Man, there is just something about a Jason Pargin novel. I know he isn’t for everyone, but I love his dark twisted humorous storylines, kind of makes you question your sanity at times, lol. His latest, I’m Starting to Worry About This Black Box of Doom was such a wild trip. In fact it left me feeling like a bit of a zombie. Why? Well I started reading it last night and didn’t realize I’d actually been reading all night until my morning alarm went off, lol. It hooked me from the start and I just kept having to know what happened next. This is one crazy trip.

Twenty-six year old Abbott is a bit of loner. I’m not saying he doesn’t have friends…but those friends are internet friends, none really IRL. He’s also doesn’t really have his life together. He has anxiety issues and still lives at home with his dad, who insists he work. So he does as a Lyft driver and his latest fare is making him an offer he can’t refuse. She needs him to take her and a large box across the country to Washington DC by the fourth of July and she’s offering him 200,000 dollars to do it. There has to be a catch, right? Oh, most definitely. He can’t being his phone or computer (nothing trackable), he can’t look in the box, can’t even ask what’s in the box, and he can’t tell anyone where he is going until the trip is over. Sounds crazy, right? In fact when I started reading I kept imaging that scene from Seven where Brad Pitt is yelling "What’s in the box?” Well that’s just the setup (and I won’t spoil anything further), from there things get really wild, as you’d expect from one of Pargin’s novels. This a darkly twisted but fun road trip I won’t soon forget. I’d like to thank St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review an eARC of I’m Starting to Worry About This Black Box of Doom.

https://www.amazon.com/review/R1V4WFORQMNMY4/ref=pe_1098610_137716200_SRTC0204BT_cm_rv_eml_rv0_rv

By the end, even I was worried about the black box of doom!
Loved this book! It wasn't the paranormal or sci-fi weirdness that is the John or Zoey books, but a whole different kind of perfect weirdness. Lots of conspiracy theory tales and true stories about awful things that have happened in this country, and the views people have about them. What happened to Abbott could easily happen to anyone. An Uber driver in need of money and something to DO with his life. Ether is funny, and smarter than they give her credit for. She manages to get Abbott to agree with a plan that she doesn't even hold all the answers behind. I love the reddit conspirators, because that's so true to life. It's like playing a game of telephone, where each person heard something truly crazier than the last. But then they write it down for the world to see and get people looking at some crazy conspiracy going, "Yeah that's totally plausible."
I think the characters in this one were all realistic (to some extent) and that this was more of a narrative on how society thinks and acts, and how fast things can escalate for, essentially, no reason at all. I truly enjoyed this book, but in a different capacity than his other series.
It all culminated wonderfully in the end. Bet you can't guess what's in the black box of doom. 😉 I know I sure didn't!

I had no idea what to expect when I started this novel, but it was SO entertaining. The characters, the subreddit threads, the social commentary (down to the stop at a Bucc-ees). There were even parts where I laughed out loud (although I probably shouldn't have). I don't know where others got the idea that this was a mystery thriller, although I suppose it is in the loosest definition of those terms. It's social commentary on our lives being lived online (in the Black Box of Doom). And it is absurd in the things that happen throughout the 5 days in which the story occurs, but spot on. I thought the characters were fantastic - Ether, the former internet queen, now trying to live off the grid and deliver a box. Abbott, who lives his life online and has some interesting viewpoints. Key, the retired FBI agent who's become quite the zealot. Malort, the former biker and felon, who is after the box for his own reasons. The other characters are also unique and well written. And that's all I'm going to say, because I don't want to ruin the experience for anyone else.

"Outside Los Angeles, a driver pulls up to find a young woman sitting on a large black box. She offers him $200,000 cash to transport her and that box across the country, to Washington, DC.

But there are rules:

He cannot look inside the box.
He cannot ask questions.
He cannot tell anyone.
They must leave immediately.
He must leave all trackable devices behind.

As these eccentric misfits hit the road, rumors spread on social media that the box is part of a carefully orchestrated terror attack intended to plunge the USA into civil war.

The truth promises to be even stranger, and may change how you see the world."

Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the free ARC in exchange for my honest review. All opinions expressed herein are my own.

3.5 stars. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher of the ARC for this intriguing and witty book. The premise is clever. The book focuses on various themes.
There is a wild car drive across the country, where the banter between the cheerful Ether and the complaining by Abbott is tedious and repetitive. It raises social issues that are thought-provoking to ponder or debate. The book raises issues about isolation, resulting in the decline of the ability to cope in relationships and human society. The roles of men versus women in their power in social settings, the meaning of fame, the spread of misinformation, toxic internet content, environmental issues and climate change, and the upcoming improvement or the worsening of civilization are addressed. There is a sense of satire, and the posts on chat groups are hilarious. The ending is hectic, action-filled, chaotic, and very funny.


The story follows Abbott, a young man pushed by his father to get a job as a Lyft driver using his father's prized Lincoln Navigator. Abbott would rather spend his time at home playing video games and chatting on social media. He lacks real-world friends and mainly interacts with strangers in chat groups and on social media. Abbott lacks self-esteem, is almost paranoid, and always expects negative repercussions when interacting with others. He has the tendency to whine, worry, and complain.

A young woman, Ether, insists that Abbott drive her from the outskirts of LA to Washington, DC. She has an enormous black box with band stickers on it. One sticker may represent radioactive contents, or it may be the symbol for a rock band. Abbott is reluctant to commit to such a lengthy trip, but an offer of $200,000 would tempt him to move out of his father's house. It would prove to his father that he is capable of earning a large sum of money.

Ether tells him that he must never look in the box, ask no questions, not tell anyone where he is going, and leave all traceable devices behind. It is imperative that they reach the destination by July 4th. Abbott quickly leaves a note to his father that he will be gone for ten days and a message to his chat group. Ethan, a chat group member, considers Abbott an online friend. He tries to keep the chat group concentrating on the missing Abbott, his whereabouts and safety. Speculation becomes way off-topic, guessing at motives and contents of the black box, and grows wildly with very little basis in facts. Abbott is labelled an incel co-conspirator, influenced by Ether, whom they claim to be a Soviet plant well-trained to commit havoc in the political/ social fabric of the country.
Speculation about the contents of the black box, which is causing anxiety in Abbott, includes the belief that it is a nuclear bomb or other weapons of mass destruction, a creature from outer space from Roswell ( either dead or in suspended animation), drugs, the dead body of a former female classmate of Abbott, who vanished several years ago. Of course, many people take these comments as hard facts since they read them online. This is how conspiracy theories may start and become widely believed.

It is known that some powerful political figures are gathering on July 4th at the box's destination. Abbott fears a terrorist plot, and even Ether is beginning to worry that the box will explode, killing people. They know that a large, scary, tattooed man is following them, trying to seize the box. A retired FBI officer wants to intercept them and prevent the deaths of many in an explosion. Abbott's father wants to stop his son before he is arrested for being involved in an act of terrorism (which would ruin the father's reputation). I did not anticipate the frenzied conclusion nor guess the contents of the box.

I found the pace uneven, mainly because so many issues were addressed, and the book seemed too long. The humour was hilarious but also unevenly spaced.

This is such creative storytelling. I really enjoyed this thought-provoking book. Ether (Green Sunglass Girl) has been paid handsomely to deliver a large black box from the West Coast to an address in Virginia. She has to enlist someone’s help to get the job done. Enter Abbott, an Uber driver. She promises him a tidy, life-changing sum if he’ll drive her and the box to Virginia off book. As Abbott isn’t employed and spends all his time on social media, he has the ability to do so. But the car he drives for Uber is his Dad’s prized Lincoln Navigator. To say he and his Dad have a strained relationship is a kind way of saying they don’t get along. There are so many layers to the relationships in this story. Social commentary is woven throughout the dialogue and is illustrated by the multiple folks who post about the trip East. Despite no evidence of any illegal act, coast to coast conspiracy theories develop. including everything from extraterrestrials, Russians, domestic terrorism, and more. It even draws in an overzealous former FBI agent who joins the fray.

While covering current ‘societal problems, from chronic loneliness to domestic terrorism’, it’s told with a lot of humor. It’s ‘ goddamned Bonnie and Clyde, tearing across America’. I’ve never highlighted as much as i did in this book. It will stay with me. A big thanks to NetGalley for the advance copy.

I wasn’t really sure what to expect going into this book. This is a very unique story layered with satire and humor (dark humor really) and I thought it was very funny! Abbott (a ride share driver is offered $200,000 to drive a woman and a large black box from Los Angeles to Washington, DC. The catch it…he can’t know what’s in it. What could possibly go wrong??

I love satire and sarcasm and I especially loved the subreddits (if you have personally ever gone down a reddit rabbit hole you’ll understand what I mean) as the rumors spread and ran wild!!

This story definitely touches on how social media can (and does!!) bend the truth in giant game of telephone. All it takes is one viral post and conspiracy theories will run wild and are passed off as facts. It dives deeper into to how the internet has affected our lives, good and bad.

Does this story sometimes feel like a train wreck…yes it does…but it’s also impossible to look away. There are a ton of characters and multiple POVs and Abbott and Ester were in for one wild, over the top road trip!

Also, you’ll never guess what’s in the box!

Thank you, St. Martin’s Press, for providing this book for review consideration via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

I just finished I’m Starting To Worry About This Black Box Of Doom, by Jason Pargin.

I know that this book review site is Mr. Book’s Book Reviews: Your Place For Non-Fiction Reviews. It is rare that I publish any fiction reviews. But, I was listening to the author being interviewed on The New Abnormal podcast over the weekend and this one sounded so good, I couldn’t resist putting in a request at NetGalley for a review copy.

This book was a very interesting story about a couple of people who were driving across the country to deliver a black box. They were not allowed to look inside of it and couldn’t have any devices that could be tracked or use GPS themselves. As they traveled, all of sort of rumors were being spread online.

This was definitely a page-turner and I was glad that I read this.

I give this book an A. Goodreads and NetGalley require grades on a 1-5 star system. In my personal conversion system, an A equates to 5 stars. (A or A+: 5 stars, B+: 4 stars, B: 3 stars, C: 2 stars, D or F: 1 star).

This review has been posted at NetGalley, Goodreads and my blog, Mr. Book’s Book Reviews

I finished reading this on September 26, 2024.

Abbot thinks he is picking up just another ride-share customer when he pulls into a quick-stop parking lot. Instead, he meets Ether, a mysterious woman who has a large, sealed black box she has been hired to transport clear across the country to Washington D.C. in just a few days in time for the Fourth of July. Soon, the two become the subject of multiple conspiracy theories and a cross-country chase.

I’m Starting to Worry About This Black Box of Doom is the first definitive novel about the modern internet age. Pargin has crafted a narrative about all the issues facing our country today: isolation, mental health, radicalization and the rapid spread of misinformation. He perfectly captures the way that a small misunderstanding and a lack of information can balloon into insane conspiracy when fed through the internet hive mind.

One of the intriguing things in this novel is how the character we start the book with, Abbott, changes throughout. When we meet him, he’s riddled with anxiety and has lots of social issues and problems with his dad. We think he’s a lovable loser. But, the more we get to know him, the more we learn that might not be the case.

Conversely, when we meet Ether, we begin to think that she’s perhaps part of something shady. We aren’t sure at all what she’s about. But, ultimately, she ended up being the best character in the book, in my opinion. Through Ether, Pargin said a lot of things that I’ve known for a long time that I think too many people don’t know but need to hear. Despite a note from Pargin at the end of the novel about how everything in the book is fictional and tries to distance himself personally from the characters, Ether feels most like the character who is expressing his views. I have no way of knowing this, of course, but she’s so authentic it’s the feeling I walked away with.

Another major player is retired FBI agent Key, who can’t leave her job behind. She specialized in online radicalization and tracking terror threats, and the story of Ether and Abbot convinces her there is a major threat to national security. She’s pretty ridiculous, just as unable to accept actual evidence (or lack thereof) as anyone she’s studied on a message board. She’s an example of how even the best of folks can get roped into things under the right circumstances.

The story being told is gripping, mysterious, and hard to put down. And, though Pargin would deny it, it’s an important story, too. Some folks may argue that fiction can’t be important, but I disagree. The power of stories is strong. Fiction allows us to explore other points of view and ideas we may not have considered before. Because of that, I consider I’m Starting to Worry About This Black Box of Doom to be one of the most important pieces of fiction of our time. Because, even though I can’t give it away, what’s inside the Black Box of Doom isn’t what anyone thinks it is. But what is in the box still has the power to wreck the world, and we all need to figure out how to stop it.

I was sent the widget for this, and while it isn’t my normal type of read, it did sound very interesting. I was excited to try something new!

It was OK. The beginning hooked me (what the heck is in this box)? Why is it worth $200,000 to deliver?!?

But then it kind of just went flat… for a very long time. It turns into a social media investigation. So, really there is no actual action taking place.

I got bored and didn’t even want to pick up the book after reading about 40%. I didn’t even care what was in the box anymore. I gave up on this one.

A directionless twenty-something is hired to drive cross-country with a mysterious package and the kooky woman who hired him for the job. Before they reach the opposite coast, they find themselves on the run from a group of misfits who either want to know what’s inside the box or take it themselves. Satirist Jason Pargin offers insightful, often biting comment on the current state of social media and its ripple effects in the mostly entertaining novel I’m Starting to Worry About This Black Box of Doom.

Abbott Coburn’s most ambitious goals in his 26 years of life have been to keep his Twitch audience engaged and to make sure his job as a Lyft driver can support his weekly trips to fast food restaurants. After all, his Twitch followers are there to hear his reviews on the different offerings around his small California town, never mind that he does the same bit with the food every single time.

Even with these lofty aims, he feels like life is lacking something. That changes when he accepts a job through the Lyft app to drive a woman to LAX. The woman doesn’t have any luggage. She does have a huge black trunk, though, and she makes him a proposition.

She actually needs to get to Washington, D.C., she says, and she’s prepared to pay Abbott to drive her and the black box there. Abbott thinks the woman’s touched in the head. Then she starts pulling out bundles of cash to the tune of $200,000.

All he needs to do, the woman says, is drive her and the box to D.C. He’s not allowed to open the box or ask about it. He can’t tell anyone else where he’s going. They have to leave right away and need to reach there in a few days, just in time for the Fourth of July. Oh, and he has to leave all of his devices—anything that can be tracked—behind so no one can follow them.

Abbott’s instincts tell him to turn right around and leave the woman there in the parking lot of the Circle K. To his own surprise, he accepts the job. The money would go a long way toward showing his dad, Hunter, he knows what it means to be an adult. Hunter is an ex-Marine and always harping about Abbott needing to grow up already. But, see, here’s Abbott being an adult. Making a decision. Earning a meaningful wage. Even if it is under bizarre circumstances.

Abbott and the woman, who calls herself “Ether,” set off on the long road trip from coast to coast. Almost immediately, however, it becomes apparent that someone else is interested in the box. Rumors start to spread the box contains a nuclear weapon or some sort of radioactive material. What starts as a way to make a quick buck turns into a nationwide mission to find out what’s in the black box with an ex-con, a retired FBI agent, and a band of Redditors ready to save Abbott’s behind—or torch it—when the time comes.

Author Jason Pargin’s confident narrative voice makes it easy to buy into its wacky concept. What might, by the cold light of day, seem like an absolutely ridiculous course of action followed by even more outrageous reactions make perfect sense in this story world Pargin has built. By the end of the book, readers will want to know what’s in the precious cargo being transported across the country while remaining invested in the quest of the characters to get it there.

The book does suffer from a middle that sags. While Abbott and Ether’s conversations are insightful and thoughtful, their slightly repetitive rhythm might make some readers ready to skip ahead. Abbott is frustrated about the state of white men today; Ether is the calm voice of reason and, when need be, devil’s advocate who can also be optimistic. The point is made long before the narrative is willing to let it go.

The end, however, does justice to the premise and setup of the novel, and readers will find themselves laughing out loud in many places. Those who enjoy satire and don’t mind it for an entire novel will certainly enjoy this one.

Abbot is an insecure 26 year old, still living at home with his dad who he doesn’t get along with. His life is lived almost exclusively on line with the occasional job as a Lyft driver. On one trip, he picks up a young woman who offers him an exorbitant amount of money to drive her across the country with a strange black box. He’s hesitant but eventually agrees. She tells him her name is Ether but refuses to say what is in the box, only that it must be at the destination in four days and he has to leave his cell phone and any other devices behind. He stops at home to pack and, while there, he lets his online chat group know that he’ll be offline for a few days and why. Soon, the internet blows up with conspiracies about what’s in the box and who Ether is, attracting the attention of a retired FBI agent. They are also being followed by a huge nasty looking biker who knows what's in the box and will do anything to get his hands on it.

Jason Pargin is a master at combining exciting thrillers with dark humour and insightful social commentary and I’m Starting to Worry About This Black Box of Doom is no exception. This is one hell of a wild and crazy cross-country ride. But, along with all the excitement and the mystery of the black box are some very interesting and thoughtful looks at social media including incel culture, influencers, and the ease of spread of toxic rumours and conspiracies. Despite all of this, though, it ends on a surprisingly hopeful note. Definitely one of my favourite books so far this year Oh, and just as a kind of side note, whatever you think is in the box, that ain’t it.

I read an eARC provided by St Martin’s Press while listening to an audiobook from Macmillan Audio narrated by Ari Fliakos who does an amazing job of ramping up the tension as well as the humour. Thanks to both publishers as well as Netgalley. All opinions are my own.

Main character, Abbott, wants out of his father’s house. He drives for Lyft, he has internet “friends” that he seems to talk with online, and plays video games on Twitch. Yeah, I don’t understand the whole playing video games for people to watch thing. His dad owns a construction company, and a former marine, hence, why Abbott wants out of the house. When a strange woman requests a ride, but instead offers him a chance to make a lot of money, with stipulations. He needs to drive her and a big black box across the country, from California to Washington DC, he cannot ask what is in the box, he can’t tell anyone where he is going, and can’t bring anything that can track his whereabouts. But when your life is consumed with social media, and you just go dark, of course people are going to wonder.

Confused? Me too. I was bored. It was a long book, drawn out plot, unlikeable characters told in alternating points of view. This was my first book with this author, from reading other reviews, this may be a one off for him. I may try a different book, but this one just wasn’t for me. I struggled just to finish so I could review it as promised.

I would like to thank Netgalley, St Martin’s Press and Jason Pargin for an advanced reader copy of this book in exchange for an honest opinion. This just wasn’t for me.

John Dies at the End and the follow-ups in that series are some of my very favorite books, of any genre. I haven't clicked the same with the Zoey series, but I will still gladly read anything Jason Pargin writes. There were moments of humor and a decent pace in this, but I honestly felt like I was being preached to most of the book. I understand using a novel as social commentary, but I don't like being beaten over the head by "the message", especially when it feels like it's coming from the author and not just a character choice. 3 stars
Thank you to Netgalley and St. Martin's Press for the review copy.

**Happy Publication Day!**

This is a very funny book! The main character is Abbott, who at 26 still lives at home with his father who owns a roofing business. Abbott spends most of his days online with a chat group but occasionally drives for Lyft, using his father's Lincoln Navigator. He arrives to pick up his latest passenger and finds a young woman in a sort of disguise, sitting on a large black box at the curb. She tells him her name is Ether and she has a proposition for him: drive her and the box from LA to DC for quite a large sum of money--half now and half when they get there. Abbott takes a lot of persuading but eventually caves, insisting he has to go home to pack a bag. Ether tells him to leave his phone and computer behind so their location can't be traced. Everything must be hush-hush and the box they are transporting is sealed and cannot be opened. Abbott does however leave a note for his father and sends a message to his online group. This sets off a bunch of gossip and speculation online, even some conspiracy theories, about what the box contains. Unbeknownst to the travelers, they are being pursued by several people including a retired FBI agent and a huge tattooed biker guy recently released from jail--but they just blithely hum along in a little bubble of obliviousness until the whole trip turns into utter chaos. Boy, this would make the funniest movie script ever!

There are many issues brought up during their odyssey that are quite thought-provoking. For instance, the internet has only been around for about 30 years but think about how much it has changed our everyday lives, especially our relationships and our ability to function in normal human society. Abbott and his father Hunter are a case in point, living in the same house but unable to connect with each other. Ether tells Abbott, 'I'm telling you, if you just allow yourself to step outside of [it all], you'll see it for what it is: a prison where the walls are made of nightmares, where you think bad news is the only news you can trust.'

Many thanks to the author and publisher for providing me with an arc of this new novel via NetGalley. My review is voluntary and the opinions expressed are my own.

I'm Starting to Worry About This Black Box of Doom by Jason Pargin is a wildly entertaining ride.
This was a sharp, well plotted and fast paced read.
A fun, dark satire with twisted humorous storylines.
This one had me on the edge of my seat the whole time and laughing hysterically throughout the whole story.

Thank You NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for your generosity and gifting me a copy of this amazing eARC!

I’m Starting to Worry about this Black Box of Doom by Jason Pargin

Short review because this one wasn’t for me. I’ve never read any of Pargin’s other works, so I’m not sure how this standalone will compare to his others, but I’m hoping his fans enjoy it.

I found this one to be too long filled with too much social commentary. I couldn’t bring myself to care about the characters or even the box, which was the whole point of this story. I never cared what was in it, and I never really got curious about it. Also, I felt like it was trying too hard to be funny.

There is absolutely a reader for this book. I could see how it could be funny, clever, and thought-provoking - it just wasn’t for me. Perhaps I was suffering from a wrong time, wrong book incident, but I didn’t enjoy this one.

Fans of social commentary, quirky characters, and cross-country trips may enjoy this one.

An interesting sometimes intriguing spin on the "what if's" of the world and the anxiety surrounding them. I wanted to like the book more than I did, and while it at times pulls you into the story - other times not so much. I totally understand how some readers will give this book a 5 because it is that type of book that you will either really like, not like at all, or read all the way to the finish to see exactly where it is all leading!! Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press, for the opportunity to read and review this advance reader copy. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. #NetGalley #I'mStartingtoWorryAboutThisBlackBoxofDoom

An original story line will take a Lyft driver and his passenger on a wild ride from LA to DC with no explanation for the road trip nor any sign of a plan on what will happen when they get to DC. This is the first Jason Pargin book I've read and he is definitely working on a different level than the writers I usually read. I don't see him co-writing with James Patterson any time soon! With the input of social media and others looking for their 5 minutes of fame, my guesses as to the box's contents were as varied as theirs. I thorughly enjoyed this book and I'm recommending to my reading circle as an escape from routine. It may not be to everyone's taste, but it will certainly generate conversations.......

Sometimes I read a book and I know exactly who I wish would also read it so we could chat about it! I loved this book. In similar Jason Pargin fashion, this book had me doing some serious head scratching and laughing out loud. Why is he always asking the tough questions and making me think about life…and my place in it. I love books like this…SciFi-speculative-comedy at its best!!! A commentary on social media, consumption, naivety, and our role in consuming. Ya know…a light Sunday Read!

I was lucky enough to get an ARC copy of I’m Starting to Worry About This Black Box of Doom by Jason Pargin. If you’re not familiar with his work, he was previously known as David Wong, and he is also the author of John Dies At The End, which was made into a movie.

Here’s the details…

A standalone darkly humorous thriller set in modern America's age of anxiety, by New York Times bestselling author Jason Pargin.

Outside Los Angeles, a driver pulls up to find a young woman sitting on a large black box. She offers him $200,000 cash to transport her and that box across the country, to Washington, DC.

But there are rules:

He cannot look inside the box.
He cannot ask questions.
He cannot tell anyone.
They must leave immediately.
He must leave all trackable devices behind.

As these eccentric misfits hit the road, rumors spread on social media that the box is part of a carefully orchestrated terror attack intended to plunge the USA into civil war.

The truth promises to be even stranger, and may change how you see the world.

Thank you NetGalley and St. Martins Press for giving me the opportunity to enjoy this Advanced Reader Copy. I hope you appreciated my honest review!

#scifi

4 stars.

I am a huge Jason Pargin fan, so I was very much looking forward to "I'm Starting to Worry About This Black Box of Doom." I am happy to say that it fully delivered! If you've never read one of his books, I can see how this might be a little too all over the place for some readers because, while there is one central plot, there are a billion outlandish moving parts that make this eccentric material come to life. This story is a trip, literally and figuratively. It's a wild car ride full of zany-but-unlikable-but-still-wholly-relatable characters, social commentary, bizarre situations with even more bizarre online commentary, and laughs aplenty. Just when you think it can't get crazier, Pargin doubles down and makes it that much more outlandish in the very next chapter. The social commentary is on point, and I love what Pargin tries to say in this novel. I agree with everything he's saying about the internet, our culture, loneliness, our obsessions and fascinations with fame and becoming famous, the end of America, technology, and especially social media. Some readers may feel he is being too heavy-handed with his commentary, but I didn't mind it. Do yourself a favor and check this one out. I would love to see this become a TV series!

Thank you to NetGalley, Jason Pargin, and St. Martin's Press for the complimentary ARC of this book. All opinions are my own. I was not compensated for this review.