If you watch my videos regularly, there’s a good chance you’ve noticed this one sitting very near the top of my TBR pile. The neon green of the cover is hard to miss. I picked this up back in February when filming my video on Newtonville Books in Newton, MA. It’s been “next up” in my queue for much of that time, but then kept getting bumped for books with reading deadlines. This month, I applied for fewer ARC (advanced reader copy) opportunities specifically to make time for my physical book collection. After finally reading this one, I have zero regrets.

Summary

Abbott isn’t sure yet where his life is going. In fact, he’s not positive it’s begun yet, although his age tells him he’s an adult. He still lives at his dad’s house outside Los Angeles to save on rent, making what money he can by streaming online and driving for Lyft. His days feel monotonous and isolated.

That is, until he picks up a passenger while working who throws into question everything he knows about reality. She calls herself Ether and she has a job to do too. She’s being paid to transport a large, sealed, black case. No one has told her what is inside, and the box must remain sealed all the way to its destination outside Washington, D.C.

The payout will be huge for the both of them, but there are stipulations on the deal. They cannot open the box, and must perform the delivery covertly. Electronic devices and other means of tracking need to be left behind. For the first time in his life, Abbott will need to leave his phone and computer behind. As a result, he’ll be subjected to reality in a way that he’s never before experienced, and may not be prepared for.

My Thoughts:

I knew I was going to love this book before it even hit the shelves. Jason Pargin is one of my favorite living authors. I’ve been following his work since he was writing under the pseudonym David Wong as a senior editor on Cracked. I’ve covered a few of his other books on here as well. This one is a standalone, and therefore a great place to start if you haven’t read his writing before. For me, it was absolutely a five-star read and I cannot recommend this one highly enough.

Pargin built his reputation and following on his sense of humor in his writing. His ability to induce laughter with his books is up there with Douglas Adams. In his series John Dies at the End, I’ve compared his horror writing to Lovecraft. I’ve also used George Carlin as a comparison for Pargin’s social commentary. It’s the latter aspect that has come to the forefront in this title. While it’s certainly a thriller that will both raise your adrenaline and get you laughing, the way it can fundamentally shift your perspective of the modern world is its lasting impression.

I’ve always been impressed by Pargin’s insight into the human mind and human behavior. Beyond that, he has a true gift of explaining the hard truths in a way readers will actually enjoy hearing them. At times, you’ll learn difficult life lessons almost passively while your attention is on a hilarious scenario. It’s not until later that you’ll begin questioning all the choices you’ve made in your life and what you need to do next. Those moments could potentially become uncomfortable, but I firmly believe they are worth it. If enough people read this book, I truly believe it has the capacity to make the world a better place. I know at the least, a hefty percentage of them would come to understand the power and control over their lives they truly have and the incredible ways those can be exercised.

I also want to note that there was some excellent and much-needed disability representation in this book as well. At one point in my life, I relied on mobility aids including a wheelchair. There were a couple of moments where I teared up at the portrayal of the character in a wheelchair and his relationship with his sister. I am extremely grateful to Pargin for including it.

Content Warnings: Graphic Descriptions of Violence & Injuries, Vehicle Collisions, Blood, Gun Violence, Panic Disorders, Bullying, Sexual Harassment, Sexism, Political Extremism, Terrorism, Fire & Burn Injuries, Drug & Alcohol Use, Non-Graphic Sexual Content & Mentions of Sex Work, Classism & Inequality

After I Finished I’m Starting to Worry About This Black Box of Doom

One of the downsides of finishing such a good book is that sometimes the next feels underwhelming by comparison. Luckily, I’ve managed to avoid that outcome this time. I dove into an advance reader copy that sounded delightfully creepy and fantastical per its synopsis. I was already eager to read it before I saw who the author was. She’d previously worked on other stories I’d loved including Goosebumps and The Legend of Korra. I’m almost 100 pages in and thoroughly hooked. If it continues in this vein, I’ll have another very positive review coming within the next few days.

My next review will be for House of the Beast by Michelle Wong.