Strong first collection by Halifax fiction writer Turner follows the romantic and artistic fortunes of twenty something aspiring author Benjamin Wallace in these eleven concise stories. Benjamin chronicles his own story through the lives of others, maintaining an ironic distance from friends and relatives and his own emotions, and yet appears to be conducting an earnest search for something he can commit to--a substantial friendship, a relationship deep enough to allow him to put down roots. Not surprisingly, nothing is resolved at the end. In these stories Turner employs a voice that is distinctive, writing tightly controlled minimalist prose that avoids lengthy description where a single word will suffice, and yet is filled with shimmering detail. An impressive debut from a writer worth watching. ( )

I enjoyed the bare bones writing style and episodic concept - a young man's life in short stories. ( )