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3.86 AVERAGE
3.86 AVERAGE
Whatever you do, DO NOT LAUGH AT AN EXORCISM. It really pisses off the demon.
Jack Sparks, author of Jack Sparks on a Pogo Stick (in which he hopped from Land's End to John O'Groats), Jack Sparks on Gangs, Jack Sparks on Drugs (which landed him in rehab), and this posthumously published book (originally titled Jack Sparks on the Supernatural) was (in no particular order) an atheist, a narcissist, and a complete douche canoe. May he rest in peace.
Jack's older brother, Alistair (equally douchey, as it turns out), has taken it upon himself to publish Jack's final manuscript, complete with notes to his editor (Eleanor) and additional transcipts of interviews with witnesses of Jack's final days.
Intent on disproving the existence of the supernatural, Jack begins his research for his last book by witnessing an exorcism in a rural Italian church. A teenage girl, Maria Corvi, is brought by her farm labourer mother to have a possible demon cast out by famous exorcist (and published author) Father Primo di Stefano. Convinced that Maria is an actress and this is all a performance for his benefit, Jack laughs. On his return trip to England, a creepy video appears on Jack's YouTube channel, then disappears. As Jack's research for the book and investigation into the mysterious video lead him to Hong Kong and then to Hollywood, it becomes clear that Jack has attracted someone's attention. But is it, as he convinces himself, all a conspiracy to deceive him, or is it something more malicious and dangerous?
As I was finishing this book late last night in my comfy reading chair (because no way in hell was I going to finish this thing in bed in the dark), my ten-year-old projectile vomited all over the bathroom. Luckily his head did not spin (nor did his eyes turn yellow or he suddenly start speaking Latin), so we're good there, but I was a little worried for a minute. That's how creepy this book is...and also damn gory, but funny as hell. (See what I did there? I can't help it.)
Jack is the ultimate self-obsessed writer/media persona, always checking his social media accounts, counting his followers, building his brand. He sees himself as a major player, comparing himself to some of my favorite non-fiction writers.
In an email to his agent (Murray), Jack writes, "Does Bill Bryson have to write 30,000 words before he can sell his latest books that he's written all about himself? Of course he doesn't, and neither should I. Sort it out." His agent replies, "Bryson's books aren't strictly speaking all about himself. Yours pretty much are. (Not a criticism, just FYI.)"
Within the text of JSotS, Jack writes about laughing at the exorcism, "At this point, if I was a Louis Theroux or a Jon Ronson, I would nervously prop my spectacles back up onto the bridge of my nose and utter something evasive, most likely in the form of another question. (Eleanor: I know you and Murray don't like me mentioning these guys in print, but I heard Ronson slagged me off on the radio last week. He didn't mention me by name, but blatantly cast apersions in my direction. And in the Fitzroy Tavern, one of Theroux's flunkies couldn't resist telling me all about Louis' book sales and viewing figures and asking whether I'd landed myself a TV series yet. So as far as I'm concerned it's open fucking season.) Instead I tell Di Stefano I laughed because his exorcism struck me as pantomime."
But who Jack is in his books and online isn't really who he is in real life, as revealed when we get to see him through others' eyes...and as he eventually begins to reveal to his readers as the world unravels around him.
Somehow Arnopp managed to write a book that is creepy, funny, and thought-provoking all at once. He lays out clues through the book that all play into the big reveal at the end.
Maybe The Last Days of Jack Sparks isn't a perfect book, but it's a hell of a lot of fun.
Jack Sparks, author of Jack Sparks on a Pogo Stick (in which he hopped from Land's End to John O'Groats), Jack Sparks on Gangs, Jack Sparks on Drugs (which landed him in rehab), and this posthumously published book (originally titled Jack Sparks on the Supernatural) was (in no particular order) an atheist, a narcissist, and a complete douche canoe. May he rest in peace.
Jack's older brother, Alistair (equally douchey, as it turns out), has taken it upon himself to publish Jack's final manuscript, complete with notes to his editor (Eleanor) and additional transcipts of interviews with witnesses of Jack's final days.
Intent on disproving the existence of the supernatural, Jack begins his research for his last book by witnessing an exorcism in a rural Italian church. A teenage girl, Maria Corvi, is brought by her farm labourer mother to have a possible demon cast out by famous exorcist (and published author) Father Primo di Stefano. Convinced that Maria is an actress and this is all a performance for his benefit, Jack laughs. On his return trip to England, a creepy video appears on Jack's YouTube channel, then disappears. As Jack's research for the book and investigation into the mysterious video lead him to Hong Kong and then to Hollywood, it becomes clear that Jack has attracted someone's attention. But is it, as he convinces himself, all a conspiracy to deceive him, or is it something more malicious and dangerous?
As I was finishing this book late last night in my comfy reading chair (because no way in hell was I going to finish this thing in bed in the dark), my ten-year-old projectile vomited all over the bathroom. Luckily his head did not spin (nor did his eyes turn yellow or he suddenly start speaking Latin), so we're good there, but I was a little worried for a minute. That's how creepy this book is...and also damn gory, but funny as hell. (See what I did there? I can't help it.)
Jack is the ultimate self-obsessed writer/media persona, always checking his social media accounts, counting his followers, building his brand. He sees himself as a major player, comparing himself to some of my favorite non-fiction writers.
In an email to his agent (Murray), Jack writes, "Does Bill Bryson have to write 30,000 words before he can sell his latest books that he's written all about himself? Of course he doesn't, and neither should I. Sort it out." His agent replies, "Bryson's books aren't strictly speaking all about himself. Yours pretty much are. (Not a criticism, just FYI.)"
Within the text of JSotS, Jack writes about laughing at the exorcism, "At this point, if I was a Louis Theroux or a Jon Ronson, I would nervously prop my spectacles back up onto the bridge of my nose and utter something evasive, most likely in the form of another question. (Eleanor: I know you and Murray don't like me mentioning these guys in print, but I heard Ronson slagged me off on the radio last week. He didn't mention me by name, but blatantly cast apersions in my direction. And in the Fitzroy Tavern, one of Theroux's flunkies couldn't resist telling me all about Louis' book sales and viewing figures and asking whether I'd landed myself a TV series yet. So as far as I'm concerned it's open fucking season.) Instead I tell Di Stefano I laughed because his exorcism struck me as pantomime."
But who Jack is in his books and online isn't really who he is in real life, as revealed when we get to see him through others' eyes...and as he eventually begins to reveal to his readers as the world unravels around him.
Somehow Arnopp managed to write a book that is creepy, funny, and thought-provoking all at once. He lays out clues through the book that all play into the big reveal at the end.
Maybe The Last Days of Jack Sparks isn't a perfect book, but it's a hell of a lot of fun.
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
dark
mysterious
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
This makes me want to stay off socials forever. I really disliked the protagonist but this moved quickly. I wouldn't say it's especially funny.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Drug abuse, Murder
dark
funny
mysterious
reflective
fast-paced
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Really fantastic, I love a good unreliable narrator and man is Jack Sparks unreliable. Not too gory for what it was, just a good spooky ghost mystery.
Content Warnings
Minor: Addiction, Body horror, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Gore, Infidelity, Mental illness, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Self harm, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Death of parent, Murder, Gaslighting, Injury/Injury detail
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
This book is bizarre and creepy and very well-written, but also really hard to get through for some reason. I liked it overall, but some parts were slow, some parts were too fast, and some parts were completely unnecessary.
I was excited to read this book because it's supposed to be SO FUNNY and SO CREEPY. It failed on both counts for me. I got through the first quarter quickly, slowed down at the halfway point, and struggled through the second half. Liking the main character is not essential for me to be interested in a story and want to finish it, but I didn't like Jack, didn't care about what happened to him, and wasn't interested in his story at any point. I wanted this book to seriously creep me out, and that never happened. Which is shocking because it doesn't really take much for me.
Jag jag jag jag jag är så svag för det här konceptet på en bok! När jag jag jag skulle välja bok den här gången tog jag jag god tid på mig för att plocka ut en som jag jag verkligen skulle gilla. Någon som liksom har alla de där små beståndsdelarna för att det ska bli en riktig Amanda-bok. Jag jag gillar skräck, mysterier, övernaturligheter och jag jag jag-perspektiv. Gärna ett lite speciellt upplägg, med inblandade brev, chattloggar eller typ serierutor. Det blev till sist The Last Days of Jack Sparks, för det kändes som att den skulle kunna leva upp till alla mina mina mina förväntningar. Och det gjorde den! Den både skrämdes och mind fuckades och upptog plats på min min min hjärnbark även när jag jag försökte koncentrera mig på annat, precis som en bra bok ska.
Precis som boktiteln antyder, rymmer den de händelser som Jack Sparks råkade ut på under de sista veckorna i sitt liv. Han är en undersökande journalist som tidigare gett sig in i gängkulturen och testat droger i två uppmärksammade böcker, och i sin fjärde ska han nu försöka få kontakt med det övernaturliga. Det börjar med att han deltar i en exorcism som han inte riktigt kan ta på allvar, och kort därefter brakar helvetet löst, great pun intended. En youtube-video med skrämmande innehåll publiceras på hans privata kanal utan att någon kan förklara varför. I sitt sökande efter svar börjar Jack väcka saker till liv som man kanske helst skulle vilja förblev ostörda, för att uttrycka det milt. Och det som presenteras i boken är de anteckningar som han för under dessa sista veckor, blandat med fotnoter och ljudupptagningar insamlade och inkluderade av hans bror post mortem. Jag jag jag jag jag rekommenderar den här boken starkt.
Precis som boktiteln antyder, rymmer den de händelser som Jack Sparks råkade ut på under de sista veckorna i sitt liv. Han är en undersökande journalist som tidigare gett sig in i gängkulturen och testat droger i två uppmärksammade böcker, och i sin fjärde ska han nu försöka få kontakt med det övernaturliga. Det börjar med att han deltar i en exorcism som han inte riktigt kan ta på allvar, och kort därefter brakar helvetet löst, great pun intended. En youtube-video med skrämmande innehåll publiceras på hans privata kanal utan att någon kan förklara varför. I sitt sökande efter svar börjar Jack väcka saker till liv som man kanske helst skulle vilja förblev ostörda, för att uttrycka det milt. Och det som presenteras i boken är de anteckningar som han för under dessa sista veckor, blandat med fotnoter och ljudupptagningar insamlade och inkluderade av hans bror post mortem. Jag jag jag jag jag rekommenderar den här boken starkt.
Well this was great fun. Slow spooky, clever build and then bosh- the climax drove everything up to 11 with a demonic vengeance. Some very creative concepts being used, and I'm not sure I fully got the workings behind the ending but my hat it was a ride getting there.
I've seen reviews, on here possibly, about how this feels like a horror version of Fear & Loathing in Las Vegas, which I can totally see because there's the same drink & drugs with a completely dickish bellend of a protagonist, though here, the manner of the tale's telling means we get to see Jack in a wider context and I suppose in some sense, broken.
All in all, a perfect seasonal read.
I've seen reviews, on here possibly, about how this feels like a horror version of Fear & Loathing in Las Vegas, which I can totally see because there's the same drink & drugs with a completely dickish bellend of a protagonist, though here, the manner of the tale's telling means we get to see Jack in a wider context and I suppose in some sense, broken.
All in all, a perfect seasonal read.