While Sex Offender Lives Here has some quirks to it that can keep the pages turning for a little while, the lack of character depth and vulgar use of crude subject matter makes the book too flat and even offensive to finish.
It seems that the author is going for a “Fight Club” type story, setting the story in the garage of a guy who’s fallen from society’s graces and surrounding him with vagrants. However, these supporting characters and their twisted tendencies come off as hollow. Their actions are extreme just to be extreme and not to make any larger point about society.
The poor writing also stopped the story in its tracks. The narrator constantly uses phrases like, “I’ll get to what happened to me later” or, “more on that later.” This literary device, when used properly, can give the story a more unique and engaging perspective. In Sex Offender Lives Here, it’s used so often and awkwardly that it comes off as cliché and disorganized.
The main character’s personal plight is completely unbelievable and isn’t any hero you would find yourself cheering for. Overall the book never gets going.
Reviewed by Christopher Rudy