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3.86 AVERAGE
3.86 AVERAGE
THE LAST DAYS OF JACK SPARKS defies categorization. It is a comedy in the sense that Jack is an interminable wise-ass. The witty banter between he and the rest of the cast speeds the pace of what is, at its core, a horror novel about a self-absorbed author who, while working on his latest book—JACK SPARKS ON THE SUPERNATURAL—makes the fatal mistake of laughing during an exorcism.
I have a feeling this story is going to be with me a while (in a good way). On the one hand there’s Jack, a man who doesn’t at all believe in the thing on which he’s reporting, chasing a video that inexplicably ends up posted to the Internet via his YouTube account. On the other, there’s something going on (I won’t reveal) that you won’t know about until the end that ties together the video, the events following the exorcism, and finally that red bottle. I’m not sure how I feel about that connection other than to say, if Jack Sparks can suspend disbelief so can I.
Kudos to Jason Arnopp for some first class writing. Brilliant dialogue and descriptions, and a new twist on the exorcism trope that often becomes quickly tired (and overly-religious because yeah, it’s a rite). The atheist tact taken throughout makes this a stand-out in the genre. I’m being intentionally vague during this review because I went into this book knowing only this: Jack Sparks laughed during an exorcism and now he’s dead. It would ruin quite a bit to tell you more than that. Don’t look for spoilers. Enjoy the ride.
I have a feeling this story is going to be with me a while (in a good way). On the one hand there’s Jack, a man who doesn’t at all believe in the thing on which he’s reporting, chasing a video that inexplicably ends up posted to the Internet via his YouTube account. On the other, there’s something going on (I won’t reveal) that you won’t know about until the end that ties together the video, the events following the exorcism, and finally that red bottle. I’m not sure how I feel about that connection other than to say, if Jack Sparks can suspend disbelief so can I.
Kudos to Jason Arnopp for some first class writing. Brilliant dialogue and descriptions, and a new twist on the exorcism trope that often becomes quickly tired (and overly-religious because yeah, it’s a rite). The atheist tact taken throughout makes this a stand-out in the genre. I’m being intentionally vague during this review because I went into this book knowing only this: Jack Sparks laughed during an exorcism and now he’s dead. It would ruin quite a bit to tell you more than that. Don’t look for spoilers. Enjoy the ride.
dark
funny
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
dark
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
dark
funny
mysterious
reflective
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
dark
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
This was a tad bit of a snore for me until the end, especially Jacks brothers afterword.
The whole exorcism/paranormal thing is just really not my favorite. I feel like it ALWAYS follows the same layout and is rarely unique. The ending was a little... out there? which is why it bumped me up to a 3 star rating.
I can appreciate the whole book being a sort of post death manifesto leading up to Jack's demise. Idk what it was about it, but it reminded me of the Navidson Record from House of Leaves
The whole exorcism/paranormal thing is just really not my favorite. I feel like it ALWAYS follows the same layout and is rarely unique. The ending was a little... out there? which is why it bumped me up to a 3 star rating.
I can appreciate the whole book being a sort of post death manifesto leading up to Jack's demise. Idk what it was about it, but it reminded me of the Navidson Record from House of Leaves
dark
mysterious
sad
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
This seems like it would be an interesting book to re-read, once you know the twist in the end.
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes