(3.5, rounded up to 4)

In Joseph Earl Thomas's debut novel, "God Bless You, Otis Spunkmeyer," the protagonist, also named Joseph Thomas, navigates a grueling shift as a hospital technician in Philadelphia's trauma center.

Amidst treating a diverse array of patients, from a young gunshot victim to a severely beaten homeless man, Joseph is consumed by hunger and frustration. His friend Ray, who was supposed to deliver a much-needed hoagie and an Otis Spunkmeyer chocolate chip muffin, is nowhere to be found.

Joseph's life is a whirlwind of complications. He's entangled in a web of personal issues: juggling fatherhood with three different women, dealing with a crack-addicted mother, and managing the pressures of both his demanding job and his graduate studies. As he contemplates a forthcoming trip to Belize with a coworker, one of his many romantic entanglements, he reflects on the futility of his hard work and his perpetual struggle to improve his circumstances.

Thomas’s stream-of-consciousness narrative captures Joseph’s deep-seated frustration and the intersection of personal and systemic failures. His insights into poverty, race, and the harsh realities of life resonate with both anger and poignancy. The novel’s raw depiction of Joseph’s world is marked by both humor and tragedy and explores the profound desire for love and understanding in a world that often seems indifferent.

"God Bless You, Otis Spunkmeyer" is a powerful and evocative work, showcasing Thomas's remarkable ability to convey complex emotions and societal critiques through a deeply personal lens.

The endearing slice-of-life book "God Bless You, Otis Spunkmeyer" by Joseph Earl Thomas warmly and nostalgically encapsulates the spirit of small-town America. The narrative takes place in the made-up town of Ridgely and centers on its eccentric residents and their entwined lives, all around the neighborhood diner, Otis Spunkmeyer's.

The most notable aspect of Thomas's work is his capacity to develop compelling characters. Every person in the establishment, from the friendly diner owner Otis to the regular customers, seems real and approachable. Their interactions mirror the highs and lows of daily life in a close-knit community, and they are frequently poignant and hilarious.

The novel's power resides in the way it portrays the relationships inside communities and the sense of oneness among locals. Thomas delves into issues of friendship, family, and forgiveness through a variety of subplots, providing actual emotional depth amid the casual banter.

The book does, however, have certain shortcomings. There are moments when the pacing seems lopsided, with some subplots getting more attention than others, under developing certain characters. Furthermore, although the small-town charm is charming, it occasionally crosses the line into cliche territory and lacks the originality necessary to totally enthrall readers searching for a more distinctive story.

All things considered, "God Bless You, Otis Spunkmeyer" is a delightful book that lives up to its promise of touching narrative. This book will appeal to readers who appreciate cozy mysteries and feel-good fiction, especially in light of how well it captures the spirit of community and the relationships that develop over meals and chats. Even though it has shortcomings, The book by Joseph Earl Thomas is a valuable addition to any reader's library since it effectively captures the spirit of a community where forgiveness and second chances are the norm.

This book deals with a lot of tough topics, which was interesting but the stream of consciousness style of writing just wasn’t for me. I found it hard to keep track of all the characters and to figure out what was being discussed. Whether this was a feature or a bug, I’m not sure but it didn’t do it for me. However, I imagine others who really like this style would enjoy the book.

The cover of God Bless You, Otis Spunkmeyer shows a young Black man's face overlaying an institutional-looking building in the background. The lines of the drawing, specifically of the man's head, blur, as if his multicolored facets aren't yet able to sustain a stable image. It beautifully represents the gist of Joseph Earl Thomas's debut novel, which is told over the course of one hectic shift at a Philadelphia hospital. Joseph Thomas, who not coincidentally shares the author's name, is a med tech in the emergency department, where he knows every other patient, including his mother, presumed biological father, uncle, great-grandmother. 
"A boy who used to beat me up is here for STD testing."
"In the trauma bay there's a lanky girl I knew from middle school named Diamond."
I say that the setting is the hospital, but really it's Joey's mind. He weaves narration of his daily ER routine with flashbacks from gaming with his kids the night before, from his own impoverished childhood, from his tour in Iraq as an army medic, and so on. Throughout his stream-of-consciousness narration, he speaks of hunger and trauma and when is his bff Ray gonna show up with Joey's hoagie and Otis Spunkmeyer muffin?
Therein lies the hook. 
This book is phenomenal in how it captures the focus and distraction of both a mind and a trauma center in chaos. Its intense but intimate language is not easy to begin, but by about 15 percent in, I began to see the method in the seeming madness and I was drawn in, mesmerized by its genius. I was already a fan of Thomas's memoir Sink, but the two together make me an even more avid fan.
[Thanks to Grand Central Publishing and NetGalley for an opportunity to read an advanced reader copy and share my opinion of this book.]

Joseph Who Was a soldier In T. H. E! LRAN. W. A r. He was trying to raise his Family. He Work in a hospital in Philadelphia. E M s. He's also going to school as well. Everybody thought he had money And his sister kept asking for money as well as his mother. His mother was addicted to crack So she could not help him with the children anymore. A man trying so hard to have a normal life and raise his children.To B e Standing.
Citizens. It shows how people can get their lives together if they focus. This book would be really good for people to show how you do things on your own and raise a family as well. Even if the ODS Against you. His friend He was close to. And the shared experience. From the war..

I didn’t really know what to expect while reading this book and though some of ten themes are heartbreaking it still was a very heartwarming book about identity finding ones place in the world and knowing where you come from. It tackles the tough relationship that people have with their parents and how that shapes them into the adults they’ll be and how they will then raise their own children. I really liked this books and would love to read more by this author.

I found this to be both heartfelt and humorous while remaining authentic as Otis learns that his gift of healing reaches beyond the physical.

This prose was jam-packed; I found myself starting paragraphs over to catch everything. I appreciated the distinct perspective of a black Philly man juggling life as a parent, graduate student, and medical assistant after serving in the military. It was funny at times, but mostly heavy, and it felt important to read.

I may change my star rating, but I’m still trying to process this book.

The author’s writing style is definitely unique - lyrical and poetic, switching timelines. It drew me in. But I had trouble keeping track of where we were in the story - past and present and who all the characters were. I read the author’s memoir earlier this year, and I could see some themes from his life in this book.

Overall, I think I give this 3/3.5 stars.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for my gifted copy!

Unlike any book I have ever read, GOD BLESS YOU, OTIS SPUNKMEYER tells the story of Joseph Thomas, a man trying his best to make good decisions that will make his life and the lives of those he cares about better. Having already lived in many differing conditions, including those of an active duty military member, he has pushed himself forward a degree in medicine while working full time in a hospital emergency room and maintaining a family life. Life has stretched him thin while he struggles with the temptations any young man faces these days. Joseph Earl Thomas has done an excellent job of developing the characters and the communities in which they live. While fiction, this story could be true for many young men today.

This is a good read. I enjoyed the stream of consciousness approach, but I got fatigued from all of the run on sentences. This would be a great movie or tv show.

This book is so good, a true masterpiece. It was written unlike anything I've ever read and I couldn't put it down. It was heartbreaking, honest, beautiful, hilarious . . . just everything a person could ever want from a book. Read this book!!

I absolutely loved this book, and I give it my highest recommendation. God Bless You, Otis Spunkmeyer comes out next week on June 18, 2024, you can purchase HERE.

Of all the level 1 trauma centers in one young though very old nation, it's this one, on the north side of a northeastern middling city where we wear teal scrubs stained with shit which, in this context, helps signify the unbearability of true pleasure in the world. Pleasures in feeling purposeful and needed and useful without forcing the disambiguation. The waiting room is full.

I had a hard time with this one. The writing is very stream of consciousness which was sometimes a plus but often took away from enjoyment and understanding of the book. Which was also kind of fitting considering that this wasn't meant to be a light read. It was disturbing at times.

There's definitely a lot going on here and I feel like this is the kind of book that could be analyzed in college classrooms. It was interesting to get a different perspective on the world. It just wasn't an easy read in terms of prose and material.

I read an ARC of this book from NetGalley. All comments are my own.

Joseph, a Black army veteran and father from Philadelphia, is working in a hospital as a tech while attending grad school. The style of writing of this book made it hard to get into - it felt like stream of consciousness or journal writing. Once I got used to the writing and the gritty content, I was taken by Joseph's life. A unique, fairly disturbing look at what it means to be a Black man from meager means trying to make his life better while helping family and friends around him.

Unfortunately, because of the odd grammar and spelling, I had to abandon this book. I enjoy the stories of health care workers and how they put their lives on the line for the health and welfare of others, and I was excited to dive into this book, but I was a little confused from the beginning. And I was not really able to follow a story line. Thanks to the publisher and to NetGalley for giving me a try at this ARC.

2.0. Did not finish the book. Found the subject uninteresting and the language off putting. I rarely do not finish a book, but I did not think that completing the story was a good use of my time. Unfortunate.

Vivid and alive. The density of the paragraphs mimics the feeling of traumatic overwhelm. Thomas really takes us into the experience, and the dialogue too, keeps it alive - you really hear the characters and where they are coming from. Beautiful writing on difficult stuff. Thanks for the ARC!

The stream of consciousness writing and run-on sentences make this difficult to track, but effectively speak to intergenerational trauma and systemic harms of our society.

It was a good book but it was not for me. The language and writing style made it difficult for me to read. The long paragraphs made it more like a journal versus a novel

I really wanted to like this book and get more into it, but the short synopsis is the writing doesn’t work for me. It reads, at least to me, like one long sentence that starts in one place and ends in another without anything to make it cohesive. There are clearly important points about race, poverty, and more, but I found it hard to follow and bizarre. If the style works for you, I’m sure you’ll enjoy it. Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.