Aloha

Corporate rapaciousness, sibling conflict and proliferating nuclear weapons transform the face of Hawaiian paradise in this frenzied, apocalyptic satire of 21st-century American ingenuity run amok. Tod Crawford, ordered by the court to take medication as the result of past violent episodes, lives largely in the shadow of his 40-ish brother Frank, custodian of the billion-dollar family fortune. The third generation of a dynasty of nuclear pioneers and land developers, Frank wheels and deals on the global stage--his latest plan is to create a new Hawaiian island by tapping an underwater volcano, thus providing a lawless haven for billions in dirty money. Meanwhile 25-year-old Tod schemes to make a success of a seedy Honolulu night spot where he works as a bouncer. Christensen ( Mortal Belladaywic ) immediately pulls the reader into his bewildering, anarchic world, where--despite the plot's relentless careening--he vividly depicts his cast's complex interrelationships and assorted dysfunctions. Tod narrates in a voice both mordant and matter-of-fact, colored with a convincing patois that captures the high-tech depravity of his age. The tale is fast-paced, wildly imaginative and full of odd wit--particularly in Frank's cynical bon mots and the nihilistic haikus that open the book's many voice-activated locks. (Aug.)