Up and Down

On his first day at Turner King, David Stewart quickly realizes that the world of international PR (affectionately, perhaps ironically, known as "the dark side") is a far cry from his previous job on Parliament Hill. For one, he missed the office memo on the all-black dress code; for another, there are enough acronyms and jargon to make his head spin. Before he even has time to find the washroom, David is assigned a major project: devise a campaign to revitalize North America's interest in the space program - maybe even show NASA's pollsters that watching a shuttle launch is more appealing than going out for lunch with friends. The pressure is on, and before long, David finds himself suggesting the most out-of-this-world idea imaginable: a Citizen Astronaut lottery that would send one Canadian and one American to the International Space Station. Suddenly, David's vaulted into an odyssey of his own, navigating the corporate politics of a big PR agency; wading through the murky but always hilarious waters of Canada-U.S. relations; and trying to hold on to his new job while still doing the right thing.

Terry Fallis has quickly become one of my favourite authors.  I have read all three of his books and all of them have had a quirky humour plus a satirical quality that I absolutely love. You also have to love a book that the first sentence is "Welcome to the dark side."

For reason I thought the main character/narrator was the same character as his previous books, The Best Laid Plans and The High Road. But it wasn't, I went back and checked. He seemed so familiar, but I think that's the beauty the author's characters, they seem real, they could anyone that you meet in everyday life.  Although David Stewart was an amazing character the scene stealer was Landon Percival.  She was quite the character.  Strong, independent, good humoured and tough as nails. It wasn't all hilarity, there were moments that had me tearing up, especially the ones that involved his family. That emotional roller-coaster that is cancer to a family was there, the author maneuvered it beautifully.

Can't wait for more!

Up and Down by Terry Fallis (4.5/5) General Fiction; Published: McClelland & Stewart (2012); New Release; Canadian Author; Library; Books 2012 (41);