This book is mediocre, but not a waste of time. It is a quick and easy read, so the short time that it takes to read it doesn't feel like a waste (and the predicibility of the plot sppeds things along too). AYR is the story (actually three stories) of people who abandon their identities, whether for financial gain, the sheer joy of manipulating others, or a complete disgust with true identity. My biggest complaint about this book is that it tries to be suspenseful, but it fails miserably in its efforts. When it comes to the craft of creating suspense, I've been spoiled by Robert Ludlum and his ability to create an unshakable paranoia (Osterman Weekend, to name one example), where the author lulls the reader into trusting certain characters, then exposes the deception of those same characters by tying together hints that were there from the very beginning, until the reader is suspicious of absolutely every character. I could tell that Chaon was trying to do exactly that in AYR, but he just doesn't have the technique that Ludlum has.
I'm glad I borrowed this book from the library because it is not a keeper.