[READ: December 2022] The Other Ones
The premise of this book sounded really interesting and potentially very funny. A story about the people who did NOT participate when the office pool won the lottery.
It sounds funny but as you think of it, you realize just how sad of a story it’s going to be.
The other ones are Yoder, Lawson, Chastain, Craver, Roberson, Russell and Gibbons. On the first page, these names are listed like a cast of characters–each in a different font that I suppose characterizes each person.
Each subsequent chapter is about that person (in third person).
The book opens with Yoder jumping off of the roof of their building. He can’t believe al of those horrible people–the people he has zero respect for–could have won millions of dollars. But when his next chapter comes up, we discover that Yoder is a ghost and he is kind of the overarching narrator of the story because he comments on all of the winners (in his highly disgusted manner): Mowery (Toby Keith shirt, MAGA hat), Cowens (who goes on a Kiss Kruise), Pappas (expensive virtual reality system), Czuba, Fitzgerald and Garner (Garner is the worst because not only doesn’t he splurge, he intends to keep going to work).
Yoder wakes first in that asshole Cowen’s house. The next day he wakes up in Pappas’ house and tries to plunge a knife into his own heart–it does nothing. Then it’s that asshole Mowery. When he wakes up in Mancus’ house he hears the guy playing a terrible song “chew tobacco chew tobacco chew tobacco Spit!” (I had no idea it was a real song).
Next is Lawson. Lawson has no idea that they won when he pulls into the parking lot. he decides to go to a writing workshop–to pursue a life he’s actually interested in.
Chastain (her last name) isn’t sure whether to laugh or cry. She owes almost $30,000 in student loans.
Craver usually, sometimes plays with them. He doesn’t remember if he put in his money this week (he didn’t–he didn’t have cash). It’s Garner, the coordinator of the lottery, who reminds him that he didn’t pay.
Carver can’t believe the news. He and Chastain have a work flirt going on, but she knows it will never go anywhere. But he is so angry about the news, that he invites her to go for a drink–right then at 8:30 in the morning. They drink. He asks if she is going to go back to work. She says yes. He says they should just hop in the car together and drive West–like Springsteen song.
But the next day, when Carver is in the car waiting for her, she is embarrassed about what they did (they made out) and has no intention of going with him. So Carver leaves. We see updates about his trip–he keeps texting Chastain–as he slowly starts to lose it.
Robertson is twenty-four, one of the younger (by far) members of the team. He is disgusted by everyone and still thinks playing the lottery is stupid. he is dating a woman who test games for a living and has a huge YouTube following. She is vastly more successful than he is.
Russell is sixty. He was friends with Yoder. He is one of the few people who feels really sad about Yoder. He is sure he is now the oldest person in the office. He considers following Yoder’s plan, but he loves his wife too much to do that.
Because Chastain seems unfazed by all of this, she gets the attention of the department head (and scary woman) Sarah. Sarah sees something in Chastain and begins to take her seriously.
Sarah has hired Chad Stevenson from Stevenson Consulting to help them cope with the loss of all of these employees. Robertson thinks Chad looks like Steve Jobs and he no patience for the guy. But Chad takes a shine to Robertson instantly, and a weird-cult-like possession forms between them. Chas has Robertson make a vision board and when Robertson’s girlfriend hears about this she explodes in laughter and insists on seeing it (her refuses to show her).
Gibbons just wants to do work as usual (which wasn’t really very much). He is thrilled when someone brings in a coffee frother as a morale booster.
Robertson’s journey with Chad gets even more bizarre when he invites him into The Emerald Dragon Society. His girlfriend LOVES this.
Chastain is getting more and more responsibility and she is thriving in this situation.
Craver meanwhile is still driving somewhere. He’s drinking a lot and his actions become more and more questionable–like he might just hurt someone.
As the book nears the end, Yoder realizes that the winners want to plan a party in his honor–some kind of weird guilt party.
I wound up enjoying this story quite a lot and got involved with most of the character’s arcs. But I felt like the story went in the one direction I hoped it wouldn’t. When one of the characters buys a gun. In some ways it was inevitable–especially since this takes place in Pennsylvania.
I hated to see the story go in that direction. But I did enjoy it. Even the ending.
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