-Audiobook narrated by Jonathan Davis-

Manny is the manager of a Red Lobster for the very last shift before the restaurant closes forever. He deals with the quirky personalities of his staff, minor restaurant-related problems, a blizzard, and thinks about what he’s going to get his girlfriend for Christmas and whether he still has feelings for his ex-girlfriend, who is a waitress on shift with him.

This was nice to listen to, even though slice-of-life is not really my kind of book. It’s realistic, and character-driven. Very bittersweet. The narrator was good, and had distinct voices for each character, but I'm not sure this is a story suited to audiobook (for me, at least). Too many characters. ( )

This is well nigh perfect. It tells of the last shift at the Red Lobster, a chain restaurant that is shutting down on the 20th December. Manny, as the manager, has to deal with a short & disgruntled staff, a snow storm and his own personal life, which is a bit of a mess. In love with a waitress, Jacquie, his girlfriends, Deena is pregnant and he has no idea what to get her for Christmas. If you want a plot driven book, then this is probably not for you, there isn't a lot of plot. What it is instead is a character study, what makes people tick, why the continue to care (or not) when they are on the verge of losing their job.
It put me in mind of the writing by Claire Keegan, that same lack of action, the same focus on the small details of a life. Slightly less sparse and pared down, this is by no means a bloated book in need of an editor. It makes for a very good read. ( )

I have to be honest I read this book because it was short and a seemingly easy read. It was a rather pointless story IMO. I didn't care about the characters. I didn't care about the setting. It was the longest short book I've ever read because it was so insanely mundane. It wasn't even a good slice of life story because there was no life to any of them. ( )

A really wonderful story. Short, but quite perfect. ( )

This slender novel is about the permanent closing of a Red Lobster and how the manager and his staff handle their last night with their patrons and each other. I liked the comraderie between some of the co-workers- and also recognized the sniping and resentments. I remember how stressed I felt managing the Waldenbooks, but how sad it was to have it close forever (and now the Fairgrounds Mall doesn't even exist). You can have deep affection for a place as well as people. ( )