You may have trouble deciding which genre you would assign to Mike Fu’s MASQUERADE, which is what makes “mystery” perhaps too good of a fit. But it does not deserve to fade away with the hordes of mystery novels and series of unorthodox detectives, the recently heartbroken or people in grief, whose cracks at forgotten murders or disappearances finally unearth some secrets.

Meadow Liu is Fu’s recently heartbroken protagonist, but the mystery that Meadow finds himself wrapped up in is far from typical. This intimate study of a character and his relationships has a bizarre, almost supernatural mystery permeating its pages. Meadow’s life and thoughts move the story, seemingly sidelining the novel’s elements of fantasy and mystery, but no academic or hyper-keen reading skills are required to catch the clues that Fu hides in Meadow’s past and present.

MASQUERADE begins in a frenzy: a lost passport. While tearing through the drawers and papers of his friend Selma’s New York apartment, Meadow finds a book titled The Masquerade by Liu Tian. In a moment’s impulse, he takes it for entertainment during his long upcoming flight to Shanghai, his curiosity piqued by the author having the same name as himself in Chinese.

"By keeping the mystery and fantasy of the novel in the backseat, with Meadow firmly in the front seat, MASQUERADE shows how intertwined one’s thoughts and life history are with the events and developments that appear to be from the external world."

Meadow learns to regret not asking Selma about The Masquerade when they catch up in Shanghai. The only strange thing about the book he found is the coincidental author --- no premonitions or prophecies yet --- so he first seeks Selma’s thoughts on his recent breakup in New York. Fu’s interesting style is showcased in this scene, where he writes the dialogue of formalities and buildup, then paraphrases in third-person narration the key takeaways from the conversation. The reader does not feel like the important part was rushed, though, since much of the book’s narration is deeply rooted in Meadow’s internal thoughts.

In this scene of one friend telling another how his heart was broken, Meadow first explains how Selma’s company and friendship make him feel more real in this world. Then he describes how he impulsively spilled the tea to Selma, instead of trying to continue being reserved about his breakup, connecting this impulse to the authenticity she inspires in him. Dialogue lovers may find Fu’s style to be frustrating, but those who enjoy narration that feels like telepathy will laud MASQUERADE.

Although Fu keeps dialogue to a minimum, extended dialogue is a sign that some revelations are coming for Meadow. One night during a late bartending shift, a solo customer comes to the bar and shares some unwarranted advice about the power and importance of symbols. Since it closes out a chapter, the reader knows to pay close attention to this unfounded information, but it is not until Meadow’s further reading of The Masquerade that we understand why a stranger in a bar got so much page time. Mizuno, its protagonist, receives identical advice. This is too much of a coincidence for Meadow, as is the name of Liu Tian’s translator being the same as the Vermont town where Selma got the book.

Peter, Meadow’s friend and former roommate, hears his concerns about the supernatural book he found. As they sift through Meadow’s strange few weeks in Shanghai, Fu grants Peter some extended dialogue, which means another revelation for Meadow. When Meadow admits that the only logical explanation he has for The Masquerade is that he’s ensnared in a bizarre scheme of Selma’s, Peter warns him that this is a sign that Meadow has “renounced a sense of control or responsibility” over his own life.

It is satisfying to read Meadow hearing this truth, as much of the narrative depicts his depression from feelings of aimlessness. Though Meadow appears to know how to discern what he does not want in life --- like dropping out of the grad program that preserved a life of academic limbo --- he does not seem to try to find what he does want. The narrative stream of his thoughts depict sorrow over his experiences not leading to exactly where he wants his life to go, but there is no incentive to try new behaviors or activities. Peter’s advice about unraveling The Masquerade hits Meadow hard, the way tough love from a friend stings, but he does admit to coasting in life and not trying.

Fu’s narrative style and choices are the strongest parts of MASQUERADE. Though third-person, the narration is still intimately tied to Meadow, and Fu finds intriguing ways of leaking out of the third-person barriers. As Meadow scolds himself for smoking cigarettes, he thinks about how he ought to be more mature for his age, but then connects his addictions to other unhealthy tendencies, like falling in love too easily, and doubts he can quit. This internal ping pong of woes is a testament to Fu’s streamy style of narration, which makes it feel normal when the third-person narrator ends passages with sentences like “I wonder.”

Fu’s elusive third-person narration does not make time-jumps or flashbacks difficult to read. MASQUERADE does a superb job of dropping hints in the narrative present, which key the reader into the whenabouts in the past. While thinking about Selma in the present, for example, Meadow remembers something as they were first getting to know each other. When the narrative transitions to the past, Fu drops a reminder of what Meadow recalled earlier, signaling the reader that this flashback will contextualize Meadow and Selma’s friendship. Neither the hint in the present nor the reminder in the past feels like narrative devices of Fu’s, but rather random thoughts of Meadow’s that we are keen enough to put together.

Fans of “character studies” will appreciate MASQUERADE. Fu gets so immersed in Meadow’s mind that he carefully describes the different ways Meadow feels when he gets intoxicated with various substances. When the book gets to a fantasy-leaning scene, nothing feels out of place since Fu was already disorienting the reader with a concise range of Meadow’s abstract thoughts. By keeping the mystery and fantasy of the novel in the backseat, with Meadow firmly in the front seat, MASQUERADE shows how intertwined one’s thoughts and life history are with the events and developments that appear to be from the external world.