Book summary

In the latest compelling social rant by Chuck Palahniuk, a group of hostile teenagers from an undisclosed totalitarian state come to America disguised as foreign exchange students in order to plot a terrorist attack. The group's leader, and the compelling narrator of the novel, is a politically bitter 13-year-old named Pygmy, who writes a series of satirical, fragmentary dispatches which skewer various aspects of American culture, which he regards to be absurd, affluent, imperialistic, and apathetic. As Pygmy insinuates himself into the often ridiculous existence of an average teen, his vitriolic reports attack many of the nation's favorite pastimes, from church to teenage sex, and he spouts quotations from Hitler and Idi Amin to inspire himself and his conspirators in their mission to irreparably disrupt the function of American society. As with most of Palahniuk's work, PYGMY inches into extreme violence and sick behavior, chillingly portrayed by the frighteningly unique voice of the unforgettable protagonist.

Media reviews

"Palahniuk leaps over the line of good taste--and lands squarely on his feet." (starred review)