*God Bless You, Otis Spunkmeyer* is a gripping, raw, and thought-provoking exploration of identity, trauma, and the struggle to reconcile one’s past with the present. Following Joseph Thomas, a war veteran turned doctoral student and EMS worker, the novel offers an unflinching look at his efforts to rebuild his life in the aftermath of his deployment in Iraq. Joseph’s journey is complex, as he navigates the emotional weight of his military experiences, his strained relationship with his incarcerated father, and the challenges of balancing fatherhood, studies, and a demanding job in North Philadelphia.

The novel’s strength lies in its portrayal of Joseph’s internal and external battles. His bond with his best friend Ray, another veteran, is both a source of comfort and conflict as they process their shared trauma. The narrative deftly explores the tensions between the horrors of war and the banality of civilian life, touching on themes of health, race, sexuality, and the harsh realities of systemic inequality. Through Joseph’s observations and struggles, the book offers poignant insights into the black experience in America, where the personal is inseparable from the political.

Joseph’s evolving understanding of his estranged father—who is serving time for a horrific crime—is a central thread in the story, bringing depth to his character and motivations. The tension between Joseph’s yearning for connection and the unspeakable truths about his father creates an emotional undercurrent that drives the novel forward. This search for identity, family, and self-understanding forms the heart of the story, making it as much a personal journey as a sociopolitical one.

The writing in *God Bless You, Otis Spunkmeyer* is powerful and vivid, with a keen eye for detail and a strong sense of place. The novel doesn’t shy away from difficult topics, offering a stark portrayal of life in a community marked by both resilience and struggle. The juxtaposition of Joseph’s mundane hospital shifts with the weight of his personal history creates a compelling narrative rhythm, drawing readers into the complexities of his life.

This book is not just about the effects of war or the search for family—it’s a reflection on the broader struggles of race, class, and justice in America. It confronts uncomfortable truths head-on, asking tough questions about identity, punishment, and the ways in which our lives are shaped by forces beyond our control.

God Bless You, Otis Spunkmeyer* is a haunting and intellectually challenging novel that tackles vital issues with honesty, grace, and deep emotional insight. Its exploration of race, trauma, and personal redemption makes it a powerful, unforgettable read. Highly recommended for anyone interested in stories that examine the intersection of personal history and societal forces.

Thank you to Netgalley and the Publishing Company for this Advanced Readers Copy of God Bless You, Otis Spunkmeyer by Joseph Earl Thomas!

I'm sad I DNF-ed this one (for now) because I wasn't able to engage with the stream of consciousness in DRC form. I'm hopeful I'll pick this back up as a physical copy and am grateful for the opportunity to read it.

Thank you to Net Galley for this digital ARC. This book took me some time to get through. Naviagting through the heavy experiences and topics took some time to digest. This author did a great job of painting realistic pictures of these experiences. Will definitely dive into other books by this author.

A gut-punching day in the life of Joseph Thomas (protagonist) navigating his ED shift in a Philadelphia hospital. Imagine you just got to jump into someone's brain with no limits. You have the freedom to poke around any corner you'd like, lift any lid, go wherever you like. "God Bless You, Otis Spunkmeyer" is the book that lets you do it. Author Joseph Earl Thomas, leaves nothing out in this fictional story that takes readers into the life of protagonist Joseph Thomas's life. Our protagonist is a war veteran, black, a student, a writer, a hospital technician, and there is in short... a lot going on in his life, and reader's get to be a part of every moment.

Thomas's writing style is a stream of consciousness that takes place over one day. I really waffled between three and four stars but in the end, I gave this book four stars because I adored the gruesome truth of the fictional Joseph Thomas. I loved being able to walk in someones shoes and get to experience every detail. Stream of consciousness is such a 'move' and the author did it well but by nature it is dense and requires work from the reader.

I would recommend this story to reader's who appreciate experimental styles of writing and who may like the beatniks.

Thank you NetGalley, author Joseph Earl Thomas, and Grand Central Publishing for providing this title!

Stream of consciousness can be hit or miss for me, but overall it worked in this novel. I think this format was the most impactful way to deliver the author's message. This book packs a punch and is straight to the point.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for providing an advance copy in exchange for honest feedback.

I'm hesitant to call this novel tragic because it's also the reality of many people. God Bless You, Otis Spunkmeyer narrates the story of Joseph Thomas, a healthcare professional who also juggles with grad school, single fatherhood, looking after his mother with drug issues and his personal life. The writing is described as very stream of consciousness, which at times felt a bit like rambling. I felt it touched so many topics without going too deep, which made me have to concentrate more in reading attentively. I did feel for Joseph throughout the book, wishing for him to get a break from all the challenges he is facing. A very eye opening story.

God Bless You, Otis Spunkmeyer was an excellent read. I loved the character study and the writing felt propulsive. I would read more from this author again.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Grand Central Publishing for the opportunity to read this eARC in exchange for an honest review.

“God Bless You, Otis Spunkmeyer” is told through the eyes of Joseph. Our narrator is an African American graduate student, Iraq War veteran, writer, video game fan, father, son and ED technician/nurse’s aid at a city hospital location within Philadelphia’s city limits. And he’s got a lot going on. He’s dealing with lots of family strife: almost-constant Cash App requests from family members and former girlfriends, his mother’s deteriorating mental health, and all sorts of relationship drama. This book follows Joseph on a long work shift where many of his patients are people that he knows personally — his Army buddy, his mother, a grade school bully, and more.

The writing style of this book told a while for me to get used to. There are extremely long sentences peppered with so much detail and grit. The content is often really tough to tolerate — crude depictions of sex; a series of troubling conversations with his mother; and all sorts of discussions of shame, anxiety, and racial tensions.

I feel like the writing style fit well with the chaos of Joseph’s life. Having a first-person narrative that is told by rambling sentences makes sense when the narrator has stress, trauma and shame permeating every second of his life. The near-constant proximity to violence and injustice as part of Joseph’s history and current job is tangible when reading this book.

The intermittent flashbacks to other work shifts and Iraq missions were hard to follow, but, again, fit well with what Joseph is dealing with on a day-to-day basis.

Overall, I’m glad that I read this book, but it was a tough read. This is definitely not a read that everyone would enjoy per se, but it’s definitely a book that would open many readers’ eyes.

This was an immediate yes after previously reading and reviewing Thomas's memoir, Sink. I absolutely love his writing style. He breaks all the “rules” in all the best ways. The first person, present tense narrator really pulled me in. What I found most interesting was the question of where the line between the author and the narrator is. There seem to be similarities and they even share the same name, yet it's fiction. Adding to the fact that his memoir was written in third person creating more distance between the author and narrator, his writing intrigues me even more.
I would love to pick his brain and find out the methods behind his writing style. For example, how much of the style choices are intentional versus intuitive. Does he write in specific ways to invoke a particular reaction from readers or is it just the way the story naturally comes to him and feels right?
The other thing I really enjoyed about reading this was the very casual way the story is told. It feels more real, like how people tell stories in real life. They go off on related tangents and digression giving background info on someone or related incidents. Although it was bit hard to follow at the beginning, took about a page or two to really get into the story and easily follow what was going. But that has less with his writing skill and more to do with my previous conditioning as a reader. Once I got acclimated, it became easier to follow and appreciate the skill it took to construct masterful sentences that take up a whole page.
I highly recommend to anybody looking for something different and maybe a little more challenging. I think it's totally worth it. But on the other hand, it's definitely not for everybody. I could easily see most casual readers being confused, frustrated and seeing it as pointless. It's not straight narrative, it includes a lot of slang or colloquial speech, and the narrator goes off on a ton of random tangents and digressions. I love that about but know it's not for everybody.

I tried to read this on my vacation, but the writing style required too much concentration. I think there is a good story in there, but I don't know if it's for me. I might try again when I'm in the mood for a slow read.

(3.5, rounded up to 4)

In Joseph Earl Thomas's debut novel, "God Bless You, Otis Spunkmeyer," the protagonist, also named Joseph Thomas, navigates a grueling shift as a hospital technician in Philadelphia's trauma center.

Amidst treating a diverse array of patients, from a young gunshot victim to a severely beaten homeless man, Joseph is consumed by hunger and frustration. His friend Ray, who was supposed to deliver a much-needed hoagie and an Otis Spunkmeyer chocolate chip muffin, is nowhere to be found.

Joseph's life is a whirlwind of complications. He's entangled in a web of personal issues: juggling fatherhood with three different women, dealing with a crack-addicted mother, and managing the pressures of both his demanding job and his graduate studies. As he contemplates a forthcoming trip to Belize with a coworker, one of his many romantic entanglements, he reflects on the futility of his hard work and his perpetual struggle to improve his circumstances.

Thomas’s stream-of-consciousness narrative captures Joseph’s deep-seated frustration and the intersection of personal and systemic failures. His insights into poverty, race, and the harsh realities of life resonate with both anger and poignancy. The novel’s raw depiction of Joseph’s world is marked by both humor and tragedy and explores the profound desire for love and understanding in a world that often seems indifferent.

"God Bless You, Otis Spunkmeyer" is a powerful and evocative work, showcasing Thomas's remarkable ability to convey complex emotions and societal critiques through a deeply personal lens.

The endearing slice-of-life book "God Bless You, Otis Spunkmeyer" by Joseph Earl Thomas warmly and nostalgically encapsulates the spirit of small-town America. The narrative takes place in the made-up town of Ridgely and centers on its eccentric residents and their entwined lives, all around the neighborhood diner, Otis Spunkmeyer's.

The most notable aspect of Thomas's work is his capacity to develop compelling characters. Every person in the establishment, from the friendly diner owner Otis to the regular customers, seems real and approachable. Their interactions mirror the highs and lows of daily life in a close-knit community, and they are frequently poignant and hilarious.

The novel's power resides in the way it portrays the relationships inside communities and the sense of oneness among locals. Thomas delves into issues of friendship, family, and forgiveness through a variety of subplots, providing actual emotional depth amid the casual banter.

The book does, however, have certain shortcomings. There are moments when the pacing seems lopsided, with some subplots getting more attention than others, under developing certain characters. Furthermore, although the small-town charm is charming, it occasionally crosses the line into cliche territory and lacks the originality necessary to totally enthrall readers searching for a more distinctive story.

All things considered, "God Bless You, Otis Spunkmeyer" is a delightful book that lives up to its promise of touching narrative. This book will appeal to readers who appreciate cozy mysteries and feel-good fiction, especially in light of how well it captures the spirit of community and the relationships that develop over meals and chats. Even though it has shortcomings, The book by Joseph Earl Thomas is a valuable addition to any reader's library since it effectively captures the spirit of a community where forgiveness and second chances are the norm.

This book deals with a lot of tough topics, which was interesting but the stream of consciousness style of writing just wasn’t for me. I found it hard to keep track of all the characters and to figure out what was being discussed. Whether this was a feature or a bug, I’m not sure but it didn’t do it for me. However, I imagine others who really like this style would enjoy the book.

The cover of God Bless You, Otis Spunkmeyer shows a young Black man's face overlaying an institutional-looking building in the background. The lines of the drawing, specifically of the man's head, blur, as if his multicolored facets aren't yet able to sustain a stable image. It beautifully represents the gist of Joseph Earl Thomas's debut novel, which is told over the course of one hectic shift at a Philadelphia hospital. Joseph Thomas, who not coincidentally shares the author's name, is a med tech in the emergency department, where he knows every other patient, including his mother, presumed biological father, uncle, great-grandmother. 
"A boy who used to beat me up is here for STD testing."
"In the trauma bay there's a lanky girl I knew from middle school named Diamond."
I say that the setting is the hospital, but really it's Joey's mind. He weaves narration of his daily ER routine with flashbacks from gaming with his kids the night before, from his own impoverished childhood, from his tour in Iraq as an army medic, and so on. Throughout his stream-of-consciousness narration, he speaks of hunger and trauma and when is his bff Ray gonna show up with Joey's hoagie and Otis Spunkmeyer muffin?
Therein lies the hook. 
This book is phenomenal in how it captures the focus and distraction of both a mind and a trauma center in chaos. Its intense but intimate language is not easy to begin, but by about 15 percent in, I began to see the method in the seeming madness and I was drawn in, mesmerized by its genius. I was already a fan of Thomas's memoir Sink, but the two together make me an even more avid fan.
[Thanks to Grand Central Publishing and NetGalley for an opportunity to read an advanced reader copy and share my opinion of this book.]

Joseph Who Was a soldier In T. H. E! LRAN. W. A r. He was trying to raise his Family. He Work in a hospital in Philadelphia. E M s. He's also going to school as well. Everybody thought he had money And his sister kept asking for money as well as his mother. His mother was addicted to crack So she could not help him with the children anymore. A man trying so hard to have a normal life and raise his children.To B e Standing.
Citizens. It shows how people can get their lives together if they focus. This book would be really good for people to show how you do things on your own and raise a family as well. Even if the ODS Against you. His friend He was close to. And the shared experience. From the war..

I didn’t really know what to expect while reading this book and though some of ten themes are heartbreaking it still was a very heartwarming book about identity finding ones place in the world and knowing where you come from. It tackles the tough relationship that people have with their parents and how that shapes them into the adults they’ll be and how they will then raise their own children. I really liked this books and would love to read more by this author.

I found this to be both heartfelt and humorous while remaining authentic as Otis learns that his gift of healing reaches beyond the physical.

This prose was jam-packed; I found myself starting paragraphs over to catch everything. I appreciated the distinct perspective of a black Philly man juggling life as a parent, graduate student, and medical assistant after serving in the military. It was funny at times, but mostly heavy, and it felt important to read.