An alien drug is the first wave of attack by an enemy society from an alternate universe in this comic horror novel. David Wong converses with a reporter to confess to all the bizarre, metaphysical adventures he has endured over the past two years. This conversation frames the whole book. He tells the reporter that he has changed his name to Wong, even though he white, because Wong is the most common name in the world, making him harder to find. He reveals that he is a highly secretive person, isolated from most people, even his family. David was involved in an incident where he injured a bully in high school, an event that eventually led to the boy's suicide. David ended up labeled a disturbed teenager.
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He describes an event where he went to see his friend John's band play at an outdoor festival. He buys a weird drug called "soy sauce" from a dealer with an affected Jamaican patois. John takes it and begins having bizarre hallucinations. David takes him away from the show with his friend's lost dog that he found there. The two return the dog to their friend Amy who is looking for her brother Jim, who she fears to be dead.
Dave accidentally ingests some of the soy sauce and begins having the same experiences John is complaining of. He ends up at the Jamaican drug dealer's trailer just before it is raided by police. Dave escapes at finds an unconscious John that has been possessed by an alien force. A friend, Dr. Marconi, is an expert on the paranormal and sends the force away. Months later, Dave is also possessed by the evil force after a car chase involving a man made out of roaches. Again the force is sent away. Months later, the friends sense the force again and follow it to an empty shopping mall where they are transported to another dimension where they encounter a society ruled by a thinking machine they created. This living computer is trying to access our world but they manage to defeat it.
Best part of story, including ending:
The book is so funny. You'd never know it from the summary, but the writing is hilarious and incredibly imaginative.
Best scene in story:
I love the car chase with the cockroach man. The alien dialogue is memorable and philosophical. It asks questions about humanity that the reader has probably never considered before.
Opinion about the main character:
I like David's perspective on life. He is brave and tenacious, despite the absurdity of everything. It makes for an upbeat story.
