occupied by brilliant major characters and colorful, often disturbing, supporting characters. It is a truly brilliant read that grabs you by the balls and won't let go.

RFI West

Review by Mike Purfield


Critical Raves for Mike Purfield's "Dirty Boots."

"If you're looking for a good read, something you've never experienced before, then this is the book for you." Paul Kane of Terror Tales.

Rated 3 out of 4 by Unhinged Magazine.

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