A roaring road trip of self-discovery!

November 11, 2007 By M. D. Jebb "Book Muncher" (Tuebingen, GERMANY)
The character Blue starts the tale of The Thirteenth Time Zone off with a bang. No literally - the familiar "bang-bang" of cops vs. crooks. You get to take a pause from the constant adventures of street officer Owen "Blue" Drew only after 50 or so pages into the book. At this point he begins his transformation from "street officer" into "peace officer." He leaves the force and sets off into the world - and what a world is waiting for him! In reading this novel I found myself flying through the cop stuff (just not my thing, really) in order to get to the juicy "big picture" of the narrative - the search for self-discovery and the lessons learned in traveling. One of David's great strengths as a writer were his unique metaphors used throughout the book. Here are just a few that I relished: "The Eros crashed ahead, taking on wave after wave and throwing back spray that hit my face like the snapping mane of a running horse." (P. 89) "The problem was that every time the Eros fell on her side, bilge water gushed all over the galley. Paper plates and foam cups drifted around me like mocking reminders of what floating was supposed to mean." (P. 96) "I closed my eyes and swayed back and forth like a cobra to the sound of the music." (P. 151) Aside from his colorful descriptions of all that he sees and experiences in his spiritual quest, the novel is not without salacious sex scenes and sharp wit. Again, here are a few tidbits: "Maybe it was the fact that she was offering herself to me the way someone might toss a Kleenex to a friend with a runny nose. Or perhaps it was the little detail of the boyfriend--but somehow, nothing felt right about this." (P. 134) "I wondered what the brothers of the Benedictine Order would say about the idea of promiscuity as a path to Enlightenment." (P. 148) I have no doubt that anyone who purchases this book will be done with it in one to two sittings because it is a true page-turner. Enjoy!