Supernatural has *ironically* helped me through my lowest of times. It's my go to- comfort show. It's been a while since I've went back to the beginning and I'm currently binging for *LITERALLY * the umpteenth time. However, I thought I'd try something different, with
The Binge Watcher's Guide to Supernatural. I was a bit frustrated with it. In all honesty, I expected something veeeerry different than what this actually was.

What I expected: An unbiased, in-Depth look Behind the scenes, fun facts about the episodes, Monster guide from that particular episode (I do know there's John's Journal and Bobby's guide to hunting, I have it)

What we got: the author's review and opinion of each episode. Inconsistencies within the episodes. Also, no sources weren't listed. Lacking sooo much relating to the episode it self.

There were some upsides, the “Driver Picks the Music” . That was a fun little portion.

It kind of hurts to give this a low rating but it just didn't work out for me.

***please don't let my rating sway your opinion***

I received an ARC of this book thanks to NetGalley and publisher Riverdale Avenue Books in exchange for an honest review.

The timing of this book was fortuitous. I have just started bingewatching Supernatural for the first time ever with my friend, and it seemed like the perfect time to read this book alongside it. Unfortunately, this was not the fun experience I was hoping for.

This book is written by a megafan which would be a good thing if it wasn't so cringey to read. It's very rare that I'll use that word but this book is just full of bad vibes. The author constantly drools over and sexualises the main actors in a very 'Tumblr' way. The blurb states 'Think of this as John Winchester's journal, guiding you through trivia and tribulations to enrich watching this incredible show'. I don't think John Winchester would describe his sons in this way, despite the tendency for the show to include some incestuous vibes.

Bafflingly, she praises the amazing acting skills at several points whilst berating the campier episodes of the show. I may be in the minority here but I feel like Supernatural is the kind of show to be enjoyed for its campiness. The acting is very bad, especially during earlier seasons. That is part of the fun and the charm, and it makes the watching experience for me.

I am willing to accept this part is down to personal taste. If you love the show unironically and think it is a fantastic piece of drama, maybe you will enjoy this book more. Having said that, there are still many flaws to be found here. Despite being a watcher's guide, there are spoilers throughout for later episodes. These are marked but if you avoid them, you miss out on a lot of content. You honestly don't gain much insight or clever commentary for any episode. You might as well read someone's blog on Tumblr for the depth and extra trivia you acquire. Certainly the blog might be less uncomfortably thirsty.

Overall, this book just wasn't for me. I wanted so much more and it barely scratches the surface. I have enjoyed other books in this series so it won't put me off reading those, it's just a shame this one was such a miss.

Overall Rating: 2/5 stars

The perfect companion for a huge Supernatural fan like I am! Fortunately I was able to download and read it before it got archived!

A bit basic, but has some good information. Would have liked it to be a bit more in-depth. There's not a lot of new information here. Serious fans of the show won't learn much they didn't already know.

Thank you to NetGally for providing me with the opportunity to read the eArc. So it is actually really hard for me to rate this book. In my heart i want to give this book 5+ stars just because it covers my all-time favorite TV show. I found Supernatural when i was going through a very tough mental time and honestly it is the reason why I am well-functioning today. I OWE Supernatural with my life and it is for that reason why I wanted to give this book 5 stars but I think I am going to give it a very solid 4 stars instead. I enjoyed reading this book and honestly I would have had an even better experience if I read this book and watched the show at the very same time but with my work schedule that method is not possible. I loved how this book dove into the big overarching concepts instead of just giving a play-by-play of each episode as what drew me into falling for the TV show was the overarching concepts mainly about how family doesn't end in blood and the concept of free will. I love how the author provided detail about the relationship pairings that this show brings. I too am a big time Destiel shipper and i very much loved reading the ship moments. For a guide book the it was very well written and whenever i picked it up I was engaged while reading it and I looked forward to reading the tidbits about my favorite episodes the most. If there is anyone out there who has seen the TV show but hasn't read this book then you definitely need to as it will not only grow your appreciation but like me you might learn something new.

When I saw this as a “read now” title on NetGalley I downloaded it immediately. If you know me at all you’ll know that I am a next level fan. I have 3 tattoos (so far) from supernatural, I’ve binge watched the series from start to finish at least 20 times…I can quote most of the series for you from memory, when my kids insisted I create a Roblox account to play with them I chose “mamawinchester” as my screen name — I think you get it. I am a FAN.

So you can imagine that it hurts every single part of my soul to give this a poor rating but I have to. I barely made it into chapter one when I was spotting errors that could easily be corrected had anyone done a simple google search while writing and editing this book. There are several sources that prove that yes actually, there is a Metallica song in Supernatural and learning when production switched from film to digital is also easily discoverable (although I’ll give this author that any reputable site that’s easily found is from 2022, after this was published), but the reason behind season 3 being “brighter” is well known among the community as a request from the network rather than a change from film to digital cameras.

Those were just the incredibly early pet peeves I came across in this book. While it was still interesting, I cannot give a book that contains false information and shares it as fact a decent rating. Was it interesting? Yep. Was it a good trip down memory lane? Sure. Do I recommend it? Only if you’re like me and already know most of the ins and out and aren’t in it to actually learn anything. There are many other books that provide accurate information and break it down just as much.

⭐️⭐️ for my love of Supernatural

The Binge Watcher's Guide to Supernatural by Jessica Mason 4/5

When I saw this book, I knew I needed it for my rewatch of Supernatural and it has been pretty helpful with some easter eggs and all-around facts that make the episodes so much more.

The guide is well written and thankfully, well organized. When you are binge watching a show with over 300 episodes it can be a lot of follow along with. I have enjoyed watching and reading along with the guide over the last few seasons and am excited to see what else it has to offer as I finish off the show.

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC.

With the announcement of a new spinoff series, I wanted to finish Supernatural so I was incredibly intrigued by the idea of a binge watching guide so I could finally finish watching after losing interest around Season 12.

I was originally an OG watcher of Supernatural, and I started watching when the series was releasing weekly before going to college. I found absolute delight in this guide, but was disappointed that the author thought so poorly of Season 3 (admittedly, my favorite season) even after giving a thorough background of the events of the time.

Sera Gamble, who has written some of the more controversial episodes discussed in fandom, I think gets too much praise from the author and I could tell the author especially loved the episodes Sera had part in creatively. It was a bit disappointing as it reads with some bias at points as the author discusses each episode.

However, as someone who firmly believes the Season 5 ending was where the show could have ended well, I was pleased with this guide and would recommend it to anyone else looking to do a little binge-watching with the boys and baby.

Some notes though: the bodyguards active roles in Jensen & Jared’s life isn’t really discussed, even though they played a huge part in shaping how SPN fandom evolved. Also, Jared’s PR team should be thankful the author chose not to include Jared’s very controversial Twitter history. The author also makes several mistakes in actors/name dropping, but I found it more forgivable than I suppose some others did.

This guide is well written and well organized. Any show with 327 episodes is quite an undertaking to binge. A roadmap is helpful for a journey of this size. I didn't know what to expect from this book. I'm a fan of Supernatural. In fact, I've watched every episode multiple times. This book states that the reader should "Think of this as John Winchester's journal, guiding you through trivia and tribulations to enrich watching this incredible show." If you call your book the "John Winchester's Journal" of the show, you should offer a deeper understanding than this offers and less bias. I wanted more insight into the characters, their motives, the storyline and even the production.
Thank you to Jessica Mason and Riverdale Avenue Books for the ARC.

This guide is a little basic / surface level but does what it sets out to do. I liked the author's commentary on deaths, fan favorite lines and music notes the best.

I'm a huge Supernatural fan and have seen every episode and was excited to read this book, but sadly I wouldn't recommend this book to other fans. There wasn't anything new in this book. The only thing I liked about this book was the cover which is pretty awesome.

Do you love Supernatural? Do you enjoy extra facts and information to share with people and annoy the heck out of them? This book is exactly what you need. This was a great book that looked deeper into the world of Supernatural. I LOVED it. I always love MORE in worlds I enjoy, and this left me so satisfied. I highly recommend this to anyone who is nerdy enough to want to stuff your brain with facts.

Due to the nature of this book and the way it's designed to be read as a companion along with each episode you watch, I haven't yet finished the book. So, my rating may go up or down once finished.

I can say that other books of this kind that I have enjoyed, always have photos and visuals, so it is sad to see this one doesn't have any.

Although I haven't finished it, I did want to leave some feedback to assure that I am actively reading the book.

This is definitely a must have book for the die hard supernatural fan. It not only gives you the episodes but the lore behind it. It delves into the meanings they wanted to incorporate into each episode. I could never pick a favorite episode because I love them all. I am extremely happy with this book and added to my special collection.

As a huge "Supernatural" fan, I liked this book, it's clear the author knew what they were talking about and had a real love for the TV show. I found the author's passion for the show clear through the fun facts, ships, synopses, and name game bits. The author went through every single show and gave a quick review of each (yes, all 300 + shows) and talked about the themes and best parts. The author also has the ability to write about their experience watching the show as the shows were coming out and speak on behalf of the fandom after major episodes. While the author clearly loves the show, that doesn't stop them from critiquing it when it deserves it. The show isn't perfect and the author was able to put into words some of the problems I also had with the show that I couldn't quite explain like themes, continuity, and characters. But the author mostly has good things to say. Overall, this was a fun book that any big fan of the books should give a read.

This is a great book for any Supernatural fan, it tells you what happens so definitely not for someone who hasn't watched the show.

Two Stars.
Supernatural is one of my all-time favorite shows, so choosing this book to read and review was a total no-brainer for me. Rewatching episodes while reading The Binge Watcher’s Guide to Supernatural brought the book to life. The author is obviously also a fan, and her love for this series and the characters really shone through. On one hand, the guide was invaluable for remembering some details that had escaped me over the years, identifying characters, actors, and songs in the show. I loved all the little bits of trivia. I can see how it could be helpful for a first time watcher as well as a seasoned fan. Unfortunately, on the other hand there were also some glaring typos and factual errors that really make the book hard to recommend.

I’m grateful to Netgalley and Riverdale Avenue Books for the opportunity to read and review The Binge Watcher’s Guide to Supernatural AND the excuse to rewatch a few episodes of my favorite show.

Unfortunately, I read the critical reviews on Goodreads/Amazon of 'The Binge Watcher's Guide to Supernatural' by Jessica Mason only after downloading the book. I was still under an impression from the thorough, yet easy-to-read history of Looney Toones and thought this book would be something of the same sort. Instead, I received a subjective eulogy with no slightest hint of serious analysis. 'The actors are great... because they are great;' this is a summary of the book. Plus the constant pedaling of the ship Dean/Castiel, which is great for some fans but not for me.

The fans of the books also noticed factual mistakes in series' descriptions. I'm not such a fan to know what is the uniqueness of every episode but, overall, with the same result, I could have looked the information on the Internet without buying a book. I'm happy for the author that she found her calling. I'm also happy it's only an ARC, not a book I spent my money on.

Since I’m currently watching Supernatural with a friend I thought this might of been a fun little book to read alongside. I’m currently on S8 so was only able to read up to this point but I unfortunately found this book to be dull. The episode synopsis are lacking any depth or flair and I could of just as easily have read Wikipedia. I enjoyed reading the authors opinions as this is something I enjoy with fandoms and the added Easter eggs & trivia at the end of episodes was interesting. Unfortunately I am ware that there any many spelling errors and wrong information listed throughout which goes a long way to explain my low rating.
Fine for a quick skim through but I would take the information with a pinch of salt & it would probably be more beneficial to seek out supernatural fan pages & wikis instead

Honestly, I really enjoyed this book. I found it very interesting to read about the individual episodes and I enjoyed the fact that the author calls our attention to things that we might not have otherwise noticed. For example, the author would mention when an episode was directed by Jensen, Misha, or Richard as she knew that we probably weren’t looking at the director for every episode.

The “Driver Picks the Music” sections were a nice addition as I was able to easily identify songs I enjoyed from the episode.

Also, the “So, Get This” sections were always quite interesting/informative. The analysis for each episode was honestly quite illuminating.

Before reading this book, I hadn’t noticed the sheer extent to which the “monster of the week” reflected the personal situations of Sam, Dean, and sometimes Cas.

I certainly did not expect the author to give me an in-depth analysis of Sam and Dean’s sex scenes, but lo and behold, my expectations were exceeded. I certainly wouldn’t have noticed on my own that “Dean puts himself out as all domineering and strong, while Sam seems like a puppy. But in bed, Dean is the tender, gentle lover, and Sam is Mr. Bitey McManhandling.” Then again, maybe my asexuality is shining through in not realizing this. Side note: “Mr. Bitey McManhandling” is my new favorite phrase.

I think this book did a pretty good job of teaching me new things about the show, because I don’t think I ever would have come across some of this information on my own. For example, I wouldn’t have known that “Tiny” was played by Jared and Jensen’s driver/bodyguard, and I find that pretty cool.

The plot hole sections were pretty cool too, I usually just ignore plot holes because the show is too complicated for me to remember everything, but I found it interesting to see them laid out.

It is also clear that the author is a true fan of the show. For example, she says, “spoiler alert: You know, one day, someone will tell Dean they love him because he’s not just daddy’s blunt instrument and… yeah, I need to go cry again.” Not gonna lie, this also made me cry, but I appreciated the comradery.

Additionally, the author’s sense of humor was perfect; and that is all I have to say about that.

This is not all to say that this book is without faults. For one, the spelling of certain names is sometimes off (Misha Collins, not Collin).

Also, some of the facts were just wrong. For example, I would have absolutely loved if OA’s Brit Marling was in Supernatural, but that simply is not her, it is Brit Sheridan. Also, the author says that a victim-turned-vampire named Kate shows up in “Carry On,” but it was actually a vamp named Jenny.

Also, there are just some things I would have included that the author didn’t (and this may have just been because the author didn’t know them, which is fair). For example, I would have mentioned the “I shot the sheriff but I didn’t shoot the deputy” joke in season 3’s “Jus in Bello” and how they continued it in “Baby” when Dean says “Turns out I did shoot the deputy.” Also, I feel like the episode “Sam, Interrupted”’s [I know this probably isn’t proper punctuation, but it is what we get] summary probably should have mentioned the fun fact that Misha Collins was in Girl, Interrupted (maybe in a So, Get This section).

There are also some other inconsistencies like when the author says that season 4 episode 8 was the first one where no one dies, but then saying the same thing for season 4 episode 18.

Also, the summaries were lacking for the episodes. I get that the author was trying to add humor to her book, but it sacrificed the quality in this department for example, here is a direct quote.

“Guest Cast: Random people who go on to be in much better shows.
Synopsis: something something, monster families, something something, Chicago. This was a failed back door pilot for a spinoff that never happened.”

Overall, I found this book quite enjoyable. There were a few errors that I feel like were pretty careless, but if you look past those, you should enjoy this book. I re-watched along for a lot of the episodes and always found that the episode guides improved my enjoyment. Overall, would recommend.

Thank you NetGalley for providing me a copy of this book for an honest review.