Review: 9987 by Nik Jones

[Brokenface]

“A sharp intake of breath, my heart like wet sand in my chest and I am crying again.”

9987 is the debut novel from Nik Jones that reads like a sick diary written in the mind of the nameless narrator. He is the store manager of Total Rental, the neighborhood video rental location. From the opening lines of the story, life is off center: “The Queen’s face is splattered with blood. This is strange for a Wednesday.”

I did not enjoy this book until I was almost half-way through. By the end, I wanted to read it again (which I may still do). Jones trick is pacing, and it is perfect. The book begins slow, feels like a mystery novel because the narrator thinks he sees blood on money, bloody handprints on videos and bloody footprints on the store’s carpet after a certain store member comes and goes. It’s not clear cut until you’re deeper into the story that our narrator is well off the reservation.

Most of the story takes place inside Total Rental. The narrator constantly takes note of what customer is looking in which DVD section. The sectioned off porn room is a high traffic area for those of age and the youth looking to sneak a peek. What I didn’t like at first was how pedestrian the prose read. Everything is very basic, but as I read on, it’s necessary and natural. The narrator creates his own social commentary by simply describing the world that surrounds him. Ultimately, this is what I loved about the book. It reads like a movie, like a steady-cam POV of the guy’s life. The reader has a front row seat right behind his eyeballs, taking in everything he sees and what he thinks he sees which often times are hard to separate because we are deep inside his psyche.

Laced among his descriptions of the world he inhabits are the day-to-day mundane tasks he performs in the store, which are great parts of the book within themselves. This isn’t your typical video store. Titles aren’t arranged in a general logical order as most stores. The narrator creates his own sections, like Asian Cinema, instead of Harry Potter in New Releases, it’s banished to the Children’s Section. He would rather see everything Alphabetical to give older films a chance among the newer titles. The phone calls he makes to customers with late fees are perfect comic relief, as well as the interactions he has with Percy, the one employee he despises.

As the story builds, the narrator’s fascination with one of his customers, 9987, Santino, Scarlett, grows exponentially fantastic and voyeuristic. He thinks she’s in trouble. He thinks she in trouble with another of his customers, 7451, Algarry, Neville. He thinks she’s in trouble and needs to save her. Our narrator finds himself perched outside the apartment building where Scarlett Santino lives, armed with a camcorder, his forever cup of tepid coffee and a neighborhood cat that takes a liking to him. He knows everything about it. He thinks he knows everything about her. He creates ways to meet her, to speak to her, to love her. This is the meat of the story that all may or may not be happening.

Between his all-night stake outs and long working days, there are visits to his parent’s home. These moments with his parents open a giant window into the narrator’s personal life and hints at why he is the way he is. There is a chapter that involves him, his mother and a box of old photographs that is emotionally crushing. It was after this chapter that I really felt for this character.

Towards the end of the story, fantasy and reality begin melding together for a very memorable meeting between the narrator and his Scarlett.

Parts of the story recall sections of American Psycho in how they are presented. I didn't mind this because the story is hardly predictable and surprising at times. All in all, 9987 is an impressive debut from Nik Jones.

9987 by Nik Jones
Paperback: 268 pages
Publisher: Tonto Books (January 19, 2009)
ISBN-10: 0955632668
Official Author Site
Tonto Books

[FergHova]

I'm very happy to see you join the fray of reviewers, here. Thank you for this, its been added to my To Buy and Read Lists.

[wickerkat]

Very cool, thanks.

[Pooka]

Nice review, buddy. Might even spend some cash on this now.