A Glitch in the Matrix: Tales of the Unexplainable Unreal by Jessica Castro
Narrated by Jessica Castro

⭐️⭐️⭐️

This book had so much potential, but unfortunately, it fell a bit flat. As an avid podcast listener and lover of all things spooky, I was excited to dive into this.

What I was expecting: a collection of the TikToker’s most intriguing and unique cases, with in-depth commentary on each. I hoped for an intro and conclusion before and after each story, with insights like Castro’s personal reactions, maybe a spooky rating, or possible explanations for the events.

What I got: essentially, a back-to-back reading of audience-submitted stories, with little commentary and no real structure other than loosely themed chapters.

The stories themselves are interesting, but I wanted more involvement from the author. This book would be more accurately labeled as “compiled by” or “edited by” since Castro doesn’t add much beyond curating the collection.

Still, I’d recommend it to anyone who enjoys spooky stories or unexplainable events—just know going in that it’s light on author interaction. I can see why Castro’s approach works so well on TikTok, where she can share a story within a short time frame before moving on to the next. Unfortunately, that style doesn’t translate as effectively into book format.

I’d definitely give her work another shot if she writes another book; next time, though, I’d love to see more of her in it.


Thank you to #MacmillanAudio & #NetGalley for the ALC in exchange for my honest review.

This book is a wild bit of fun! I listened to this one on my morning commute and it had me freaked out most of the time! If you are looking for an easy read/listen that features some spooky and mind-bending real-world occurrences, this is the book for you!

This book took my by surprise. It is all about all the secret conversations you have with friends. Those conversations about what reality and what life is all about. Or better said, seeing the patterns in systems.
Truly captivating book!

Meh. This book just didn't do it for me.

I read the description before requesting it, but I guess I didn't read it closely enough because what I got was not what I was expecting.

I suppose I was looking for a more scientific exploration of weird phenomena like the Mandela Effect, deja vu, and close encounters. This, though, was really just a compilation of submitted stories from people off the internet claiming to have had supernatural experiences.

To me, that's no different than campfire tales. You can choose to suspend disbelief and accept them as true, or you can enjoy them for what they most likely are -- interesting stories. (And in a few cases, these stories didn't even meet that criteria.)

I'm the kind of person who believes the supernatural COULD exist. But I have had no encounters of my own (beyond a few premonition-like dreams) and have never found credible proof that it does. So when I read books like this, I want some kind of science that gives me a reason to believe.

This just wasn't it.

Tiktok star Jessica Castro (aka Auntie Matrix) takes readers on a journey through supernatural, paranormal, and inexplicable experiences that have been submitted by her followers to share with the world. The ability to share these encounters in a non-judgmental, supportive space where both the person submitting the story and those listening to the story feel seen and not dismissed is a key to the author's success, but it does make critique of this audiobook tricky. I have no reason to disbelieve what these folks experienced even though I cannot relate to any of it, but there is a sameness to the stories that may be successful when it comes across a Tiktok feed but gets wearying during an extended listening session. That being said, there are some real doozies in here that are worth the price of admission and will have you rethinking using a Ouija board or having a mirror facing your bed.

There is no way Jessica Castro couldn't be the narrator of the audiobook, and her exceedingly normal, everyday voice makes it feel safe to listen to these stories and helps to avoid the trap of sensationalizing what these folks have been through. However, that sameness of the stories is made heavier by her matter-of-fact approach to reading them. They start literally sounding the same by the last part of the book. However, if you threw in spooky musics and/or sound effects and had more of a "performer" narrating the stories, it would cheapen the experiences of those who trusted her to share them with the world.

This a great listen for anyone who wants to believe, does believe, or just wants to hear about paranormal encounters.

Many thanks to Macmillan Audio and Netgalley for providing a copy of the audiobook for review purposes. My opinions are my own.

First, I’d never heard of this podcast before, but now I’m very curious about it and want to check it out. But I love hearing about people’s strange encounters with paranormal activity. So I was very excited to listen to this one. However, it was a little hard to listen to, because the stories all kind of blended together. So it was hard to know if a new story was starting if you missed that quick intro. Some kind of buffer between stories would have made that easier.

This book wasn’t quite something I wanted to binge read, and don’t necessarily recommend it that way either. A podcast definitely seems like it would be better to listen to, but having it in an accessible book form is nice, too. This would be one I’d love to have a physical copy of, too.

Thanks to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for the audiobook ARC.

My issue with this book is not with the subject matter, but with the fact that it hardly seems to qualify as a book. The author has simply cut and pasted emails sent to her by people with their crazy stories. Even the categories that the book is divided into seem to be arbitrary, as they all contain the same types of stories (haunted house, paranormal experiences, possession, etc). I found it hard to remember that this was a book and not just the transcript of a late night spooky call-in show...

A Glitch in the Matrix is a collection of viewer-submitted stories of freaky and unexplained experiences collected and read by podcaster and social media star Jessica Castro. Think of it as Creepypasta for the Soul.

The stories are generally short, about 5-8 minutes long, and sorted loosely into eight sections with names like “Weird Vibes” and “It Wasn’t a Dream,” with maybe 5-8 stories in each group.

It’s unclear how much editing has gone into the stories included, but it seems like Castro is reading them pretty much as they were submitted. That said, I would consider Castro the editor and performer of this collection, but not really the author (except for the introduction). Admittedly, Castro’s voice is pretty easy on the ears, and she definitively captures the emotion and drama of the first-person stories.

Overall, though, I struggled to stay engaged from beginning to end. I recognize that this is my own personal issue with collections, but I think there needs to be some sense of progression across collected stories.

All this said, I am now following Jessica Castro on TikTok (@tessicavision). I’ll happily listen to her tell others’ horror stories on occasion, but not for six hours straight lol. This collection is best sampled, rather than binged.

Full review on Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/6793266155

A Glitch in the Matrix reads similar to a podcast. Jessica Castro has put together a collection of creepy stories that cover a range of categories including ghosts, time warps, night-walkers, demons and other weird stories.

I have listened to creepy podcasts for years and haven’t come across Auntie Matrix before. I’m also not on TikTok, so that probably explains it. I am, however, a sucker for anything that falls into the spooky realm!

Castro has a great voice for audiobook and provides us with a wide range of stories. Quite of a few of them felt too short or ended abruptly, but I did enjoy the book as a whole! I will especially remember the “Dream Demon.” I would highly recommend this as a running companion. There is nothing better than a run in the woods with some creepy story-telling to pass the time! I plan to listen to her short stories in podcast form in the future!

Thank you to NetGalley, Macmillan Audio, and the author and narrator Jessica Castro for an ALC of A Glitch in the Matrix!

This is, honestly, quite generic creepypasta. I was hoping for stories that would really challenge people's beliefs, but most of these can be easily explained with sleep paralysis and/or vivid dreams. The author compiled the stories without adding insightful commentary, context, or research. It's a pretty lazy way to write a book that exploits the generosity of other people sharing their stories.

For the most part, I enjoyed listening to A Glitch in the Matrix! At times I felt that the stories selected were a bit too repetitive, so I wish there had been a bit more diversity in paranormal experiences that were represented in the selections. But there were many that will stay with me for a long, long time. I also at times felt that the narrator was a bit too upbeat in storytelling, and the book could have benefited from a bit more of a dramatic and dark approach to narration. (Disclaimer: I'm not familiar with Auntie Matrix from TikTok, I just saw the title and the synopsis and knew it was something I wanted to try -- so I'm wondering if that's just her upbeat personality at all times and a permanent approach to sharing these stories)

This was my first time hearing about Auntie Matrix, and with this audiobook she has found herself a new subscriber! This audiobook is a collection of stories that go from ghosts, demons, aliens, the unknown and unexplainable, just my cup of tea! She has an inviting and soothing voice that keeps you engaged. I enjoyed most of the stories, some straight down creepy and believable and others you can tell they were an attempt at a spooky reddit post. She kept me engaged and wondering what the next story was going to be. I enjoyed this audiobook that felt like a good podcast. And like I mentioned, she has found herself a new subscriber! This audiobook is wrongly put into the religious tab and is rightfully towards sci fi, occult or horror/thriller. Thank you NetGalley for the opportunity to listen to this audiobook!

Thoroughly enjoyed this book. As someone who grew up in a haunted house, I love reading other people's haunting stories. It's not something you just talk about with anyone in general. I especially loved the glitches in the matrix stories as some of those things have happened to me as well, and it's just nice knowing I'm not alone lol. So glad she wrote this book and I look forward to more from this author.

Review of “A Glitch in the Matrix: Tales of the Unexplainable Unreal”

By: Jessica Castro

Available September 10/2024

Check it Out on Goodreads!!

Disclaimer: Please note that I received an Audio ARC from NetGalley and Macmillan Audio in exchange for an honest and unbiased review.

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

A Glitch in the Matrix by Jessica Castro is a captivating collection that delivers a spine-chilling journey into the paranormal and unexplained. Narrated by TikTok’s beloved Auntie Matrix, the book presents a series of eerie, mind-bending stories that challenge our understanding of reality. Each tale is filled with unsettling moments that make you question whether the world we know is as stable as we believe. The book is not just a compilation of creepy stories but also offers intriguing commentary on how time and reality might operate beyond our perception. It’s a must-read for anyone fascinated by the weird, the wonderful, and the downright spooky. I found myself completely absorbed, savoring every tale and eager for more.

Get it at…

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🎧 - Audio - 🎧

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