A Highly Technickel Memoir

by Shoshana Sumrall Frerking

[Kim Deister]

A Highly Technickel Memoir is a book unlike anything I have read in many years and I loved every second of the story. It was quirky and witty and completely engaging from the very beginning. There was a tremendous blend of fun and whimsy and humor, right along with some sadness, darkness, and pain. Together it was an incredibly fun read that I truly loved. It was written in the form of a memoir, as the title suggests, that the employers mandated their employees write after a year in their job. It was a very unique way of presenting a story.

Corey Russell was the extremely likeable, sassy heroine of the story. Living with her boyfriend Ronnie, the future heir to a family restaurant business, she has begun to realize that her life and relationship aren't what they used to be. When she finds a new job, she begins to realize that her job, and the world she lives in, aren't what she thought. She quickly becomes friends with three of her co-workers, November, Galen, and Carl. The three could not be more unique people, full of the quirkiness that is throughout the book. Ronnie, while not the most likeable through most of the story, was perfect for his part in the story and in Corey's life.

One of the things I liked most was the way the author brought the characters together retroactively. Seemingly, they all met through work, but as the story unfolds, you realize that many paths may have crossed in the past. That was an interesting way to add depth to the characters and their backstories. It truly showed the cliché of it being a small world. The book was extremely well-written and, despite the fantasy aspect, the world she created was so well-written that you could easily believe it existed. The blend of the real and the actual really helped the "reality" feel of it.

The ending was a suprising one, mixed with a real-life event that brought me to tears, and it seemed to clear the way for a sequel. There is also a prequel out, The Machine, available at the same retailers as linked above. I highly recommend this book for a fun and fascinating read!