The dichotomy of Las Vegas—not the tourist Strip, but the “real” city of suburbs and despair—is expertly portrayed by McGinniss Jr. With unwavering realism, the heat, the sound of gambling machines, and gated communities come to life. His depictions of Vegas’s carefree extravagance are evocative of Joan Didion’s minimalist writing.

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The style, which is organised in short, snappy lines and flashbacks, captures Chase’s jumbled mental condition. The pace drags readers into an unrelenting spiral by simulating the city’s adrenaline rush. Critics compare it to Ellis’s Less Than Zero, which depicts youth in free fall in a harsh, pessimistic manner.

The narrative addresses the moral and emotional void of a generation obsessed with manufactured connections, fast gratification, and phoney rebellion. It looks at how inertia, rather than desire, drives people to commit suicide.

The characters are deemed overly depressing and psychologically dubious by some critics. According to the San Francisco Chronicle, “it fails to shock enough… substituting self-destructive behaviour for exploration of character.” Style can occasionally eclipse actual depth. Kirkus also points out that there aren’t many likeable characters, which makes it difficult to support anyone.

The book is in the Less Than Zero category. Although she admits that it’s a fitting modern echo, Elizabeth Bachner notes that the voices and techniques are so reminiscent of Ellis that they might as well be Ellis. Your tolerance for genre lineage will determine whether this is an homage or a derivative.
Though its emotional impact may differ if you prefer richly nuanced characters, The Delivery Man is a gritty, electrifying ride into the dark side of Vegas youth for those who enjoy edgy, visceral literary thrillers that explore moral deterioration with razor-sharp prose.