Small town life and a dead end job are the institutional shackles that weigh Seth down. That, and his vilified family name. Hazen. No matter where Seth goes or what he does, the decade old crime perpetrated by his uncle Floyd Hazen brings out the same old slander, name-calling and harassment. What Seth needs is a break from the monotony, the convention, the daily ritualistic life. Feeling only truly alive and himself while under the liberating influence of an assortment of drugs and alcohol, the upcoming underground rave is just what the doctor ordered! But things take a dark turn and his night of hard partying is going to leave more than a pounding headache the next morning.
While Rave is set in the late 90s, the story has the distinctive flow and movement of contemporary fiction. Hyperreal drug use and party scenes set the tone for the wild night Seth and his friends experience. The tone of the book is dark, lending itself to some gruesome crimes and creepy circumstances. Readers will note that some recurring themes and many expressions are straightforward yet tedious: the hunter, the struggles with self-confidence, the wrestling against conformity. At the same time, Lavery writes with a comfortable and casual narrative voice, granting readers admission to the party and a front-row seat to the action. The pace alternates from a steadily building anticipation to a sudden brutal crime with little time to catch your breath! Rave is a disturbing and foreboding story that has all the makings of a new cult-classic.
