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Book review: The Cube People

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There is something to be said about a book that can keep you so deeply immersed you finish it in a single day, while dealing with the distractions of school and work. Such a novel would have to be funny, sarcastic and able to make fun of itself.

Say hello to The Cube People, the debut novel from Canadian author Christian McPherson. The capital native has written a story based in Ottawa laced with city landmarks.

The Cube People is about Colin MacDonald’s struggles as a civil servant by day and an aspiring author and father by night. The book’s main narrative is occasionally broken up by chapters of his newest book, and rejection letters from publishers for his old book, also titled The Cube People.

The story is a predictable roller coaster affair, with Colin going through so many highs and lows in perfect order that it becomes almost habit for the reader to guess when the next mood change will occur.

However, between his book’s rejections, his baby-obsessed wife and horrible day job, Colin becomes the everyman for anyone who has been constantly beaten down and hoped for salvation.

Colin’s mind is a whirlwind of stress and scary thoughts, leading to panic attacks and dizzy spells as his life spirals out of control, only to be fixed when he gets good news.

McPherson’s style is fairly simple, but that hardly detracts from the book. In fact, it makes it easier to lose yourself in the story, and almost become Colin, because you don’t have to overthink what you’re reading.

Still, McPherson seems to feel the need to beat the reader over the head with the fact that Colin is an aspiring writer, as he mentions this fact at least a dozen times throughout the story. He also mentions his wife’s borderline insanity when it comes to having a child for almost two chapters of the book.

The Cube People is a quick read, perfect for that first weekend off in a few weeks. It only takes a day or two to read the book, so don’t expect anything too in-depth. Everything happens fast and you may find yourself re-reading certain passages just to make sure you’ve read it right. Other than that though, the book is really good, and definitely worth picking up.