I received a copy of Suburbia from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review


As I sit here trying to figure out my review, all I can say is this is a must read. It's anything but a typical week anywhere, and to think this all started over a condom that fell out a woman's purse. It's the catalyst for everything that suddenly goes wrong in Casper's life. This a meek man who slowly sees his entire life slipping away from him, and there's no way to stop the slide. It's more than just obsession that fuels Zig's novel. It's also how we see things, or even don't see them. Throughout the novel we see bits and pieces of just how much of a failure Casper is. The wall in the backyard, his dog who always seems to slip under the fence to irritate the neighbor, and even his own marriage.

It's a powerful novel that bristles with intelligence, and black humor. Once you read it, there's no way to simply stop. Casper is an interesting character, but he's also not very strong emotionally. It's these failures that keep piling up, but this is who he is, and who knows, maybe deep down he knows this as well. This is a week no one would should ever endure, but it's the realism that makes this so readable. Any one of us could end up like Casper, and some one reading this can identify with Casper because they see themselves as this character. It's the reality of it all that makes it so good. Zig is a talented writer that not only places us inside the story, but things derail so quickly there's no time to prepare for it. It's not a feel good story, but this is what makes it so good.

Each character feels real, each situation has a feeling of uncertainty to it. We expect things to work out, and we expect the author to give us a nice warm ending. Just Another Week In Suburbia isn't like most novels. It's a dark, gritty read that explores the dark side of human nature. For some it may come across as bleak, or even hopeless, but that's exactly what I loved about it. Sometimes it's the books you don't expect to make an impact that do. Zig is a writer who seems to be pouring his soul into each chapter, the story is well written and goes places you don't expect. As Casper begins to fall apart there's no way to stop it. It's an engrossing novel, and one that leaves a lasting impression.

Casper is an Australian high school English teacher, his wife of seven years or so, Jane, makes more money than he does but that's not an issue. At issue is the fact that Casper's doubting his wife's fidelity, rendering him unable to focus at work or create beautiful, meaningful artwork; also his beautiful best friend and co-worker Beth is going through a violent breakup, and muscle-headed Vic who lives next door is threatening harm to Casper's beloved little dog Wallace. Although Casper's background is generously outlined, it's never explained what he possesses that makes him so very attractive to the opposite sex (his lovely wife Jane, the prettiest teacher at his school, the sexy nurse living next door) and likewise such an object of attention for the men around him (micromanaged by supervisor Stuart, constant harassment from neighbor Vic, suspicion and a punch in the nose from Beth's ex, surveillance from the unidentified Jean Jacket, etc.).

There are other mysteries as well: why is an English teacher so hard on himself about not creating substantive works of art? how did best friend Luke manage to see Casper's father shaking uncontrollably on a toilet in the cubicle at his wedding? how do Casper and Jane maintain such an upscale lifestyle while saving for IVF, for example rather than return a pricey gift of jewelry instead opting to flush it down a toilet? I loved the high-brow, Mad Men-esque cover art of this novel, but found it didn't really apply to the subject matter within, which might be encapsulated by the phrase "sexually explicit improbable plot".

Against a backdrop of a mundane and dull suburban life, the perfect marriage unravels.

It's a quick, light, fun read. I enjoyed the perspective being from the husband rather than the wife which made for a more interesting take than the usual chick-lit setting.

That said, I did get frustrated by the drippy naivety of the husband, and his unprofessionalism in the school where he taught was frankly unthinkable.

It never quite reaches a state of tension, but does pace along nicely.