Just Dial 911 For Assistance (2000) - Plot & Excerpts
As a dispatcher I thought this would be a fun read. However, I was a little disappointed in the grammatical errors, somewhat unbelievable characters and lack of solid ending for the book. I really enjoyed the story at first and that's what kept me coming back. But nothing takes me out of a story quicker than the misuse of then/than (frequent in this book). I also questioned some of the character development. For example, the narrator doesn't have sex and is a virgin but we get little sense of why he's made that decision or why its important to him. Since the book is written mostly in "witty banter" dialog its difficult to get more than snatches of information about the characters. The book fizzles out at the end leaving you with several questions unanswered and a few plot lines unfinished. As I said, I enjoyed the story and genuinely wanted to know more about these characters. I especially liked the scenes in the dispatch center. It was obvious the author has either spent a lot of time around dispatchers or was thorough in his research. And the use of a new trainee as an audience surrogate was fairly effective. I was even willing to suspend belief about how dispatchers truly act in a professional setting and enjoy the zany antics of these fictional people. Chris Allen is a 911 operator and part time columnist. He's got a lot going on in his life right now, but he somehow manages to make it through. It's an oddly flavored book... and comes off more realistic for the mix. While Chris and his friend Joey are both happily no-sex-until-marriage virgins, there's general discussion of masturbation and the neighbor's exhibitionist sex life. Life in the dispatch center is rife with foul language and obscene gestures, which at some points had me literally laughing out loud. It's not the holier than thou tone that some Christian fiction takes on, but a much more realistic take on the lifestyle. (not that I would really categorize it as Christian fiction, more that it has some of the same general themes...)The book is written almost exclusively in dialogue, that can be sometimes difficult to keep up with- sometimes there's more than one conversation going on at a time. However, Chris is a witty, charmingly irreverent character and makes reading the story almost like having a conversation. I thoroughly enjoyed the lighthearted, breezy book.
What do You think about Just Dial 911 For Assistance (2000)?
Only read first couple chapters- way too much F word. Did not read any more.
—Kris
It ended abruptly without a climax or much of a plot. I was disappointed.
—PixelJoe
entertaining, but more a collection of vignettes than a novel
—Fang_Julie
Another one that I kept trying to like but never really did.
—Nadi
got bored with it and gave up. couldn't keep my interest
—smiley
