Time Out Chicago
books editor Messinger has a few gems sandwiched between predictably sardonic musings on failed relationships and poor life decisions in his debut collection. The opening piece, “Captain Tomorrow,” expertly captures a mixture of teenage summer malaise and a hint of innocence lost, but it’s not until several stories later, with the man-eating wolf farce “Not Even the Zookeeper Can Keep Control,” that the reader encounters something other than recycled humor. Ironic kookiness seems to be the order of the day: a child with a large head gets stuck in a fence; there’s a machine shaped like a large ear of corn and known as “The Hummingbird”; and there are several “hidden” stories wedged into the text. Scattered throughout are hints of Messinger’s talent, and these are found in stories that explore burgeoning teen sexuality—notably “One Valve Opens” and “The Birds Below.” The familiar-feeling patina of self-consciousness will turn off as many readers as it hooks. (Oct.)
