Rant by Chuck Palahniuk

Perhaps my first impression of Rant was that Palahniuk was experimenting with a different style of storytelling, and in this case it's quite effective. It's best described as documentary-style narration, something that is frequently used in video documentaries, and it's the first time that I've seen in successfully applied to a work of fiction. Of course perhaps as you read more and more Palahniuk novels, you'll discover that his writing voice tends to sound more of the same but in this book, that's less apparent (although you still get that feeling when reading about some characters). As expected, there's still some not-readily-apparent gruesome moments in the book that makes you feel paranoid and vulnerable (I was almost tempted to go to my doctor and have myself checked for rabies...). As usual, Palahniuk makes judicious use of the fantastic (or in this case, science-fiction) that wraps up the whole package to deliver a great story. Is it a compelling read? You bet. How's the characterization? Well done, although because of the method of storytelling, there's lots of 'em. Veteran readers might want to check it out as it is a different form of narrating a story, while others might just want to grab the book because it's a good story. Rant is well worth the hype although be sure to check yourself for rabies before you start reading the book.

Rating: 4.5/5.