Made for Love starts well, with 35 year old woman Hazel returning to her father’s place after leaving her husband, only to find that he has committed to living with a sex doll. It is a bizarre and uncomfortable scene, but very funny. Her father is so unabashed that she just has to accept the situation, especially since she has nowhere else to go. The story gets more conceptual as we find out more about Hazel’s husband Brian, who founded and runs a massive tech corporation. Hazel has left him because she is scared of him: he wants her to have a chip implanted in her brain. As the story proceeds, we learn more about their early romance and his pathological need to control her. The plot goes on and on, and it is hard work to get to the end. The unabridged audiobook is performed by Suzanne Elise Freeman, who keeps up the energy level, but the 10 hours seems longer. The humor gets less and the concepts get more serious. It’s a thoughtful novel at the same time as being gross with elements of science fiction. Not all readers will make it through to the end, but it is distinctive.

© 2017 Christian Perring

Christian Perring teaches in NYC.