Greg Masters’ story You Among the Coordinates transforms the ordinary into special recollections over a span of forty years. The experiences are set in the East Village of Manhattan and they capture the change that occurs in the neighborhood as the years pass. At the forefront are the main character’s love life and life experiences throughout the years. After breaking up with Micaela, Greg moves on with Fenya. He is plagued by guilt for not taking longer to mourn his last relationship. Fenya too fades into the past after a while and Greg moves on. After some time of balancing work, dating and hanging out at local bars, Greg decides to travel to Mexico for a break and to get away from the city. As the story moves forward, details about his family are also explored.

You Among the Coordinates does not aim for a grand lesson or highlight in the plot. Instead, the work includes day-to-day experiences and reshapes them into transcendent moments by focusing on the main character’s observations and perspectives. Other characters come and go from Greg’s life. His relationships have their high points but as the days pass, they reach their end and the characters move on with their lives. The bar settings in many parts of the book offer a place for socialization for Greg where he observes those present, meets new people and has conversations. While many moments in the book are light, the work takes on heavier themes towards the end. You Among the Coordinates by Greg Masters is an imaginative and straightforward literary piece.

You Among the Coordinates by Greg Masters is made up of a collection of several short stories he has previously published. They are now linked together by a simple and exquisite plot that makes it possible to have a clear beginning and end. The protagonist, Greg, tells his story in the first person with an original mixture of thoughts and events. He starts by recalling his many love affairs, some of them long but many others short, but little by little, the tone changes. A trip to Mexico is a turning point, and the narrative becomes more and more thoughtful, giving way to deeper and more important considerations.

You Among the Coordinates is a gem of a book for its elegant style and charming story. Among its best features, its great storytelling is the one that stands out. Masters has a way of writing that is natural, and that makes the story easy to understand. The descriptions, especially those of settings and places, are richly detailed. The stories, though short, create a broad and colorful patchwork of thoughts. I think that You Among the Coordinates is praiseworthy for the way it presents its protagonist’s mind. His meditations are the thread of the book and become more and more elaborate. You clearly understand his development and evolution. This story is as charming and delicate as the soft color of the book cover suggests. I recommend You Among the Coordinates to readers who like to be lulled by words and who appreciate quiet but meaningful stories.