Graham Parke

I received a copy of this book for free from the author, Graham Parke, in exchange for a review.

Leverage [AKA Harold] is a loser. He's thirty-something, living at home with his mom, and invests all of his free time in his very low-rent YouTube channel dedicated to finding The One. [not even close to the current 1,000 follower monetization threshold] At the same time, I kind of like Leverage. He is a Millennial everyman, just trying to get by in a world that he didn't create.

I am a respecter show more of the principle Fake it Until you Make it, which has a venerable pedigree under other names. Leverage is definitely faking it. His YouTube channel, which gives out relationship advice for young men looking for their soulmate, is a comically inept mashup [parody?] of the kinds of things pickup artists say with a sweet innocence and naïveté that really is endearing. The snapshots of the comments on his videos in-between chapters really do have the feel of YouTube comments, a mix of fawning admiration and brutal, but unhinged, honesty.

I found the book a little slow to start. But this may just be a reflection of the quiet desperation of Leverage's life. He has a decent, but soul-crushing, corporate job. He lives with his mom, presumably because he lives somewhere expensive. It wasn't really spelled out in the book, but it felt like Toronto to me. He has also fallen deeply in love with the girl who sells nuts at the store in the mall.

Unfortunately for him, at the same time that Leverage is documenting his wise-isms about The One on YouTube, Emma, the nut girl, is friend-zoning Leverage so she can use him to test ideas for her dating blog. This is further complicated by the sudden appearance of Leopold, one of Leverage's fans, who since he lacks tact and good sense, simply bulls ahead and uses Leverage's techniques to good effect on Emma.

This is the obvious source of conflict and drama, and while I appreciate the dark humor of it, if this was all there was to the story, I couldn't really recommend the book. I do recommend the book, because Parke has done something far better than this.

Just as Leverage says in the beginning of the first chapter, he really is like moss, he grows on you when you aren't looking. The book, and Leverage, got better with time and reflection. He really is a good kid, and he has a way of looking at the world that allows him to see things afresh, not quite like anyone else. He really does have a gift.

It isn't his fault that his life was made a desolation, and called peace. Leverage's [and Harold's] slow journey to knowledge and wholeness is both devastating and sweet. This ended being a far better book than I expected. show less

A lot has happened since you left, Eric.

For one thing, I had to deal with this really bad break up. Not one to waste time, I immediately turned to my oldest and dearest friend: Google. After...countless generations suffered this fate before me...[all searching] for the best way to deal with the rejections, the heartache, and that longing to spend the days with [The One], it should be known by now.

Not so. (...opening paragraph in the preface)

First off, I loved this book.

As Harold begins to show more describe his story, it is obvious from the get-go that it's going to be somewhat of a Debbie-Downer. However, the author has found a way to make loneliness and love-sickness amusing and entertaining. The book is written in a funny self-deprecating style and has the reader flipping pages to see what emotional hole Harold will dig for himself next.

Harold is a 30 year-old socially challenged accountant who still lives with his mother. Together they share a raucous relationship tempered with love. They rarely see eye-to-eye on anything. His mother is fond of reminding him that it is her house. Harold is quick to point out that he pays rent like any boarder and expects his privacy. Sparks fly and doors slam. The house creaks with secrets that neither one wants to admit are there.

Mom recognizes that Harold has social issues and presses him to date or make friends but goes about it in all the wrong ways. Yet her interference does reap rewards in its own way. Here's one of my favorite lines:

"When I arrive [home from work], Mom's already complaining. Sometimes I think she starts before she even opens the door, perhaps warming up by telling the wall to stop slouching and stand up straight."

The failure to find the answer to his love-sick blues on Google leads Harold to set up his own YouTube video blog. He first calls it: How to get over someone in 600 easy steps. After reflection he changed it to 27 simple steps to happiness. Each carefully scripted message is a 5 minute vblog narrated anonymously by disguising his face with a Zorro mask and adopting the online name of Leverage.

Despite his hope to spread his "wise-isms" anonymously, he is discovered by several of his followers. Each discovery leads Harold down another road less traveled in his life. One of his followers, using his "wise-isms" becomes a rival to Harold's best hope for love. The charming and flirtatious sales clerk, Emma, at the Ye Olde Peanut Shoppe strings Harold along by tweeting all day but giving him the Heisman when pressed for a real date. He becomes so obsessed with Emma that he begins imaginary dialogues with her.

Harold's wild emotional roller coaster relationship with Emma goes from heart pounding infatuation to friendship fatigue. He eventually finds out about her boyfriend and the futility of his hopes. When she continues to text he begins weaning himself away from her.

"So that was Part One of my story, Eric.

I hope you understand why I had no choice but to divert all mental resources away from "attracting The One" and on to something much more important."

There's less snark and more heartfelt substance in Part Two. He has discovered that what he felt for Emma was just a pipe-dream. Now having cleared his mind of mischief he faces several issues in his life that were in limbo. If I elaborate, it would be a spoiler. Best you find out things for yourself. The tone becomes more serious but no less engaging.

The book ended with a few loose threads but not enough to detract from my overall enjoyment. Aside from the quirky repartees, I liked that Harold "found himself".

Recommended to any reader who love quirky and comical characters. show less

"Yes, these are the survival skills of the modern man. Forget about hunting and gathering, killing alphas who covet our females, warring with tribes who worship the wrong deities, our survival skills are reduced to finding the path of least resistance when communicating with other humans."

In the same vein as The Rosie Project and Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine, this novel was funny, quirky, and original. Leverage creates YouTube vlogs giving advice to other awkward men to sweep The One show more off her feet. When he's not online he's trying his best to navigate an overwhelming and confusing world. After meeting with some of his online followers he muses "I don't often spend this much time with humans in social situations so I was worried it'd prove too taxing, but I survived."

With many laugh-out-loud moments throughout this book, Leverage's other wise-ism include "We should just feel bad for all the beautiful people; they don't get much of a chance to struggle."

I would recommend this to anyone who enjoys quirky characters, or comical easy reads. show less

This book is a best case scenario of " don't just a book by its cover" Or its title actually.....
Graham Parke is a genius with words. The character he created, Harold is so human, so real, i'd be willing to bet there are zillions of them out there in society. He's deluded yet has flashes of unrealized genius, 30 year old guy who lives with mum, a V-logger who believes his postings truly changes lives, a huge ego yet extremely insecure..... he is irritating and sweet at the same time. And we show more watch become self-aware.
Written in a stream of consciousness style for the most part there is a constant undercurrent of wit.
REALLY enjoyed it. show less