Side Life

March 12, 2018
Toutonghi’s second novel (after Join) explores ideas of consciousness and parallel universes in ways that are intellectually engaging but emotionally detached. After Vin is ousted as CEO of the Seattle technology company he created, his father arranges for him to house-sit for enigmatic and reclusive genius Nerdean. The mystery of where Nerdean has gone and what she’s doing rivets Vin. When he uncovers a lab in the house’s sub-basement, he can’t resist entering one of the three coffinlike “crèches” he finds there. At first he thinks the crèche induces lucid dreaming, but when he climbs back out to find the world around him subtly changed, he realizes Nerdean’s experiments have far-reaching consequences. He repeatedly jumps into the minds of others, controlling their actions in ethically questionable ways, and takes unabashed advantage of his reemergence into parallel worlds that suit him better than the one he originated in. Vin’s self-centered behavior and attitude raise moral questions that often remain unanswered by the narrative. Other characters—including a cat Vin callously stops feeding at one point—serve primarily as props on his philosophical journey. This exploration of parallel worlds is a thrilling thought exercise, but Toutonghi’s vision of the near future is alarmingly sapped of empathy. Agent: David Forrer, InkWell Management.

April 15, 2018

Vin's life is not where he expected it to be. He has been ousted from the tech company he created, his best friend is a drug addict, and his actions are becoming increasingly self-destructive. Rudderless, Vin reluctantly agrees to house-sit a beautiful mansion that sits high on one of Seattle's many hills. With no indication of when its reclusive owner Nerdean will return, Vin explores the nearly empty home and discovers a hidden basement lab, complete with computers, notebooks, and three coffin-like tanks, one occupied by a woman in suspended animation. After quickly deciphering Nerdean's notes, Vin climbs into an open crèche and awakens to find himself sharing the body of Winston Churchill. As strange as sharing the body of a now-deceased person is, Vin's larger shock comes when he returns to discover his world has shifted slightly: his best friend is dead, and his childhood love is alive and sitting in his kitchen. Has Vin finally gone crazy, or is there more to the crèche than lucid dreaming? VERDICT Toutonghi (Join) makes the multiple-worlds theory come alive in this swift moving mind-bender with imperfect, emotionally unstable characters who struggle with the impact their choices have on reality. Readers will have to decipher what is real before they can figure out what is happening. Highly imaginative, highly recommended.--Jennifer Beach, Longwood Univ. Lib., Farmville, VA

Copyright 2018 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

May 1, 2018
Toutonghi (Join, 2016) takes readers on a roller coaster of character development in his latest novel, where they will alternately hate and love the main character, Vin, as he explores the intricacies of a secret basement lab while house sitting for a mad genius. Vin is a bit of a mad genius himself, having created, then lost, a software company, and the puzzles of the house initially help him find his focus. When he finds he is having trouble holding on to the real world, he must decide whether to continue his exploration of the house's secrets or accept the world he knows. The initial shifts in reality are small, affecting items ranging from household furniture to pets, then mind-blowing as history itself changes on him. As it turns out, he is not the only one making a decision to explore those secrets; the result is a reality he is thoroughly unhappy with. The twists and turns of this novel will keep readers engaged while perhaps contemplating what they understand about reality and their ability to influence it.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2018, American Library Association.)

Starred review from April 15, 2018

Vin's life is not where he expected it to be. He has been ousted from the tech company he created, his best friend is a drug addict, and his actions are becoming increasingly self-destructive. Rudderless, Vin reluctantly agrees to house-sit a beautiful mansion that sits high on one of Seattle's many hills. With no indication of when its reclusive owner Nerdean will return, Vin explores the nearly empty home and discovers a hidden basement lab, complete with computers, notebooks, and three coffin-like tanks, one occupied by a woman in suspended animation. After quickly deciphering Nerdean's notes, Vin climbs into an open cr�che and awakens to find himself sharing the body of Winston Churchill. As strange as sharing the body of a now-deceased person is, Vin's larger shock comes when he returns to discover his world has shifted slightly: his best friend is dead, and his childhood love is alive and sitting in his kitchen. Has Vin finally gone crazy, or is there more to the cr�che than lucid dreaming? VERDICT Toutonghi (Join) makes the multiple-worlds theory come alive in this swift moving mind-bender with imperfect, emotionally unstable characters who struggle with the impact their choices have on reality. Readers will have to decipher what is real before they can figure out what is happening. Highly imaginative, highly recommended.--Jennifer Beach, Longwood Univ. Lib., Farmville, VA

Copyright 2018 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.