PositiveFull StopThe discovery of threats provides structure in an otherwise inchoate story. The other characters in the story wander in and out of the narrative as if lost ... Many of the novel’s finest moments take place when David is alone — when he lies on the floor and pours an entire gallon of shampoo over himself ... Or the heart-wrenching (and ingenious) voicemail chapters, which are even better when you read them aloud in your best automated voice ... Threats is strongest when it clings closely to David ... When the narrator puts too much space in between us and the action, it forces us to step back and take a critical look at the characters and their choices. The problem is that the characters don’t always hold up to a critical eye: they don’t feel substantial enough to be real people. In another novel, this would be a criticism, but in Threats, it only adds to the mystery. It is the same with the plot.
