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mariyavd's review against another edition
3.0
After seeing all the good reviews I was excited to read thus book.... but I am a little disappointed. The main character wakes up, finds a dead body, but can't remember what happened. then he joins a cultish group and goes to a game show where the price is to stay alive. It felt like 3 different books. Really confusing, not that scary at all. I give an extra star for the narrator who did an amazing job, and kept it at least a little bit more entertaining.
Thank you to Netgalley for providing me with a copy of this audiobook.
Thank you to Netgalley for providing me with a copy of this audiobook.
tatyanavogt's review against another edition
4.0
Personal rating is a 3.5 or 3.75, not quite a four but I'm rounding up here.
Listened to the audiobook on NetGalley.
Well well, this was a wild weird ride. Dunno what to think about it. I do like the conversations about right and wrong and the grey in-between along with some of the other "bigger" conversations the book was having.
It did a good job of making everything feel a little crazy and it kept me interested in figuring out what the hell was going on. It was weird and probably wont be for everyone but the more I think about it, the more I think I liked it.
Listened to the audiobook on NetGalley.
Well well, this was a wild weird ride. Dunno what to think about it. I do like the conversations about right and wrong and the grey in-between along with some of the other "bigger" conversations the book was having.
It did a good job of making everything feel a little crazy and it kept me interested in figuring out what the hell was going on. It was weird and probably wont be for everyone but the more I think about it, the more I think I liked it.
justcallmeemily's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
A really good starting place if you're unsure about this series.
The audiobook has a really great narrator, I really enjoyed how every character had their own voice and the manner in which they spoke. Kept me hooked the whole time. I can admit, however, the book itself lost me at the 22% mark and didn't really get me again until closer to the 50% mark. It could have to do with me accidentally reading it out of order. Now after I finished reading it, I really want to go back through and read it in it's intended order.
I really enjoyed the writing style, how the whole time you're discovering things alongside the main character. Including who he is in general. I thought that was very clever and a breath of fresh air than any other book I have read.
All in all, I thought the book was very fun and unique. I had a lot of fun reading it and would recommend this to anyone who wants a book unlike anything I've seen before. And this author has a whole series I can assume is very similar in tone as this one!
The audiobook has a really great narrator, I really enjoyed how every character had their own voice and the manner in which they spoke. Kept me hooked the whole time. I can admit, however, the book itself lost me at the 22% mark and didn't really get me again until closer to the 50% mark. It could have to do with me accidentally reading it out of order. Now after I finished reading it, I really want to go back through and read it in it's intended order.
I really enjoyed the writing style, how the whole time you're discovering things alongside the main character. Including who he is in general. I thought that was very clever and a breath of fresh air than any other book I have read.
All in all, I thought the book was very fun and unique. I had a lot of fun reading it and would recommend this to anyone who wants a book unlike anything I've seen before. And this author has a whole series I can assume is very similar in tone as this one!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Murder, Addiction, Drug use, and Cursing
Moderate: Grief, Self harm, Body horror, Addiction, Gun violence, and Suicidal thoughts
Minor: Excrement, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Physical abuse, Emotional abuse, Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Suicide, Child death, Death of parent, Car accident, and Torture
becksbooks24's review against another edition
3.0
This was an interesting read!
I’m thankful NetGalley let me read this, I typically don’t read science fiction but I got pulled into this world that made me think about own sanity. You can feel the connection the characters have with one another so it makes this an easy read while all the twists and turns keep you guessing.
I’m thankful NetGalley let me read this, I typically don’t read science fiction but I got pulled into this world that made me think about own sanity. You can feel the connection the characters have with one another so it makes this an easy read while all the twists and turns keep you guessing.
taketwolu's review against another edition
This was a weird and trippy read. I was confused but also intrigued throughout to see where things would lead. I did enjoy the audiobook narration, however, I don’t think I fully grasped what was happening. This book wasn’t for me but others might enjoy it more! Thanks NetGalley for the arc!
hauntedvictoria24's review against another edition
5.0
I really enjoyed this book! The story progressed at a good pace and kept me interested the whole time. The narrator for the audio book did a fantastic job! I will definitely be reading more books by this author in the future. 10/10 Highly recommend!!
Special 'Thank You' to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for allowing me to listen to a copy of the audiobook before publication.
Special 'Thank You' to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for allowing me to listen to a copy of the audiobook before publication.
bookishtrina's review against another edition
5.0
Holus Bolus by William Pauley III is my favorite book in the Bedlam Bible series... well, I think I say that after I read each book in the series. Seems I love them all! The characters are freaking brilliant! Brilliant! Comical and delightfully strange, Holus Bolus is both brilliantly written and organically crafted. The narrator does impeccable character work and the cover is one of my favorites.
I received a review copy of this book from the author/publisher through NetGalley for my honest review. The opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own.
I received a review copy of this book from the author/publisher through NetGalley for my honest review. The opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own.
lackof_shelf_control's review against another edition
2.0
ғɪʀsᴛ, ɪ ᴡɪʟʟ sᴛᴀʀᴛ ᴏɴ ᴀ ᴘᴏsɪᴛɪᴠᴇ ɴᴏᴛᴇ- ᴛʜᴇ ɴᴀʀʀᴀᴛᴏʀ ᴡᴀs ᴠᴇʀʏ ᴇᴀsʏ ᴏɴ ᴛʜᴇ ᴇᴀʀs ᴀɴᴅ ᴅɪᴅ ᴀ ɢʀᴇᴀᴛ ᴊᴏʙ ᴏғ ᴄʜᴀɴɢɪɴɢ ʜɪs ᴠᴏɪᴄᴇs ғᴏʀ ᴅɪғғᴇʀᴇɴᴛ ᴄʜᴀʀᴀᴄᴛᴇʀs. ɪ ᴛʜɪɴᴋ ɪ ᴡᴏᴜʟᴅ ʜᴀᴠᴇ ʜᴀᴅ ᴀ ʜᴀʀᴅᴇʀ ᴛɪᴍᴇ ғɪɴɪsʜɪɴɢ ᴛʜɪs ʙᴏᴏᴋ ɪғ ɪᴛ ᴡᴀsɴ’ᴛ ʙᴇɪɴɢ ɴᴀʀʀᴀᴛᴇᴅ. ɪ ᴡᴀs ᴇxᴄɪᴛᴇᴅ ʙʏ ᴛʜᴇ ᴅᴇsᴄʀɪᴘᴛɪᴏɴ/ᴄᴏᴠᴇʀ ᴏғ ᴛʜɪs ʙᴏᴏᴋ ᴀɴᴅ ᴛʜᴀᴛ’s ᴡʜʏ ɪ ʀᴇǫᴜᴇsᴛᴇᴅ ɪᴛ. ɪ ᴀᴍ ᴀʟʟ ғᴏʀ ᴡᴇɪʀᴅ ᴀɴᴅ ᴛᴡɪsᴛʏ sᴄɪ-ғɪ ɴᴏᴠᴇʟs - ɪғ ᴅᴏɴᴇ ʀɪɢʜᴛ. ғᴏʀ ᴍᴇ, ᴛʜɪs ᴡᴀs ᴀʟʟ ᴏᴠᴇʀ ᴛʜᴇ ᴘʟᴀᴄᴇ. ɪ ᴅɪᴅɴ’ᴛ ғᴇᴇʟ ᴄᴏɴɴᴇᴄᴛᴇᴅ ᴛᴏ ᴛʜᴇ ᴄʜᴀʀᴀᴄᴛᴇʀs, sᴏ ᴛʜᴇ ɢᴀᴍᴇ sʜᴏᴡ ʙɪᴛ ᴅɪᴅɴ’ᴛ ʟᴀɴᴅ ʜᴏᴡ ɪᴛ sʜᴏᴜʟᴅ ʜᴀᴠᴇ. ɪ ᴅɪᴅɴ’ᴛ ʀᴇᴀʟʟʏ ᴄᴀʀᴇ ᴡʜᴀᴛ ʜᴀᴘᴘᴇɴᴇᴅ ᴛᴏ ᴀɴʏᴏɴᴇ, ᴡʜɪᴄʜ ɪs ɴᴇᴠᴇʀ ɢᴏᴏᴅ. ᴛʜᴇ ɢᴀᴍᴇ sʜᴏᴡ ᴘʟᴏᴛ ᴡᴀs ɪɴ ғᴀᴄᴛ ᴜɴɪǫᴜᴇ ᴀɴᴅ ɪ ʟɪᴋᴇᴅ ᴛʜᴇ ɪᴅᴇᴀ ᴏғ ᴛʜᴇ ʀᴇʟɪɢɪᴏᴜs ᴄᴜʟᴛ ᴏᴠᴇʀᴛᴏɴᴇs, ʙᴜᴛ ɪᴛ ᴅɪᴅɴ’ᴛ ғᴇᴇʟ ғᴜʟʟʏ ʀᴇᴀʟɪᴢᴇᴅ. ɪ ᴅᴏɴ’ᴛ ᴋɴᴏᴡ ɪғ ɪᴛ ɴᴇᴇᴅᴇᴅ ᴛᴏ ʙᴇ ʟᴏɴɢᴇʀ ғᴏʀ ᴍᴇ ᴛᴏ ʙᴇ ᴍᴏʀᴇ ᴄᴏᴍᴍɪᴛᴛᴇᴅ ᴛᴏ ɪᴛ ᴏʀ ɪғ ɪᴛ ᴊᴜsᴛ ᴡᴀs ɴᴇᴠᴇʀ ɢᴏɪɴɢ ᴛᴏ ᴡᴏʀᴋ ғᴏʀ ᴍᴇ. ᴛʜɪs ʙᴏᴏᴋ ɪs ᴘᴀʀᴛ ᴏғ ᴀ sᴇʀɪᴇs, sᴏ ɪ ᴛʜᴏᴜɢʜᴛ ᴛʜᴀᴛ ᴍᴀʏʙᴇ ᴛʜᴀᴛ ᴡᴀs ᴍʏ ᴍɪsᴛᴀᴋᴇ ʙʏ ʀᴇᴀᴅɪɴɢ ᴛʜɪs ᴀs ᴀ sᴛᴀɴᴅ ᴀʟᴏɴᴇ, ʙᴜᴛ ᴀғᴛᴇʀ ғᴜʀᴛʜᴇʀ ʀᴇsᴇᴀʀᴄʜ ᴛʜᴇʏ ᴀᴘᴘᴇᴀʀ ᴛᴏ ʙᴇ sᴇᴘᴀʀᴀᴛᴇ sᴛᴏʀɪᴇs ᴡɪᴛʜ ɪɴᴛᴇʀᴛᴡɪɴᴇᴅ ᴛʜᴇᴍᴇs. ᴏᴠᴇʀᴀʟʟ, ᴀ ᴜɴɪǫᴜᴇ sᴛᴏʀʏʟɪɴᴇ ᴡɪᴛʜ ɢʀᴇᴀᴛ ɴᴀʀʀᴀᴛɪᴏɴ, ʙᴜᴛ sᴜʙᴘᴀʀ ᴇxᴇᴄᴜᴛɪᴏɴ.
📖 ʜᴜɢᴇ ᴛʜᴀɴᴋ ʏᴏᴜ ᴛᴏ @netgalley ғᴏʀ ᴛʜɪs ᴀʀᴄ ᴄᴏᴘʏ ɪɴ ᴇxᴄʜᴀɴɢᴇ ғᴏʀ ᴀɴ ʜᴏɴᴇsᴛ ʀᴇᴠɪᴇᴡ
📖 ʜᴜɢᴇ ᴛʜᴀɴᴋ ʏᴏᴜ ᴛᴏ @netgalley ғᴏʀ ᴛʜɪs ᴀʀᴄ ᴄᴏᴘʏ ɪɴ ᴇxᴄʜᴀɴɢᴇ ғᴏʀ ᴀɴ ʜᴏɴᴇsᴛ ʀᴇᴠɪᴇᴡ
zeldazonks's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Was intrigued from the get go and listened to the audiobook in two sittings because I wanted to know what happened. I didn't realise until after that this was part 6 of a series, I'm definitely going to seek out the rest of the stories. It was a fun and interesting read. The audiobook narrator also did an amazing job with giving the characters distinct voices, it was very engaging and enjoyable. Had a similar vibe to Chuck Palahniuk and the movie Memento.
Received this from Net Galley in exchange for my honest review.
Received this from Net Galley in exchange for my honest review.
mikefromarkansas's review against another edition
4.0
Oh that damn purple tv is back! I know my mind is going to do mental flip flops when I read anything by William Pauley III. This was no exception. We start with a corpse. The flesh is falling of the bones like clumpy jelly. Isn’t that a nice image? We meet many different characters. The protagonist has a sidekick giving him advice while living in his head. The residence of this building find themselves on a game show like no other game show. Make a wrong move and you’re dead. The audience wants blood. The game is intense as some lose and others move to the next round all trying to get to Holus Bolus. The ending just seems right, the way it should end. If you like your thrillers and horror stories to be a little tilted, you will love this book. I did and I highly recommend. The narrator, Connor Brannigan, is top notch and I still think William Pauley III is a genius.
I want to thank NetGalley and Doom Fiction audio for a copy of this audiobook. This review is given voluntarily and the honest thoughts and opinions in this review are my own.
I want to thank NetGalley and Doom Fiction audio for a copy of this audiobook. This review is given voluntarily and the honest thoughts and opinions in this review are my own.