In this world, Mike would be tested again and again, his efforts often consigned to futility, his success borne back by the ceaseless tide of cultural and financial inequity. Yet Mike would ultimately overcome, because he learned to engage the world on his own terms.

A better summary than anything I could come up with, which I pulled from the essay that was the equivalent of an author’s note in the back of the book.

I didn’t expect to enjoy this nearly as much as I did. The first 20-ish percent, I was really on the fence about this. But I really grew to care for the MC and his brand of humor. Mike is surrounded by people who are absolutely wacky (and sometimes offensive. There’s a character who is homophobic and racist and just an awful piece of shit, but in the most bizarre of ways. At any rate, there’s a scene relatively early on where Mike shuts Nick down and it was amazing). And I just… really enjoyed this.