Review

Rating: 6

David Rosen’s debut novel is a funny-”haha” and funny -”sad/pathetic” read.

Meet Jason Strider; Slacker extraordinaire. He is Ivy-league educated, lives in Manhatten to spite his loving and caring mid-western parents (who he has a good relationship with) and still is deciding between fun loving college kid and responsible adult hood.

Jason moves through his days as an “assistant” (aka lackey/receptionist) at a casting agency. In the general haze of daily existence he contemplates his indecisiveness as he watches his college friends move forward in life by getting married, getting artist works produced, or at least finding the comfortableness of a night in with some DVD’s. He still squirms with his life of leisure and intellectualism of college with the new found “world” that he has to find his place in. He meets a girl, they have a one night stand, and she “borrows” his “good jeans” to head home, never to be heard from again. His pants - and their “seriousness” in his life reflect on his past weight verses his future needs. His life decides to kick in and he has to decide whether it is time to grow up.

Jason is a funny character and David Rosen has done a great job capturing the neighborhood of the early 20’s with deft skill. Sure, Jason’s life is a tad more exciting but all the stumbles are familiar and hilarious as a result. The first person narrative is nice as his conscious gets sloppy as he drinks and gets high, and very funny “sideways” comments get made.

This book falls into the category of “slacker-lit” in my mind. A fine group of books to the modern dilemma of the over-educated, under funded, and not nearly mature enough. A fun read - with some very serious laugh out loud moments.

A lot more info at the website - including a trailer (as if produced by MTV) : ijustwantmypantsback.com