Wow… what an experience. Have you ever read a book that had you periodically stop and ask, “WTF am I reading?” Well, this book had me do that more than any other book I’ve read, and I’ve read some crazy books.

In this wild social and political horror, there is an epidemic of possessions sweeping the US. The cause? Extreme right-wing media called Fax News and viral internet trends circulating on social media. Noah Fairchild fears his parents have been acting strange and pays them a visit in Virginia. He finds himself far from home when the epidemic grips the nation, and he must do what he can to get back to New York to be with his wife and daughter. 

This book is intense on several levels. It’s bold with how it points a finger at the dangers of excessive media consumption and how easy it is for someone to lose themselves to media manipulation. Chapman isn’t afraid to critique the modern polarization of our political beliefs and, quite literally, shove the toxic effects down our throats. I feel there will be a lot of people offended by these topics, and if these topics bother you, I recommend skipping this one. 

This book is also an extremely gruesome horror book that isn’t shy about delving into very graphic descriptions of disturbing and violent content. Chapman jumps straight into these elements, not even 30 pages into the book, so if you pick it up, please be advised that this book is not for the squeamish. Please read the trigger warnings for this one if you are sensitive to certain horror elements.

Overall, I must commend Chapman for his courage to write a book like this in our current political climate. It does an amazing job of pointing out the flaws of our current views on politics while also calling out the toxic consumption of social media and screen time. If you read the book Earthlings by Sayaka Murata and had a great time, you may enjoy this one 😬