THE BRACELET

In this novel, a man deals with a mysterious gift that grants wishes.

Mike Alex is just a regular guy, working a run-of-the-mill job as a mechanic in a small garage and living with his pregnant girlfriend, Rhonda. His worries are equally ordinary: Can he make enough money to support the couple now that they have a baby on the way? Should he propose before or after the infant is born? Is there enough beer in the fridge? But then one day a mysterious package arrives by courier, addressed to him from an unknown sender who is simply called “The Shepherd.” Inside, there is an old, ugly bracelet and a note that states it will grant its wearer one wish per day for as long as the person wants. At first, Mike and Rhonda dismiss the gift and the note as a joke. But the more time passes, the more Mike is consumed by what ifs, and he soon decides to test the bracelet. His first wish is born out of envy for a happy couple who are friends with Rhonda, wishing for the two to hate each other. To his surprise, this actually happens. Now that Mike knows the bracelet really works, the world is his oyster, and he can start dreaming up bigger wishes. But he eventually comes to learn everything has consequences—and that there are other people who know about the artifact. Cheney’s otherworldly tale is a Twilight Zone–esque story that deftly examines how a working man is affected by having the power over life and death. Mike is a self-aware character who knows his own limitations, struggling to do well with very little education. One of the tale’s poignant highlights centers on how Mike avoids making any wishes that will directly influence his life because “he didn’t want to set himself up for disappointment.” But some mundane, repetitious prose; unremarkable secondary characters; and an unsatisfying resolution bog the story down.

An intriguing but uneven supernatural tale about fateful choices.