Jason Guriel (On Browsing) may, in fact, be a witch. Before calling for his death by burning, however, please consider the stunningly creative work that has issued from his cauldron: The Full-Moon Whaling Chronicles. Stuffed with every imaginable ingredient (sci-fi futuristic dystopia, high fantasy, and '90s pop culture, to name just a few), the novel opens with an epigraph from Melville's Moby-Dick and proceeds in unexpectedly delightful ways. Oh, and one more thing: it's written entirely in flawless rhymed couplets. There is no reason to believe this absurd concoction will work, but it does, rewarding readers with an inventive narrative, gorgeous wordplay, and a healthy dose of humor throughout.
Guriel's book (a companion to Forgotten Work) traces multiple story lines, alternating between the year 2070, where undergrad Kaye studies a cult classic YA novel, and the text of that novel itself. Various fan fiction versions of the novel occasionally intrude, and by the "Epilogue."--and subsequent "Epilocket."--the edges start to blur, blending the narratives into a fascinating conclusion. Guriel's poetic skill is impressive, couplets rolling forth effortlessly, each packed with cleverness: "Some believed the reemergence of/ The stars was proof of concept for God's love;/ At last, the Second Coming had begun./ Still others, skeptics, argued that the sun/ Was just a massive, flaming ball of gas./ New Marxists viewed the Miracle through class." Readers who submit to the hypnotic rhythm of these lines may suspect witchcraft, but they will love the spell Guriel has cast on them. --Sara Beth West, freelance reviewer and librarian