It's cool that he doesn't shy away from that. One of the things I loved about this book is that the author is a white guy who creates descriptions of other characters based on their race/being white as well. What's surprising though are the razor sharp insights and glittering self-consciousness that comes from it since we also learn that the protagonist is a young-ish white guy with a since-declining genius IQ who often gets pulled over by the cops and whose choice to work at a gas station is a deliberate attempt to avoid asking too much of life. Oh and thievery.Īs the description tells you, the setting is a gas station, and the tone and overall voice of the protagonist matches perfectly with the pacing-or not-of the daily humdrum you might expect from working (the night shift) at a gas station. In the protagonist's case, the descent is into the self-loathing that apparently occurs when one has to manually apply meaning to one's work because the work is otherwise unfulfilling and so meaningless. This book to me was a bit reminiscent of Hubert Selby's Demon in that it's a character study of what happens to an otherwise successful guy with a seemingly harmless obsession (for not aspiring), and the rapid descent the psyche takes in following the obsession. I really loved this book: memoir veiled as fiction, virtuousness and self-righteousness veiled as thin disguises for fear of apathy and contempt in the slow realization of being ordinary in the worst way. This book to me was a bit reminiscent of Hubert Selby's Demon in that it's a character study of what happens to an ot I counted 5 typos in this book-either by word omission or addition-and I'm ecstatic because that's very good considering many indie books and considering the page count, and. I counted 5 typos in this book-either by word omission or addition-and I'm ecstatic because that's very good considering many indie books and considering the page count, and.

Either way, It's always self-indulgent.īased on the author's own experiences working in the service industry, Shift Change is an exploration of what happens when you never stop trying to fit a square peg into a round hole. It's sometimes poignant but it's more often ridiculous. Shift Change is a misanthropic and confessional dark comedy. With an expensive coffee coaster for a degree and no idea what he is going to do with the rest of life, James finds himself working nights at the busiest gas station in his small Michigan town. James Sims is a recent college graduate who has done everything by the book, but that doesn't mean that he has actually done anything right.

With an expensive coffee coaster for a degree and no idea what he is going to do with the rest of life, James finds himself working nights at the busiest ga Anyone can work in a convenience store, but some people really shouldn't. Anyone can work in a convenience store, but some people really shouldn't.

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