THE COMING-OF-AGE NOVEL FOR PEOPLE WHO HATE COMING-OF-AGE NOVELS Charlie Kirby spends his life imagining trouble is just around the corner. For once, it is and the only man on his side is Ted Lawrence, a washed-up actor logging too many miles on the comeback trail. Charlie agrees to help Ted rescue his career and meets a comedian who offers him a chance to become a self-help guru, a housekeeper who spies on him, and a cast of off-beat characters in a story filled with action, hilarity, and weirdness. Charlie faces his fears, his phobias, and (worst of all) his family, as Los Angeles becomes the heart of the end of the world. (Parental guidance is suggested.)