Evan Portin is at a sad, scary place in his life. While taking a long walk to compose himself and figure out where to go from here, he encounters a young woman being mugged in a park.
When he tries to intervene, he discovers that she doesn't need his help. At all.
Her name is Harriett. She is very, very good at defending herself. Everything she owns is in a large backpack. She's never seen a cell phone. She's never been in a car. She's never really ventured into the outside world.
And she says she's traveling across the country to slay a Cyclops.
She's crazy, right? Evan is not in the habit of hanging out with delusional women he's just met. On the other hand, it can't hurt to offer her a ride out of town. And maybe this insane journey is exactly what he needs...
Strand is known for his horror comedy, and his straight-up horror. This novel is neither of those. It's a modern fantasy tale. It's a road movie in book form, with a cast of zany characters and bizarre situations.
Like the protagonist, Evan Portin, the reader is pulled along. Anticipation of "what could possibly happen next?!" kept me reading. And, of course, like Evan, seeing it through to the end just to know if there really is a cyclops roaming Arizona.
For me, the tale read like an A. Lee Martinez novel, and that is a compliment. It was a fun read I enjoyed immensely.
Sounds interesting. I hadn't heard of this one.
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