What do a French hitman, struggling writer, airline pilot and a Nigerian singer all have in common? Everything. The Anomaly by French author Herve Lé Tellier is a fusion of genres that follows its 11 unrelated protagonists through a strange journey of romance, murder and existentialism.
The first act of the novel introduces the story's protagonists and explores their desires, struggles and tendencies while slowly building tension towards an unknown threat. Tellier’s writing style effortlessly enables the reader to fully understand what and why the protagonists feel throughout the story. Whether it be an explanation as to why the assassin, Blake, would choose his false name based on the reading of a poem in movie of the same name Red Dragon or why the in- universe author of this book's title The Anomaly insists on carrying around a red Lego brick in his pocket, the variety in writing styles and genre keeps each perspective fresh and intriguing. Each protagonist is written in the style of different genres ranging from thriller to mystery to romantic comedy.
Engaging chapters leave the reader wondering how each one was relevant to the plot only for another character to link the gaps in a completely different time and place. These “Ah-ha!” moments throughout these series of character introductions are what make the book so engaging to read (For fans of video game narratives, 13 Sentinels: Aegis Rim and Live a Live are good comparisons to The Anomaly).
While these character introductions feel like individual short stories that are unrelated to each other, Tellier manages to tie together these characters and minor details by the halfway mark: the end of Act one. This turning point in the story sees a convergence of the genres into one: science fiction. The mystery of the story is finally revealed and, shockingly, comes to a close as everyone involved continues to live their new (and old) lives.
The third act of the book turns to the psychological genre and further explores its already detailed characters once again with a new lens - questioning themes of reality, religion and existentialism. The definitive bookend structure of the novel keeps the pacing of the story quick while not overstaying its welcome. There’s a character, genre and perspective for all audiences to relate to throughout The Anomaly.
