First World Problems in an Age of terrorism and Ennui

by Dominic Peloso

First World Problems tells the existential struggles of a gen-x would-be revolutionary/terrorist who is frustrated that he can't find a greater purpose or a cause worth fighting for. Set in DC between the WTO protests in 2000 and the attacks of 9/11, the protagonist- a disaffected, unreliable narrator who is irritated and bewildered with the world and the attitudes of those around him, wanders aimlessly through his interactions with coworkers, friends, and his girlfriend, all of whom seem to care about him but don't understand him. He lashes out in a passive-aggressive way by maintaining a blog filled with tips "terrorists and anarchists" can use in their attacks, but the blog receives few hits or feedback, no matter how incendiary the posts. He attends the WTO demonstration hoping to experience a riot, but is disappointed at how artificial and tame political protests have become in the new millennium. He dreams of a major attack, just to shake up the status quo. But when 9/11 unfolds he is forced to reassess his goals and what is important in his life.

278 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published September 3, 2012

About the author

The author has tried a number of methods to make people cry over the years — pulling their pigtails, putting spiders in their lunch, waterboarding, and telling them that he loves them when he knows in his heart it isn't true, but he's found that the most effective way by far is by making comic strips to post on the internet.

Reviews

[Allen]

This book was a fun, interesting read. Primarily it is about a 30-ish self obsessed malcontent struggling with his identity and place in modern life. In spirit, it's standard fare for a post coming of age story . . . except the protagonist aspires to inspire and educate would-be terrorists.


There is a brief section where the narrative ties itself to the very real events of 9-11. This part of the book is quite convincing, bearing a gravity exceeding the rest of the fiction.


I really enjoyed this. It was reminiscent of books important to me when I was a late teen and into my twenties. While I wouldn't recommend it to everyone I would definitely recommend it to my generation and particularly fans of J.D. Salinger and/or Joe Meno.

[Peter Hagen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Walter Mitty meets Dwight Shrute. And then terrorism.

Remarkably insightful to the boring, self-obsessed mindset of life in a plush society with no real danger - and then potential danger strikes.

[Laura Brown · Rating 5 out of 5]

Please note: The review/critique of this book (which was donated to The Magnolia Blossom Review for the sole purpose of a review> was completed by the site’s owner, L. Avery Brown, using the 11 point rubric she created. However, until such time, it is being posted under the profile of the review site's owner. If you would like to read the entire review which includes an in depth author interview – please visit The Magnolia Blossom Review’s site online today! Thank you.

And Now for the Review…

Book Title – 1 of 5
For the Reviewer: Did it grab your attention right away? (5) Was it ho hum? (3) Would you glance at it and then forget it? (1) What do you think the author might consider for future book titles? (You should have plenty of space for each item on the form as I think I set it up for the boxes to 'grow'.)

LAB: First World Problems in an Age of Terrorism and Ennui- Confused? Let's break it down - First World - Hopefully, if you're reading this - then you've got a fairly good grasp on the concept of industrialized capitalist countries. Problems - That should be a no brainer
In An Age of Terrorism - Again, that shouldn't be too difficult. and Ennui - Okay - this threw me, too, and I consider myself to have an extremely strong vocabulary. So, I looked it up. Ennui - a feeling of listlessness and dissatisfaction arising from a lack of occupation or excitement.

As far as titles go - this one breaks 3 rules (that are ones I came up with a few years ago and personally follow):
1. Unless your book is a comedy/satire OR a dissertation - Keep the title short. As in 5 words or less. Why? Wordiness in comedic titles is typically used to mockingly aggrandize something that takes itself entirely too seriously and therefore - for some odd reason - it works...with comedic/satirical books. Wordiness in a dissertation is expected. As for dissertations, they very rarely EVER make it to ANY bookshelf other than that of the author who was either successful or failed in getting his or her Ph.D. And finally - Wordiness in a title is somewhat reflective of the state of being of the author. And oddly enough, in a world of words - unnecessarily long titles sort of shout 'I wrote a book that I feel strongly about - but I'm entirely too insecure to admit that - so maybe if I make the title really long ... people will forget they ever saw it because if they actually read it, they might like it, then what the Hell am I going to do?'

2. It mentions a concept that is a very touchy and sometimes unnerving for potential readers especially when associated with another concept. In this case: Terrorism and First World.

3. It contains a word that the VAST majority of readers, even those who read a LOT, do not immediately know. *Ennui* A potential reader should never be turned away from a book because they feel like it's going to be written in a way that intentionally makes them feel stupid.

2. Book Cover – 2 of 5
For the Reviewer: Did it grab your attention? (5) Was it ho hum? (3) Did it look like it was haphazardly thrown together? (1) What do you think the author might consider for future book covers? Did it help make the title more effective?

LAB: Truly this is one of the oddest covers I think I've seen. (But in all honesty it's not THE oddest cover I've ever seen.) That having been said - I don't think it's necessarily 'bad' ... but that is AFTER having read the book. Because, it actually makes a great deal of sense.

3. First 500... – 10 of 10
For the Reviewer: Thinking of the first 500 (usually about 2 pages) words of the book, do you think the author provided enough incentive to urge the reader to continue? What stood out to you the most? Were you captivated after a couple of paragraphs? Did the 1st sentence grab you? Did you get to around the 500 word mark and didn't have a clue where the story was going?

LAB: The opening of the FWP is actually quite engaging. The reader is introduced to Tyler, the protagonist, who for a brief moment lives a fantasy life via the CHOAS (a twist on chaos) website he's created.

In the initial posting (which are the first few lines of the novel) Tyler comes across as a quick witted fellow who probably has a real world penchant for stirring things up just to see what winds up happening. Then immediately following the 'posting' the reader is introduced to the 'real' Tyler. He is well -educated but apparently has become detached from those he knew and perhaps even had formed some sort of 'friend' with years earlier.

As a reader I got a sense that Tyler hides behind the bravado of his secret internet presence. All in all, the opening to this book is very well crafted. The reader sees two sides of the same person - the actual and the virtual. It's obvious Peloso worked a long time to carefully put together the words to the opening - much the way Tyler points out how he worded and reworded the introductory statement for his site.

4. Blurb Effectiveness – 4 of 10
For the Reviewer: Now that you've finished the book, please take a moment to look back over the blurb. How effective do you think the blurb will be to potential readers? Did the author write a blurb that was enticing and went along with the story? (10) Was the blurb lacking? (5) Was it entirely too long or too short? (1) Do you have any suggestions for the author to make it more effective?

LAB: Again - it's needlessly wordy. (And again, I find myself shocked to say that because lengthwise, the blurb 'fits' the standard) But just like the title is confusing - the blurb is entirely too easy to get lost in among the somewhat lengthy sentences. The first sentence alone has about 80 words in it which include terms that make it seem like the author is desperate to prove that he 'knows a lot because he knows a lot of big words.' That sounds terribly harsh - but sometimes the truth is harsh.

5. Age Recommendation/Genre Classification – 9 of 10
For the Reviewer: Age Recommendation - If the book is entirely too young/juvenile for the intended age group? Is it entirely too mature? (Please take into account swearing/sexual scenes/drug use, etc... Genre Classification - Was the book listed as a thrill ride of a read but was more of a bumper car ride (sort of all over the place)? Or was it listed as a mystery and you simply had to turn the page to find out 'who did it'?

LAB: I can't remember if the author actually listed the genre to the book but if I had to guess, I'd call it a work of 'Literary Fiction' since the genre LF is used to classify those books that don't fit into any one 'cubby-hole' BUT have all the indications of a book that goes beyond 'just a book' and has powerful literary merit based on the totality of the elements of the book.

6. Presentation/Format – 10 of 10
For the Reviewer: Did the 'innards' of the book follow a clear, concise, standard format throughout the book? Or did you have a hard time keeping up with paragraphs or dialogue? Were multiple fonts used? Were they distracting?

LAB: I have nothing at truly negative to say about the presentation of format of this book. It's superbly put together. Yes, there are several overly long sentences which can get tedious- BUT they're tempered with equally easy to digest shorter, less verbose phrases.

7. Theme/Originality – 10 of 10
For the Reviewer: Was this book similar to something you may have read before? If it was a retelling - did the author make it feel fresh and just different enough that it kept you involved? Or was it formulaic and a 'rehash' of a popular tale/current 'pop' genre? OR - is this the first time you can recall ever reading a book with theme/setup/etc of this particular title?

LAB: When I started reading FWP I truly thought ‘Dear God, please don't let this be some hooray-for-terrorism book’. That very first section with the words of 'Internet Tyler' worried me because I wasn't sure I could read a book that glorified terrorism. Then I read that first 'Real Tyler' section and I thought, Okay, what is going on here? Is this book about terrorism or a socially distant protagonist? So, I kept reading. And after about 3 pages - I was hooked. It was NOT what I expected and I'm so glad for that. It's probably the most 'out of the box' (that actually works - some fail miserably) I've read since I started reviewing books.

8. Description/Enhancement – 10 of 10
For the Reviewer: Did the author use descriptive language and 'all those extra little things' to make it the best it could be? Did you feel it was too sparse in description? Did the author go OVER board with the description?

LAB: Yes, Peloso did, at times, take a swan dive into the alphabet soup, so to say, when he didn't need to. A good line editor could easily cut out the verbosity of the narrative while keeping its integrity. Whether or not Peloso is willing to let someone do that - well, that's a different matter altogether. But to be honest, the 'unlayering' of Tyler as the story progressed was worth wading through the words. (Of course, most readers probably wouldn't agree and would rather the verbage be tighter.)

9. Intrigue – 10 of 10
For the Reviewer: Did you want to turn the next page because it was SO good? (10) Was it interesting but you didn't quite have an urge to keep reading? (5) Did you think 'I wonder if we have Twinkies in the pantry? Mmmmm, Twinkies' while you read? (1)

LAB: As I said, I was actually 'hooked' by page 3. And it's not so much 'intrigue' that I experienced with the book, it was more like being on fly on the walls that physically and emotionally surrounded Tyler. The fly perspective is something many authors dream of - but never achieve. This author, however, nails it.

10. Grammar/Mechanics – 10 of 10
For the Reviewer: Was the book pretty darn flawless? (10) Did you see more that 5 or 10 'jump out' at you mistakes in grammar or the actual mechanics (verb tense, noun/pronoun agreement, misused words) ? (5) Did you feel it was a chore to read because it was riddled with errors? (1)

LAB: Honestly, I can't remember if there were any true 'technical' issues with the book. I actually found myself trying to find issues but getting lost in Tyler's story that I totally forgot what I was doing!

11. Overall Impression – 10 of 10
For the Reviewer: When all is said in done - did you enjoy the book? Would you recommend it to others?

LAB: I think it's pretty apparent that I absolutely loved this book. And to be honest, I can't specifically say 'why' because it was too wordy at points, sometimes overly existential, and annoying (because I just wanted to shake the protagonist and tell him to 'get a life!' -- in a wholly supportive way, mind you). And yet, I loved it. There are a lot of books that I like. Some that I really like. A few that I REALLY like. And a scant amount that I 'love'. Welcome to the 'scant' crowd "First World Problems in an Age of Terrorism and Ennui" (Geez, that title really needs to be worked on! Or - maybe it doesn't. Lord, I've confused myself. Could it be that it works because it doesn't 'work'?) Perhaps Dominic Peloso is this generation's Harper Lee and "First World Problems in an Age of Terrorism and Ennui" is it's 'To Kill a Mockingbird' in that Lee never really wrote anything nearly as significant as TKAM after it became a classic. Am I nuts for loving this story? I don't know! And to me, that's thrilling.

The Bestowing of the Blossoms…
When all the point totals are added up, Dominic Peloso's First World Problems in an Age of Terrorism and Ennui has earned a total of 86 points out of 100 giving it a solid 4.5 blossom ranking. An admirable sort of ranking, indeed. The Magnolia Blossom Review truly wishes Mr. Peloso much deserved success with his book and hopes to see it creeping up the rankings at Amazon.

[IndieHeart · Rating 5 out of 5]

Dominic Peloso’s third published novel follows late-20s-something Tyler as he searches for meaning in all the wrong places. A resident of Washington, DC, Tyler is an introvert and displays the behaviors and ways of thinking that come along with that introversion. An extrovert will most likely find him difficult to “get”, but an introverted reader of the novel will find him or herself grudgingly acknowledging the traits they share with him.

In the way that Catcher in the Rye captured the post-WWII confusion and anger of the generation to which Holden Caulfield belonged, Peloso’s First World Problems in an Age of Terrorism and Ennui captures the zeitgeist of the “Gen-X” generation in a pre-9/11 world, a generation which had no defining cause to be passionate about when they were growing up. Times were good in the USA. Capitalism was humming along nicely with only a few embarrassing moments. An unpopular war was in the past, and the memory of weapons fired on our own children on college campuses had changed forever the policy-maker’s methods of handling dissent.

Tyler hates the passive approach of his generation to the issues of the day and the lack of passion found in their protests, but mostly, Tyler is bored. Despite a good-paying job and a girlfriend whom most would consider quite a catch, he has nothing to be passionate about, and his job doesn’t engage his creative and active mind; for Tyler, disaffection breeds ennui.

Tyler battles his boredom through the intellectual exercise of thinking up creative ways to engage in revolutionary acts and publishes his ideas on his website, CHOAS, in hope of attracting the attention of other “revolutionary thinkers”. Yet the truth is Tyler does nothing, takes no action, allows life to happen to him or not. Additionally, with the excruciating self-consciousness of the introvert, he assumes that everything that happens in his vicinity is about him. In his very internal world, Tyler is an important actor on the revolutionary stage, waiting only for cool, like-minded individuals to discover him.

That September 11th, Tyler is forced to reappraise his writings and his life in a new context. I leave it to the reader to judge the outcome of that reappraisal and determine what it means to them. The book, after all, is not about the tragedy that occurred that day but about the personal reactions it invoked in those who viewed it over and over again. The conclusion of Mr. Peloso’s tale is not meant to be inspirational or patriotic but to reflect the reality of a particular generation of Americans around what one would assume is, for them, a pivotal historical event. This, it does extremely well.

Mr. Peloso is an accomplished writer who draws believable and realistic characters. The strength in the novel is in its voice. His writing feels effortless; despite placement firmly within the literary fiction realm, the author plays no games with language that could disrupt the flow of the story. Until quite near the end, nothing much really happens, yet the story moves along at a good pace. Then, on the pivotal day, the POV shifts from third person limited (Tyler’s perspective only) to first person in each of the character’s voices. This lends the ending a feeling of immediacy and intimacy and provides a wider perspective on the events of 9/11 as they happen than would be the case if the narration remained with Tyler alone.

If you’re looking for action, adventure, suspense, and a thrilling conclusion, look elsewhere — First World Problems in an Age of Terrorism and Ennui is a work of literary fiction which focuses the reader on the internal events of its primary character. However, if you enjoy novels like Catcher in the Rye and Joseph Heller’s Something Happened, I recommend you pick this one up. I rate it against those 5 star books as 4.5 stars.

This review was originally written for IndieHeart.com. we received a free copy of the ebook in exchange for an honest review. In addition to reviewing Indie books, we hand-pick five free Indie/Self-Published (with a few traditionally published) Kindle eBooks every day. You can subscribe by RSS or join our mailing list to check out some new authors we think you might like at no cost!

[Judy · Rating 3 out of 5]

My Review: This is a tale about a slightly neurotic young man who wants to be noticed more than anything. He laments that he has never got to be a hero, never got to be present during some great event. Even though he has a good job and a longtime girlfriend it is not enough. He feels invisible. He starts a website to promote terrorism. He feels like even that is a failure and no one is paying attention till 9/11 happens and he sees one of his ideas unfolding before his eyes. Tyler, then in fear of the FBI tracking him for his web site decides he should leave town. Passing through his childhood hometown he reflects on his life and reassess what is important He goes back and takes up the threads of his life but he is still neurotic. I found the book to be well written but a little tiring at times. If you like a book about ordinary life and not a lot of action you will enjoy this book. I wish it would have wrapped better, maybe him receiving some mental help or something. It felt incomplete to me and the stories of where people were during the attack didn’t seem relevant. I give this book 3.5 stars.

[Jan · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read the title of this book and thought“Do I really have to read this?” It sounds incredibly boring, but I made a commitment to review it and so I started reading. I was so wrong!!
This book was very entertaining and I loved reading it. I know I saw a lot of myself in Tyler and I'm guessing many people identify with him. The author captured the feelings of someone who always feels on the outside of every group. We all know someone like every character in the book. This is a book I would recommend to my friends and one I know I will read again.

I received this book for free in exchange for providing an honest review.