A Thousand Natural Shocks

Reviews

“Hussain boxes with heavyweights here, going round for round. He has so many ways to get you: the crackling, staccato prose rhythm of Palahniuk’s Fight Club, as well as that book’s frazzled, immersive psychic energy; a ferociously ticking clock careening toward a cataclysmic plot resolution in the manner of Amis’s London Fields; and a captivating mixture of philosophical ambivalence, indignation, and heartbreak around questions of identity that calls Hamid’s The Reluctant Fundamentalist to mind. After tangling with the greats, Hussain comes up standing. This is a major debut by a formidable talent.”

“Omar Hussain’s A Thousand Natural Shocks is the most fun reading experience I’ve had in years. It’s a Tarantino movie in book form. And that doesn’t mean it skimps on the ‘book’ part of the equation: it’s smart, lyrical, penetrating, and literary as hell. But it also comes with eight thousand volts of sizzle. You’ll want to read this before everyone else starts talking about it. Just prepare to have your hair singed.”

“An engrossing Northern California noir that balances its pulp instincts with haunting atmospherics and a patiently ticking mystery.”

“A Thousand Natural Shocks, an investigation into the lasting impact of violence and trauma, is another ‘lyrical and literary’ debut thriller that you need to be on the lookout for this year.”