I like several of Baxter's other works but this one is tedious, repetitive, and goes nowhere.
I skimmed most of it. There were a few funny parts but not enough to save it.

Blood Test is a darkly comic book that I mostly enjoyed. The pacing was a bit slow for me but I loved the internal ramblings of the MC and it was a neat concept for a book!

Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC of Blood Test.

I liked the cover; it was quirky and unusual and caught my eye as much as the premise did.

The narrative began well; a mild-mannered dullard named Brock Hobson agrees to take a predictive blood test that eventually reveals he will embark on a life of crime and commit a murder.

Does this mean Brock will fulfill his genetic destiny? Or is the blood test just a scam?

I had a different idea of how the narrative would go and this wasn't it.

The blood test is a minor subplot to the mundane life that Brock Hobson lives.

Is the narrative darkly comedic? Some parts are. There are random tangents that seem silly but that's because life can be random and silly.

But then the narrative becomes tedious and bogged down in repetitive, scattered discussions about conspiracy theories that have nothing to do with the blood test.

I thought the narrative would focus on Brock and his existential crisis after he discovers what the blood test reveals but it's not like that at all.

We see his odd relationship with his ex and his kids, his girlfriend Trey and what he does everyday which is living his boring existence.

Brock is a relatable character and at the same time not likable. He's a pushover, a doormat, and dull as dishwater, which may be the point.

But it was hard to care about him and understand the point of the narrative. Or maybe there is no point?

Is that life? Is this it? Now that's dark.

Blood Test by Charles Baxter is a unique and funny novel about an insurance salesman named Brock Hobson. Brock lives an uneventful life as a divorcee with teenagers until one day he had a blood test that reveals he is destined to become a criminal, a serious criminal. Brock grappes with how he should change his lifestyle in light of this medical result.

The book is very funny and well written. I really like the unique premise and humor. The plotted meadered from time to time make this book a bit difficult to finish but in the end I really enjoyed it.

Thank you to NetGalley and Knopf, Pantheon, Vintage, and Anchor for an advanced reader copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Brock Hobson is an average and plain insurance salesman until his live is changed forever by a seemingly innocuous blood test. Yes, leave it to Charles Baxter to craft a whimsical look at artificial intelligence and the lasting impact it can have on our lives. The colorful cast of characters makes this a delightful read. This riotous read will leave you wondering if we are masters of our own fate or not. If nothing else, you'll be entertained by the changes Brock Hobson endures. Thank you to Knopf, Pantheon, Vintage, and Anchor (Pantheon) & NetGalley for the advance reading copy in exchange for my honest opinion.

I like the concept here, but I really struggled mightily with the rollout... I could not for the life of me figure out how I was supposed to believe that a man plodding through his life would agree to spend thousands of dollars on a test provided by a company he could find out nothing about designed to tell him he didn't even know what... (yes I know that's horrible syntax, sorry) That sense of confusion as to why things were progressing as they were never left me. This was a book that just didn't work for me...

I should have listened to my gut instinct and abandoned this one, but I stuck it out in hopes of something…interesting? Parts were amusing, but not worth the time.

A comic novel in which a mild-mannered insurance agent takes a blood test—potentially a scam—that identifies him as likely to commit criminal activity. HOWEVER! I think this book is up to more than meets the eye, because this setup is almost a red herring—while hilarious and observant (I made many of my friends read the description of a movie that Brock rents, 'The Robot Pope') is actually very concerned with what is owed to our family, those we despise politically, and the natural world in a down-on-its-luck Ohio town that is representative of America.

It subverts a lot of the Chekhov's-whatever dramatic expectations that it sets up, and I think (based on other reviews) that that element is throwing people off. But I found the way it handled violence was pretty interesting, and Brock's warm-hearted complaining and weathering of vicissitudes very fun to read.

What do you get when you combine a clearly gifted writer with a high-concept plot (man takes an experimental blood test that tells him he is destined to embark on a crime wave)? You get a fairly muddled work that doesn’t have the courage to explore the high concept.

For me, this simply didn’t hold together. So much of the main character’s actions are unexplained and unexplainable. The supporting characters are well-developed but thrown into random plot developments.

I rarely read a book where I have no idea what it is trying to communicate, but that was my experience here.

Many thanks to Knopf/NetGalley for the advance copy.

This is the story of Brock as he tells it to us, the reader.
Brock is a man living in Ohio with a very normal existence. He resides with his two high school children and his daughter’s boyfriend, he is an insurance agent, he has a girlfriend and an ex wife with a loser “patriot” boyfriend. And then one day, his life becomes a bit more interesting. While at the doctor’s office, they inform him of a company that is offering a blood test. This blood test can predict a participants future actions, and it turns out that Brock has a future with murder in it. This, of course, is absolutely ludicrous because Brock is not a murderer at all. He teaches a Sunday school class, for Christ’s sake!
Although the blood test and its results are a huge factor within this story, it’s truly about Brock’s love for his family. His immense heart for his children, his girlfriend, and even his ex wife. He cares for them more than anything, and it is very apparent when he relays his story to us.
Fun, hilarious, a unique read with an adorable white rat. I enjoyed this very much.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher who provided me with an ebook copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All of these thoughts and opinions are my own.

The writing is funny, emotional, and engaging.
Many of the scenes are compelling, but at times the abundance of metaphors (in the middle section) bogs down some of the better writing. Not horrible: it picks right back up as quickly as it falls.
Overall, I enjoyed being in Charles Baxter’s wonderful world of storytelling.
My husband did too!!!
Laughing together - reading scenes out loud while still in bed …. was additional enjoyment for both my husband and I.
What a joy it is to read with one’s love partner … to laugh!
My husband, Paul … got me going …. with the remembrance of an old tongue twister…..
INSPIRED by the name of one of the characters in this book:
Peter Potter.
My husband had me laughing hysterically . . .
“Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled peppers”….
“If Peter picked a peck of pickled peppers, where’s the peck of pickled peppers Peter Piper picked?”

I went in blind …. no idea what
“Blood Tests”, a comedy, was going to be about.
I am genuinely moved by this comic-romp.
I grew a big heart for our protagonist….
…..middle-aged, divorced Dad, Sunday School teacher, Brock Hobson.
….His ex-wife, Cheryl, and her new husband Burt add flavor to this story.
….Block & Cheryl’s two teen kids, Lena (17) and Joe (15) are both awesomely flawed… reminding me that growing up — getting an education … figuring out life … does not move in a straight line. It’s the bumps in life where we begin to grow.
Add girlfriends and boyfriends that everyone has.
….Add worry challenges.
….Add a boo-boo - ‘oops’ accident.
….Add forgiveness,
stresses in life … medical issues ….
…..Diverticulitis, sciatica, Generomics, panic attacks, etc….

It’s amazing how much this charming, funny-bone, author … Charles Baxter, enlightens us with not only humor … but observational wisdom …
He knows a thing or two about the ways people relate to each other…..
creating a beautiful constructed world of the interior and exterior of the characters.
Love!

4 stars.

Simultaneously, this is an interesting and though-provoking read. I found myself laughing frequently when reading this book. It is a well-written quick read that I greatly appreciated.

There are folk out there who will warm to the wit and imagination of Baxter’s latest, but I’m not one of them. Too slow, too indulgently discursive. And I’m afraid too trivial. Sorry.

Kingsboro, Ohio resident Brock Hobson is a divorced dad, an insurance salesman and a Sunday School teacher. Pretty much a good guy. He takes a predictive blood test and gets some disturbing news about his potential proclivities. This begins the drama that turns his life upside down.

And everyone who is a part of his life is involved. There’s his sweet girlfriend, Trey, the paragon of toxic masculinity for whom is wife left him, his ex-wife, herself, Cheryl, who always needs just a little more money from him, and his teenage children, Lena and Joe who are beginning to explore their sexuality. Can Brock come to terms with everything?

From the author of FEAST OF LOVE this is an enjoyable look at fate, middle age and “I think this story has been about love and not about the blood test in the title.” Some great witty moments too, “If you were to ask him where Italy is located on the globe, he wouldn’t know, but he would despise you for asking. Did I mention his hat? No. But you can imagine the hat. I don’t have to explain everything.” Oh, we laughed as we prayed that people did not vote for him! Good book.