This is a coming-of-age story. Shelby Lewis is 20 years old, and has just dropped out of his final year of university. He battles depression, searches for his "calling" and tries to make sense of his relationship with Lucy -- a psychic stripper whom he loves.

Set in Vancouver, and written in a brisk style with lots of dialogue, the book is easy to read. Shelby and Lucy are complex, well-drawn characters who I couldn't help but cheer for in spite of often wanting to give them an injection of common sense. ( )