A review by casualblasphemy
The Dead Do Not Improve by Jay Caspian Kang

4.0

I enjoyed the hell out of this book, despite a few weaknesses, primarily an ending that provides almost no closure for any of the plot's major points. But I found Kang's style contagious and love that he took what is basically a Dashiell Hammet storyline and turned it into an über-modern tale laced with commentary on urban culture, gentrification, ethnic identity and love. I'm not from SF, but I've been there often enough for the novel's take on its gentrification to feel both familiar and deeply, cynically amusing. I spent a lot of time on the web chasing down references he made, which I imagine other readers might find annoying. For me they added another layer to the novel.