This book had the pace and feeling of aimlessness that reminded me of 'Catcher in the Rye'; also, because it was based on actual events that had been filled in with plenty of "fake parts" (authors own words), something which Holden would certainly not have approved of, it also made me think of the Gonzo writing in 'Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas'. I think one could argue a bit of Kerouac too.
Bottom line. If you enjoyed some of the aforementioned author's works (Salinger, Hunter S. Thompson, Kerouac) you could be forgiven for enjoying this book also.

I read very little contemporary authors (or certainly few who are still living), a matter that I have been trying to redress over recent years; so I was glad to discover this former library book on a table outside my local charity shop. Not sure what made me pick it up. The general vagabond vibe and whimsy I got from flicking through the pages, the low price, and the fact that I was late for a lunch date all contributed. I try to start reading books in the order of last purchased. This has controlled my book hoarding somewhat, since buying more books actively prevents me from reading from my own library. It's a good tip.
Thankfully in this case my new acquisition had proved a worthy distraction.

Struggling with his own identity and a strong desire to get away from it all, Mark takes us on a journey across the desert states in search of himself.
I did pick up on the racial attitude towards Indians (Native Americans) perceived as gangsters or casino workers early on in the book, but that was the perception of the kid in the story who was wrestling with his own sense of identity faced with the possible fact that he may be part red skin himself and how this fact changed his view of himself in the mirror even though he clearly still looked white.
He bums around odd jobs as a house painter or as a river guide during the tourist season, the narrative is interspersed with snippets of local history, folklore and urban legends. Eventually he meets his love interest September.
September is everything Mark is not. She is impulsive, adventurous, daring, but ultimately selfish and uses others to get what she wants. For some reason Mark is fixated on her much as Philip is over Mildred in W. Somerset Maugham's book.
Despite their very human flaws of which each are burdened with heavily, I found myself engaged with the characters and even though any form of relationship between the two of then seemed disastrous from the outset, I wanted to keep reading to find out where the story lead.

All in all I thoroughly enjoyed Mark's desert adventure and can see myself reading it again sometime. ( )