I'm Starting to Worry About This Black Box of Doom
I'm Starting to Worry About This Black Box of Doom by Jason Pargin
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

First of all, if you love roadtrip novels, then perk your ear up.

The black box of doom needs a little road-time.

Of course, exactly WHAT that black box of doom is will be a major bone of contention throughout the novel, but it should be safe to say that there are several.

Probably, the more interesting black box of doom is the author's willingness to let it all hang out. We've all had some seriously hard years, be it with societal craziness, fractured people, loneliness, online echo chambers, and, let's face it, FEAR and the greater uneasiness we all have about opening up to others.

After a fairly delightful meet-cute involving a bit of kidnapping (honestly probably the only way this basement-dwelling dude might have agreed to this bit of wildness), this novel doesn't hesitate to jump right in and say the things that might start tons of arguments.

Oddly, however, there's a bit of interesting open-mindedness, which was pretty delightful, even if it didn't go overboard.

The rest of the novel was almost slapstick in how the Reddit boards went cuckoo or how conspiracy nutters became weekend warriors. It was pretty funny.

It may not be my favorite of Mr. Pargin's, but I do appreciate the courage to put these other ideas out there and treat them with a little respect even if they may be a sore point for many. (Think any of the contentious things that are on Reddit, and you'll get the idea.)

Jason Pargin's "I'm Starting to Worry About This Black Box of Doom" is a fast paced adventure ride. When anxious introvert, Abbott, decides to give a mystery woman a ride, in exchange for 200,000, it's an opportunity he can't pass up, despite his very strong reservations. What ensures is an unbelievable and zany adventure that explores herd mentality, social media addiction, and cancel culture. Pargin's novel is a quick and comical read with some divisive and thought provoking themes to explore.

For fans of Cory Doctorow's "Ready Player One".

Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the opportunity to read this book in exhange for my honest review.

Had trouble getting into it at first, but it picked up in the second half. Didn't know what to expect, but wasn't disappointed with what I found.

My thanks to St. Martin's Press, Jason Pargin and Netgalley.
Well, I didn't think it was possible to not like a Pargin book, yet here I stand corrected. Actually, laying in bed with a horrible sunburn! This book had none of the fun that his other books have. Or....maybe, they had the same amount of fun without the freaks that I so dearly love from his other books.
Either way, I've decided that Pargin is a sometimes author for me.
Sometimes I love his stuff, other times I don't. This was a don't for me. Yet, Pargin is still weird and funny.

Rating: ⭐⭐ ½
Genre: Mystery Thriller

Abbott is a Lyft driver who encounters a woman sitting on a large black box. She offers him $200,000 in cash to transport her and the box to Washington, DC. However, she imposes strict rules: no questions and no peeking inside the box. As they embark on their journey, rumors about the box and its purpose begin to spread across social media.

The narrative is told in the third person, with multiple characters providing their points of view throughout the story, which takes place over five days. The idea behind the story is absolutely incredible, and it brings to mind the film "The Bag Man" by John Cusack, which I found to be a fascinating and entertaining film. In the same way, the main character is unable to look at the bag, obtain any information about it, or ask any questions about it.

Unfortunately, unlike many other readers who enjoyed this book, I did not find it enjoyable. Firstly, the book seemed too long. I'm not sure if the pacing was off or if the book was simply too lengthy. Additionally, I don't think the story needed multiple points of view. It would have been more satisfying for me if the story had focused solely on the box's location and if the two main characters discussed their pasts or something. I didn't find the viewpoints of Abbott's father or the other characters necessary.

As a reader, I found it difficult to connect with the characters in the story, which was a significant factor. The main character, Abbott, is not likable, and I struggled to understand or sympathize with him. I also found it hard to relate to the other characters. It's unfortunate because I feel that the story had a lot of potential.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC of this book.

I’m Starting to Worry About This Black Box of Doom is a wild ride and a cautionary tale of being terminally online. Abbott is—at best—a lonely loser or at worst—an incel who hates women. While driving for Lyft, Abbott picks up a young woman sitting on a black box and offers him $200,000 to drive from L.A. to D.C. with conditions. He can’t open the box; ask about it; or her personal life. Ether—the woman—talks him into it and he complains the entire way. Unexpected turns trigger wild internet rumors and conspiracy theories. The trip’s final stop and conclusion will surprise even the most cynical readers.

I’m Starting to Worry About This Black Box of Doom is a metaphor for the dangers of isolation. It’s an indictment of what we are going through in the U.S. Jason Pargin highlights the perils of being in an echo chamber and the rage machine that has taken over a political party. The moral is if you get your nose out of your phone and stop watching the “news” networks, you’ll discover the world isn’t ending and it’s not that bad. It’s something we could all learn from.

Thank you to St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for the advanced copy of I’m Starting to Worry About This Black Box of Doom.

Another wonderful, quirky, and endlessly delightful tale from Jason Pargin! This is very similar to the humor and style of his Zoey Ashe books and it was such an awesome journey to follow this black box of doom. What's scary is how this closely mimics misinformation spreading in today's reality and Pargin nails this down so well! Definitely a must read for anyone who loves a good mystery and a quirky sense of humor!

Really funny, clever and insightful, as well as timely. I had to stay up really late to finish it, and then the next morning I was really sad it was done! I've already been recommending it to friends.

I don't want to say too much about it, because it's all about the slow reveal and the mystery. It's really well-written.

This is actually the first book I've read by Pargin - but it won't be the last!

I’m going to start this off by saying I am a huge Jason Pargin fan. Pargin is one of the few authors that I not only always pre-order, but also keep a collection of physical books on my shelf. John Dies At The End is one of my absolute favorite books, and I have enjoyed all the other books in the JDATE world, and all of the Zoey Ashe books. While reading Black Box, I tried to remember that these are separate characters from entirely separate universes from Pargin’s previous books, but I struggled so hard reading this book that I couldn’t help but compare it to his older works. And while Black Box was fine, it definitely did not compare.
This one starts out really strong, and I loved the last 20% or so, but the 50-60% in the middle were tough to get through. There was A LOT of right vs left wing monologuing, and while I’ve never disliked current politics in my fiction, I felt inundated at times here. I found that a lot of Pargin’s unique sense of humor was missing during the middle of this book. I get that this is a commentary on current events and how swiftly misinformation can be spread through social media, but it was also very repetitive and slogging at times. There was just SO MUCH monologuing. Ether would ramble for a few paragraphs, then Abbot, then back to Ether, and so on and on and on, and it felt like they were just repeating the same opinions over and over for like 100 pages. This was thankfully interrupted at times by other character POVs or Reddit posts.
The saving factor for Black Box, imo, was the last 20% or so. I have always enjoyed Pargin’s absurd and ridiculous settings, and the final showdown in Black Box was exactly what I was waiting for through the whole book. There were mild glimpses of Pargin’s unique sense of humor throughout the book, but it didn’t really come through as strong until the last action of the book.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinion.

The perspective I’ve gained from reading this was very unexpected. I’m fascinated with the online behaviors of others, particularly on social media, and the way this showcased just how insane people become online was *chefs kiss* 😚🤌🏻

<i>Thanks NetGalley for sending the arc in exchange for honest review</i> 🫶🏻

I was excited to be granted an ARC to review “I’m starting to Worry About This Black Box of Doom” by Jason Pargin, however, it fell short of my expectations. The premises is about a driver who found himself in a situation where he met a woman who convinced him to travel across country to delivery a mysterious box he was not allowed to ask about. I found it average story, but slowly started to lose interest. While it may not have been my cup of tea, I wish the author the best of luck!

Every book I ever read by Jason never fails to just hit home perfectly. I highly recommend you checking out this book and I think it will speak to you. It's definitely eye opening. (As much as any work of fiction can be.) I love the way he mixed real life events into the fiction to help explain and show what was happening. I also loved the way he used Reddit and showed perfect faked Reddit posts. The use of reddit and just other internet sensations (Twitch, Youtube) helped make it feel more real and just show how important we've made these in our lives. Definitely check out this book if you have the chance.

I really liked the premise of this book but found the execution lacking. It’s nice to see characters that are multidimensional and flawed like real people, but the ranting bounced between extremes to the point I think most people would want to quit reading.

It's not that Abbott is a Gen Z stereotype: well, yes, he has failed to launch and spends a lot of time online in his dad's house. And sure, he's riddled with anxieties. And okay, one of his gigs is as a Lyft driver...which is how he ends up in this muddle.

Driving his dad's high-end SUV, Abbott gets a Lyft call and, despite many red flags, ends up picking up the weirdo girl and her large and mysterious luggage. And when she offers him $200K to take herself and the box to Washington--Cash? Well, this could be the thing that changes his life.

Indeed it does, as Abbott, the box, and the girl, Esther start a road-trip from California to points East with FBI, a retired FBI agent, Abbott's dad, and a murderous goon in hot pursuit. Silly on the outside, this antic romp conceals a tangy center whereby Pargin (author of <I>John Dies in the End</I>) has a chance to wax philosophical about the dangers of the digital age. Think the kind of messaging Kurt Vonnegut would be proud to deliver: humans need humans far more than they need social media, and our smarts might just be the death of us.

Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the eARC in exchange for my unfettered opinion.

TLDR It's good. Read it. Buy it. Gift it to friends and family. Ask the library about it.

ROAD TRIP!! Really, who doesn't love an epic road trip story? This is the type of book that begs for a movie. All of the characters are fleshed out in a disturbingly realistic world of viral rumor mills, social media echo chambers, bubbling angers and everyday anxiety. Here you have a fantastic story firmly grounded in the present built from any average day in the US of A. I'm sure there will be plenty of the usual complaints from the usual types of people, but it's important to keep in mind that whatever people read into this story reflects more on them than what was put on paper.

What a fun book to read. I couldn't put it down because I wanted to know what madcap thing was going to happen next. Laugh out loud book.

A definite world ride of a ride across the country..lol funny, satire, abd social media being spot on on what really goes on, a fun read. First of this authors for me found it entertaining

Thanks to the author, the publisher and Netgalley for an early release of this book

Loved this madcap romp of a tale! No spoilers to ruin the fun for other readers, but will say I greatly enjoyed the ridiculous predicaments the characters get themselves into as they travel across the country to deliver the mystery box. And the subreddit comments by redditors as they try to track the progress of box, utterly hilarious!

Besides being a fun read it also provides food for thought on lots of other issues, like how the internet and social media impact our lives, for the better and the worse. At times it reminded me of the zany Florida-fiction I also love (Carl Hiaason, Tim Dorsey, Dave Barry) with it's multiple character storylines that somehow eventually converge. Highly recommend!

Disclosure: Received an uncorrected ARC of this book from NetGalley and St. Martin's Press (Thank you!) in exchange for an honest review.

In LA, a Uber driver arrives to find a young woman waiting with a big black box. She offers him $200k to drive her and the box to Wash, DC, but there are several rules: He can’t ask what’s in the box, he can’t ask her any questions, he can’t tell anyone, and no phones or other devices that can be tracked. What follows is a rollicking, no-holds-barred journey across the country that is filled with suspense, laughs, and a satirical look at how social media can spin wildly out of control. I’m Starting To Worry About This Black Box Of Doom will hook you from literally the first page, as the driver and his passenger navigate through all kinds of obstacles, including their own insecurities as they make their way to DC. There’s much more going on here, but I don’t want to spoil the surprises in this totally unique, hilarious and quirky story, filled with great characters, an unhinged social media frenzy, and an ongoing commentary on the perils of today’s digital platforms. This is a totally entertaining and thought-provoking book that you just can’t but furiously flip through the pages. 100% recommended, one of my favorite books of the year!
I received an ARC of this book from the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This book is a little nugget of fun. It is extraordinarily clever and had me laughing from the absurdity of it all.

The story begins with Abbott, an anxiety-ridden introvert who drives for a rideshare company, picking up a client at Circle-K. She is offering him hoards of money to drive her and a big black box across the country. But there are rules - the box cannot be opened, he can tell no one, and he absolutely cannot bring his phone. Once he very begrudgingly agrees to do this, their cross-country trip turns into a comedy of errors. Unbeknownst to both Abbott and his client, Ether, the whole country is buzzing about them and their cargo. Is it a nuclear bomb? Is it a dead body? What could possibly be so important that a man is willing to pay a fortune to have it driven thousands of miles to him.

Jason Parkin has a very fertile imagination and he has written this book superbly. I absolutely love it and will recommend it to everyone. Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the opportunity to read an advanced copy of this 5-star book.