The world is coming to an end. Well, at least it is according to Isabel Raven’s father, a Cal Tech physicist, who has conclusively proven exactly when the world will end. An earthquake hits LA right in the first few pages of the book, followed by several more earthquakes. Roads are torn up, buildings are falling down, and some are sinking back into the tar that is underneath it all. Instead of doom and gloom, this book turns out to actually be a very fun read!

Isabel Raven lives in LA, and is an artist. She makes art I wish I had the creativity to make, which include dropping celebrities into famous paintings. Cher as Mona Lisa. Tom Cruise and Katy Holmes in American Gothic. Her agent, Dahlman, is a bit crazy, and does her career more harm than good with his misguided attempts to make her famous. For example, he posts nude photos of Isabel on her website, without her knowledge or consent. He got these photos from Isabel’s mom, of all people, and they might have been taken before Isabel was quite eighteen. Doesn’t stop Dahlman. He also appears to have made a deal with a billionaire that involves the sale of Isabel’s paintings, and of Isabel herself, for at least one night. Isabel’s boyfriend might be leaving her for an underage pop star with a fake Latina accent, and her new (also underage), friend turns out to be a drug dealer with a penchant for stealing rare artifacts. Oh, and there are a series of earthquakes going on while Isabel is running around trying to get her life together.

I really like the sense of humor that flows through this book. This is one of those books that drops cultural references and doesn’t bother to explain them to the reader, knowing full well that the reader is going to get the joke without the author having to take time away from the story to give the explanation. It’s refreshing.

I also found this book to be very “Californiacentric”, if that’s a word. I just recently moved to California, so I found these little references to be fun. Little things might trip up a reader not from here though. (I never had heard of a Thomas Guide before I moved here. They don’t seem to exist in the Midwest). I really enjoyed that despite the series of earthquakes, all the characters in this book were going about their day as if nothing unusual had happened. Just another day in LA. It’s like they all are thinking something along the lines of, “Sure, I know the world is going to end, but, I’m working on a deadline, and I really want a Starbucks right now, so, be right back!” Maybe this is because so much of LA is a facade. Botox, plastic surgery, movie sets, celebrities dolled up in false images to sell more records… it’s just a little bit unreal. If this was your day to day world, perhaps you wouldn’t be troubled by the end of the world itself either. Isabel is, in some ways, trying to find herself amidst this sea of facades. Not an easy task.

Anyhow, I really had fun reading this book. I was reading an advanced copy. The book won’t be on sale until August of this year, so you have to wait just a little while before you can get a hold of one for yourself. The fun doesn’t end when you get through the last page, however, because it turns out there are two websites connected to this book. One showcases some of Isabel’s paintings, and the other gives further details on her father’s work “The Pinball Theory of Apocalypse”. I just love it when books have cool websites that go with them!