Another great page-turner from an author I think of as 'Palahniuk lite'. There are the usual heavy topics (AIDS, cancer, birth defect) and everyman-type characters (divorced mom, ne'er do well son, overachieving daughter). The author's powers of plot twisting were amazing and lots of fun to watch unwind. It was a good reminder to keep an eye out for more from Coupland at the used book store when I need a good airplane read. I tried to quiet the voice in my head that kept saying "no one really talks that way, this dialogue is distracting". Then I remember the dialogue is not the point, nor the strongest element here. It's about the journey, the wild ride along the way.