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draculaura21's review against another edition
dark
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
fast-paced
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
3.25
What a quirky little book. The short chapters made it easy to read and added to the whimsy of each page. It's straight-out-the-gate wackiness made it a little confusing and difficult to get into, but once I embraced it, it became exponentially more enjoyable. I look forward to the rest of the Kelly Driscoll series and wish I could get hold of some Cluck Snack Krispy Baked B'nana Bits for Dogs and Ferrets ("Can Be Used As Cereal!")
shelvesofsecrets's review
3.0
Please don't read this book if you don't have a sense of humour. The people who will enjoy this book the most are those people with a zany, off-kilter sense of humour.
I really loved the idea of this book. A bunch of fallen angels and monsters trying to exist within the confines of a condo. Having recently moved to a condo for the first time and now having to deal with condo regulations etc, I can see where this could become very funny. Add a kick-butt female lead and a whole lotta random and you have the Last Condo Board of the Apocalypse in a nutshell.
For me, the first half of this book was a bit slow and maybe distracted, but it picked up steam in the 2nd half (the really turning point takes place in a periodontal clinic). It was a little too random for my taste, but if that's your style, you will love it!
My favourite part of the book was the Single Purpose Angels (SPs). They are so adorable! And they sure do love them some Cluck Snacks! They have one purpose and one purpose only, to which they are entirely devoted, such as HVAC systems or the 3 o'clock hour.
Also, the author, Nina Post, is super cool, so check her out on twitter!
Favourite Scene:
The scene where Kelly and Af ride the elevator up and down repeatedly while drinking margaritas.
Favourite Character:
Tubiel, single purpose angel of returning small pet birds to their owners and all-around cutie!
I really loved the idea of this book. A bunch of fallen angels and monsters trying to exist within the confines of a condo. Having recently moved to a condo for the first time and now having to deal with condo regulations etc, I can see where this could become very funny. Add a kick-butt female lead and a whole lotta random and you have the Last Condo Board of the Apocalypse in a nutshell.
For me, the first half of this book was a bit slow and maybe distracted, but it picked up steam in the 2nd half (the really turning point takes place in a periodontal clinic). It was a little too random for my taste, but if that's your style, you will love it!
My favourite part of the book was the Single Purpose Angels (SPs). They are so adorable! And they sure do love them some Cluck Snacks! They have one purpose and one purpose only, to which they are entirely devoted, such as HVAC systems or the 3 o'clock hour.
Also, the author, Nina Post, is super cool, so check her out on twitter!
Favourite Scene:
The scene where Kelly and Af ride the elevator up and down repeatedly while drinking margaritas.
Favourite Character:
Tubiel, single purpose angel of returning small pet birds to their owners and all-around cutie!
foiltheplot's review
3.0
Full Review at Foil the Plot
To be honest, I wasn't sure how I was going to write this review because Last Condo Board of the Apocalypse was, by far, the strangest book I've ever read. And it wasn't just strange, it was, like, really bad acid trip strange. The entire time I contemplated banishing it to the dreaded DNF pile because I had no idea what the hell was going on. But for some reason, I couldn't. Every time I thought I wanted out, it sucked me right back in. And here's the odd thing --- the more I read the it, the more I thought about it, the more I liked it. This wasn't an immediate revelation by any means, but after several days of digesting the book, it grew on me.
Last Condo Board of the Apocalypse was absurd, it was confusing and it was incredibly abstract. But while it is all of these things, it is also lighthearted and curiously entertaining. The book verges somewhere between controlled chaos and total disorganization, often becoming hard to follow. It took me awhile to really grasp what was going on, and at times, the formatting made it hard to understand exactly who was doing the talking. The story is multi-directional with several small sub-plots threatening to take over. But what I really liked was that the book's insanity isn't there for no good reason. It serves as a device to make a smart social commentary and showcase Post's sharp wit.
Kelly Driscoll is a Private Investigator hired to figure out who, among all the fallen angels bound to Amenity Tower (a condo), is going to bring about the apocalypse and total destruction of Pothole City. Also, she's looking for her parents' murderer. During her search, Kelly teams up with some single-purpose angels and the ever-passive Angel of Death of Mortals, Af. We're also introduced to Murray, Kelly's boss' right-hand man. He pretty much delivers her the assignments and explains the rules. Then there's Tubiel, "Angel of Returning Small Birds To Their Owners," who is more like the "Teller" to Murray's "Penn." He's got a lot of personality for someone so quiet and small. Insert a series of ridiculous hijinks and crazy-ass half-human, half-monsters and there you have it. Only it's not quite that simple. Post uses things like the condo board meetings and sub-committees to poke fun at the every day mundane. I mean, who ever heard of a sub-comittee of creating an escape plan? Her writing, obscure as it is, is highly observant.
I really got a kick out of the funny chapter titles which come directly from a line or thought a particular character has in the chapter. They speak volumes about the story and its personalities. And of the characters, I think my favourites were Kelly, who is no stranger to the strange and Af. Kelly is strong, defiant and sarcastic. Af, on the other hand, is passive and content (for the most part) with his situation:
"He would really prefer to do quiet things indoors that didn't involve massive destruction or the deaths of humans." (pg.50)
There is a hint of a love connection between Af and Kelly but it doesn't envelop the story. It's more of an innocent flirtation than anything and I loved the slight tension in their interactions.
I guess my biggest issue with the book, though, was the pacing. The story takes awhile to climax and when it does, it's over a bit too quickly. Luckily, brevity is in its corner and once you've grasped the rules of Post's fantasy world, it becomes far easier to navigate through it. Last Condo Board of the Apocalypse was an unexpected read that left me muddled and confused by the end --- not because of the storyline but because I wasn't sure how I felt about it. I will say this, after a few weeks of thinking on it, my feelings have gone from somewhat sour to total appreciation. If anything, Last Condo Board of the Apocalypse wins the award for my most memorable read of 2013.
To be honest, I wasn't sure how I was going to write this review because Last Condo Board of the Apocalypse was, by far, the strangest book I've ever read. And it wasn't just strange, it was, like, really bad acid trip strange. The entire time I contemplated banishing it to the dreaded DNF pile because I had no idea what the hell was going on. But for some reason, I couldn't. Every time I thought I wanted out, it sucked me right back in. And here's the odd thing --- the more I read the it, the more I thought about it, the more I liked it. This wasn't an immediate revelation by any means, but after several days of digesting the book, it grew on me.
Last Condo Board of the Apocalypse was absurd, it was confusing and it was incredibly abstract. But while it is all of these things, it is also lighthearted and curiously entertaining. The book verges somewhere between controlled chaos and total disorganization, often becoming hard to follow. It took me awhile to really grasp what was going on, and at times, the formatting made it hard to understand exactly who was doing the talking. The story is multi-directional with several small sub-plots threatening to take over. But what I really liked was that the book's insanity isn't there for no good reason. It serves as a device to make a smart social commentary and showcase Post's sharp wit.
Kelly Driscoll is a Private Investigator hired to figure out who, among all the fallen angels bound to Amenity Tower (a condo), is going to bring about the apocalypse and total destruction of Pothole City. Also, she's looking for her parents' murderer. During her search, Kelly teams up with some single-purpose angels and the ever-passive Angel of Death of Mortals, Af. We're also introduced to Murray, Kelly's boss' right-hand man. He pretty much delivers her the assignments and explains the rules. Then there's Tubiel, "Angel of Returning Small Birds To Their Owners," who is more like the "Teller" to Murray's "Penn." He's got a lot of personality for someone so quiet and small. Insert a series of ridiculous hijinks and crazy-ass half-human, half-monsters and there you have it. Only it's not quite that simple. Post uses things like the condo board meetings and sub-committees to poke fun at the every day mundane. I mean, who ever heard of a sub-comittee of creating an escape plan? Her writing, obscure as it is, is highly observant.
I really got a kick out of the funny chapter titles which come directly from a line or thought a particular character has in the chapter. They speak volumes about the story and its personalities. And of the characters, I think my favourites were Kelly, who is no stranger to the strange and Af. Kelly is strong, defiant and sarcastic. Af, on the other hand, is passive and content (for the most part) with his situation:
"He would really prefer to do quiet things indoors that didn't involve massive destruction or the deaths of humans." (pg.50)
There is a hint of a love connection between Af and Kelly but it doesn't envelop the story. It's more of an innocent flirtation than anything and I loved the slight tension in their interactions.
I guess my biggest issue with the book, though, was the pacing. The story takes awhile to climax and when it does, it's over a bit too quickly. Luckily, brevity is in its corner and once you've grasped the rules of Post's fantasy world, it becomes far easier to navigate through it. Last Condo Board of the Apocalypse was an unexpected read that left me muddled and confused by the end --- not because of the storyline but because I wasn't sure how I felt about it. I will say this, after a few weeks of thinking on it, my feelings have gone from somewhat sour to total appreciation. If anything, Last Condo Board of the Apocalypse wins the award for my most memorable read of 2013.
bibliobabe94's review against another edition
3.0
Terrific imaginative romp through a building filled with angels and monsters, and if that isn't bad enough, a true condo board from hell. Looking forward to future entries in the series. If you enjoy A. Lee Martinez, you'll love this!
urlphantomhive's review against another edition
4.0
3.5 Stars
This is one of the most absurd books I've read but I enjoyed it a lot.
Kelly hunts monsters and fallen angels for a living, but the job isn't the same any more and vampire hunting is the new best thing. When she takes a job to find a fallen angel in a large condo in Pothole City she does so in the most ridiculous disguises. Along the way she promotes several Cluck Snack products and meets a Condo board not only planning the next renovation but also the Apocalypse.
It is so weird, but so much fun. I can't really tell too much about it, because it won't make any sense unless you've read the book. The Single Purposes really stole my heart (some of them anyway). If you're looking for some rather absurd urban fantasy which is definitely different from the last thing you've read, give The Last Condo Board of the Apocalypse a try.
Thanks to the publisher for providing me with a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!
This is one of the most absurd books I've read but I enjoyed it a lot.
Kelly hunts monsters and fallen angels for a living, but the job isn't the same any more and vampire hunting is the new best thing. When she takes a job to find a fallen angel in a large condo in Pothole City she does so in the most ridiculous disguises. Along the way she promotes several Cluck Snack products and meets a Condo board not only planning the next renovation but also the Apocalypse.
It is so weird, but so much fun. I can't really tell too much about it, because it won't make any sense unless you've read the book. The Single Purposes really stole my heart (some of them anyway). If you're looking for some rather absurd urban fantasy which is definitely different from the last thing you've read, give The Last Condo Board of the Apocalypse a try.
Thanks to the publisher for providing me with a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!
tellemonstar's review against another edition
3.0
Review here: http://blog.butterflytempest.net/book-review-the-last-condo-board-of-the-apocalypse/
dtaylorbooks's review against another edition
How did we end up here?
Curiosity Quills, publisher of my beloved STEIN & CANDLE books, had a sale around the new year but the titles weren’t available for me to buy for my device. An email later and I had a pile of digital books in my inbox, THE LAST CONDO BOARD OF THE APOCALYPSE being one of them.
I like funky books. Sean Beaudoin is one of my favorite residents of Funky Town and his books span the gamut from total mind fuck to quirktastic. So yeah, LAST CONDO sounded a bit out there but I like that kind of thing so I figured why not give it a try?
Yeah. It was a bit TOO out there for me. Really, it was a veritable abortion of ideas onto the page and it seemed like the author had a really hard time zeroing in on any one thing. The plot had ADHD with its own elements, getting distracted by each shiny (feathery, slimly, whatever) new object that kept crossing its path, detracting it from its ultimate goal.
The book opens up to a scene that is ultimately irrelevant to the greater plot but is meant to set the tone for what Kelly does. Except the characters, the circumstances and the setting were so incredibly outlandish that I didn’t know what was going on until it was over. Something about a sad cowboy painting and some kind of animal looking for its return. I don’t know. And then the “plot” started getting going with Kelly’s assignment but, like I said, every turn she made she was distracted by something. Like the author wanted to get in as much quirk as humanly possible so instead of putting her character’s nose to the grindstone it was “OH LOOK! Something new! Let’s focus here for a moment . . .” It got annoying fast and I quickly lost my patience with trying to get everything straight. I lasted about 45 pages before I gave up trying to keep it all together.
It really just felt like it was trying too hard. It kept screaming I AM QUIRKY! LOOK AT ME! LOOK HOW QUIRKY I AM! I think I would have liked it more had it not been so outlandish and over-the-top ridiculous. I can dig quirk and noir and funk but authors need to be careful because that line can be toed really easily. It was kicked here.
Curiosity Quills, publisher of my beloved STEIN & CANDLE books, had a sale around the new year but the titles weren’t available for me to buy for my device. An email later and I had a pile of digital books in my inbox, THE LAST CONDO BOARD OF THE APOCALYPSE being one of them.
I like funky books. Sean Beaudoin is one of my favorite residents of Funky Town and his books span the gamut from total mind fuck to quirktastic. So yeah, LAST CONDO sounded a bit out there but I like that kind of thing so I figured why not give it a try?
Yeah. It was a bit TOO out there for me. Really, it was a veritable abortion of ideas onto the page and it seemed like the author had a really hard time zeroing in on any one thing. The plot had ADHD with its own elements, getting distracted by each shiny (feathery, slimly, whatever) new object that kept crossing its path, detracting it from its ultimate goal.
The book opens up to a scene that is ultimately irrelevant to the greater plot but is meant to set the tone for what Kelly does. Except the characters, the circumstances and the setting were so incredibly outlandish that I didn’t know what was going on until it was over. Something about a sad cowboy painting and some kind of animal looking for its return. I don’t know. And then the “plot” started getting going with Kelly’s assignment but, like I said, every turn she made she was distracted by something. Like the author wanted to get in as much quirk as humanly possible so instead of putting her character’s nose to the grindstone it was “OH LOOK! Something new! Let’s focus here for a moment . . .” It got annoying fast and I quickly lost my patience with trying to get everything straight. I lasted about 45 pages before I gave up trying to keep it all together.
It really just felt like it was trying too hard. It kept screaming I AM QUIRKY! LOOK AT ME! LOOK HOW QUIRKY I AM! I think I would have liked it more had it not been so outlandish and over-the-top ridiculous. I can dig quirk and noir and funk but authors need to be careful because that line can be toed really easily. It was kicked here.
sionna's review against another edition
*I received this book through Netgalley in exchange for a honest review*
DNF @ 70%
Alright, I just want the record to show, that I really did try. When I DNF books I usually stop before 20%, so I think I did really good. If I get this far though, I usually finish.... It's just there I was at 9pm groaning over how I had no idea what was going on and my skimming wasn't working because I'd be even more lost. Usually if I am trying to get through a book I'm not liking I can skim and get the basic parts... NO I'd go back read a page again and still be totally confused.
I do enjoy random humor and ridiculous concepts even, which this book was full of. Angels are banished to a luxurious condo. Yet, I personally need something to hold on to-- I need a straight man (not gender but comedy-wise) who is going WTF?! or some explanation : are these monsters normal? does the world know there is an apocalypse coming? do cops not investigate missing pizza delivery boys?
I need to know.
I also would like the setting to be described so I know what I'm looking at. Is there modern tech-- oh that gets answered later, yes there are cellphones-- so why are they using a tube to deliver messages? Where is Pothole City? Is it in the US? Is it in a desert? Also, what does Kelly Driscoll look like, because her eyes are mentioned as in "hide her unusual eye color" and either I accidentally missed that or it wasn't mentioned.
I feel like I'm really hating on this book, and I don't want to be. It was an interesting concept and at like chapter 5 I did kinda get into it... I probably left the book right as it was about to explain everything, but unfortunately, I stopped caring :(
Me and this book, just didn't connect. T_T
DNF @ 70%
Alright, I just want the record to show, that I really did try. When I DNF books I usually stop before 20%, so I think I did really good. If I get this far though, I usually finish.... It's just there I was at 9pm groaning over how I had no idea what was going on and my skimming wasn't working because I'd be even more lost. Usually if I am trying to get through a book I'm not liking I can skim and get the basic parts... NO I'd go back read a page again and still be totally confused.
I do enjoy random humor and ridiculous concepts even, which this book was full of. Angels are banished to a luxurious condo. Yet, I personally need something to hold on to-- I need a straight man (not gender but comedy-wise) who is going WTF?! or some explanation : are these monsters normal? does the world know there is an apocalypse coming? do cops not investigate missing pizza delivery boys?
I need to know.
I also would like the setting to be described so I know what I'm looking at. Is there modern tech-- oh that gets answered later, yes there are cellphones-- so why are they using a tube to deliver messages? Where is Pothole City? Is it in the US? Is it in a desert? Also, what does Kelly Driscoll look like, because her eyes are mentioned as in "hide her unusual eye color" and either I accidentally missed that or it wasn't mentioned.
I feel like I'm really hating on this book, and I don't want to be. It was an interesting concept and at like chapter 5 I did kinda get into it... I probably left the book right as it was about to explain everything, but unfortunately, I stopped caring :(
Me and this book, just didn't connect. T_T
apancakeprincess's review against another edition
funny
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? N/A
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
This is an okay read.
I found a lot of the situations to be funny, and the characters enjoyable--but I did feel that it kind of meander a little bit too much.
The plot was lacking and while there was so much room for character development that wasn't really pursued.
It seemed like this novel was going from what absurd situation to the next rather than following any sort of plot.
I found a lot of the situations to be funny, and the characters enjoyable--but I did feel that it kind of meander a little bit too much.
The plot was lacking and while there was so much room for character development that wasn't really pursued.
It seemed like this novel was going from what absurd situation to the next rather than following any sort of plot.