A review by guybrush_creepwood
Amnesia Moon by Jonathan Lethem

4.0

Lethem definitely takes a page from Philip K. Dick, which believe me I appreciate, but he's a great science fiction writer in his own right. Reading this book is like being dropped in the middle of someone else's dream, the logic of which is a bit hazy and ever shifting. Reality changes drastically from location to location due to some mysterious apocalyptic event. All the locals are controlled by the dreams of petty tyrants which shape their lives and even their bodies. Our protagonist - sometimes Everett Moon, sometimes just known as Chaos- can't remember who he is and how things got this way. He embarks on a cross country road trip from place to place trying to figure it all out. Each place he visits is uniquely bizarre with its own oppressive rules that don't entirely make sense. We never get a lot of concrete answers. Personally I love that sort of ambiguity, but if you're looking for it all to make sense in the end you're gonna be disappointed. Lethem's great at writing characters with depth beyond just how strange they are. The plot is dreamlike, with no definite start or end points, but it has just enough action to keep you turning the pages. I could see that being frustrating if you like reading things that are a bit more structured, but I eat this kinda stuff up with a spoon. 4.5 stars.