Not at all what I expected!

This was a first for me with this type of book, so I am not sure what books of this nature generally look like. I guess I expected more pictures and more fond reminiscing of episodes. There are quite a few pictures and drawings of the characters from Supernatural, but the book is more about the lingering affects the show on peoples lives, including the stars, guest stars and fans.

The chapters are in essay format and many talk specifically about one episode while others deal with the show as a whole and how the show dealt with certain subjects like people with disabilities (i.e. Bobby Singer in a wheelchair) and the deaf (Shoshannah Stern) who played Eileen.

So Shoshannah tells a story which includes details about where she was in life when she was hired for Supernatural, the fact that ASL is her first language and that is a language that very few people know, how she often gets asked and has to answer stupid questions about her deafness (i.e. what it feels like to not be able to hear) and she goes on to talk explain the fact that she is not getting cochlear implants and wants everyone to know so people don’t keep coming up to her and letting her know that it is an option for her to look into. She says she went through a period of grieving when she found out her character of Eileen was going to die.

The book also has stories of friends made online by connecting through Supernatural, couples formed from Supernatural and the author’s experiences where she wonders where she would be now if she hadn’t watched that first episode of Supernatural, she also discusses some psychological effects of a show like Supernatural. We as fans feel like we are inviting good friends or family into our homes each week as we watch. I certainly know this feeling because even as I stopped watching all TV a few years back when I got really big into reading, Supernatural was the one show I continued to watch week after week. I will be one that will sorely miss Sam and Dean.

The book has some good stories and it covers topics like how women have been portrayed in the media and how they became more powerful on Supernatural. We saw a lot of very powerful women such as Jo Harvelle, Mary Winchester, Sheriff Jodi Mills and her group of hunter girls. Where at the beginning when the show began, women were seen mostly as daughters, wives and mothers.

The show also had a LGBTQIA presence with characters like Cesar and Jessie who were not your stereotypical gay couple because they were tough and hunters, as well as lesbian characters like Charlie Bradbury. I enjoyed some of the stories and it brought back memories of quite a few episodes and characters that I enjoyed. However it also had a lot of extraneous information that I didn’t care about. I think the stories could possibly have been edited better to be more succinct and to the point as well as sticking to supernatural a bit more and not going of on odd tangents.

I voluntarily read & reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts & opinions are my own.

God, I loved this. As a fan of Supernatural for 15 years, this is such a beautiful love letter to the fans, to the show, characters, and the actors. I loved this so much and I can’t wait to have a physical copy of it.

This was exciting, heartwarming, and a must read for every Supernatural Fan. I've been out of the fandom for a little while and this inspired me to return! The stories were wonderful and really captured why Supernatural appeals to so many people. The book features stories from actors, crew, fans, and artists inspired by the legacy of the show. The different perspectives gave a lot of different insights with the same basic message: this fandom is unique, it's touched a wide range of people, and it's opened a lot of doors in the TV industry because of its unique characters who have a range of abilities, sexualities, genders, and personalities.

While I have watched the show and enjoyed it tremendously for many seasons, I thought I would connect with this book, but the level of fandom in it just left me feeling a bit out of sorts, like this is a crowd I don't belong to and I never will so I better stay away and not even try to come in... A lot of the stories felt just a touch too personal, especially at the start, when I felt I had no real connection to this person and here they are telling me their life story. Felt as if the book could have started with 'better' tales than the woman in Australia (one about the episodes would've been fun - The French Mistake comes to mind), and also, the opener by Jared Padalecki just felt too surface and polished when this is a man who is known to throw his whole heart and soul out into his social media posts. On the whole, the book just left me 'meh' but I do feel it was the fault of pacing mostly which just didn't work for me

If you are a fan of the TV show Supernatural and those hot 🔥 Winchester brothers then this book is perfect for you. In this book we celebrate the shows actors and actresses their triumphs and failures.
It was fun to read first hand accounts of the goings on behind the scenes. The book is full of interviews from the fans, cast and crew.
It was heartwarming, funny and sad knowing the show has ended. But none the less a great read!.
Pick yourself up a copy today!.
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Thank you to netgalley the author and publisher for this ebook in exchange for my honest review.

It was nice reading about all the different ways this show impacted people. I started rewatching this show from the beginning after I began this book. I will be sad when I get to see season 15 for the first time and know it is the last. This book made me wish I'd had the chance to go to a con while the show was airing. Hopefully the still have a few in my area.

I received a free galley from netgalley.com.

Supernatural means a lot to me. It's been quite some time since I first started watching.
It's always been talking topic for me and my friends and also something to bond over with people I just barely knew. There was a summer a few years ago when I immersed myself so much in watching this series, that I can remember so clearly that sometimes I was watching 4-5 episodes a day and just listening to Blue Oyster Cult while doing anything.

It would be weird for me to rate this lower than 5 stars. This is full of stories and personal experiences told by the actors on the show and people who were in some shape or form touched by this story.

As a fan of Supernatural from episode one I was excited to come across this book. It's a beautiful tribute to the show and the fans. I love the chapters from the actors. It's amazing when you think about it how huge of an impact this show has had on everyone its touched. The fan written chapters are emotional and beautiful. Amazing photography and illustrations! This one made me laugh, made me smile, get choked up, and shed some tears. Very well done.

So I was browsing NetGalley a few weeks ago, checking out the selections (I don’t often request books; my blog is still kind of small and I don’t necessarily think I’ll be approved for many titles, but I like to know what books are out there that I can look forward to!), when the first part of the title of one book reached out and punched me in the face: There’ll Be Peace When You Are Done: Actors and Fans Celebrate the Legacy of Supernatural, edited by Lynn S. Zubernis (BenBella Books, 2020). The song by Kansas has been a long time favorite of mine, so I was immediately curious as to what the book was about, and I was a million times more delighted when I read the rest of the title and learned that this was a collection of essays about the CW show Supernatural, a show my husband and I binge-watched two years ago on Netflix and which I’ve enjoyed ever since. The book was offered as a ‘Read Now,’ and I happily clicked the button. (And since I was pulled in by the title, I’m counting this as my read for the 2020 PopSugar Reading Challenge prompt of ‘a book you picked because the title caught your attention.’)

Lynn S. Zubernis has edited a collection of essays and interviews by both cast and crew members and fans that speak to not only the brilliancy of the show, but the camaraderie and deep friendship that has blossomed among its ardent fans. Cast, crew, and fans alike refer to themselves as family (the SPNFamily, to be exact), and in every essay, their bonds are made obvious by the love the fans show each other, the charity work that every person even loosely associated with this show is moved to participate in, the deep desire to follow Sam and Dean’s footsteps by making the world a better, safer place, and the courage to be open, vulnerable, and thus, free.

The essays run the gamut, from experiences on set and how they changed an actor or actress’s life, to how being part of the fandom helped each fan to grow, but the common theme here are the permanent effects one single TV show has had, and the effects are massive. Far from being a mere aside of pop culture, Supernatural has acted as a catalyst for personal growth, from inspiring fans to keep fighting with the anxiety that has plagued them for years, to pushing them to take steps and make changes that they’d been afraid of taking. For a show that carried on for fifteen seasons, that’s no small feat, and no small amount of changed lives. The effects of Supernatural are long-ranging.

There’s an awful lot to fall in love with in this book. The actors’ willingness to connect with their fans is truly remarkable, and their essays, in which they detail their involvement in fan conventions and on social media, is absolutely heartwarming. But what really shines is the dedication to charity that this show has fomented among its followers. Almost every essay has some mention of how its author engaged in work that benefited people they never met- fundraising, multiple crisis support networks, helping other fans to pay off devastating medical bills- because that’s what family does, even far-off family you don’t often, or ever, see face-to-face. And the Supernatural fandom is the family everyone deserves.

The book isn’t without its criticism of the show, particularly towards earlier the seasons’ treatment of women. It’s never harsh, but it’s fair, and I appreciated such an even-handed take, because when you love something, you want it to be the very best it can be, and we should all be able to criticize the things we love while still loving them. And there are deep dives into certain characters (Charlie is a particular favorite, but there’s plenty of love for Sheriffs Jody Mills and Donna Hanscum as well) and their far-ranging influence, but my favorite essays were the ones that demonstrate that Supernatural‘s ripple effects are less like a tossed pebble and more akin to a giant bolder dropped into the middle of a lake.

Actor Rob Benedict sharing his experiences with suffering a stroke helped a fan to recognize that she was experiencing similar symptoms, and that pushed her to get medical help in time to save her life. A professor used the show to develop a course that helped veterans suffering from PTSD return to civilian life. Fans crowdfunded gender correction surgery for another fan who had decided to move forward with living his best life. Other fans raised money to start a school in Nicaragua and a children’s center in Haiti. The list go on and on and the stories are no less impressive as the book nears completion. Ms. Zubernis has chosen a set of essays that reveal the depth and heart of a television show about two brothers saving the world from things that go bump in the night (and day!), and its true legacy is the love its fans have extended from the show itself to each other and the world beyond.

If you’re a Supernatural fan, this book, this love letter to not just the show but to you and the friends you’ve made because of it, is one you can’t miss. Even for the casual fan like me, There’ll Be Peace When You Are Done was an utter joy to read: the fandom’s love and connection to each other is evident on every single page, and that kind of love is absolutely what the world needs right now. To be honest, I didn’t want this book to end, and I’m looking forward to reading Ms. Zubernis’s other works at some point as well.

“Because family really don’t end with blood. And those of us who have been part of the SPNFamily, whose lives have been changed for the better by this show, are now a little more able to ‘carry on.'”

There’ll Be Peace When You Are Done is a beautiful, moving testament to a television show that transcended the bounds of pop culture and changed what it means to be a fan, and we’re all the better for it. Carry on, friends, and Always Keep Fighting.

Huge thanks to NetGalley for allowing me to read and review this wonderful book!

There'll Be Peace When You Are Done is a thoughtful and bittersweet collection of short stories paying tribute to the long running series Supernatural.
Heartfelt interviews and essays from cast, crew and fans dive into how the show evolved through the years to stay relevant with the ever-changing landscape of society, and keep a steady fan base coming back week after week. Each story is peppered with photos and artwork making this a nice addition to any fan collection.
However, I was a little disappointed that some of my favorite characters were left out. But, there are additional fan books available listed in the last pages that include them.
Overall, I'd recommend this book to any Supernatural fan.
*Thank you NetGalley, Lynn S. Zubernis and BenBella Books for the opportunity to read the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

I love Supernatural. This is a collection of vignettes by people whose life has been affected by this show. It is poignant and well written. Very sweet.

Make sure there are no breaks in your salt lines, grab some pie and settle in for some love letters, ‘Supernatural’ style.

‘There’ll Be Peace When You Are Done’ highlights the impact ‘Supernatural’ has had on the lives of both actors and fans over the past fifteen years. Whether a specific episode made fans feel seen, sometimes for the first time, or if they’ve been superfans from the beginning, this TV series has grown into something I don’t think anyone ever expected.

“Supernatural leaves behind a fundamentally changed group of people, inspired to do good, be weird, and be kind.”

Fans have made lifelong friends, changed their career, been inspired to write and create, and found family. Online communities have sprung up, interactions at conventions have solidified friendships and so much money has been raised for charity.

“Supernatural does not sugarcoat the painful aspects of life”

Reminding us to ‘Always Keep Fighting’, regardless of our circumstances, and encouraging us to leave the world better than we found it, ‘Supernatural’ has been one hell of a road trip.

“As we watched Bobby Singer face his physical limitations, we also watched Dean Winchester struggle for psychological healing after trauma, and we also saw Sam Winchester battle his addiction.”

This book includes photos of the cast, fan art and quite possibly the best ‘Supernatural’ shirt I’ve seen, “Sam and Dean Winchester - Keeping gay girls just a little bit straight since 2005”.

This book has demonstrated to me just how limited my ‘Supernatural’ fandom has been compared to others. I’ve never been to a convention. I’ve never made ‘Supernatural’ artwork. I’ve never written fan fiction. I’ve never connected with my favourite actors on social media.

But I have loved this show. I’ve laughed and cried through episodes. I’ve watched favourite characters die, and sometimes come back. I’ve worn my Represent shirt less than I’d like to, so it doesn’t wear out too soon. I’ve read every interview of Jared’s I can find where he references mental health. I’ve drooled over my fair share of cast photos. I’ve reused my 2018 calendar for the second time this year because I like the pictures in it more than recent ones.

I also have the benefit of having loved and lost many TV shows before this one. I know the joy of rediscovering favourite episodes and finding new ones years after I first watched them. ‘Supernatural’ is not the only beloved show I’m losing this year (2020 just keeps on giving) but I have fifteen years worth of Winchester binge watching at my fingertips. Sam, Dean and all of the other characters I’ve welcomed into my fiction family over the years aren’t really going anywhere; they’ll be there whenever I need them.

“So, this is how I suggest we say goodbye to Supernatural. Let’s go back to the beginning and rewatch it all. Let’s continue the conversations and keep the fandom alive. Let’s continue to support each other and follow the future endeavors of all who created Supernatural for us, and with us. Let’s refuse to dwell on endings, but instead embrace this as a new phase of the fandom.”

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Smart Pop, an imprint of BenBella Books, for the opportunity to read this book.

As a fan of Supernatural this collection gave me the warm and fuzzies.

Lynn and her team did a lovely job of collating these stories, many of which made me laugh out loud.

Would recommend for any Supernatural fan!

I came to "Supernatural" a bit late in things. When season 12 was added to Netflix, I decided to see what all the fuss was about, and opted to finally check it out. Three weeks later, when I left my couch and rejoined the world, I was a full convert, drawn into a family I didn't realize I was missing until I was home. The Winchesters and the family they've created for themselves in the ones they care about spoke to a part of me that has always known family wasn't just about blood, it was about the bonds you make with people. More than that, though, the "family" of fans which embraced that sentimentality quickly became a part of my life, too, as so many have found over the last 15 seasons.

I remember where I was and what I was doing when the announcement came out that season 15 would be the last. Does anyone who is a fan not? I was out at a very public event, my "Carry On My Wayward Son" hoodie (part of my daily uniform by that point) on, when two text messages came in back to back from two very different friends that just said "Are you okay?" My heart hiccupped...that's the only way I can describe what happened when I read those texts...and then I noticed a Twitter notification. Suddenly I was surrounded by a thousand other people, crying as quietly as I could as I watched JA, JP and MC announce that season 15 would be the final season.

THERE'LL BE PEACE WHEN YOU ARE DONE is a second collection of stories about our "family", from the fans and also from cast. ( FAMILY DON'T END WITH BLOOD, also collected and editied by Lynn Zuvernis, is the first.) The stories contained are reminders that the motto "always keep fighting" has been embraced by a huge community that has endless stories about monsters and darkness but have learned, like the Winchesters, to find those who help us in our battles. Sometimes that help comes from unexpected and/or unconventional places...the show has taught us that that's okay. It has also helped us learn how to grieve, especially when the loss is so great that it flattens us for a bit. Both books are not only a great addition to the library of a fan, but they are also a great way to show those who don't "get" our relationships with the show/it's cast what the deeper connection is.

Season 15 may mark the end of new episodes, but we will never lose our bonds as fans and as surrogates in the Winchester family.

With accolades from every corner of the Supernatural world, it is hard to add anything of merit to a review. 15 years of stepping outside their comfort zone to help any and everyone is not only a major achievement, it's a milestone that very few shows hope to reach. That the actors and their characters are both well loved by fans, is almost unheard of. If you've never watched the show, well, you must be living in an alternate universe. I'm sure this is not the last we will see of these brothers and their dedicated efforts to keep us all safe, but we will miss tuning into their world every week.