What We’re Reading

Spilling Clarence | Anne Ursu

Rating:

The residents of Clarence, Minnesota lead your normal sort of American life. Work, play, school, shop. The only thing amiss in Clarence, really, is the smell. The Psychopharmaceutical factory does nothing for the ambience. When the Emergency Alert siren sounds and residents are informed there’s been a fire at said factory, and that a chemical may have been released into the air, it does nothing for the nerves either.

After keeping everyone indoors and sending around some yellow-suited fellows, the Factory declares everything OK, though they do tell people it would be best to stay indoors for a couple of days. In the back of their minds, everyone knows something must be happening. You don’t send out people in yellow suits for nothing. But no one knows just what did/could happen. And so Clarence goes on with its life. Until it can’t.

Suddenly, kids are crying, adults are falling to pieces. Everywhere, people are remembering. Even the scientists and psychology students who feel they should know better feel themselves falling victim to this unknown. Deletrium. Used with drugs to help them act. On its own, no one really knows what its capable of.

We follow along with certain townspeople, as they remember their lives, and struggle not to become completely overwhelmed.

One of the more fascinating books I’ve read in awhile. Ursu is definitely one to watch.

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