A young man wakes up in a college dormitory with no idea who he is, where he is or how he got there. Soon he discovers a secret within himself that marks him as an outcast and places him in danger. He tries to solve the riddle of his nature – and whether it means he has a special purpose for good or ill. After the loss of the one person he loves, cryptic clues steer him toward a quest to the ends of the Earth, from Peru to Kyrgyzstan to Tasmania. A time is coming when he will be called on to summon what courage he has for the sake of the humans.
Inspirations: Frankenstein by Mary Shelley, Pinocchio by Carlo Collodi and Definitely Maybe by Arkady and Boris Strugastsky.
Tone: Darkly humorous outsider fiction.
Ideal for whom? Introverts. The hero is not by nature a man of action – his fate was thrust upon him. He is insular, observant and barely social. He feels the pull of the humans yet flees them as a mortal peril.

Praise from early readers:
“Packed with piercing wit exploring what it is to be both human and a hero from a character who believes he is neither, the story introduces us to the curious case and unforgettable creation of Sawyer as he attempts to negotiate a world where he knows he does not belong. From an incredibly evocative start, this is a voyage of discovery full of intrigue, dark humor and intellect. And it’s enriching to see male friendship represented in such a moving, funny and vulnerable way. What a compelling and unexpected book this is.”
-Jackie Copleton, author of A Dictionary of Mutual Understanding, a Richard & Judy Book Club winner and longlisted for the Women’s Prize

“I loved The Absentee. McKenzie balances humor and surprise beautifully, keeping us intrigued the whole time. He creates a wonderfully detailed world, establishing not just his protagonist, but his supporting cast as well. The Absentee is a page-turner and worth your time.”
-Andy Milder, actor with credits including Weeds and Frost/Nixon

“Fast-paced and tightly written, The Absentee is an unusual, challenging, thought-provoking delight.”
-Joan Barfoot, author of the Booker-longlisted novel Critical Injuries

“In The Absentee, Rob McKenzie has fashioned an original, energetic and enjoyable sci-fi mystery, with action and offbeat existential observations stirred together in nearly equal parts.”
-Luke Jerod Kummer, author of The Blue Period and creator of Takers Mad

“The naïve observer at odds with the surrounding world throws light on ourselves. There is a travel writer’s eye in much of the description, notably the scene with the porcupine. And the ending is rather wonderful.”
-Stephen Cox, author of Our Child of the Stars

"Synopsis" may belong to another edition of this title.

Books Puddle

New York, NY, U.S.A.

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AbeBooks seller since November 22, 2018

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Item	12 to 19 business days	12 to 14 business days
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I mainly carry imported books from South East Asia / South Asia for readers of all Age Groups.

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South Asian and South East Asian Culture, Religion, Art etc

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PLETOS INC

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Woodside, NY U.S.A. 11377

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We accept return for those books which are received damamged. Though we take appropriate care in packaing to avoid such situation.

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You have the right to withdraw from this contract within 14 days without giving any reason.

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If you withdraw from this contract, we will reimburse to you all payments received from you, including the costs of delivery (except for the supplementary costs arising if you chose a type of delivery other than the least expensive type of standard delivery offered by us).

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You shall send back the goods or hand them over to Books Puddle, New York, New York, U.S.A., without undue delay and in any event not later than 14 days from the day on which you communicate your withdrawal from this contract to us. The deadline is met if you send back the goods before the period of 14 days has expired. You will have to bear the direct cost of returning the goods. You are only liable for any diminished value of the goods resulting from the handling other than what is necessary to establish the nature, characteristics and functioning of the goods.

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The Absentee

Item description from seller

Bibliographic details

Synopsis