Wrong Way

Wrong Way is a contemplative, deliberate novel that builds by accumulation and unfolds quietly—quietly, at least, until the truly claustrophobic denouement. The marketing bills the book's subject as "AI" or the "gig economy" but it's really more basic and timeless than that: it's a book about how identity, labor, and place can't be disentangled from one another. The syntax and style of the prose are subtly radical—Joanne's direct, active voice, subject-verb-object sentences occasionally give way to jumpcut parataxis and zeugma, giving the feeling of weightlessness at the top of a rollercoaster. It's not a comedic book by any means, but there are moments of deadpan absurdity and satire that are surprisingly funny (I especially enjoyed the delicious venom directed at the "art world" and at two-faced tech bros using social justice language).

(Full disclosure: I am a friend of Joanne's and I took her writing course at SFPC, in which she showed the students Jim Jarmusch's Paterson on the first day. Coincidentally, I think Jim Jarmusch would be a great director for a film adaptation of this novel!)

Thrilled to get this ARC from FSG as some of my favorite weirdo novels are from them (Annihilation, The Insatiable Volt Sisters, The Rain Heron). Sadly, I didn’t love this one, but I very much appreciate what it was doing.

This is the story of Teresa, a struggling middle-aged woman (yay! For once!) living with her mom. She has a new job as a driver for this massive corporation, and ethical murkiness ensues. She also reflects on past jobs and past relationships.

I do love the wave of anti-capitalist worker stories I’m seeing. It’s commentary that I eat up, so I was glad to have found another one in Wrong Way.

The first part of the book was the best for me. Teresa’s training felt so dystopian and bizarre, and I was full of dread waiting for the reveal of what she’d actually be doing. Once I got there I was horrified. It’s so demeaning and exploitative.

I also liked the questions the book brought up about Teresa’s responsibility or not for what happens in the vehicle. She’s not prepared at all for those situations by her employer and struggles to figure out how to report, which is very believable.

The tone of the story reminded me of something like The Lobster in that it’s very subdued. The intensity is dialed way down. It’s very consistent throughout, and I could get along with it, but it’s definitely a choice and not all readers will be on board.

I had a few problems that kept me from rating the book higher. One is that I did not know what to picture. I didn’t understand exactly how the nest worked or how everything was positioned. I don’t know if a diagram is appropriate to add, but I felt like I needed one.