What do readers think of Await Your Reply by Dan Chaon? Write your own review.

This is the first work of Chaon's I've read and as I sit with the last page now turned, I am stunned. It is interesting how his introduction of the characters, each with their own circumstance in life, was accomplished - in short provocative "pull-you-in" chapters. On the other hand, as each story progressed throughout the book, I found the traveling back and forth between these stories somewhat disconcerting for, quite naturally, I favored one set of characters over another.

However, I did find myself drawn into the detective mode of my spirit, contemplating just how it would all connect, for I felt it must. In the end, I found our protagonist to be so very sad, and while ingenious and perhaps brilliant, he seemed quite evil and certainly lost and lonely, ever searching for what? Peace in his life perhaps? Who would ever know?

I say again, I am stunned at how it all came together. It would be intriguing (and maybe just a little scary) to crawl into the mind of this author. I must look into his other writings. In closing, there is no doubt in my mind that this book will definitely spark many a discussion.

The book is a mix of three stories that at the beginning seem totally unconnected, but as you read, the connections start clicking and pretty soon you can’t put it down because you just have to find out how this all ends. The question of identity is at the heart of this book. False identities and hidden truths abound. Pretty soon the characters and the reader are both questioning the true identity of everyone.

I liked this book a lot. I kept making guesses as to how it would all resolve and changing my mind. If you need a book with clear linear timelines or all the ends tightly wrapped up in a bow, stay away from this one. If you like a story of intrigue, deception and a bit of mystery and suspense, I recommend it highly. Although I felt like I didn’t truly like the main characters, the ever more involved web of story and timelines kept me turning the pages as fast as I could.

This is a book of philosophy as much as it is a book of fiction. It is about personal identity and how easily one's identity can be shifted into something else. How real are we? Who are we? Through alternating chapters about three different people, this book asks this question. This book will appeal to people who like plots within plots. It requires patience as the book goes back and forth in time. I enjoyed it as it was like unraveling a favorite skein of yarn.

Await Your Reply has a three threads of story that keep you turning the pages to see how they unravel. This book was hard to put down. I found the characters sad and lonely. The book makes you think about your identity and the identity of people you meet. It makes you question the validity of the stories of people you may come across in your life. For me it reaffirmed the importance of a network of family and friends. The story was creepy and as a mystery , it kept you interested.

"Await Your Reply" takes three seemingly disparate characters whose stories become increasing intertwined as the book develops. The author uses alternating chapters to narrate each character's story. The transitions between chapters were often abrupt, especially as one "story" jumps back and forth in time, while the others do not. That said, as I got more involved in the book, the transitions didn't bother me as much.

I enjoyed this book -- the characters have good depth, and their stories were interesting enough to keep me reading to the end -- but it isn't the best thing I've picked up this year.

I would love to give this book to a psychiatrist and see what she could make of these sad characters. I love pathetic people as much as the next person, but this book seemed to contain devices designed to shock or confuse. Yes, I had to read it all just to find out what happened to the characters, but I cared most about the almost normal ones. Is that a character flaw in me?

I found the book not engaging. I wanted to like the book but found that it meandered with disparate characters that were not involving. I was disappointed as I had liked the writer's early works and felt that this was a let down.