First published 2013
A protagonist grapples with an unexpected turn of events that forces him to question everything he believed about fairness and justice. The central character finds himself asking the titular question as circumstances beyond his control reshape his world. Shubin constructs a narrative around the universal human struggle to make sense of suffering and misfortune. The story examines how people respond when life delivers blows that seem arbitrary and cruel. Through the protagonist's journey, the novel explores whether meaning can be found in chaos, whether victims deserve their fate, or whether some events simply happen without reason or purpose. The emotional weight centers on the character's attempt to reconcile his sense of order with reality's indifference to human plans and expectations.
Genres: fiction, literary-fiction, contemporary, psychological-thriller
Vibes: intimate, suspenseful, thought-provoking
Tropes: existential-crisis, unreliable-narrator
Period: 20th-century, 21st-century
69 pages · Paperback · Murder Slim Press