Journeys of self-discovery are necessary for all of us. It's how we grow and mature and become, we hope, admirable, respectable, lovable human beings. In his novel, "Snapshot," Ryan O'Reilly takes on one such journey with his nameless, Gen Y Everyman protagonist. One thing O'Reilly's nameless adventurer learns is that most, if not all, people go through some sort of identity crisis in their lives. As we follow "Gen Y Everyman" - for lack of a better name - on his trek across America, we see him find true love, true friendship and the meaning of life.

"Snapshot" tells a fairly common story in a pleasant, often amusing, way. As in real life, people enter and exit Gen Y Everyman's life, one tragically, leaving behind what one character calls "snapshot memories" of themselves. He reflects on these memories and on the ones he left behind himself. Though they weren't all good, they weren't all bad either. Most of his journey lacked the profound "vision quest" ambiance he had hoped - quite the opposite, in fact - but Gen Y Everyman still manages to emerge from it wiser, more mature and more appreciative of and at peace with his life.

With the help of a special friend he met on the road, O'Reilly's character learned that the key to a happy life is living in the moment and letting go of past hurts and disappointments. He learns that living life, not contemplating it, is what makes life an adventure and a joy to experience. Fortunately for him, his quarterlife crisis left him none the worse for wear, nor did the several months he spent living as a twixter.

"Snapshot" is a good read, especially if you like tales involving sex, drugs and lots and lots of alcohol. I think most readers, Gen Y or not, can appreciate O'Reilly's story and on some levels even relate to what the character goes through.