PLEASE LET ME DESTROY YOU
by Rupert Taylor
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Pub Date Jul 16 2024 | Archive Date Aug 16 2024
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Description
While participating in a casino heist in the Cambodian jungle, Apollo Jones has a crippling panic attack. He's no seasoned criminal—he's a filmmaker, caught up in an absurd casino heist plan in the hopes that he can use the story for the first season of a preposterously ambitious TV show he dreams of selling to HBO or Netflix or some other global streaming powerhouse. Spoiler alert: his panic attack stuffs up the heist and as punishment, his partners slice off his right pinky. But the show is all he has, so Apollo bandages his stump and heads off on a multi-continent search for content.
From person to person, country to country, and through all kinds of addictions, Apollo chases adventure while struggling to find his own identity. As he generates, purchases, and even steals stories for his show, Apollo risks destroying himself, his relationships, and the people he comes to love.
A Note From the Publisher
Rupert Taylor spent ten years honing his craft as an award-winning writer and creative director for an international ad agency. He wrote a film called BEVERLY that screened at one film festival. That’s right, one. He also won a major international screenwriting competition that led to absolutely nothing getting made, but he does have several TV series in development, so you never know. Taylor’s short stories have been published widely including in Hobart, X-Ray, Maudlin House, Points In Case, and more. Please Let Me Destroy You (July 2024, No Frills Buffalo) is Taylor’s first novel. He currently lives in Sydney, with his partner and his daughter, who likes unicorns and shouting.
Advance Praise
"An absolute dazzler of a debut with truly staggering scope. Taylor's singular style punches through every paragraph, recalling the madcap madness of Vonnegut and Palahniuk with the pacing and black humour of A.M Holmes. Entirely unpredictable but endlessly inventive, the book infuses heart and guts into Apollo's endlessly existential quest for perfect content. Strap yourself in. This one goes off like a rocket."
– Jonathan Seidler, staff writer at Esquire, author of It's A Shame About Ray and All The Beautiful Things You Love
“Please Let Me Destroy You is as gut-bustlingly hilarious as it is giddily absurd. There are moments where it feels like Rupert Taylor doesn’t want to decide what type of novel he’s writing: love story, heist, influencer satire, black comedy, or drug-fueled nightmare, but in the end – it really does not matter – because Taylor concocts a brilliant literary stew of them all in this unnecessarily gorgeous debut.”
— Craig Buchner, author of Brutal Beasts and Fish Cough
Available Editions
| EDITION | Paperback |
| ISBN | 9781953610645 |
| PRICE | $16.95 (USD) |
| PAGES | 308 |
Available on NetGalley
Featured Reviews
Reviewer 1376114
The cover of this book has to be the most disturbing, yet eye-catching images I've ever seen. But it perfectly captures the essence of this novel. The main character was unhinged, obsessive, a little off his rocker. There were times I was reading this and I didn't know what was going on and I loved every second of it.
Kathryn M, Reviewer
This was a really well done novel, it had everything that I was looking for from the description and enjoyed the overall concept of the book. The cover is what drew me in and it had that element of unhinged that I was hoping for. Rupert Taylor does a great job in writing this and leaving me wanting more.
Isabella F, Reviewer
This book was a whirlwind. I really enjoyed the writing style; it was quick paced and interesting. The voice fit the plot and the character as well. It progressed the story in such a natural way that I could read multiple chapters without noticing how long I had been reading. Additionally, I was sucked into a world of gangs and directors that I was subconsciously analyzing the book for its commentary on identity and social relationships.
The characters themselves were so interesting with distinct voices. The plot jumped back and forth between the present with the main character and the backgrounds of some of the side characters. I found this surprisingly easy to follow, and I know that it is thanks mostly in part to the individuality of the characters and Taylor's writing style.
If you enjoy struggling protagonists, a cast of crazy characters, and a plot reminiscent of a TV show, I recommend this book.
Thank you to the publisher for the e-copy. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
Readers who liked this book also liked:
Georgia A. Hill; Diane Proctor Reeder
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