First up I want to get my gripe about the book out of the way. I don't know why it bothers me so much, but the title winds me up. Not only does it misrepresent the book as some popcorn comedy, the spelling of 'my' as 'mi' got me inordinately angry. However, minor annoyances aside, Ohmigod! (*shudder*) is an engaging and thought-provoking book that I thoroughly enjoyed and have and will recommend to anyone that gives me the airtime.

Told entirely in the third person, this is the tale of Sam, a neurotic English man of an indeterminate age (or maybe it was determined and I forget) who lives through God's return and his subsequent smiting of certain groups who do not conform to the Old Testament ways. The portrayal of religion will upset some I am sure, but I think it has been handled fairly sensitively on the whole and whilst there are definite subliminal political messages to be found (such as the UK and American leaders' refusal to use the word Palestine and the non-capitalisation of the word God), it never seems to preach.

I found Sam to be as endearing as he is annoying and the small cast of supporting characters were equally welcome (mum and John in particular) as the world deals with the events how the world always does (with disagreements, bigotry and bombs in the most part, but then also with humour, humility and compassion).

The book ends with a faux interview with the author and whilst I am not 100% sure it was a wise addition; it did cover a few questions I had in my mind about the story as I read, such as would it make a good film/tv show (I think I disagree with the author on that one, which is probably what he was hoping for to be honest).

All in all, I would definitely recommend this book to people of a liberal disposition. That isn't to say I feel that others wouldn't find enjoyment, but if you are easy to offend or go looking for outrage then you will find it.

A hugely interesting premise of the return of god who intends to smite various humans according to rules in the bible.
Sam really doesn't want to be involved- god is not on any of his to do lists and is of no help in choosing frozen dinners, soup flavours or how to deal with his mum!
There are some very witty moments, some real dilemmas and an engaging look into how social media fans the flames.
I wanted more for the ending but I guess it suits the style of the book to leave things in this way.
Overall an engaging read.

This is such an unusual book, a really interesting premise and very engaging read although I'm not sure how much I enjoyed it as some of the concepts are quite extreme. The story written from the authors perspective, clearly someone who struggles with everyday interactions is well handled and relatable although the interactions between himself and what the reader assumes to be an ex-girlfriend felt jarring. The relationship with his mother especially is well handled. I would definitely recommend this to others although I think it will be quite a marmite book.

Loved the whole concept of this very original book, did make me question why there aren’t more stories like this. How would we deal with God if he was suddenly among us in this century? Bizarrely brilliant for believers and non believers alike. Great focus on both sides. The second half of the book was a bit slower than the first, but not sure if that’s just because of the first half being so unpredictable making me want to binge read through.
Overall really enjoyable read, would recommend.

Really interesting concept for a book. I found it quite slow to begin with but found myself more engaged when we got to the angels.

Thought provoking.

When I started reading this book I wondered why I had requested it - god has come to earth, this guy is wittering about putting out bins. But then Sam began to grow on me, and I realised we had a lot in common - dislike of situations with people, especially making small talk in shops, liking order and routine!

So Sam is clearly a little on the spectrum, lives his life happily, albeit not really being true to himself, as his possible 'girlfriend' has split from him and his mother keeps careful tabs on what he's doing and he worries and overthinks every decision he is faced with. But then god arrives and starts making trouble, inciting wars and eliminating nations. Sam has his work cut out to just survive, but mum wants to go to visit his father's grave (the father who sounds a real charmer). So he reluctantly drives her only as another plague, this time targetting gays, arrives.

Sam's struggles and triumphs (and especially when he saves the young woman) are just glorious, and by the end I was thoroughly enjoying the book. It provides food for thought on many levels (who does 'god' belong to?). A different, left-field sort of book that will both challenge and entertain. And as a practising Christian I welcomed the opportunity to view religion through another lens.

Thank you to NetGalley and Little Orchard Publishing Ltd for allowing me access to the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This is an interesting and thought provoking read centred around a neurodivergent character called Sam. I really identified with Sam and his inner dialogue and anxieties. Sam likes his routines, and puts a lot of thought into things like when to put the bins out and if he should tidy up before the cleaner arrives.

Sam's life is turned upside down when God appears on earth. No one knows why God has returned but it quickly becomes apparent that this is the vengeful, old testament God. This is not good for Sam as he must navigate his social anxieties in an ever changing world.

A humorous, satirical, provocative read but one that won't appeal to everyone.

✴️I received an ARC from Netgalley✴️

Well, that was an unexpected journey. Sam is an anxious young man, living alone but not far from his mother. His constant worries encompass mostly everything and what could or would or even might happen. He needs pattern and stability in his life. So the appearance of god is a little bit unsettling......especially as nobody knows why, or what he is going to do. A mind bending read that has some very funny moments - and also: it makes you think.....

This book will make you laugh and cringe, it also wont suit everyone!! The story centers on Sam, an anxious/neurodiverse person dealing with everyday worries while the world unravels around him following the return of God.

The concept of God returning and enacting Old Testament-style retributions in modern times will undoubtably be controversial. However, for those who enjoy dark humorous reads it’s a compelling and thought-provoking, incredibly original read.

A wholly unique work, and hard to describe or rate down to these factors, Ohmigod is a postmodern look at what God really was one of us - or at least appeared long enough to confirm things. Wild, uneven, ambitious, dizzying to a fault, it will be completely polarising in the best way.

Humorous and heartbreaking, this novel has a wonderfully engaging and unique voice. Sam, the protagonist, offers us great insight into living with anxiety and being neurodivergent, and his challenges and reactions are at the heart of the book. Anyone who has lived through the covid pandemic will be able to relate to this thematic exploration of feeling left behind by global events, and how the everyday clashes with the extraordinary.
The plot and themes are controversial, relevant, and presented with a dry wit. The characterisation is marvellous.
On the downside, the prose is somewhat baggy which makes it drag in places, and it needs proofreading - but it's well worth persevering as the ending is emotionally charged and so quintessentially human.

I was intrigued by the premise of this book, but unfortunately it didn't live up to my expectations. I found Sam's internal monologue tedious and repetitive and I disagreed with the way God is portrayed as someone angry and vengeful. From reading other reviews, it seems others have appreciated this book but it was not one for me.

I was rather intrigued by the concept and blurb for this book which is why I decided to read it. I’d consider myself agnostic so I knew I wouldn’t be offended by this book, but I’m not sure believers in God would necessarily feel the same, so probably not a read for them. I liked the character of Sam and thought he was well drawn. He’s obviously on the autistic spectrum and I thought the way he’s portrayed was very clever. The book flies quite close to some sensitive political issues. I found myself reflecting that religion has been responsible for a great deal of war and conflict throughout history and God in this book certainly isn’t a very nice God who’s considerate and respectful of everyone. Overall, it was Sam who drew me in and the way he navigated daily life and grew in his understanding of himself through the story.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an arc in exchange for a review.

It’s bin day, and God has come back to Earth. Everyone is very excited about it, but for Sam it’s an inconvenience he could really do without. What if the bin men don’t show up?

This is an intriguing, satirical rollercoaster of a book, filled with fantastical events that somehow feel entirely plausible under the circumstances. Throughout the main plot runs the question of what it means to be a good person, and highlights the absurdity of certain religious beliefs.

I really enjoyed the narrative style. The story is told from Sam’s point of view, following his train of thought as though we are inside his head. This means we get all his views on current events, frequently interrupted by his various worries and concerns. Sam is a pure soul who just wants to go about his days ticking off his to-do list and this God thing has really thrown him off balance. I found myself really rooting for him.

Asadi’s God is a vengeful one, destroying cities, entire countries, and killing shocking numbers of people (though it is important to note that these elements are taken directly from the Bible and inserted into a modern world). Certain parts of the book were stressful to read, especially given current events between Israel and Palestine, and had me on the edge of my seat trying to figure out where the story would go next.

Ohmigod! is like nothing I’ve read before and I enjoyed it immensely.

With such a wonderful Netgalley email blurb I couldn't say no to reading this, my curiosity was piqued. Sam Dalton lives his life just so, minimal human contact and pretty much unaffected by the outside world so he can happily get through his to do list. This is all well and good until God makes a comeback and unleashes his wrath on the world and Sam is slowly drawn in to the world outside his front door. The documentation of world events by social and online media is perfectly captured as God's return is the staple of rolling news and Social Media.
This is an intriguing and engaging novel and at times eerily mirrors ongoing events in the Middle East.
Ohmigod is funny, thought provoking and there is a lot of dark humour. While it is not something I would normally read, I enjoyed it although I imagine it could be a very divisive book depending on your beliefs.

The author asks us not to judge this book on our religious (or perhaps non-religious) beliefs but on its writing. I found this a chance missed to write something pretty unusual and gripping on what should have been an excellent concept.
My thanks to NetGalley and Little Orchard Publishing for this arc in exchange for an honest and unbiased review.

I mostly really enjoyed this! It's very funny, and has big Shaun of the Dead vibes, especially in the first half. I definitely related to Sam as an English neurodivergent person living in a time of, but also somewhat far-removed from multiple genocides and catastrophes. I'm not sure how broad the audience for this is. I can't imagine what it would be like to be from Egypt or Palestine reading this, or what the perspective of someone who has a positive relationship with God, or who has a religion with no Gods, or more than one God might be. I love the first person narrative and stream of consciousness writing style, but it limits the opportunities for worldbuilding quite a bit. In the end it was just a bit too bleak for me. It seems to imply that Sam's (neurodivergent) propensity for sameness and routine stops him from being able to grow, which isn't accurate at all. I was very tired when I was reading the end though, so this might be a bit of an ungenerous read. It's a shame that the end didn't quite work for me because I would say if you like a mix of dry British humor and dystopian fantastical elements, it's definitely still worth a go!

3.5 stars

I have mixed feelings about this book. At first I really enjoyed it, it’s a very different perspective on God, family and life. It’s got interesting insights and tells us about an awkward individual’s experience in getting through life day by day. And I particularly enjoyed his interactions with other people; his mum, his ex and Andy the gardener.

There are challenging subjects including religion, war, man’s greed and immigration. All of which are very topical and I found myself as conflicted as the protagonist at times.

I can’t say that I particularly enjoyed this book but I did find it interesting and thought provoking and very different as a subject matter.

Thanks to NetGalley and Little Orchard publishing for the opportunity to preview.

Requested this book as it sounded a bit different from the norm and Ohmigod it was. I managed just 5 chapters of the book as, by that time, it had "totally done my head in".

Hate having to write reviews like this but my review would not be honest if I did not.

I have no challenges with the concept of a deity coming down to earth and re-enacting aspects of the bible; just the style, the language and the banality. Have read many weird science fiction books that weave a better tale than Mr Asadi's.

Whilst the author asserts that all quotes are from the bible, he fails to mention which version(s) of the bible(s) and how much he has played with interpretation of those quotes.

In summary, Ohmigod did nothing for me; no smiles, no nods, no entertainment, nowt!

I read the reviews of the book and thought it would be an interesting read and was quite eager to get hold of it. But once I did I was slightly disappointed, it was about what it says on the tin, so to speak, God has come down to earth for a day and it’s about what he gets up to. What it didn’t say is that there was a lot of death and destruction in there.

God has decided that Palestine isn’t to his liking and destroys the country the entire country, killing thousands upon thousands of people. So there’s of course up roaring, and America goes to war bringing the UK and other countries with it. But unfortunately, they’re unable to kill God.

So, God brings his wrath upon America and hail fire and Brimstone on Nevada Las Vegas! Again killing thousands of people and destroying the country.

But the story is really about the guy who’s perspective we see God’s actions from and how he feels about the world in general. He thinks that life is social media and everything that social media entails. but then an angel, named John, comes down because obviously God has been killed by a little girl, read the book, and angels are falling from the sky. But when John dies his whole perspective on life and who he is as a person changes.

I would say the book was well written but it could’ve been better. The punctuation was terrible in places so obviously it wasn’t proofread. But otherwise it was an okay book to read but I still gave it three stars because the premise was good although I did feel a bit funny I guess reading it, because, it was about God and the negativity that he bought.