Fountain of Youth

This is a grim, strange, surprisingly funny read. Matthew’s fractured thoughts and the constant arguments in his head make the opening feel genuinely chaotic, while the ugly details of street life give it a strong sense of place. The shift to Alex is especially interesting: he’s not a sympathetic son, and the contrast between his polished corporate life and Matthew’s desperate wandering creates a lot of tension. I also liked the dark irony of the “Fountain of Youth” being something as pathetic and accidental as an air-conditioner puddle. The prose is imaginative, though it occasionally piles on so many jokes, digressions, and details that the momentum slows. Since the story cuts off just as Matthew reaches the shelter, I’m left wanting the confrontation and payoff that the setup promises.