This is a quick read, I read it one hour or so. But unfortunately I did not enjoy this book at all. This was my first Jocko Willink book and while it's not my favorite, Jocko's other reviews are so highly rated that I'm willing to give other books a shot by this author.

I have read 3 other books by this author and absolutely loved them all. I am also a big fan of his podcast and so this is what drew me to this book.

The book is very different from his others and I found it to be a decent read but was not what I was expecting.

I found it to be a bit slower at times but did share some valuable insights.

Overall not sure how I felt about this one but if you have liked the authors past books I think it’s worth the read

This book was OK. A short book. I listened on audio as well.

I haven’t read anything by this author before but this style seemed different.

My kids have enjoyed Jocko Willink's other books, both fiction and non, so I really jumped at the chance to read this one early. I'm glad I did. While this is nothing like his other fiction, which is aimed at children and middle schoolers, you can still hear his voice throughout.
I did think it was an interesting direction for the author to take though.
His writing style is still the same in the sense that he's clear, concise, to the point. But he tried something new here.
The book is about a young man named Johnny who cares for his brother who has Downs Syndrome. His brother really enjoys his job at the laundromat. When the laundromat is about to be sold, Johnny and his friend work up a plan to help save it, in a Breaking Bad sort of way, and to save his brother's main source of happiness. His job.
This story is interesting and gripping. The writing style has a bit of stream of consciousness, and it's got his typical two line sentences scattered about.
If you go in knowing that it's a quick read and the format is different from his other books, you should be fine.
***ARC courtesy of the publisher Macmillan

I fast read that you could finish in an afternoon.

The dialogue at times is repetitive and spaced out oddly. The formatting really taking away from the story.

Though this is a fast read and overall is enjoyable you really have to get past the characters all together to find something to like.

This was a fast paced thrill ride that had everything from Jocko in his fiction debut. It’s not an overly long read, potentially a one seating read. Great character development and background with dedication and love of family vibes. Jocko no doubtedly uses great scene construction and fills the pages with overwhelming feelings of dread, success, and failure. Definitely one to pick up!

I'm a huge fan of Jocko's books and podcast, so when I saw he wrote a Fiction book, I jumped at the chance to read it. This was quite a simple read, almost like a children's book, with the exception of the content. This is written in a poetic style to begin each chapter, again it's quite simple. However, the simplicity does not detract from the story in the least. The plot is quite fast-paced and once you get a knack for the writing, it's easy to be swept away with the characters. The latter half of the story made it impossible to put down. I couldn't wait to see what would become of Johnny, a man who made a string of bad choices to help benefit those he loved. The outcome truly tugs on one's heartstrings! I hope Jocko continues to write more adult fiction in the future.

I really didn't like this book at all. It was really hard to get into from the very beginning. The writing style was really odd. Lots of short choppy statements, not even sentences. Except for Arty, the characters had no redeeming qualities. Not my cup of tea, for sure.

I was floored that the reviews for this book ranged from 1 star to 5. I thoroughly enjoyed the fast-paced thriller. It was like a car wreck you can’t stop yourself from watching. The brothers relationship was complex but mostly endearing. I loved the theme of sacrifice and the examples of irony that were weaved into this powerful punch of a story. It was realistic and heartbreaking - a story that will stay with me for a long while.

This book disappointed me twice: as a book lover and as a Jocko Willink lover.

As a book lover, everything about every single character fell flat. I think for the most part the book was too short and too rushed for quality character development. We have Johnny who just knows he’s destined for me but victimizes himself based on the cards he’s been dealt in life. His best friend Goat who is just there with absolutely no depth of character or in their friendship. Just a blah sidekick. Johnny’s brother, Cleaner (or Arty? It starts off calling him Cleaner and then the nickname just gets dropped) is a good kid somewhere on the spectrum who loves laundry. The most lovable character for sure but also I don’t get why Johnny would rather give him money to buy the laundromat and abandon him rather then be there for him and help him cope? Johnny’s girlfriend is the dullest character of all. But she’s beautiful. So beautiful. Major eye roll. And of course there’s Johnny’s mom the alcoholic whom he and Cleaner live with but doesn’t even get any real sentences past an allusion to her existence. And finally freaking Gerry. The biggest caricature of a bad boss ever. Just all around flat and lifeless characters.

The even bigger disappointment was reading this as a Jocko fan. Jocko’s entire schtick is extreme ownership and basically all of these characters lacked that. I kept waiting the entire time for the Jocko spin to help get these pathetic characters out of their misery. There was one paragraph, ONE, where Johnny’s girlfriend expressed taking responsibility for where she was in life. But that was it. The rest of it was just a complete train wreck that was an absolute waste of my time. To think that his pregnant girlfriend and autistic brother would be okay because he set them up financially before dying is straight up INSANE. And also to think the police who know Johnny’s involvement in the robbery wouldn’t be remotely suspicious of their funds or spending. What a joke.

Final Spin is the story of two best friends, Johnny and Goat, who decide to rob their employer. Johnny wants to use his share of the money to purchase the laundry mat his “peculiar” brother works at. You see Arty loves laundry like others love their pets—or even children.

I can guarantee that you will love Final Spin—or hate it. The prose is off kilter. It reads like a middle school novel with some stage directions thrown in. I spent a lot of time trying to determine the reason. Do both Arty and Johnny have “peculiarities” that the third-person narrator is trying to emulate? Is the author enamored of James Joyce or perhaps Kurt Vonnegut, Jr.? Ultimately, it doesn’t matter. You just have to get used to it.

If you are looking for a completely different type of slice-of-life fiction, this book will definitely meet that need. 4 stars!

Thanks to St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for a copy in exchange for my honest review.

I did not enjoy this book, it was just too much for me. I did not finish it and in fairness to the author I will not be posting any review to Good Reads.

I have never read anything by this author. I don't know if this is his regular writing format or not. The very abrupt sentences, lots of spacing and different fonts took a few chapters to get used to, but also made for some very fast reading. The story was short but kept my interest. Thanks, NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the chance to read this book.

You every hear the song "The Road Goes on Forever"?

Have you ever wanted that song as an entire book?

Seriously, the rough draft of this book could be the lyrics to "The Road Goes on Forever", and I refuse to say that's a bad thing.

This is a short book that won't resonate with everyone. If you can't relate with a character doing something for the sake of doing something, then you won't be able to see the main character's point of view. A couple kids I grew up with are in prison now for something similar to the characters in this book, so I can at least see where they're coming from, even as I can condemn the decisions. But if your decisions have put you somewhere you don't want to be, you have to try something different.

Smiling. Crying. Laughing. These are just a few of the emotions I felt while reading this wonderful novella. If you have a couple of hours, pick up this charming book by Jocko Willink. After finishing Final Spin, I looked up the author to read about him. I had no idea he was a retired Navy Seal Lieutenant Commander. Jocko certainly has a career as a fiction writer. I will say, in the beginning, I was a little confused who was speaking Johnny or his brother Arty. It did not take long as soon as I became accustomed to the author’s writing. Pages just peeled away. Johnny works a job as a shelf stocker in a grocery store with his best friend, Goat. He takes care of his adult brother, Arty, who appears to be on the spectrum. Arty is fixated on his job in a laundromat where he takes care of the machines and loves cleaning clothes.

Certain events take place and Johnny and Goat decide to rob the supermarket to make sure Arty can continue to have the life he is accustomed to having. Johnny also needs to take care of his girlfriend, Jessica. Pick this book up and go along on this journey. I think this would be a great book to listen to on audio. My thanks to St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for an ARC of this book. The opinions in this review are my own.

What a different story! I don’t know how to describe this book, but I do know that I liked it. It was a quick and easy read - it’s not quite a novella, but it is short.

Johnny and Arty are brothers living in a small town, with nowhere to go. Johnny is a stock boy for a grocery store and Arty works for the local laundromat. Everyone tells Johnny that he’s too smart and handsome to stay in town, but he doesn’t want to leave his brother.

Arty is special needs, and cleaning is his life … specifically, cleaning clothes. His work at the laundromat is like science to him, and he takes it very seriously. It’s really all he has, but the owners need to sell and they don’t know how to tell him.

Johnny decides he’s going to get the money to buy the laundromat, one way or another. That place is his brother’s life, and he wouldn’t do well without it. If Johnny ends up in jail, he figures at least his brother will be happy, and jail has to be better than the hell that is stacking boxes.

Though the book was short, the characters were decently developed and even brought out a few feels. This is more than a crime/thriller; it’s also about brotherly bonds and the desperation of living in a dead-end town. I wasn’t sure what to expect, but I was pleasantly surprised. Four stars for a very interesting story.

(Thank you to St. Martin’s Press, Jocko Willink and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my review.)

Hmm. Not sure what to make of this short novel about an ill conceived robbery committed in order to buy the laundromat beloved by Johnny's brother Arty, The writing is unusual to say the least and it's kind of a drag. Thanks to netgalley for the ARC. Wasn't for me but others might find something in it that I missed.

Special thanks to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for the ARC of this book in exchange for my own opinion.

I loved this book. It wasn't that long but keeps you interested from start to finish. The main character Johnny, 23, takes care of his older brother, who's life revolves around a laundromat. His brother may be a little slow but he loves the laundromat where he works and everything about it and he's great at his job. Johnny also takes care of his alcoholic mother, even though he's drinking a lot himself these days. Johnny has a best friend Goat and a girlfriend Jessica.

But when the laundromat is set to close, Goat and Johnny just can't let this happen. His brother will be devastated but their plan is not only dangerous, but it will land them both in jail. This story kept me captivated from beginning to end and I really enjoyed all the characters. I also hear its great in audio as well.
I highly recommend.

Super quick read. I picked up this book because I respect the author for his service to the country. The book was about Johnny a grocery store stocker who helps to take care of his brother, Arty, who has special needs.

In the book we find out that Arty works at a laundromat and loves to clean clothes. When the owner of the laundromat meets with Johnny about how to tell Arty that they are selling the business Johnny has to find out how to get the 40,000 needed for the laundromat so Arty doesn’t loose his joy.

The book is quick moving, there is not a lot of character development but overall it kept me interested. I was a book that was not bad or great it was just okay. I would definitely try others by the author in the future but this one is not one I would recommend.

What a crazy, fast ride. Read this if you're looking for an adventurous quick read! At first I didn't enjoy how scattered the paragraph formation was, however it grabbed my attention quickly and didn't let go until the last page.