Book Review: Lost at the Con by Bryan Young

[Full disclosure:  I know Bryan Young personally.]

Lost at the Con is, in many ways, a geek homage to Thompson’s _Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas_.  So I should probably start by saying that I thought that _Fear and Loathing…_ was, at best, okay.

The main problem I have with this book is the same problem I had with Thompson’s :   I didn’t like the protagonist.  They aren’t people I choose to be around – and would probably be people I’d actively avoid, if at all possible.  However, I liked this book quite a bit more than _Fear and Loathing…_.  Despite the protagonist’s jerk attitude, Bryan is clearly both familiar with (and a sympathetic friend to) the con-goers portrayed in the book.  And unlike Thompson’s work, Young’s protagonist actually does start growing and redeeming himself (a little bit in the second act, more in the third). 

And really, that’s my only problem with the book at all.  It’s a significant problem for me as a reader because of my own personal tastes.  If unpleasant protagonists don’t bother you, then Bryan’s writing skill and sense of humor make this a great pick for you.  If an unpleasant protagonist turns you off, Bryan’s writing skill and sense of humor will need to carry you through at least a third of the book.  It’s worth nothing that the author’s skill did carry me through that first bit… but I noticed.

Read the preview parts, and see what you think (especially knowing there’s some redemption later), and you’ll probably have a good idea if this book is right for you.