Thanks to NetGalley and Unbound for the ARC.

While I really enjoyed it, I can see how this book can be for a very specific taste. It's untraditional in its physical format; while alternating between two main characters in drastically different worlds, it also uses images of an advertising section of a strange newspaper, and later, there's chapters that repeat and surround the narrative -literally- in darkness, just the word darkness. I think I get the story, and I like the use of body horror in a satire on capitalism and bureaucracy. Noah's side of the story is relatable, having done the janitorial work before, and gone through that desperate job search for something margianlly better. As bizarre and nonsensical as Malachia's world is, there is a sense of logic to it that I loved digging into. I kinda wish it were a bit longer, specifically with the ending. It feels like it ended when the plot was about 75% through, and then implied the rest of the adventure in the three corporate letters discussing the main characters. I'm not entirely clear on what happened, and it would have been more satisfying to continue reading it from their perspective. If you don't mind the abstract formatting, I'd definitely recommend this one.

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Check out this review of Hot Singles in Your Area on Fable. https://fable.co/review/e69378b4-d6e0-4a1c-872d-5b42a9a41192/share

Thank you Netgalley for giving me the opportunity to read and review this book. These opinions are completely my own

I got a What we do in the Shadows vibe from the book and I kinda love it. The ads are entertaining as is the addition of comical subtexts. I enjoyed reading.

I was drawn in by the cover and the description, however I found this book incredibly hard to follow. I want to like this book but I have really struggled to finish the book which is disappointing considering its length.

A fever dream. I’ve just stepped out of a fever dream.

This is my favourite kind of book. I love feeling 17 emotions at once and not knowing which one compels me most.

Jordan Shiveley has managed to create a completely unhinged and unrealistic world that was entirely relatable.

I’ll leave this review with one of my favourite lines “What the fuck had happened? He let out a long groan as images of… Had he deep throated a mouth-demon dick? Talk about your high-school fanfics that you never thought would get onto and off of your bucket list in the same day.”

Thank you Net Galley for the ARC, I can’t wait to add this to my collection.

This book was definitely not what I thought it was going to be. I enjoyed it. If I see it in stores when it’s released I’ll pick up a copy.

This was very difficult to read as nothing seems to make sense, very disjointed. Unfortunately very messy I did not enjoy reading this book.

I was drawn in by the bright and eye catching cover, as it looked interesting - a horror comedy! I was not disappointed, this book felt very much like a grown up Goosebumps book, bringing me back to my childhood hiding under the covers with a torch to find out what happened next. It was a fun, weird and wonderful tale over the 2 worlds colliding in disgusting and funny ways.
Perfect book for the spooky season coming up

This was a hard book to get through. The chapters with Noah were okay for the most part but I barely understood the ones with Malachia. The stories in the adverts were interesting but even they would cut off after the section was done and I kept feeling like I was in the dark about where the story was headed. As much as I appreciate originality I didn’t get this book at all.

I’m not sure what I just read but it isn’t for me. The many interrupted pages with random partial pages of newspapers just seemed to fill up space and honestly just made me not want to continue reading.

I found myself absolutely not into the stories, the characters and not entirely sure what the purpose of the story was.

Thanks to NetGalley for the opportunity to read this arc in exchange for my honest review.

This is a strange experience. Shiveley’s writing style is distinct, comedic, and makes for an enjoyable read. The novella takes readers on a twisted journey through parallel universes, where two imperfect characters Noah and Malachia navigate a hidden world controlled by a malevolent media powerhouse. Along the way, they encounter magic typewriters, screaming forests, and queer romances. However, despite its intriguing premise, the book falls short with pacing issues and a lack of emotional depth.

I have never been more confused while trying to read a book. Was this even a book? The footnotes were weird. The characters stories didn’t seem to go together (felt like reading parts of two different books). I hope this gets a lot of editing before the final release.

The cover got me, but this isn't the kind of absurd horror I enjoy. The writing style didn't work for me at all. I like to think there's an audience for this novella because it's not without its potential, but it wasn't for me.

I normally really enjoy a bizarre horror with an unreliable narrator and creepy vibes, and I was drawn to this book by the gorgeous cover and the interesting premise, however I could not get along with it at all. I found it confusing to read, the way the sentences were written was difficult to follow and a lot of what I assume was meant to be humour or the characters personality felt forced and unnatural.

Unfortunately, I would not recommend this book. Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with an eARC.

It's a tough one to describe. Maybe like if The Hitchhiker's Guide and The Ministry of Time had a horrorific baby with multiple rows of teeth?

Corporate humour with corpses.

The premise and humour are definitely my jam, but I found the execution a bit off. The first few chapters are a lot. I powered through knowing things usually gets easier when reading a book like this. I did find it tiring after a while and ended up skimming a couple pages. It feels overly quirky without needing to be, and the jokes don't pay off.

Thanks so much to NetGalley and Unbound for an ARC of Hot Singles in Your Area by Jordan Shiveley.

Rating: 5/5

Spectacular Book. I absolutely loved it. This smart and unique blend of fantasy and horror is one of the most enjoyable reading experiences I’ve had this year. It’s unlike anything I’ve read before. If you’re a fan of films like Sorry to Bother You and Beetlejuice, you’re going to want this one!

This book’s cover is what drew me in to request it and the book itself is eerie and interesting but I’m not too sure it was for me.

The pictures interrupted the flow of the story due to their placement, feel like they should only be at the beginning or the end of a chapter. I’m also not too sure on the structure of the writing, the characters were intriguing but the story lost me abit at points due to the flow/structure of the story.

Unfortunately I've tried a few times and I wasn't able to finish this book. I'm not sure if it's because the format of all the clippings and graphics work too well on an e-reader and I wonder if I would appreciate it more in a physical format.

The unusual and creepy cover was what originally pulled me towards 'Hot Singles in Your Area', then it was the blurb that sold me. Unfortunately, this novel did not live up to the expectations. I felt like this novel tried to take a Douglas Adams and David Wong approach, but it just left me confused and sometimes disorientated.

This novel did not have a good structure or flow to it. Oftentimes it made very little sense. There were two separate stories being told, both at different paces, and it was unfortunate how messy and confusing the entire story became when the two protagonists paths crossed. I

I really wished this novel was a more enjoyable read for me as the universe has so much potential. The world building just was not there. There are unusual characters, gods, different universes/dimensions that are not described well, leaving the readers very confused.

I wish I was writing a more positive review. Maybe this novel just wasn't for me, but as a huge D, Adams and D. Wong fan, I just don't think this quirky, horror, science fiction story was built up very well.

Thank you so much to Netgalley for an ARC of this novel in exchange for an honest review.

Thanks to NetGalley for my ARC

The cover is awesome. That's about it.
I do not have the patience to read these weird experimental books.

"Hot Singles in Your Area" by Jordan Shiveley is a brilliant and eerie collection of short horror stories that blend dark humor with unsettling twists. Each story is cleverly written, keeping you on edge while delivering unexpected laughs. A perfect read for those who enjoy their horror with a side of wit.