This book is absolutely ridiculous and probably not good however it is very entertaining so I guess it was worthwhile. A film version of this would probably be a campy success.

Brent Butt's narration skills for sociopaths are not good.

This was a really strong debut novel. I shouldn’t be surprised. I know Brent Butt can write, I’ve always enjoyed Corner Gas, but writing a book and writing a thriller and not comedy is a different ball game. And I loved it. I loved that it used his experience with being a standup comedian in the 90s and then added this crazy element. I never really knew where this book was going to go, and honestly, I feel like it could go other places from here. Hobie Huge is just that kind of mysterious figure.

Brent Butt is a Canadian comedy icon. For years he worked as a stand-up comic, performing all over the place, from small town venues to large festivals, but is best known for Corner Gas, a sit-com set in a small town in Saskatchewan he created and starred in. Viewers enjoyed the quirky characters and humorous situations. The show was so popular that there was an animated spin-off and a film called Corner Gas: The Movie.

When word got out that Butt had written a book set in the mid-90s about three stand-up comics touring rural Canada, we assumed it would be a comedy. However, the author quickly clarified that Huge was a dark thriller. Can a writer and stand-up comic known for his good-natured, dead-pan humour stride into dark thriller territory? Well, the answer is yes.

The majority of Huge takes place in various bars and comedy venues across central Canada. Butt does a great job at setting the scene as this is an environment he knows well. It’s easy to visualise the small town venues and rundown hotel rooms where you desperately want to smell of bleach which tells you the room has been cleaned. He captures that vastness of rural Canada and how it is possible to drive for hours between towns or get lost in the wilderness. Because that’s the point – most of the time, his characters are a long way from help.

There are three stand-ups comedians on the tour. The oldest and most experienced member of the group is Dale Webly. A solid performer from Chicago, Dale has been in the business for a couple of decades. Things have changed since he hit his 40s. Gigs are not as frequent and money is tight. His daughter is starting college in two months and Dale’s ex-wife wants financial assistance with the tuition. Dale wants to help his daughter and sees it as an important way to rebuild their relationship. Life on the road means that he hasn’t always been there for her. So money is why Dale accepts this Canadian tour.

Rynn Lanigan is on a different career trajectory and her career is on the rise. Originally from Dublin, she is in the running to host a late-night show in Los Angeles. As she was only able to get a Canadian work visa, her manager has booked her on this tour. Rynn has to brush up on her skills as an emcee. After the tour, she is booked for the Just for Laughs Festival in Montreal, and the president of the company producing the late-night show will be in the audience.

The last minute addition to the tour is Hobie Huge. He is a novice stand-up comic who has agreed to do the driving and perform for free so that he can gain experience. The only reason that he got the gig is because a relative of his set it up with Merlin, the man booking the tour. Hobie is loud and large but his talent is small.

Most stand-ups can handle hecklers with ease. Over the years they learn how to deal with loudmouths and drunks, brushing them aside with a one-liner so that they can go on and finish their set with an entertained audience. However, Hobie just isn’t prepared for audience interaction and when things don’t go his way, he responds with… extreme violence. The expression that someone’s act ‘killed it’ takes on a whole new meaning with Hobie. He’s a psychopath and soon Dale and Rynn will become his victims too. Hobie wants to finish the tour come what may, and there’s no help for Dale and Rynn out on the road.

Using a stand-up tour to drive his plot is a clever move by Brent Butt. It is a realistic way for three characters, unknown to each other, to be thrown together in close quarters. The author knows all the details that surround performing comedy, and he uses them to ground the story and make it feel authentic, even though some very extreme things take place.

Early in the book, the plot burns a little too slowly, but it does help build the tension. We see Dale performing solo and come to understand how an old hand like Dale conducts himself professionally while performing. This creates a contrast later on when we encounter Hobie’s unpredictable behaviour on stage and on tour generally. Unfortunately for Dale and Rynn, they become the target for Hobie’s violent side. Their ability to think on their feet might be what helps them survive this tour.

Huge is more than a thriller. Part of its appeal is the homage it pays to live stand-up comedy. Through the characters of Dale and Rynn we learn everything from the art of packing light to the importance of reading the room. They both demonstrate the art of getting the audience on their side. You will finish the book with a greater appreciation of the effort that goes into stand-up comedy. You will also appreciate how Brent Butt was able to use his love of comedy to create a dark thriller.

It is good slow burn thriller that got me hooked a few chapters into it . This kind of thriller isn’t something I would usually read but I am glad I did.

I do recommend .

Write what you know, they say.
Well, Brent Butt knows comedy, and he plays it to great form in the thriller Huge.
Thank you to Penguin Random House Canada and Netgalley for my eARC for review!
For those who don't know, this is the very same Brent Butt who brought us Corner Gas. (As a fan of the show, I couldn't help but have his voice in my head as I read.)
It's definitely not the kind of writing we are used to from him, but it absolutely works.
Stand-up comics Dale Webly and Rynn Lanigan are on tour in random rural towns in Canada, and new to the stage alongside them is Hobie Huge.
The world of stand-up comedy makes for a surprisingly effective backdrop for some dark and seedy goings-on.
The towns might be like Dog River in demographics, but no such charmingly humorous events. There are some nasty, violent characters about.
I loved the insider views of the comedy road, and Butt's wry writing style made it even better.
I did find the pacing went a bit long by the end, but overall it was most enjoyable.
Recommended!
Released on Oct. 3.

I’ve been a fan of Brent Butt’s comedic style for a while (loved Corner Gas), so I knew I had to give his debut novel a try - and it was a well done debut novel. The story-line with the three comedians and insights into “life on the road” was well done and honestly could have been the whole story, this was my favourite part. But then he also decides to take the tension up a notch and bring on the suspense / thriller elements. FYI - it does get a little violent. So a little bit of everything, plus it was fun to read about Canadian locations that rarely get mentioned in books.

I was pleasantly surprised with this thriller/comedy novel. The character development was awesome and the pace was spot on. It was hilarious but also pretty gruesome. I’m a Winnipeger, and appreciated the local Canadian setting/s. I will definitely recommend this book to friends and on my bookish social media feeds.

Links to external posts to come.

Dale is in his 40s from Chicago and had been a comic for years but has no money to show for it. His daughter is heading to university and his ex-wife expects him to share the cost. He has finished his run on the road but takes on another in rural western Canada to get the extra cash. Rynn is a comic in her 20s from Ireland, living in the U.S. and has a Canadian work VISA. While she's waiting to hear whether her big break in TV is coming up, she signs onto Dale's run of gigs. The third comic is Hobie Huge, signed on by the promoter to get experience. As they travel from small town to small town, Dale and Rynn discover that Hobie, who thinks he is amazing, actually sucks so they try to guide him and give him tips. They also discover that Hobie has a dark violent side and is quick to anger and they eventually experience the consequences.

This book was okay. I found it took a couple chapters for me to get into it ... it picked up once Dale, Rynn and Hobie were on the road and in the clubs. It is written in third person perspective depending on where the action was and whose focus it was. Butt's experience is obvious when Dale and Rynn are performing and when they are explaining to Hobie how he can improve. I found Hobie to be an extreme character and a bit farfetched. As a head's up, there is swearing and violence.

This was a great horror novel for even the non seasoned readers of the genre. The story balances the darker suspense with perfectly timed comedy helping balance the moods. It flowed at a nice pace that kept me engaged and wanting more, but left me feeling like it would become a lifetime movie (That's not a bad thing!). I would recommend this novel to a friend that enjoys horror with a dash of comedy.

I grew up watching Brent Butt's Corner Gas so I was so excited to receive an ARC for HUGE.

HUGE is a slow-burn thriller about three stand-up comedians, Dale, Rynn, and Hobie Huge, who are on tour in rural Canadian towns. Dale and Rynn quickly find out that Hobie's an awful performer, but they have yet to learn that it's not just Hobie's jokes that are brutal.

Brent Butt has always done an amazing job of creating interesting characters, and there's absolutely no shortage of them in this book. The main characters were fleshed out really well, and I enjoyed that a good chunk of the story was spent getting to know them.

I also loved the world-building in this book; it was like a behind-the-scenes look into what it's like being on tour, performing in sketchy bars in the middle of nowhere.

HUGE was a surprising, twisty ride that kept me on the edge of my seat!

A huge thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the gifted copy. HUGE comes out on October 3.

Thank you Penguin Random House Canada and NetGalley for my copy of 'HUGE'.

This was a really interesting take! Some of the jokes mentioned were pretty funny and I feel like the story build up was pretty good. Although there were some moments where it felt kind of dull like some scene fillers that kind of give background to Dale or Rynn.

I really enjoyed each characters. They're quite unique in a way that shows how stand up comedians are. I feel like it's a rare thing to have a MC be a stand up comedian.

Overall, really enjoyed it and will definitely recommend.

I was lucky enough to be given a copy of Huge to review before its release. I wasn't sure what to expect from this book, seeing as it is not billed as comedy, Brent Butt's forte. I'm not sure if it was his intention, but as a reader, we see a more somber side of stand up comedy, performing in seedy bars, small towns, living paycheck to paycheck. Hopefully getting paid at the end of the night. It made me appreciate what they go through a little more.
The story itself started slowly, but as the characters were built and more happens, I enjoyed the book more and more. It did not progress at all how I thought it would, which is nice. Predicatability isn't always a good thing. I like not knowing what is going to come next.

My husband loves Corner Gas (and he is also from Saskatchewan) so I was gobsmacked when I saw that Brent Butt had not only written a book but written a horror/thriller. Thankfully I was approved because it’s a really good book! Butt obviously knows the world of standup comedy so that makes the story rich & quite realistic. The horror of it all happens slow & deliberate. Hobie is definitely creepy but in a way that takes the other two a bit to realise that it’s serious. It ramps up at the right place & I found the ending eerily satisfying. Brent Butt can absolutely write more than just comedy.

Incredibly chilling story of three comedians on the road in rural Manitoba. Being from Winnipeg myself, I loved all the references to places I love. Rumors comedy club being Whispers in the book. I’m sure I can find your picture on the wall there. 😉 This was a blend of murder, suspense, with some great one liners added in. Engaging read from this debut Canadian author. Wouldn’t expect anything less from this author, he was involved in Corner Gas, which is a great comedy show that was a hit in Canada. Look it up, won’t be disappointed. Oh yeah, I love when I can hear a characters accent as I read a book, great job with the characters!

This comedy tour did become about staying alive over getting laughs.

Thanks to NetGalley, Penguin Random House Canada, and the author for the arc of this book. Will be adding it to my permanent collection.

An engaging and fresh thriller about three comedians on tour in the wilds of small-town Canada when something goes very wrong for two of them. Butt did a superb crafting of each of the comedians -- they pop out of the pages like real people. I particularly liked the friendship among them and the insider's view of the comedy world. Highly entertaining.