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domonique_ciara's review
The writing was simple, repetitive, and boring. The tone was off-putting and "gave me the ick" as the kids say nowadays. I like the idea of the plot, but the execution seemed like it was taking a more silly, humorous, and over the top rather than having well-thought out insight and commentary, which i would have preferred. The "gory" parts came off as a shock value tactic rather than something that serves the plot in a meaningful way.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Sexual assault, Sexual content, and Violence
stabby_lottie's review
dark
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
5.0
Mr Chapman.
I put off reading Wake Up and Open Your Eyes last night, hoping it would calm down in the morning light. Well. It didn’t.
I can’t drink my coffee, now, cause I’m shaking. This book is too real and too scary and I keep eyeing all the electronics in my house. You did this to me, sir. I shall, henceforth, be sending you my therapy bills.
I look forward to the rest of your catalog of books.
Love, Lexi aka stabby_lottie
For reals though. This book scared me. Technology has the power to keep me up all night like nothing else. Possessed technology, hijacked technology, yeahhh. It’s all terrifying and Chapman wields this stuff with perfect discernment , knowing how much to press and when to ease off, leaving you unsettled and eyeing everything nearby.
I suspect I’m going to be up for a bit because of this.
I put off reading Wake Up and Open Your Eyes last night, hoping it would calm down in the morning light. Well. It didn’t.
I can’t drink my coffee, now, cause I’m shaking. This book is too real and too scary and I keep eyeing all the electronics in my house. You did this to me, sir. I shall, henceforth, be sending you my therapy bills.
I look forward to the rest of your catalog of books.
Love, Lexi aka stabby_lottie
For reals though. This book scared me. Technology has the power to keep me up all night like nothing else. Possessed technology, hijacked technology, yeahhh. It’s all terrifying and Chapman wields this stuff with perfect discernment , knowing how much to press and when to ease off, leaving you unsettled and eyeing everything nearby.
I suspect I’m going to be up for a bit because of this.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death, Toxic relationship, Violence, Vomit, and Religious bigotry
questionablereads's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
This is apocalyptic/social commentary horror that follows a family who went down a facts news rabbit hole only to become hyper sexualized/violent and downright disgusting. This end of the world epidemic caused by conservative media channels was wonderful, bloody, and entertaining. If you're someone with more conservative values, this will offend you.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Gore, Gun violence, Violence, Blood, and Gaslighting
Minor: Sexual content
justanotherfinalgirlreview's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.75
The Devil is in the Fine Print of the Terms and Conditions of Your Social Media Accounts: How obsession with technology and mediated communition can lead to our possession
The US of A is just more fun than hell. Fact.”
Clay McCleod Chapman’s ‘Wake Up and Open Your Eyes’ examines American oversaturation of media in our daily lives, our obsession and addiction and inability to live without it. It takes the absurdity and horror of real life events and exaggerates them to a point where we can see that not only have we become desensitized to the ridiculousness and horror of real life mediated communication but also that we are not using our own common sense to question the information we receive, nor do we look for secondary sources to make informed judgments. Poking fun at Covid misinformation, political conspiracy to theories, Fox News and their fake news disinformation, the green health/yoga mom lifestyle, baby shark and more.
Clay seems to have found out why this is all been normalized and what has been happening to our loved ones and wants to warn us about what could happen if we keep turning a blind eye. Demons have infiltrated our media industries at the highest level and have planned an hostile takeover from within.
“You believe that? Only in motherfucking America . . . These possessed assholes are turning our country into their own personal playground.”
The second half reads like a terrifying choose your own adventure story: survival horror edition starring yourself (the reader) in the main role of Noah, only problem is you have no real choices as fate has already predetermined your path for you.
“Their chyron flashes BREAKING NEWS, but isn’t news always breaking nowadays? Isn’t the news all broken by now? Smashed to bits?”
Format:
Novel
MultiplePov including 3rd person narration, epistolary transcripts and 2nd person narration
Genre:
Horror
-survival
-techno horror
-possession
-comedy horror
Science Fiction
General Adult Fiction
“She had to find herself again. Reclaim herself. Salvage her inner goddess. Where better to look for spiritual guidance than on Instagram?”
For fans of:
The Cell - Stephen King
Kurt Vonnegut
Fahrenheit 451 -Ray Bradbury
It- Stephen King
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body horror, Child death, Death, Emotional abuse, Gore, Gun violence, Hate crime, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Torture, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Vomit, Kidnapping, Grief, Mass/school shootings, Cannibalism, Medical trauma, Stalking, Car accident, Death of parent, Murder, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Gaslighting, Injury/Injury detail, and Pandemic/Epidemic
typedtruths's review against another edition
dark
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Where better to look for spiritual guidance than on Instagram?
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gore, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Violence, and Blood
Moderate: Animal cruelty, Child abuse, Child death, Sexual violence, Mass/school shootings, Cannibalism, Medical trauma, and Car accident
Minor: Animal death
➸ Trigger warnings for homophobia, transphobia & slurs, incestuous sexual assault (mother-son), child neglect, self-harm, the suicide of a teenager in a school 'shooting' by strapping a homemade bomb to his chest (on-page), dieting, graphic blood, gore and body horror including cannibalism, murder of a mother & father in self-defence, death of a child in a car accident (multiple hit-and-run scenes), animal abuse, murder of a pet dog (off-page but they eat the remains on-page).ryinwonderland's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
WAKE UP. OPEN YOUR EYES.
Clay McLeod Chapman’s newest horror goes for the throat of modern-day America and absolutely no one is safe.
Not even you.
Unflinching, cruel, and terrifying, this book grips you tight and forces you to peer through the oily film of the supernatural and demonic to confront the reflection of yourself, your family, and society and grapple with the harsh realities you see there.
Wake Up and Open Your Eyes is a grimy, violent, and disturbing apocalyptic novel that I couldn’t put down. You haven’t read a possession novel quite like this.
I was horrified and I loved it so much.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Gore, Violence, and Pandemic/Epidemic
Moderate: Child death and Sexual violence