I think this is more like a 3.5/5 star read which is such a bummer because when I first started this book, I really thought that it was going to end up being a 4 or 5 star book for me. I think I’m going to round down though to 3 stars to keep it consistent with my GR rating.

This starts off pretty action-packed and immediately the concept gripped me. If you didn’t pick up on the not-so-subtle hints, this book is a political satire on MAGA and Fox News. I thought this aspect was great, I loved the absurdity of the brainwashing and insanity that overtook these characters. I’m also sure that if the audience that this book is written about reads this, they are going to absolutely hate this book.

The main reason I knocked off points for this book was that it felt incredibly repetitive and almost became tedious in the middle chunk of this story. The first part was fantastic, I was completely zoned into the story, but once I got to the middle, I found my mind wandering because I just didn’t feel as though I was reading anything ground-breaking. The story felt like it stalled for me. The ending did pick back up a bit but it wasn’t as strong as the start.

I did enjoy the humor in this too and there were certainly a good amount of “WTF” moments and gore. I think this is probably a book that a lot of people would want to check the trigger warnings for. For example, there is a family dog in this book. The dog does

not live. And to take it even further, the family eats the dog. It’s not incredibly graphic, it’s more so mentioned instead of described. There is no detailed scene about the killing of the dog or anything like that.

There’s also some pretty graphic scenes about child deaths and school shootings.

I do think this book was worth reading even though it lost some of its appeal to me in the middle.

Now THAT’s how you write an apocalypse story - no skimping on the details!!! You want colorful carnage and unarousing sexuality? At points it almost tops over to “too on the nose”, but I think it keeps its footing and doesn’t wimp out on the ending. Avoids the trap it seems to be headed into of typifying right vs. left and nails the landing. Thanks clay!

I was made aware of the explicit dog death and I do not wish to finish at this time

4⭐️

⚠️ They Ate The Dog!!!
Child mutilation, sexual horror, graphically gross, political horror

This book has no conventional chapters. There are some paragraph headings. Different dates, Povs, activities, and social media posts that are used as a placeholder. Some go on and on for pages. If you like short, easy chapters, this isn't the book for you.

This book highlights the differences between liberals and conservatives. It is a country divided by politics. It pokes fun at society and the news. Fox News is here Fax News. Providing false narrative to the nation. Indoctrination. All the horrors and travesties in this book seem to be perpetrated by the non-liberals/conservatives. Neither side is presented in a good light. Librals/democrats are weak, victims living inside little bubbles, hoping the world will protect them just because of their values. If you have firm political beliefs, this might not be the book for you.

Gross. Absolutely abhorrent. I couldn't tare myself away. Even in disgust, I read on. Transfixed by the narrative, I gagged my way through. The horror here is everything and the kitchen sink. Body horror, sexual parental horror, social horror, psychological horror, apocalyptic horror, splattering, and extreme. It's over the top and, at times, offensive. If you have a weak stomach, this might not be the book for you.

This is a possession story. Possession by media. How exposure to view points and ideas can possess who you are and how you function, much like a demon. This is a zombie story. Brainwashed to brain dead. The old adage of too much screen time zombifying.

This is fear and propaganda, conspiracy theories, and terrorism drawn out and twisted into a novel. Falsified school shooting to pass gun reform laws. Viruses started in labs in China.

I found the switching between third - and second person narratives a bit jarring. I understood the point the author was conveying. I just had a hard time with the second person, pov. I don't read a lot of YN stories.

This book really doesn't have that many bad reviews. This is mostly due to the fact that it is so incredibly well written that no matter your views, beliefs, or your gag reflex, you have to recognize that this is a phenomenally well written book. The other reason it doesn't have many bad reviews is that it seems to have an incredibly large number of DNFs. I can only surmise that this is due to the political nature of the book, along with its wildly disgusting content.

Many times, I wanted to DNF due to the revolting and nauseating themes presented in this novel. In the end, I'm glad I soldiered through it. The ending was phenomenal. I don't think I have the constitution to read another of his tales, but I'm satisfied with having read this. To those who DNFd before the halfway point - Try Again! It really truly does get better.

The onomatopoeia is hilarious in the book, though. 

I just. I feel like this premise sounds really good until you realize it's kind of impossible. Either very heavy-handed or completely confusing what the takeaway is meant to be.

Gory for the sake of being gory. I thought the way the teenage character was depicted as going alt-right didn't really make any sense, especially compared with how the parents did? Like the teenager had significantly less agency, which maybe was the point but just. Didn't make sense in the context. Lots of things that didn't make sense.

Also why were all of the police characters portrayed as not "possessed"? Maybe they were the only cops left? Idk

This is the worst book I've read in a long, long time. Even if you ignore the reductive, idiotic politics of it, the writing is artless and childish. The author is clearly aiming for comparisons to Stephen King but can only ape some of King's most obvious tics, clearly understanding nothing about why and in what capacity they can be effective. Suspension of disbelief is made impossible by several glaring factual inaccuracies and errors. The pacing is all over the place, not in a fun roller-coaster kind of way but in a way that makes it seem like the book was written in a stream-of-consciousness style: no thought seems to have been given in advance to the best way to build and release tension. Things just happen for a while and then they stop happening. I saw a positive review of this book compare it favorably to American Rapture and just, no. That book is lyrical and subtle and draws you in with its compelling, flawed characters. This book is a collection of terrible things done by, and happening to, cyphers. I could not possibly recommend it less.