cover image THE LAST MALL RAT

THE LAST MALL RAT

Erik Esckilsen, . . Houghton/Lorraine, $15 (192pp) ISBN 978-0-618-23417-2

When Mitch accepts $10 from a shoe salesman to harass a rude customer (he repeatedly hisses "caveat emptor" at her in the parking lot), he stumbles upon a lucrative enterprise; as more disgruntled employees at the Onion River Mall hear of his work, he enlists friends to meet the demand. However bizarre the premise of Esckilsen's first novel, the issues it raises are compelling enough. His misfit friends get a charge out of yelling "caveat emptor" at people, and think they're showing their victims "that there are actually others out there who deserve respect and who'll take it—by any means necessary." The community, however, has had enough. When bad boy Jimmy punches a customer, he becomes the authorities' target—and "the symbolic leader" to supporters who swarm the mall. Mitch must decide how to best help his friend, including whether or not to turn himself in. The characters are stereotypical, but the author creates a whole world in Shunpike Falls, complete with a gossipy newspaper, class divisions and family problems (Mitch's dad was fired from his real estate firm for challenging the building of the mall). Some descriptions are clunky, but the occasional mall lingo is fun and adds to the offbeat tone (a "Ginger" is a nickname for "lady customers who are obsessed with the way their feet look in a pair of shoes"). Despite some rough edges, this may be a good fit for readers who like their novels on the dark and quirky side. Ages 12-up. (May)