SIGN HERE by Claudia Lux (debut novel? Wow!)

Release Date: October 25, 2022 (this one totally slipped past me)
General Genre: Supernatural, Murder Mystery, Thriller
Subgenre/Themes: Small Town, Reads Like a Thriller, Coming-of-Age, Human Monsters, Mystery, Psychological

Writing Style: Dual Timeline, Multiple POV, Brisk Pacing, Character-Driven, Intricately Plotted

What You Need to Know: This was marketed to me as horror and BISAC Categories list it as "horror and supernatural". It's not a horror novel but it does have supernatural elements since one of the dual narratives is set in Hell. I would go into this expecting a dark, compelling, salacious, domestic drama/small town/murder mystery, and that will more than take care of your expectations.

My Reading Experience: I have had this book on my NetGalley TBR forever. I think I got approved to read it in June of 2022 and it was released in October of that year. Sometimes you just can't get to them all in a reasonable time, you know? I missed a lot of new releases last year while I was working on my book.
I am so glad I finally picked it up on a whim. This book has two storylines going at the same time. One story involving entities (not human now but used to be) that work in Hell. Their job is to recognize people on earth who would be willing to sign away their eternal souls in order to have a temporal exchange; typically to save someone's life or bring someone back from the dead. If they get enough souls, they're promoted and if they are able to exchange all the souls of a certain marked family or group of people, they get another shot at life on earth. There are a lot of rules.
But I wasn't really interested in this storyline to be totally honest with you.
I was invested in the Harrington family drama.
This whole other storyline involves a domestic drama surrounding this family in a small town. The husband and wife have been together since high school, they have two teenage children now. The husband, Silas has a pretty complicated past. His brother was found guilty of murdering his girlfriend at their vacation house and then he took his own life in prison. Silas and his wife have an unstable marriage but still decide to go on their annual family trip to the vacation house (the scene of the decades-old crime). The junior-high age daughter brings her new best friend. Lily, Silas's wife, is having an affair. The chapters are short and binge-worthy. I felt like I rushed through the chapters that take place in Hell in order to get back to the family drama. Claudia Lux knows how to keep readers invested in the salacious lives of fictional characters. The pages FLY! I felt like I was speeding through seasons 1-3 of a delicious TV drama where every finale drops a huge bomb on the audience. Seriously, I couldn't get enough.
I didn't really get into the other narrative in Hell until the end when the two stories become more interconnected. But I didn't care, it didn't have an effect on my enjoyment.

Final Recommendation: If you enjoy scandalous domestic drama and a good murder mystery, you will love this. I will totally line up for more from this author.

Comps: Mare of Easttown (Kate Winslet) vibes where the whole town knows each other and something bad happens

I expected to like this so much! I love an afterlife story, especially one where the afterlife is filled with work and drudgery, or the banality that we associate with life on earth, or unexpected humor. I also loved The Good Place. But something about this just didn't hit right - it felt a little messy, and a little convoluted, but also underwhelming. Ultimately, I think it probably just felt like a debut. The concept is clever, and the dialogue was entertaining. Perhaps I read this too closely on the heels of "Here Goes Nothing," by Steve Toltz (amazing! go read it!), which was masterful. In any case, I look forward to the next thing Claudia Lux writes - hopefully that one will hit just right!

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the ARC.

I really, really enjoyed this one! Sign Here was a breath of fresh air to help me get out of a rut I've been in for reading. I absolutely loved the idea of Hell being an office building and that your eternity is made up of small annoyances. The parts with Peyote and Cal were chef's kiss. The family drama stuff with the Harrisons weren't my favorite, but the rest was really excellent. Highly recommend especially for fans of dark humor.

This was a fun, dark comedy mixed with a thrilling, family drama.
We’re following two stories, Peyote’s and the Harrison family’s.
Peyote is a demon in hell trying to work his way up the hell corporate ladder. All he needs is to have a member of the Harrison family sign a deal with him to complete a big feat. During his pov we get a glimpse of what hell is like and it’s funny yet very dark.
The other chapters are filled in by various members of the Harrison family; lily (the matriarch), Silas (the patriarch), and Mickey (the youngest daughter). We follow the family along as they take a family trip to their vacation home with mickey’s friend, Ruth, in tow. We learn there are lots of secrets and past traumas.
I found Sign Here to be very well written and I had to finish it in one sitting!

I have some mixed feelings on this book. I found it very entertaining and read it quickly. However, I found myself confused about certain aspects and left with sooo many questions. ⭐⭐⭐

This debut novel set in hell tackles a lot of serious moral questions despite its humorous tone. Actually, two stories -- one set on Earth and one in hell -- intertwine. Author Claudia Lux's hell is a multi-storey office building, wherein our main character Peyote Trip works in the deals department and is this close to a game-changing promotion. He has to get one more member -- the fifth generation -- of the Harrison family to barter their soul. But complications, both on Earth and below, ensue, twisting the plot and putting the intricacies and nuances of humanity on full, messy display. If you like a suspenseful satire with complex characters grappling with morality, secrets, and family, this is your book. Plus, it's been picked up by Phoebe Waller-Bridge to develop as a series. Will the cast include Andrew Scott? Hot Priest/Moriarty turned dealmaker from Hell? Yes, please.

[Thanks to Berkley | Penguin Random House and NetGalley for an opportunity to read an advanced reader copy and share my opinion of this book.]

This was a really great read! I loved the idea of this guy from hell, trying to get 5 generations of this family to sell their souls. I really enjoyed getting his story, as well as the story of the family that he's after, and all the moving parts!

Half of this book is the time in hell with Peyote and the politics of hell, and what things are like there, as they're trying to entice people to sign their souls over to hell. The other half is the Harrisons, who are this mass of complicated emotions between the four of them, and Ruth, who tagged along for this trip.

I enjoyed both sides of this story, and how they built up together, and then merged, it was so entertaining to read! There were some really shocking twists, and I enjoyed watching the crazy dramatics of this family! Some of their past decisions really came back to haunt them!

And oh, that ending? It's a little bittersweet how it worked out, because Peyote did need that 5th generation to sign, so he could go live his life on earth again. And oh, that hurt, because it just seems like this is a cycle, going round and round again.

This was a really great book, and I can't wait to read more by Claudia Lux!

A pretty fun debut, but it wasn't as creepy or funny as I expected it to be. The idea behind this is stellar and I think I wanted it to be a little more campy and funny than it was, but I think there were some really good sections here.

I liked all the plotting and secret keeping. Peyote is working on getting a full set of family members in hell, and the idea behind that is hiarlous and terrible. He also is a relectant mentor to someone newer to hell. but neither one is forthecoming with each other, so naturally there are some issues between them.

This one is a bit a of slow build and the characters aren't super relatable, but it was pretty interesting. I'd like to read this with a bit more humor and wit like Good Omens/Cabin in the Woods, because the references to "Downstairs" and the supervisor of the floor were ripe for that kind of humor.

Bad Cree, the debut novel by Jessica Johns is immediately gripping and captivating. From the first sentence, Jessica Johns weaves a story of family, self-discovery and dreams. It is a story steeped in culture and expresses dreams as authentic tools. The power of connection, the healing of family is interwoven with a creeping tension and terror. The family dynamics and relationships focus the novel and the voice of the main character is powerful. 

I love how vibrant and beautiful the story is at times and messy just like life. The exploration of grief and how it impacts each of us in different ways is brilliant. I also love the way real life blends with the supernatural in this novel, how deftly the author weaves the narrative. It is authentic and truthful. I also love the insight into the author’s own culture and how that makes the story more impactful. 

If you like supernatural horror that still holds a touch of hope, a story that is gripping and captivating, I highly recommend you check out Bad Cree by Jessica Johns. It is powerful, real, complicated but mostly it is about grief, family, and connections and all of us can understand those elements, no matter our background.

This was unexpected, but really enjoyable. Dark & intense, while at times full of humour and heart, I loved the concept, the characters, and the story a whole lot. I’m sure I’ll find myself thinking about it over and over again. This was a fascinating world, and a really enjoyable story in it. I had fun with this one!

Thank you to netgalley for providing an e-galley for review. Sign Here feels like two different stories at first, but then the storyline on Earth catches up to the storyline in Hell and everything clicks wonderfully in place. The Hell storyline is darkly comedic which contrasts with the heavy Earth storyline. This was a fun read.

WOW this was creative. So highly original. I loved it! I want so many more books set in this world. I need to know more! I had the best time with this story and these characters and have recommended it to so many people! This would make such a fun tv series adaptation! This book was incredibly ambitious and outside the box and I think it worked beautifully. Such a fun read!

SIGN HERE
By Claudia Lux
An absurdly entertaining dark debut – that is brilliant as hell!
I jumped into this book not really knowing much except for the clues left on the title and the fun book cover.
It did not disappoint.
It was entertaining.
It was hard to put down, the short chapters and POVs were so fun to read

Interesting concept for a novel but the execution is slightly off. I can see why some could find this story confusing as the book sells itself as kind of a comedy with the setup but its really more of a deeper read than that. It is also hard at times to keep track of the two concurrent storylines and the characters involved. But overall it was a interesting read.

*Thanks to netgalley for the ARC version of this novel**

What: an office worker in hell needs just one more soul from a prominent family to get out from the underworld.
Features: a deadly serious, gooey center wrapped in a humorous, laugh out loud shell
Assets: engaging dialogue & characters, original glimpse of hell's inner workings, a deep family secret/mystery that could have been a book all on it's own (and I'm glad it wasn't!)
Obstacles: if readers can get past some of the initial silliness, they'll be greatly rewarded with a captivating read
Who it’s for: readers who want their horror with a healthy dose of snark

Alternating stories -- one about a family haunted by the murder of a childhood friend and another about Peyton who is in Hell trying to sign on humans. The human story was more interesting if not very original, the Hell part seemed like a takeoff on The Good Place. Even the the author tries to tie the stories together at the end, the two stories were so completely different that the book never really meshed.

What a creative and unique debut novel! I literally started 4 different books for my last book of 2022, but only this one grabbed me from the very first page.

I first saw this book floating around Instagram and I’m my opinion, it lives up to all the hype. So refreshing, sarcastic and fun, especially since it is set in, well, Hell! Such a unique premise. If this is the author’s debut novel, she certainly has a brilliant career ahead of her. Also: please someone make this into a limited series or movie!

Whatever you imagine Hell is like, this author has out-imagined you.

"You see, bars in Hell serve only Jägermeister. Even if you like Jägermeister, if it’s the only option day after day of cleaning up human pulp, you will hate it in a year, tops."

And puddles. They are so deep that you will sink in up to your chest. Or, sometimes they are just normal puddles. All to keep the inhabitants off-guard. But mostly, Hell is the perfect imitation of a
soul-crushing corporate job "above ground".

First, let's start with the character's name. Peyote Trip, our main protagonist, went by a different name on Earth. But no one can remember their lives or their given names anymore, because they have all been in Hell for centuries. Peyote works on the coveted Fifth Floor, which is infinitely desirable then the dreaded "Downstairs", which apparently is where souls are tortured mercilessly. This sounds heavy and unbearably sad, but the author mixes it up with hilarity.

“I know a great place,” Trey said, writing down an address, followed by his beeper number. If you were wondering where beepers went, Hell is the answer. They all went to Hell, and now we have to use them.

Trey is aiming to capture the souls of an entire family, and through a series of unfortunate events, must team up with two other teammates to accomplish this goal. Trey's story is intertwined with the members of this family, the Harrisons, and the narrative alternates between several different points of view.

I found this highly unique novel to deliver the emotions on all counts. A bit of thriller, dark humor and good vibes and it all mixes perfectly. Highly recommend!

(Thanks to the publisher for providing an advanced reading copy. All opinions are my own.)

Inventive story and fantastic world-building. I appreciated that the story went beyond the novelty of the concept and really layered the characters.

Told from two souls living in Hell, and other POVs from a family on the other side of Earth, SIGN HERE was such a fun read!

The story follows Peyote Trip, who works on the fifth floor of Hell and he has a plan—all he needs is one last member of the Harrison family to sell their soul.

I loved the dark humor but and slow build mystery, and it was definitely a unique storyline which had me turning the pages. Overall, it was an enjoyable read, and perfect any season.

*many thanks to Berkley for the gifted copy for review

This book was clever, funny, and dark. During the first 1/3 of the book I was feeling like this just might be a 5 star read for me. I was loving everything about it. The rest of the book still was great, but the ending was a little rushed and confusing. Also, I would have liked a little more explanation or story about the connection between Pey and the Harrisons.