Cursed

The first chapter of Shipp's novel is numbered "12." That is how many days Nick, Shipp's protagonist and narrator, is into his curse. The curse: Every day, for the past eleven days, someone, maybe a friend, an acquaintance, or a stranger, slaps his face. On day thirteen, Nick runs into his friend Cicily at the supermarket. He notices that she is carrying a tennis ball. It's a ball she has carried all day for the past twelve days and tapes to her hand while she sleeps. She, too, is cursed. If she drops the tennis ball, the world will come to an end.

Nick and Cicily set out to discover who has cursed them and why. They must also deal with difficult family situations and their awkward attraction to one another. They are an unusual pair. Nick tends to express himself by making short lists of alternatives. Cicily is verbally clever to a slightly disturbing degree. She never lets up. Ice is frozen crocodile tears. She colors tofu blue and serves it in Smurf stew. Nick and Cicily are cursed, and they have issues.

Cicily posts fliers searching for other cursed individuals. She meets the expected number of nut cases and one young woman who seems to be the real thing. All her family has disappeared and according to her other acquaintances never existed.

Shipp's tale turns darker as the source of the curse begins to reveal itself. I was surprised that this short novel, which teetered on the edge of becoming too cute for its own good, could become both creepy and moving. Overall a most satisfying and inventive foray into literary horror.