The Withdrawal Method is a remarkably inventive, assured, and smart collection of stories from one of Canada's best young writers, one who pairs emotional depth with extraordinary technical skill. The result is a book full of surprises and rewards for the reader.
Many of Pasha Malla's characters are youthful and urban, with diverse ethnic and cultural backgrounds; and most, in one way or another, are seeking to reach out to others -- friends, partners, family, teammates (a number of Malla's wonderfully well-drawn male characters are soccer or baseballplayers). With inventive language, clarity, and empathy, Malla constructs resonant and unusual stories that instantly connect with readers even as his characters fight against the instinct to withdraw.