Wrecking Balls

Gary and Charleston have been best friends ever since they were ten years old. Now, in their thirties, they continue to hang on to the dream of making it big as comedians, doggedly working the second-tier laff track of shady comedy clubs with tiny stages and beer-soaked audiences. But at least they’ve got each other…until Gary commits the ultimate betrayal and steals one of Charleston’s jokes. Now former friends are bitter rivals, engaging in increasingly ugly attacks via a series of humiliating pranks in order to get the upper hand. But how far is too far? And is any joke worth dying for?

Writing comedy is difficult because not all comedy has a universal appeal. But even keeping that in mind, I found Wrecking Ball to be a painful read. In addition to being subjected to limited character development, the reader is also treated to some truly bizarre adjective and adverb choices. I mean, like straight up I-don’t-think-that-word-means-what-you-think-it-means usages. And the whole thing is buried beneath a plethora of comedic routines focused mainly on sex and genitalia, which basically translates into: stuff that might be funny if you’re 14 years old. In short, this story is neither funny nor worth the read.