REVIEW: Wolf in White Van

A novel by John Darnielle

Sean Phillips is reclusive due, in large part, to a severe injury he sustained as a teenager. His main contact with the world around him is through Trace Italian, the mail-order role-playing game he created and runs. Troubles arise for Sean when two players, Carrie and Lance, switch their playing from the game world to the real world. As Sean’s story, along with the story of Carrie and Lance, unfolds, the reader is taken on a riveting journey backward through Sean’s life.

Best known as the frontman for the band The Mountain Goats, John Darnielle has written a debut novel that really strikes a chord with the reader. Like the movie Memento, the book begins at the end of the story and works its way backward in time. For a story that you start out knowing the ending, there sure are some interesting twists and unexpected turns!

Wolf in White Van is packed full of thought-provoking circumstances and emotional conundrums. It is an excellent and stimulating book that anyone could enjoy. It will especially appeal to people who like contemporary mystery and role-playing games.

— Ashley Dowdy, Main Library, Charleston, S.C.

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