Perhaps the European definition of "slacker" is different from my American interpretation, but categorizing Make a Move as a "slacker-thriller" feels unnecessarily narrow and reductive; like referring to Lawrence Block's Matt Scudder novels as "recovering alcoholic crime fiction."

Steven Gaskin's debut is a deliberate, methodical thriller which owes as much to its genre ancestors as it does the character-driven wave of indie movies from the 90s, and it's no surprise that he notes Grosse Pointe Blank as an inspiration. Much like Block does with Scudder, Gaskin pays an atypical amount of attention to developing his engaging trio of lead characters -- twenty-somethings at similar crossroads in their respective lives, but far from slackers -- amplifying the story's many thrills via empathy and smart dialogue instead of simply relying on well-worn genre tropes. Mind you, the tropes are all there: the violence, the double-crossing, the mysterious past, the bomb; but they never overshadow the characters, certain key events taking place completely off-page, experienced only in reflection or via their aftershocks.

Make a Move is a smartly paced, immensely enjoyable read that defies simple categorization. While there's plenty enough genre elements to satisfy thriller fans, I think its appeal is far broader than that and highly recommend it.