The star of this book is also it's shadow: Jeffra Hays creates a vernacular and the world to go with it that feels both like an authentically realized space, and a confusing one. There were many lost in translation moments that rereading didn't help to clarify, but the unfolding of the plot kept things moving well regardless. Hays creates a world to be experienced, if not always understood - but like visiting a country where you don't know the language has its rewards, so does reading this novel. Playful language, interesting characters, and one of the strangest sex scenes to be encountered in fiction make this an indie book and author worth your attention.