The Loss Detector

by Meg Pokrass

Set in coastal California, The Loss Detector is a funny/sad portrait of teenage blues and of a small, transplanted family of non-conformists. The flawed but lovable characters in Pokrass' novella remind us of how the world's most beautiful places are not always the easiest in which to thrive. Moments of giddy, perceived freedom set against resignation dot the narrative in such a way that will leave you changed.

Genres: Flash Fiction

46 pages, Paperback

Published January 1, 2020

Reviews

[Louella Lester · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wonderful flash novella!

[Al Kratz · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great characters and model of the flash novella form.

[Jayne Martin · Rating 5 out of 5]

In The Loss Detector, Meg Pokrass brilliant novella-in-flash, the narrator is prepubescent Nikki who is trying to make sense of her upended world when "Ma" leaves their father and carts her and her brother Josh across the country to Hollywood. The fragmented style of the book (most chapters are one page long) compliments the tenuous nature of this little family's daily struggles, both individually and as a unit, just to keep running in place, much less try to move forward. Nikki and Josh are a tight duo, always having each other's backs. Ma tries her hand at real estate and at love, both with mixed results leaving the kids to pick up the emotional pieces. Written with pathos, humor, and delightful injections of quirkiness, this book won my heart. For anyone interested in writing the novella-in-flash, The Loss Detector is a blueprint -- a tutorial on the form. I will read it again and again.

[Mary · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a perfect example of the novella-in-flash form, with each piece full of emotional resonance. I love how they all somehow connect, and yet equally would work well as standalone pieces. The effect of the last story, in particular, ('Planet Earth'), lingered long after the reading.

[Morgana Macleod · Rating 5 out of 5]

The tiny worlds in these stories are beautifully crafted, of course, but where Meg Pokrass really excels is in shaping the negative space. You'll want to read between these lines again and again, to enjoy every nuance.

[Patience · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was one of my first encounters with the novella-in-flash form, and I loved it. Tiny, beautiful glimpses into the life of a family whose members are funny, sad, obsessive, surprising and real. A great read.

[Joan Leotta · Rating 5 out of 5]

This only took a couple of days to read...and I read it as a model for writing short fiction, an into to novella in flash, and for entertainment...book scores top marks in all three categories, a trifecta well worth reading

[Cooper Renner · Rating 4 out of 5]

First-rate collection in which a sequence of flash stories, none longer than two pages, together create a picture of adolescence, life in California, and families struggling, not terribly successfully, to remain families. Pokrass’s trademark humor and off-kilter glance at the universe shine.

[Allison Renner · Rating 5 out of 5]

This novella-in-flash was so vivid. I could see and feel California as I read it, along with the brokenness of the family it was about. Definitely one I’ll re-read often.