So, as I've observed before:  Scalzi writes weird stuff…and funny stuff. This little book packs quite a punch, and an absolutely awesome final line. It kind of hit me in the heart. 

Ashley Perrin, fresh out of college, has just scored on a job as community liaison for the Third District's city councilman (in an unnamed city.) She comes with pretty substantial experience with extraterrestrials, fortunately.  The Third District is actually a human minority which means that most of the citizens Ashley is expected to interact with aren't human.  It's been a long time since a human has held the job; the last one lasted just three days.  So her supervisor and coworkers are understandably anxious about her.  And she's understandably anxious about making a good impression.  Turns out that both are wrong.

In just a spare 149 pages and just the first week on the job, Ashley doesn't have a lot of opportunities to shine.  But there's just the one big one.  And then the little one, that bled into the big one, which turned out to be a really big one, as well. Okay, it's just hard to summarize and leave you, the gentle reader, a reason to still go out and get this story.  And you should.

So, in no particular order…there's the con-chicken (as in con-artist), the office karaoke night, the alien animal control report, the report of strange happenings in the sewer, and the city-wide popular Lupidian Celebration Parade which has, in the past, tended to break a lot of windows; from the stomping, you know.  And, yes, at least three of those things are connected.  Fortunately, Ashley has made the acquaintance of a local store owner, who traffics in all sorts of alien sex aids; which, amazingly enough, is just what she needs to sort almost everything out.

I'm telling you:  this was funny on almost every page with a closing line that was so heartfelt, I felt it in my heart.  Scalzi manages to describe a world and people it with such economy of words, yet still make it bloom in your brain.  I especially liked Ashley's wry comments and honest reactions.  She was a delight. And Scalzi is very talented.   ~~  Catherine Book

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