No Hope for Gomez by Graham Parke

From Goodreads:

It's the age-old tale: Boy meets girl. Boy stalks girl. Girl already has a stalker.Boy becomes her stalker-stalker. 

We've seen it all before, many times, but this time it's different. If only slightly. When Gomez Porter becomes a test subject in an experimental drug trial, he is asked to keep track of any strange experiences through a blog. What Gomez isn't ready for, is so many of his experiences suddenly seeming strange; the antiques dealer trying to buy his old tax papers, his neighbor boiling salamanders on his balcony at midnight, the super sexy lab assistant who falls for him but is unable to express herself in terms outside the realm of science. But when one of the trial participants turns up dead and another goes missing, Gomez begins to fear for his life. No longer sure who he can trust and which of his experiences are real and which merely drug induced illusions, he decides it's time to go underground and work out a devious plan. 

Now, years later, his blogs have been recovered from a defunct server. For the first time we can find out firsthand what happened to Gomez as he takes us on a wild ride of discovery.

The book is told through a series of blog posts which end up as a sort of stream of consciousness writing. Whatever runs through Gomez's thoughts end up on his blog. He starts his blog as a part of a medical trial for extra cash. In it we find Gomez trying to piece together what happened to a fellow trial participant when he ends up dead. As he pieces together what is odd about this man's death, he finds himself attracted to the researcher in charge of the study. As the blog continues you wonder if anything is related at all. However, like all mysteries... things finally come together even if they didn't add up in the way Gomez expected them.

This definitely is a different type of book. No, despite the author's claims it may not make you more beautiful nor cure all ills, but it is entertaining and I did laugh. The relationships here are odd, but interesting. I'm still trying to figure out what his neighbor actually does for a living... *scratches head* Hmm.. But, if you are looking for a different type of read this summer, I do suggest this book. It's short, and definitely different. :) I give it 3 stars.

I was given this book by the author and no compensation for my review was given.

I also understand he is having a summer raffle at his website:

Additionally, several lucky readers will win a prize. I'm raffling off a Kindle, an iPod Nano 8GB, and five exclusive spin-off paperback novels that are not available elsewhere!

All you have to do to have a "Summer of Gomez", is get the book from any store and forward your receipt to nohopeforgomez@gmail.com. (Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Amazon CA,Amazon UK, Amazon DE)

Every purchase counts as an entry so increase your chances by stocking up on some extremely cool birthday presents ;) Points towards additional entries are gained by getting your friends to join in, and tweeting/blogging/face-booking (is that a verb?) about the Summer of Gomez.