FREE MARCUS KATZ

In Chesley’s comic novel, a California man with Asperger syndrome chronicles his emancipation in online reviews.

Marcus Katz has a lot of opinions, and he’s putting them all on Yelp. He loves the fish tacos at Tacos Baja Ensanada, and Jonathan’s Steam Cleaning is good at getting stains out of a carpet, though Marcus is not a fan of the smell of the deodorant they use. These opinions are not the reason his Yelp reviews are starting to go viral, however; it’s because of the 22-year-old’s tendency to include bits of autobiography in his reviews. Marcus’ mother just died, offering him the opportunity to review the Cedars-Sinai cafeteria and Palisades Mortuary, and his older sister, Lisa, forces him into a conservatorship: “Like a lot of people, she acts like Asperger’s is somehow related to being stupid,” Marcus notes. “In fact Aspies are statistically of medium to high intelligence. I won’t tell you what I am. I will let you decide.” When the judge-appointed conservator tries to push Marcus into a group home, he flees with his dog, Sadie, leaving a breadcrumb trail of Yelp reviews and making himself a cause célèbre in the process. Chesley believably crafts Marcus’ earnest reviewing voice as well as that of his Yelp friend, Durinda Dowling, who also has Asperger. He notes one of their interactions in a hotel review: “A sign by the driveway in front said ‘15 minute check-in parking only’….Inside she asked me if I wanted to come up, but I had already parked for a minute and a half and I didn’t want to get a ticket so I said no.” Overall, it’s a fun conceit, and although Marcus’ unwavering Yelp persona at times becomes a bit tedious, the book’s zippy pacing and short length keep the novel moving along at a brisk pace. Marcus’ story also raises intriguing questions about the nature of conservatorship while demonstrating the ways that people form communities online—and how these can spill over into one’s personal life.

A clever work with an intriguing format and a memorable protagonist.