I changed my rating on this book several times. I'm a pretty big fan of Palahniuk, and this was not my favorite book of his by a long shot. There are, however, some truly unique things about this book, and when you look at his body of work, patterns start to emerge.

What I like about this book is that the second-person voice is used effectively. Other reviewers have complained about the repetition of phrases, and I admit, there are times where it's laid on thick...but it's about cadence. Think of it as long-form poetry. Yes, you're going to see the phrase "just for the record" a lot, but that's reinforcing the idea that this is a diary meant for someone, and reminding that person of something they should already know.

Palahniuk continues to find a way to work supernatural events into a story without making them the focus. The closest I can come to a comparison is early Steven King, especially in the Bachman books. The supernatural is allowed to exist without being explained or even being focal to the horror of the story. The truest horror comes from how people interact, and the supernatural is simply an amplifier, a microphone for the unpleasantness lurking in the human heart.

It's for this reason (and the skill with which Palahniuk takes on new voices and new writing styles) that made me bump up my rating. This is not his best story, it's not the most inventive writing technique, but it is, like all of his stories, unique. If you're expecting Fight Club, this book isn't that at all. Palahniuk still manages to make you look at humanity and feel wretched. Yes, the degree of our own moral turpitude is exaggerated, but I doubt there will be many that will read the book and can't find a character or plot setting that doesn't remind them of a twisted funhouse image of the world we live in.

It's worth reading- especially if you're a Palahniuk fan, if only to serve as a comparison. To see that unlike many authors who find a voice and stick to it (despite changes in plot and setting), this is one author who never sounds the same. Perhaps this voice is not one you'll like, but it's amazing to see an author able to take on so many different styles.