Debut author Zee Carlstrom has written a book that is indefinable when it comes to genre and features a unique and infectious voice that immediately grabbed me from the first page.

MAKE SURE YOU DIE SCREAMING is a sarcastic title that speaks to the tumultuous life that the nameless narrator is going through. The story is essentially a road trip, but one fueled by angst, guilt, and more than a few secrets that Carlstrom keeps close to the vest as the action moves along at a frenetic clip.

Our faithful narrator --- who has rejected the gender binary --- has left their top-tier corporate job, abandoned their now ex-boyfriend after they were hit in the head by a baseball bat during an argument, and escaped to the bottom of whatever bottle of alcohol is around. They convince Yivi, a young lady who is currently sleeping on the other side of a hung bed sheet in the room they are illegally renting, to take a ride with them from Illinois to Arkansas after learning that their conspiracy-theorist father has gone missing.

"I will not reveal the outcome of their road trip/search mission. That is for you to enjoy. Trust that feelings will be hurt, secrets will be revealed, and Holden and Yivi will form a bond that will last longer than their unexpected and tenuous friendship."

Yivi, a self-described “garbage goth,” has plenty of baggage of her own and barely knows the narrator. Before this trip is over, they will know each other more than probably either of them wanted or expected. She also is on the run from someone she did wrong, so the obvious next move is to steal a car belonging to the narrator’s ex-boyfriend and make the best of it.

There is a lot of drinking during the ride, all supported by massive quantities of Hot Cheetos and fast food. Their dialogue is simply electric, and there are many laugh-out-loud moments to enjoy while the tension slowly builds towards the secrets to be revealed once they make it to Arkansas. Yivi insists on a slight detour to visit the Gateway Arch in St. Louis, a landmark that has special meaning for her, which will be revealed later in the story.

The two get mixed up with Dante and Becky at the motel where they are staying. Their impromptu friendship with these Bible Belt, soon-to-be-wed young people is punctuated by the narrator giving them their bank card to have full access to their 100K savings account in exchange for the couple’s broken-down car to use for the remainder of the trip. It is not a fair exchange by any stretch of the imagination, but it will make it harder for law enforcement and anyone else on their tail to locate them.

The most poignant moment in the novel is when they arrive in Arkansas and the narrator’s mother calls them by their given name: Holden. I can't speak for Carlstrom, but I don't think this was an accident. Specifically, I see this Holden as a Holden Caulfield for the new generation. The antihero from THE CATCHER IN THE RYE bears many of the same personality traits as this Holden --- estrangement from family and anyone close to them; a cynical worldview; a lack of trust of almost everyone and everything; and bouts of serious depression. I already loved these characters, but the Holden name just made me smile and like the narrator even more.

I will not reveal the outcome of their road trip/search mission. That is for you to enjoy. Trust that feelings will be hurt, secrets will be revealed, and Holden and Yivi will form a bond that will last longer than their unexpected and tenuous friendship. Zee Carlstrom is a writer to watch, and I cannot wait to see what they come up with next.