Shock Induction

Palahniuk’s (Not Forever, but for Now) newest book is both grim and humorous, and it’s told with his usual tradition-defying flair. A string of suicides by high-achieving students of a prestigious high school leaves protagonist Samantha grieving the loss of her boyfriend. That is, until he seemingly returns from the dead to whisk Samantha away to explain to her that he has been chosen by a program called Greener Pastures, in which billionaires bid to recruit teens with bright futures. Samantha is quick to place herself on the Greener Pastures auction table and leave her abusive home behind. But Greener Pastures’ intentions are more sinister than they seem, and Samantha has to choose between complicity and Green Pastures as it becomes difficult to ascertain whom she can trust. Palahniuk intertwines Samantha’s story with passages from a book on Greener Pastures, instructions on mind control, and a metanarrative regarding classic book titles that have been republished with drugs lacing the pages, to promote literacy. Some plot threads cohere better than others, but the story is a consistently wild ride.