Youll Never Be Here Again

In his first novel, British writer Blackaby manages to invest a character who's both morose and incommunicative with considerable charm. Paul, an intelligent but socially ungraceful young man, attempts to make sense of his life in the context of his friendship with smoother, more assertive types. After having his heart broken by his first girlfriend, he stumbles through a series of tentative encounters with women and haphazardly succeeds at university while allowing his roommate, David, to make all his major decisions for him. David, a smooth talker with mysterious business dealings, manages both of their affairs quite well until a bad business deal and an exotic woman combine to create some unwanted excitement in their apartment, leaving Paul on his own. The narrative exhibits some of the messiness common to first novels: shifts in time designed to elicit meaning sometimes fail to do so, and the droll humor that pervades the narrative, though often entertaining, can be overbearing. Nonetheless, Blackaby has created an enjoyable story with engaging secondary characters and some devilish moments. Paul's inertia may test the reader's patience, but he is drawn with enough compassion to make us root for his success. (July)