Paul O'Rourke practices dentistry in New York, but his real expertise lies in contradiction. He abhors technology yet constantly checks his iPhone. He chain-smokes despite working in healthcare. He roots for the Red Sox but feels miserable when they win. He claims to be an atheist while secretly wondering about God. One day Paul discovers that someone has created fake social media accounts in his name. A website appears, followed by Facebook and Twitter profiles that seem to know intimate details about his life. The impostor posts thoughts and opinions that sound eerily like Paul's own voice, sometimes better than Paul himself could manage. As Paul investigates who is stealing his identity and why, he must examine the gap between his online presence and his actual existence. The search forces him to reckon with his past mistakes and his inability to connect authentically with the world around him.
Genres: fiction, literary-fiction, contemporary, 21st-century
Vibes: intimate, suspenseful, thought-provoking
Tropes: fish-out-of-water, unreliable-narrator
Setting: New York
Period: 21st-century
Paperback