Last Resort: A Novel

Caleb Horowitz is on the brink of realizing his dream. A hotshot agent has taken notice of his novel manuscript, and Caleb has the chance of launching into literary stardom. There’s just one problem: the idea underlying Caleb’s novel isn’t exactly his own, and Avi Deitsch, an editor at a publishing house, is sure to notice. To deal with this quandary, Caleb makes a deal with Avi, one that will alter the course of his (and Avi’s) career.

Last Resort follows Caleb’s misadventures in the publishing world and, in doing so, explores questions related to authorship, ownership, and success. Caleb’s flaws as a character are readily on display, and the reader is left to watch him make misguided decision after misguided decision in pursuit of the literary acclaim he has always hoped for.

The novel is well-paced and page-turning, though the events introduced toward the end of the book could have used more time to develop. Still, both funny and sobering, Last Resort compellingly explores what it means to be a writer, what it means to be successful, and what it means to be fulfilled.