Thank you to St. Marten's press for my copy of I'M STARTING TO WORRY ABOUT THIS BLACK BOX OF DOOM. This one is out September 24.

This was a very entertaining read with lots of twists and turns. Pargin weaves together a fictional story, albeit felt a bit too real at times, while highlighting the inherent pros and cons of social media in the modern world. I would recommend this!

Loved loved loved this book! What a brilliant and satirical, yet genuine and moving commentary on the state of the world and technology. I have been seriously thinking about the effects of iPhones and the Internet lately, and I feel like this book put into words so much of how I have been feeling. The growing mass hysteria, the fear mongering, and the storytelling that goes on with absolutely zero proof or reason is astounding, and this story encapsulated all of it.

After the initial pages, I found myself not connecting with the story or characters, so I decided to pass on this book. Did not finish

Abbott, a 26 year old Lyft driver living in Los Angeles, lives a relatively normal, although slightly boring, life, but all that is about to change, and in a big way. As he pulls up to the curb to pick up his latest passenger he encounters a young woman sitting atop a large black box with what appears to be a radioactive sticker on it. The young woman is Ether and she has a proposition for Abbott; she wants him to drive her and the box to DC by the 4th of July and is willing to pay him $200,000 to do it, but there rules. Abbott cannot look in the box, nor can he ask what is inside; he can’t tell anyone where he is going; and he must leave his cell phone behind. Although reluctant, it seems like an easy enough job so Abbott agrees to the terms and the two begin their journey, but soon things take a turn and the pair finds themselves pursued by motley crew of individuals, including a tattooed guy, a retired FBI agent, Abbott’s father, and a community of Reddit users, and they all have their own theories about the black box and what doom it might contain.

On the surface I found this to be a very entertaining and funny tale, but underneath it all there are some rather powerful and relevant messages. To me this novel is making a strong statement through the use of satire and comedy about our society. We have what seems to be an almost desperate, addictive need for things like electronic devices and social media and the need for affirmation through those, as well as the rapid and dangerous effects that misinformation and rumor–which is so easily spread through the media–can have on people and their actions. Yes, there is a great cast of characters that are well developed and the plot is interesting, so much so that those alone made this a book I could not put down, but below the surface there is so much more to unpack and I loved going on this journey with Pargin’s cast of characters.

Fliakos did an absolutely phenomenal job narrating this novel. I loved all the voices that were used for the characters, as well as the tone and inflection which aided in the telling of story and the creation of the atmosphere. I honestly can’t think of a narrator with the ability to do justice to Pargin’s novel the way that Fliakos did; my enjoyment of the material was greatly multiplied courtesy of the audiobook.

I think I liked this... Or at least I liked the parts where we are following Ether and Abbot on their road trip from hell, as they are transporting the black box of doom. Those parts kept me interested, and I loved that I had no idea where they were going, or what Ether was going to say or do next.

However, there are a lot of characters we get POVs from, and I don't think most of them were necessary. Maybe Abbot's dad Hunter, at least towards the end when I decided he wasn't a complete tool.. and Abbot's friend Zeke, who in his zeal to help Abbot, actually ended up making things like 1000 times worse for him Abbot and Ether.

This was a rough read. The writing wasn’t bad but the topic and plot…hoo boy. It read like TLDR blurbs from Reddit lore and internet “ooh this one amazing fact” type posts. Nothing new to me here but maybe that means I ingest too much media online. Ether’s character reads like someone mansplaining to you while drunk at a party and insisting they majored in some obscure philosophy track.

3.5 stars. This was an absolutely wild ride wrapped up into a bizarre story. Loved the wild situations that the characters get themselves into. The rants from the main characters were very hit or miss for me though, sometimes adding value to the story and occasionally having no relevance to the current situation. The reddit comments and headlines sprinkled throughout was a hilarious touch.
Thank you to St. Martin's Press and Netgalley for the eARC!

Thanks to NetGalley and St Martins Press for this copy of "I'm Starting to Worry About This Black Box of Doom."

Reading this book was an unforgettable, thought-provoking, entertaining experience. I could definitely see it being made into a dark comedy movie.

As Abbott and Ether drive from California to Washington, D.C. the nation becomes obsessed with the contents of the "black box." From alien corpses, nuclear bombs, and murder victims, the only question is what will happen if they're stopped.

Author Pargin uses the cross-country trek to deliver the "black box" to talk about our addiction to social media, our need for instant gratification, our anxiety and fright about anything that's different, and many other social observations.

My favorite of Pargin's novels that I've read so far. Funny and insightful to the point that I occasionally got mad at it (and then accepted, learned, grew, embraced, etc.) Crackerjack quotes throughout but I think my favorite is "knowing what kind of dumb you are is one of the most valuable kinds of smart there is."

Special thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for allowing me an advanced copy of this book in exchange for a review.

Jason Pargin is easily one of my favorite writers and this book is a perfect example of why. He loves writing about odd adventures, wacky scenarios, and outright bizarre situations but in a way that is entirely believable and relatable. Even if he is talking about something you're sure doesn't exist or could never happen, if it does in his books you think YUP THAT'S FACTS!

Jason Pargin's writing style is intelligent, witty, and downright hilarious. He has a wonderful way of creating a story that makes one ponder on how the world is going right now (in real time) while not being too overbearing or wordy. He makes his text light, funny, and full of jokes or bizarre scenarios while making the reader think critically. I enjoy the way he points out facts about our world without trying to attack anyone, making the text more accessible to the masses.

If you're looking for a wild ride that will have you hooked from chapter one, THIS IS THE BOOK! It is bizarre, it is unhinged, it is literally like nothing else you will ever read in your life! When I started this book, everything else stopped until I finished it! Plan on staying up late reading it as fast as you can ! 10/10 Jason Pargin does it again =)

This was a fun romp from an author I've been meaning to check out for ages! I'm really happy (and grateful) to have gotten the ARC for it but when looking at reviews it seems this isn't their best so maybe I will need to check out some others.

WOW! Just Wow! This book by Jason Pargin is quirky, entertaining, humorous, well-written, sobering, and even thought-provoking. It’s hard to find a book that’s a total package like this, but this author created just that.

Mr Pargin has intertwined a bunch of well-developed characters, their stories, and the plot into one compelling, can’t-look-away tale. It’s simple… Abbott Coburn, a rudderless young man with low self-esteem is a Lyft driver. When a young woman offers him more money than he can imagine to transport her and a large black box across the country, he agrees. It’s against his better judgement but with this windfall he can move out of his father’s house and figure out his life. What could be the downside? Oh, dear reader, you have no idea and that’s where the adventures begin.

As I read the first few chapters I really didn’t think I’d enjoy this book. but, I’m so glad I stuck with it, because things changed pretty rapidly.

This was my though process:
At first it was a simple and goofy story – 3 stars
Then, I decided there was more to this book than I had first thought. And, I really liked the characters. This could be a crazy ride! – 4 stars
Finally, I found myself fully invested. The book kept getting better and better and I could hardly put it down – 5 stars.

My hat’s off to Mr Pargin. He wrote a novel that I completely and thoroughly enjoyed! Please do it again soon! NetGalley provided an advance reader copy.

Jason Pargin has the uncanny ability to ensnare relevant commentary regarding the spread of information in this overly digital age as well as the harms done by the isolated communication that the internet thrives on.

This novel is smartly constructed and makes the most out of every characters' POV. The juxtaposition between those without internet access and those with is striking and hilariously logical.

It's the narrative driven by the type of speculation that everyone online partakes in. When you consume only a scrap of the truth and let speculation take the reins.

The most original story I read this year! The first time I see Reddit used as a plot device :D
I am not sure if this is a slow thriller or a fast social commentary book, but either way, it's quirky and fun! I did not guess the ending, so it was worth sticking around for that!

Part action movie, part social commentary, part thought experiment, Pargin’s new novel takes his old formula and works new magic. When an anxious internet recluse signs on with a literal manic pixie dream girl to do mischief he is definitely not cut out for, what could go wrong? Well everything, of course. But also so much goes right. A fun and thought provoking read with heart and humor!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for my copy. These opinions are my own.

2.5 rounded up.

Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for an ARC in exchange for an honest review!

This book pulled me in right away - we have a mysterious box, a road trip, and tons of chaos.

I found myself fully engaged for the first half of the story, but then things really started to drag and I stopped really even caring about what was in the box?! (the final reveal lowkey made me wish I DNF'd)

An interesting look at modern society, but a bit heavy handed and never-ending for my taste!

This book was a wild ride. I had no clue where the story was headed and I had a hard time putting it down. The only thing was the ending was a bit weird but other than that I liked it. I would suggest others check it out.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the arc.

Do you know how sometimes you just need to read something so out of your normal as a book palate cleanser??? That was me with this book. I don’t normally read these kinds of conspiracy theory stories. To be fair I had never even read this author before. I took a chance and I have to say I’m glad I did.
It was refreshingly funny and completely unrealistic. Which made my day. And at the same time it makes you think maybe in the not so distant future this kind of thing might actually happen. (I shudder to think).
If you just suspend your belief you can go along for this fun, wild, and crazy ride too.
I received a ARC of this title, all opinions are my own.

There were several times during my reading of this book that I had to stop and think about things. Like "oh wow..." There were also moments that made me roll my eyes. And then there were moments that had me going "now way, really?" I think a good book is one that you keep talking about after you put it down. I highlighted several passages because they really resonated with me. It was interesting how parts of the book infuriated me and others comforted me. That's pretty amazing. The multiple POVs were really interesting because they were so diverse. It really helped paint a full picture of things. It also drives home the point that people are complicated and more than one thing. I really enjoyed this book, and Pargin continues to be a favorite author of mine. This one is great for the non-horror fans. It still made me laugh but it made me think. Not a lot of media I consume does that.

Outside Los Angeles, a driver pulls up to find a young woman sitting on a large black box. She offers him $200,000 cash to transport her and that box across the country, to Washington, DC.

But there are rules:

He cannot look inside the box.
He cannot ask questions.
He cannot tell anyone.
They must leave immediately.
He must leave all trackable devices behind.

As they hit the road, rumors spread on social media that the box is part of a carefully orchestrated terror attack intended to plunge the USA into civil war. But the truth is even stranger.

Suspend belief to enjoy this wild ride. The book is full of action and wacky characters. The humor is not going to be for everyone.

There is a lot of dialogue to get through especially from one character. Threads from social media give another perspective to the situation and are probably realistic. Everything else not so much..

This story isn't going to be for everyone but fans of the author might enjoy it. I think the story might make a fun movie.