Startoucher by C.J. Odle

Imagine if the entirety of humanity, all of its wrong-doings and misgivings, were to be judged by a superior being of an infallible race? That is the question C.J Odle tackles in Startoucher, opening up a fascinating investigation into the morality of the human race and what we could do to halt our potential downfall.

Jake Connolly, a lawyer living in L.A., begins to experience terrible headaches, with visions of flashing light and other-worldly creatures. Just as he obtains the life he has fought so hard for – making partner at his firm – his increasingly painful visions force him into a two-week sabbatical, where what he finds love with an artist named Sarah. However, his calling still lingers, and his visions quickly lead him to the Mojave Desert where he is abducted and must fight the case for humanity against the superior beings that put us here.

Although the general idea is fresh and handled with mature and sophisticated prose, the crux of the novel starts very late in the story, and so takes something away from the novel’s overall message. Leading up to humanity’s trial and carrying on throughout is the love story between Jake and Sarah which – for the all the depth Odle creates in his polemic against humanity – is too lightweight for the issues at hand in the latter part of the novel.

What really keeps the pages turning is the light Odle shines on humanity’s successes and failures. It’s a humbling book at times, but keenly insightful, as if Odle himself has been given some privileged information about what ails us. The narrative veers towards the preachy at times, but overall Startoucher has much wisdom to share about our current and future path.