I was lured into this 110-page first novel by Wagner, a Swiss builder/snowboarder/musician, by the clever cover that showed a page of text melting into a distant island scene and reviews that promised stunning twists akin to those in the movies Memento and Adaptation. By page 20, I knew something was amiss when Wagner introduced Pete, a 9-year-old with the exact same bored adult voice as every other character. I had high hopes, though, that the promised surprises would redeem the colorless language and lagging plot. Besides, I was already a fifth of the way through the book: what’s another hour when a mystery is at hand? So I watched as Lou and Liz remained nonchalant about their recent stranding on a desert island while talking of philosophy and underpants; while Pete’s dad, Jim, hitched a ride with every teenage boy’s fantasy of a dark sexy stranger in the night; and while Jim’s 40-something brother, Andy, played video games. I ended the book only to realize that the surprise was not so much an inventive plot twist but the magical way in which my afternoon disappeared, leaving me with a clever cover and a vague feeling of disappointment.