Whirly World

by Brandon Jones, Jeff Delgado (Illustrator), Mitch Baker (Illustrator)

Theme-park blogger Jason Green is dead and his spirit is stuck inside Whirly World, his favorite place to be. What should be a dream come true turns into an abstract nightmare as Jason confronts malevolent forces trapping him there. Desperate to escape, he has to befriend the other ten ghosts inhabiting this afterlife, from a disgruntled hostess crushed under a revolving stage, to a bereft security guard that still thinks it's 1983, and combine their strange powers to dig up the park's mysterious past.

Genres: Fantasy, Ghosts, Fiction

325 pages, Kindle Edition

Published October 13, 2023

About the author

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There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name.
This profile may contain books from multiple authors of this name.

Reviews

[Amanda · Rating 5 out of 5]

On the surface, "Whirly World" appears to be a spooky action adventure about ghosts trying to escape a theme park, but amid all the action is an emotional core that is reminiscent of Matt Haig's "Midnight Library." You'll be swept up and then find yourself tearing up. Highly recommend!

[Genevieve Paquette · Rating 4 out of 5]

Listened to the audiobook. 3.5 rounded up.
The concept was interesting, the execution was fine (I feel like something was missing, but it was still fine). The characters were all distinct and three-dimensional. Where Whirly World shines, though, is it its portrayal of an obsessive theme park nerd and the park he loves.
The mystery part was where I felt like something was missing. It was a bit simple or underdeveloped, maybe? I'm not sure.
The characters are dead, but is the Whirly World they are stuck in heaven? Hell? Purgatory? Some alternate dimension? The solution wasn't as satisfying as I hoped, but it was fine. I think what really did work was the author's exploration of the different characters' experience of and feelings toward death and the afterlife. It gave the reader a lot to think about.
Also, the author read the audiobook himself. Usually that scares me off. In this case, yeah, it's clear he's an author, not a professional narrator, but it wasn't that bad.

[Jennifer Lauer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Whirly World is a love-letter to the amusement park, and the youthful joy it can evoke. Jones is adept at conjuring the spirited jilts of family and longing to be understood.

The one place Jason Green feels understood is Whirly World, a deftly described cozy park, that becomes his purgatory.

His journey in understanding both his life and his death through the other patrons of the park is earnest and moving.

A fun ride of a debut, looking forward to reading what Brandon Jones writes next.

[Chris · Rating 5 out of 5]

A Thrilling Adventure

In his debut novel, Jones takes the reader on a wild & adventurous ride. Full of rich detail and colorful prose, he makes it easy to envision the world in which these thoughtful characters inhabit. With carefully crafted nods to 80’s pop culture, both in reference and storytelling, Jones has brought to life a thrilling adventure that will leave you wanting more.

[Alex Merchant · Rating 3 out of 5]

I’m a longtime fan of Brandon Jones from his work in the gaming journalism space, and I was thrilled to see his debut novel be a theme park adventure. Jones successfully captures the adoration one can feel for a beloved theme park they grew up with, and it serves as a promising setting for the adventure that unfolds. The protagonist, an obsessive fan of Whirly World, wakes to find himself in the deserted park, occupied only by the handful of ghosts of those that died there in various ways over the years.

I found the protagonist Jason to be a little cringey at times in his obsession with the park, and him so quickly falling into a hero-leader role as he uncovers the mystery of this strange purgatory version of the park seemed too easy. Jason lacked much of a character arc for me, instead serving as more of a protagonist vehicle to bring about some growth in the simple but varied ensemble of ghosts he meets. He does at times use his detailed knowledge of the park’s history to advance the story, but more often than not sort of just falls into solutions.

There are shades of superhero story in Whirly World as each ghost showcases distinct powers, especially in a showy final action sequence. As X-Men is openly acknowledged at one point, I wonder if the story would’ve benefitted from a few more full on action sequences, as the narrative definitely has room for it. I would’ve liked to have seen more of an exploration of the various attractions at the park as we only get brief glimpses into a few of them. Unsurprisingly, the haunted house feels like the most realized, but I wanted to learn more about all the rides in this kitschy space that’s broadly described with such nostalgic fondness. The descriptions are more concerned with the feeling a park like this can give a person rather than the specifics of this particular park and all of its components.

Whirly World surprised me with its exploration of death and the afterlife, with some pretty emotional scenes as these ghosts grapple with the world and people they suddenly had to leave behind. These scenes gave the book a resonance even as the plotting felt pretty disjointed and the central mystery feels rushed. You can tell that Whirly World is a debut novel, but at times Jones really struck an emotional chord in me with those tender moments. I’d definitely come back to see what he writes next since I see a lot of potential.

[Brent Phillips · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved it. Whirly World is a self-contained adventure with a satisfying and thoughtfully created world. Jason is a great lead, and while you might not be obsessed with theme parks like him, his enthusiasm is infectious and refreshingly non-toxic. He loves that world, and his love and knowledge of the world helps him unravel the mystery of his afterlife.

Jason's inquisitive nature awakens the other ghosts in the park and they all have special talents that they need to use together to help figure out what's going on. My only real critique of the book is that I wish there was more of this. It's fun to see them work together towards common goals with their myriad "talents".

I won't spoil the ending, but I'm always worried with a book like this where the mysteries involved are cosmic-level "what happens when we die" kind of stuff, that the book's answer won't be satisfying, or it'll be overly dogmatic in some way, but Brandon Jones does an excellent job tying things up without forcing any particular worldview on the situation. What's happening in the book is revealed but opens up a lot more interesting questions about the afterlife instead of trying to answer them all.

Very easy recommendation, check it out.

[Kelly · Rating 5 out of 5]

A rollercoaster of a ride that stays on track (narratively speaking) and builds to an immensely satisfying payoff, Whirly World is a mystery, a ghost story, and love letter to all those “happy places” built to sustain and nurture the wonder we felt as children. Protagonist Jason Green’s lifelong passion for his favorite theme-park makes him the ideal guide for the reader through a meticulously realized and lovingly crafted world that is both the “real” Whirley World as well as the afterlife alternate Jason finds himself in after his death. I enjoyed the book’s well-paced reveal of the rules, advantages, and pitfalls of the afterlife uncovered as Jason learns the lay of the land, but it’s the obvious attention to detail that Brandon Jones puts into every snack stand, gift shop, and yes - even parking lot - of Whirley World that will really convince anyone starting this book to keep their arms and legs inside the ride and secure any loose items safely. Highly recommend!

[BAM xo · Rating 4 out of 5]

I didn't know what to expect reading this book, but I can wholeheartedly say I enjoyed it.

The theme of the book reminded me a little of bendy and the ink machine/kingdom hearts,/goosebumps ,very intriguing to read and picture these little side characters, up to no good and eliciting overall bad guy vibes.

I love how the characters were all so very different, and special powers? Also very different, that aspect gave me misfits vibes, and I suppose they were misfits, in the best ways.

The world building was so well done, I had to reality check myself a few times, my mind kept drifting to these crazy rides that I'll never get to go on. Completely captivated by fictional characters and locations is a real hit with me.

I didn't expect the story to unfold as it did, up and down like a rollercoaster suddenly hardly suffices to describe the plot twists and developments. I do wish there was more facetime with the demon aspects. That would have been epic to see what happens behind the scenes.
I was slightly disheartened by the ending, but it made me realise that the afterlife is yours and what you make of it. Freedom doesn't have limits, your lack of imagination is the only thing that holds you back.

The ending also left the world open to speculate on the possibility of further works, like the afterlife could be any location, and the characters could meet again in another afterlife.

The genre here is a supernatural mystery infused thriller kinda vibe, ideal for most ages I guess, unless you want to terrify little children with the 'monsters' whirly world inhabits.. I would avoid anyone too young and anyone unable to fully grasp the premise.

Overall, I found it entertaining and very easy to read.

I shall recommend it to anyone looking for a soft YA thriller brimming with unique characters, magic and mystery.

I genuinely look forward to seeing what else the author cooks up.

4 shiny stars from me :)

[Chelsea · Rating 4 out of 5]

My husband and I listened to the author's gaming podcast frequently from around 2016 up until the point people started leaving. This book was a delight to get from my husband for Christmas since I had no idea it was even happening. Totally feels like exactly the kind of story Brandon Jones would write, and it's pretty well done (not surprising, as his game reviews were always engaging and eloquent).
I'm also a Disneyland fan, so I had a lot of fun exploring this fictional park's deep lore. The story is about death and coping in the afterlife and can get pretty emotionally heavy, and I'd put the book down each evening feeling uneasy and creeped out. These are not bad things for me, though.
A recommendation for anyone interested in amusement park horror and people who enjoy amusement park history in general.

[Roberta R. (Offbeat YA) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excerpt from my review - originally published at Offbeat YA.

Pros: Inventive, entertaining, humorous and emotional.
Cons: Due to the large number of characters, not all of them feel fully realised. The ending doesn't give all the answers.
WARNING! Drowning, fires, claustrophobic settings. We see a character collapse to death in a flashback.
Will appeal to: Those who love creative afterlife settings, carnival rides and accidental heroes.

First off...DISCLAIMER: this title was up for grabs on NetGalley (in the Read Now section). Thanks to Emet Studios (Brandon Jones) for providing a temporary ecopy. This didn't influence my review in any way.

FUN FAIR

Afterlife meets theme park with a side of superpowers and time loops, all wrapped in a mystery: a recipe for fun, though peppered with some emotional moments (what with the characters being, you know, dead). For one, the premise is creative and intriguing: eleven employees or patrons of a famous amusement park who died on its grounds find themselves trapped in a ghostly version of the same park. Among them is Jason, a theme-park blogger who in life was probably the biggest Whirly World fan, but isn't necessarily thrilled not to be able to leave the place for mysterious reasons - not to mention, he can't even remember how he died. He sets on exploring the surroundings (which leads to a series of frustrating discoveries - frustrating for him, but again, making for lots of fun on the reader's part), and one by one he runs into his fellow resident ghosts, which creates some amusing dynamics (since Jason has written about their deaths in his blog, and coming face to face with some of them brings out the fanboy in him, if for a moment. [...]

Whole review here.

[Ashley Bartley · Rating 4 out of 5]

While I am one for horror and a good ghost story, I think the first 30-40 pages needed to be cut down. Some of it drug on and I found myself scanning the pages that lost my interest. However, I loved all the different character and the concept was cool! Very different than any book I’ve read and I liked the theme park vibe and the good vs evil.

[Selene Killian · Rating 4 out of 5]

I thought it was alright. I loved the theme park aesthetic and setting, and what an incredible amount of work went into making the park feel like it could be a real park (seriously, including an illustration of the park's map was phenomenal), but I felt like the plotline that described this world struggled under the weight of too much lore, and not enough to engage the reader on a moment-to-moment basis. The main character is very contemplative, and there's a lot of emphasis placed on anecdote and building providence to every detail of the park, e.g. "This lamp-post is famous for being where an unsanctioned wedding took place, so it's called the "Wedding Post", here's my experience of how that legendary event went down", but it kind-of started to get exhausting for me, and I found myself trying to skip ahead to when the plot starts actually moving. For me, when there's a story about a really interesting location, I want to be able to explore it in an organic way, but the MC has so much history with Whirly World that sometimes I feel like I'm watching someone else enjoy something, and I'm sort-of backseating.

Of interesting note, there is also attention to geographical consistency between setpieces: "attraction X is visible from attraction Y", or "I walked west from store X to reach location Y". I imagine this was done so you can follow the MC's position on the map, and to make it feel... consistent? My point is that the park itself seems to have been created first, and the plot is just a vehicle for showcasing all the major locations, rather than be the star of the show. Honestly, that's fine, and a lot of people will appreciate the detail of the park, but I felt like I was in this weird limbo where the plot and setting were fighting each other for screen time.

As someone who has their own themepark they daydream about, it's interesting to see what effect this approach has had on the reader's experience. I almost wonder whether a different medium, like art, or a comic, would've better illustrated what the park the author wanted to show. Beyond that, a theme-park is often cited to be a fantastic recreation of childhood, and Whirly World's philosophical musings seem to be interested in the idea of "moving on", through it's depiction of ghosts and people at an age where they are stuck thinking about their past. I thought the ending was satisfying, though, and it's worth reading if you are interested in theme-parks. For a first book, it's definitely an achievement, and we love those.

[Millie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have to admit I enjoyed this book more than I thought I would, it had a very heartwarming feel to reading it.
Jason is a Whirly World enthusiast who loved nothing more than spending as much time as he can in the park. Until one day he wakes up in the park and there's no one around. His idea of Heaven. The park all to himself, with no lines and no crowds. Unfortunately, he's dead.

As Jason navigates this ghostly Whirly World he meets the other residents of the park who have also died on the grounds making them forever coworkers (Heaven or hell? You decide there). It was quite emotional at points, hearing from everyone about their untimely demise and how they felt about being trapped in the park but also what that meant for the living family and friends. For Jason, he slowly began to realize how much of his life he dedicated to the park over his real-life relationships and how he can never change that.

I spotted another review for this book that it was reminiscent of Matt Haig's The Midnight Library and I believe this to be why I enjoyed it so much as that book has been one of my top 5 for a good few years now. There's just something about a ghost story that pulls me in! Jason's conversations with the fellow dead got me really invested in them as characters. I do wish it touched on them more individually as some of them started to get a little forgotten towards the end.

My only other critique is I think it could have been a bit longer as he was only there for 2 days and I think the concept is a lot of fun and I would have loved to have seen a bit more exploration of the actual park and the rides. But overall I enjoyed the read and would recommend it to anyone who loves a nice ghost story.

[AJ · Rating 4 out of 5]

Casper Goes to Disney World!

"Whirly World" is an action-packed book which follows a young man named, Jason Green, as he awakens in his favorite amusement park of the same name. It's normal for him to be there, but what's changed is there's little to no one else there either. Early on he discovers he's actually died and this is his afterlife.

This was pretty fun to read, from beginning to end. The pacing fit the overall feel of the story too, as it never slowed and really made you feel like you were at the park. There was always something going on, or something to see and do. It was easy to follow the story, and some of the plot twists I didn't exactly see coming which was a nice change from the usual things I read. I really liked how thoroughly the park was described.

While reading, I was even reminiscing of an old amusement park I went to as a kid, Opryland. Sadly it closed shortly before I was teenager and could potentially drive there myself. I think I was only able to go there once or twice. I'm not sure if I would necessarily like to be stuck in a version of it for my afterlife, but it might be fun for a visit. I think I would rather be stuck in Disney World, as I had more opportunities to go there so I feel a little closer to it than others.

I liked most of the characters too, even if I didn't like them all the time. Jason, the narrator and protagonist, for instance wasn't always someone I could agree with. What was refreshing though was he mostly owned up to his faults when apparent, even coming to terms with his failings as a family member and as a partner to his girlfriend.

I'm not sure there would be much to change if I had a choice in it, it was pretty good as is. I'll give this one a solid 4 out of 5 stars. It was a lot of fun! Thank you.

[Sophia Katzell · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thank you to Brandon Jones and NetGalley for providing me with an EGalley of this book in exchange for my thoughts on it!

This book had an interesting premise, but I found myself struggling to engage fully with it simply because I had an incredibly hard time sympathizing with the protagonist. Throughout the novel he demonstrated a level of self centeredness that I kept waiting for him to work though in a meaningful way but he simply didn't. There would be brief flashes of insight where he realized that he exclusively prioritized his own desires to the detriment of his loved ones, but even as he felt them he would be absolved of his selfishness through it actually being an asset that would help to save the inhabitants of the park.

I also simply didn't follow the ending- it's not that I didn't understand what was going on, it just didn't seem to be narratively cohesive.

The man made a deal to get out from under the mountain in exchange for becoming... a park mascot? whose job was seemingly to keep anyone that died in this space trapped for eternity. Despite this, he was defeated not by anyone escaping the park, but by releasing another, different guy from under the mountain? If it was about keeping that miner trapped, what was the impetus for trapping everyone else? I was also a bit lost on how everyone knew that the protagonist's ability was to see through the park's glamour. If he was so enlightened, why was there so much hesitation in aiding him, or at the very least validating his concern? He was consistently met with dismissal from Reagan who was insistent that he couldn't have figured everything out in a day, while knowing full well that he had the ability to do so

I think the story itself has a lot of potential, but needed some additional work to really make the plot more consistent and fleshed out.

[Drew Wydendorf · Rating 5 out of 5]

Whirly World is a worthwhile ride. Short enough to read in a weekend certainly, and I think the appropriate length given the story. Reading the blub on the back of the book is probably enough information to decide whether or not the story sounds right for you.

I won't delve into the plot, because unraveling that is part of the fun. I would also argue that the plot isn't the reason to read the book. Often, I say this because the characters are what drives the story, and that growth is the reason to keep turning the pages. Oddly, I would say that is not the case here either. In fact, at times I felt like while the characters were fun and interesting, there were too many to fully flesh out given the short nature of the story.

That being said, I am still giving the novel 5 stars because the sum of its parts is so strong. The reason to read this book is because of the setting that Jones has created. It is a fully realized, vibrant, imaginative setting. The passion of our protagonist (and author presumably) leaps off the page. Second, there is a depth to the story that really sneaks up on you. Behind a relatively simple plot, straightforward prose, and interesting but somewhat forgettable characters is a book that has a lot to say about love (of each other, but more importantly of life), passion, loss and human relationships. Several times while reading I became emotional - and sometimes for reasons I couldn't quite come up with.

For a book about ghosts and death, Whirly World is a joyous treat.

[Purple S · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’ve got a lot to say about this book. What do I say other than this book took me for a loop (very little pun intended).

The plot of this book makes me feel as though I’m in an insane asylum, nothing is what you would believe it to be. Our main character is dead, after being a life long Whirly World fan and theme park blogger, he has succumb to the park. At least that’s what we as readers are lead to believe at the beginning of the book. Our main character thinks it is any other day in the theme park, he sees an ice cream vendor that he’s known for years and has small talk. A child who runs away from him, who he thinks must be lost. However, it’s when he runs into someone who died a famous Whirly World Death, that he thinks he’s dreaming and later realizes he is dead.

He runs into many people who have died in the amusement park, that HE has written about dying in the park, yet he runs into one individual that he had never heard of passing on park property. This book takes on so many undertones and journeys.

I must say this book is wonderfully written, the storytelling, the imagery, the insanity. However, the only reason I give this book a 4/5 stars is the opening paragraph. It’s the most poorly written opening paragraph I’ve read in ages, and if I went off that alone, I would’ve never continued on with the rest of the book which would’ve been a shame because the book in whole was fantastic!

[Bloss ♡]

I love a good fairground yarn so I was really keen to dive into this but this story just isn’t working for me and I’m DNFing at the 20% mark.

In the spirit of providing helpful feedback and context around why I’m not continuing with the book, here’s what I’m noticing as I’m reading:

● I’m really struggling to engage with the writing style: it feels simplistic and dry in its language choices, lacks flair or oomph, yet the overall structure feels quite waffley. As a result, I’m not getting a sense of atmosphere. The presentation style also isn’t engaging me as most of the narrative, so far, is relayed via an exhausting stream of consciousness from the main character.
● Which leads me to my second issue: I’m finding the main character incredibly irritating and one dimensional. He’s utterly obsessed with the theme park - to the point of tedium - and he presents as cocky and childish. I don’t enjoy spending time with him and don’t want to spend the rest of this 280 page book trapped in his head. He’s not likeable, compelling, or interesting to me as a reader.

This book might appeal to people who can relate to super-fans or don’t mind going into the mind of someone obsessive about a fairground.

Thank you to the publisher for the opportunity to try the ARC via NetGalley.

[Shybit · Rating 5 out of 5]

The author really paints the portrait of the world. After the 1st chapter, I could visualize this as a limited TV series in my mind's eye.

I thought, at first, that there was way too much detail on the little things. Then I realized how incorrect I was. Sometimes authors can get lost in the details of the minutiae. I worried that Brandon Jones was falling into that trap. I was proven wrong within a few pages. It really did setup the opening scenes to flow/"getcha" into the mystery of the situation, once things started to morph into the meat of the story.

It was an amazing establishing shot, illustrated by the Narrator (Main Character). The love that the Main Character has always had for Whirly World could be felt through the words.

I hesitate to say anything else, since I'm not one to spoil major plot points for others. Haha! I will just leave it with: Brandon James has me hooked for any future novels in this genre, by illustrating the world with his words, while also having an engaging story.

[Bright Book Reviews · Rating 4 out of 5]

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

I have a lifelong love for Amusement Parks so of course I was immediately interested in Whirly World by Brandon Jones.

Jason Green has died and is in his favorite place, Whirly World (which I am also happy to say had some nods to disney park elements to it (as all good theme parks should) along with nods to a few others, but the park isn’t quite how he remembers it.

I just quickly ate this book up due to my love of theme parks as well as a unique cast of characters.

Will you love the book as much as I did if you don’t love places like Knoebels, Hershey Park and Dorney Park? There’s only one way to know.

(If I was going to do a soundtrack for this book I would definitely put a lot of Bowie on it. As to what songs I will keep that to myself so I don’t spoil anything.)


Pub Date Oct 13 2023
Emet Studios

#Fantasy #Amusementpark #ghost
#Brightbookreviews #arc #netgalley #Goodreads

[Alison Faichney · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this book on a whim and I’m really glad I did. This was a nice palette cleanser between my typical horror but was still such an interesting book. The entire purgatory aspect was fascinating to me. As a tried and true atheist it’s hard for me to imagine any form of afterlife, but I love the various concepts of them that are out there.

There are definitely some malevolent forces in this book which give it more depth. I enjoyed the characters and found them to be distinct enough. There were some really sweet moments mixed in that made this book enjoyable.

I would consider this maybe horror-lite fantasy? Definitely recommend for those interested in those post death possibilities.

Brandon Jones is definitely an author to keep an eye out for.

[Shakella "The Singing Bibliophile" Gordon · Rating 4 out of 5]

Imagine spending your entire life loving a place, calling it heaven on earth, then pass away and fine yourself seemingly destined to live there for eternity. GREAT right? WRONG!

Jason Green has discovered that he is deceased at his favorite theme park Whirly World. It is not as amazing as he remembered and he is not alone. The park is teaming with the ghosts of other patrons and ex-employees all trapped in their version of the park and unless they come together they will be trapped there forever. This was a very detailed, sort of creepy, very emotional and thought provoking read.

I enjoyed myself reading this but I think I will pass on visiting this park!

[Matt Brookbank · Rating 4 out of 5]

Whirly World is a story about a theme park blogger who wakes up as a ghost in his favorite theme park. Being a fan of this park he soon meets people he knew from the urban legend stories of others who died in the park. While it's a shock to seemingly be dead, being in your favorite place in the world seems like a good sign until he realizes he and the others here are all stuck in the park. So he sets out to discover the limits of this prison and what it means to be a ghost. 👻

Fun story, that at times felt like it was pulling inspiration from 80s films or comic books. A couple of loose threads as I guess I'll just have to keep wondering what was behind the door locked with a seal?

[Alyssa Berman · Rating 3 out of 5]

This just feels unfinished.
The world building was great.
I loved all the characters and their unique stories, but someone about the story within the story feels incomplete.
I want to relay that if you’re someone who hates on Disney Adults, this may not be for you. The protagonist Jason Green is a blogger obsessed with this amusement park, Whirly World. In fact it’s all he ever wants to be. So when he meets an untimely end, and is sent to spend his afterlife there, why does he try so hard to escape?!

Thank you to NetGalley for the eARC

3 ⭐️

[Ember · Rating 3 out of 5]

Wow this took me forever to finish. This book has potential to be really great! The world building is great with the map and such to help in the front of the book. But I feel the story was not incomplete fully but in some parts. It also just seemed like some parts were a little rushed. The characters were really flushed out and I think with so many of them it’s hard to keep track of it. The moments that were action needed a little more tweaking.
All in all a great concept interesting plot just needs more tweaking and love.

[Lindsey Grewe · Rating 4 out of 5]

Overall, a pretty entertaining read! Might be a tad under four stars, but I’m rounding up! I was always interested about where it was going to go next. My biggest gripe would probably be some poor copyediting here and there, like ages and dates changing and some grammatical stuff. The writing was good, it just clearly didn’t get proofread as well as it could have.

The story was fun, and I enjoyed my visit to Whirly World!

[Shireen · Rating 5 out of 5]

5 stars
This book has a very cool premise, and it is an easy read to get through. The main protagonist starts off being dead in his favourite theme park and the whole thing only gets weirder from there (not actually a spoiler). I enjoyed getting to know all the characters around the park, and how everyone and everything tie together throughout the story in profound and unexpected ways. Honestly the park itself even feels like a character that you get to know through the story as well.
All told, I found the ending as believable as it could be for such an unusual premise. It was a good resolution, slightly vague but still tying up most loose ends. But the whole story is a cool take on the afterlife and what it might mean to be gone but not forgotten.

Thanks to NetGalley, author Brandon Jones, and Emet Studios for the digital readers copy. All opinions are my own.

[Kristie · Rating 2 out of 5]

Out of courtesy I am giving this book 2 stars instead of one, but I really did not enjoy it. The story is utterly bizarre. An amusement park Purgatory? A weird demon at the end who takes on different shapes and tricks and harasses the handful of ghosts who are bound to this place? I just did not see the point of the plot. I cannot fathom who the audience would be. A dystopian audience? An atheist? Teens?

I was glad to be done.

[Nathan Whalen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fantastic story for a first-time writer! Even though I don't enjoy theme parks as much as Jones, this story was delightful and made even better with the Audiobook! Jones does a fantastic job narrating just like he did as a part of the Easy Allies back in the day. I'd recommend listening to the first two chapters and it'll sell you on the book!

[Kenneth Kropff · Rating 5 out of 5]

An absolutely thrill ride of a debut novel. Characters that are playful and well realized in a world that feels authentic and well thought out.

What starts as a almost slice of life about the afterlife turns into something intriguing and mysterious!

I you can tell the author has a lot of love and respect for the real life source material and their characters!