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Aisle Nine
“It's Black Friday—and the apocalypse is on sale!
Ever since the world filled with portals to hell and bloodthirsty demons started popping out on the reg, Jasper’s life has gotten worse and worse. A teenage nobody with no friends or family, he is plagued by the life he can’t remember and the person he’s sure he’s supposed to be.
Jasper spends his days working as a checkout clerk at the Here For You discount mart, where a hell portal in aisle nine means danger every shift. But at least here he can be near the girl he’s crushing on—Kyle Kuan, a junior member of the monster-fighting Vanguard—who seems to hate Jasper for reasons he can't remember or understand.
But when Jasper and Kyle learn they both share a frightening vision of the impending apocalypse, they’re forced to team up and uncover the uncomfortable truth about the hell portals and the demons that haunt the world. Because the true monsters are not always what they seem, the past is not always what we wish, and like it or not, on Black Friday, all hell will break loose in aisle nine.
Perfect for fans of Grasshopper Jungle or The Last of Us comes Aisle Nine, the debut young adult novel from rising YA star lan X. Cho.
A Morris Award finalist.
Ever since the world filled with portals to hell and bloodthirsty demons started popping out on the reg, Jasper’s life has gotten worse and worse. A teenage nobody with no friends or family, he is plagued by the life he can’t remember and the person he’s sure he’s supposed to be.
Jasper spends his days working as a checkout clerk at the Here For You discount mart, where a hell portal in aisle nine means danger every shift. But at least here he can be near the girl he’s crushing on—Kyle Kuan, a junior member of the monster-fighting Vanguard—who seems to hate Jasper for reasons he can't remember or understand.
But when Jasper and Kyle learn they both share a frightening vision of the impending apocalypse, they’re forced to team up and uncover the uncomfortable truth about the hell portals and the demons that haunt the world. Because the true monsters are not always what they seem, the past is not always what we wish, and like it or not, on Black Friday, all hell will break loose in aisle nine.
Perfect for fans of Grasshopper Jungle or The Last of Us comes Aisle Nine, the debut young adult novel from rising YA star lan X. Cho.
A Morris Award finalist.
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First published September 24, 2024
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 234 reviews
July 20, 2024
Aisle Nine
by Ian X. Cho
YA Fantasy
NetGalley eARC
Pub Date: Sept. 24, 2024
HarperCollins Children's Books
Ages: 16+
Millions of people lost their lives when the portals of hell opened one day worldwide, freeing demons, but thanks to the Vanguard, a private security company, who was able to kill the demons but couldn't close the portals, life went back to a semi-normal state, including shopping. Even though aisle nine is closed because of a portal, people still want their deals... And Black Friday is fast approaching.
Jasper lost his parents when the portals opened but he can't remember them or anything before waking up in the hospital because of an accident at the store he worked at. But as fate would have it, in one of his treks to find his memories, he walks back into the store and restarts his job.
But he is having visions of an apocalypse, and deep down he feels as if aisle nine in his store is where the end of the world will start.
Anyone who has worked retail will get some flashbacks and some laughs, but that's only during the first few chapters, because the comedy fizzles out, which was disappointing, as I was hoping it would continue to call out those 'shoppers', especially during Black Friday, but that humor didn't happen.
I'm not sure if that was where this book started to go wrong, because it started out really good; the plot, characters, especially Lara, the world-building, and the pending apocalypse, but it started to go flat as the story progressed. Plus right away I had hunches about three of the characters, and all three of them were correct.
And while this book seems to be aimed at the YA audience, I think it's more for a little bit of an older reader, but then again one always hears about the real-life horror stories about Black Friday shoppers every year on the news, but to get the full effect of the humor in the first part of the book, one needs to work retail for at least six months and during a Black Friday event.
A low
3 Stars
by Ian X. Cho
YA Fantasy
NetGalley eARC
Pub Date: Sept. 24, 2024
HarperCollins Children's Books
Ages: 16+
Millions of people lost their lives when the portals of hell opened one day worldwide, freeing demons, but thanks to the Vanguard, a private security company, who was able to kill the demons but couldn't close the portals, life went back to a semi-normal state, including shopping. Even though aisle nine is closed because of a portal, people still want their deals... And Black Friday is fast approaching.
Jasper lost his parents when the portals opened but he can't remember them or anything before waking up in the hospital because of an accident at the store he worked at. But as fate would have it, in one of his treks to find his memories, he walks back into the store and restarts his job.
But he is having visions of an apocalypse, and deep down he feels as if aisle nine in his store is where the end of the world will start.
Anyone who has worked retail will get some flashbacks and some laughs, but that's only during the first few chapters, because the comedy fizzles out, which was disappointing, as I was hoping it would continue to call out those 'shoppers', especially during Black Friday, but that humor didn't happen.
I'm not sure if that was where this book started to go wrong, because it started out really good; the plot, characters, especially Lara, the world-building, and the pending apocalypse, but it started to go flat as the story progressed. Plus right away I had hunches about three of the characters, and all three of them were correct.
And while this book seems to be aimed at the YA audience, I think it's more for a little bit of an older reader, but then again one always hears about the real-life horror stories about Black Friday shoppers every year on the news, but to get the full effect of the humor in the first part of the book, one needs to work retail for at least six months and during a Black Friday event.
A low
3 Stars
October 6, 2024
I had a blast with this book and think it’s perfect for spooky season. It’s fast-paced and a little twisty. I liked Lara as a character a lot. I’m still trying to figure out why Goodreads has this labeled queer, though? 😂 can’t think of a single queer character. There is a Taiwanese character. My guess is that they saw her name was Kyle and went “Jasper & Kyle. Must be two guys”. Either way, it’s a lot of fun and I recommend this title. Just heads up if that’s why you picked it up!
October 25, 2024
More Lara please.
October 14, 2024
I'm not going to lie I was disappointed by this book. This was one of my biggest releases for the second half of the year and I it just wasn't what I thought. I knew this book being ya meant it wouldn't go as hard as other horror books but this book hardly did anything. I was really hoping for a Sean of the Dead style story that was campy and gory but with demons instead of zombies. Instead we got this lukewarm story with way to much exposition that just got lost. All of the fun bits of this story were overshadow by just how boring it was. I probably wanted to much but this author literally gave me nothing.
September 17, 2025
Aisle Nine is so completely beyond my usual fare, I really am shocked at how much I enjoyed it. I only came across it because of the Readings Prize YA Shortlist. My library had an audiobook and here we are.
I don’t typically read books about portals from hell, with demons and monsters but Ian X Cho has infused it all with wit and humour that I easily let myself enjoy the ride.
I don’t typically read books about portals from hell, with demons and monsters but Ian X Cho has infused it all with wit and humour that I easily let myself enjoy the ride.
October 30, 2024
Huge Black Friday sale coming up, don’t mind the Hell portal in Aisle Nine.
This is a really fun and unusual spin on post-apocalyptic times, centered around an orphaned teenager working at a Walmart-like discount big box store that harbors one of the many hell portals left behind after an apocalyptic event.
Something akin to corporate rule is in effect, and while the tone of this book is light and a lot of it is really funny (you wouldn’t believe the hilarious stuff that spews forth from the hell portals), it also gives us some very poignant commentary on the idea that people can and do get used to and adapt to anything, and not necessarily in a good way.
The overconsumption stuff doesn’t do it for me at all, but the idea of mass passivity after catastrophe is something I think about a LOT, and Cho has done an exceptionally good job of showcasing how that might work while still keeping the tone of the story fun and spirited.
I love that this is more adventure than dystopian novel in all the ways that matter, and it should appeal to a pretty broad demographic age-wise. In all, an excellent debut from an author I’m now eager to hear more from in the future.
*I received an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.*
This is a really fun and unusual spin on post-apocalyptic times, centered around an orphaned teenager working at a Walmart-like discount big box store that harbors one of the many hell portals left behind after an apocalyptic event.
Something akin to corporate rule is in effect, and while the tone of this book is light and a lot of it is really funny (you wouldn’t believe the hilarious stuff that spews forth from the hell portals), it also gives us some very poignant commentary on the idea that people can and do get used to and adapt to anything, and not necessarily in a good way.
The overconsumption stuff doesn’t do it for me at all, but the idea of mass passivity after catastrophe is something I think about a LOT, and Cho has done an exceptionally good job of showcasing how that might work while still keeping the tone of the story fun and spirited.
I love that this is more adventure than dystopian novel in all the ways that matter, and it should appeal to a pretty broad demographic age-wise. In all, an excellent debut from an author I’m now eager to hear more from in the future.
*I received an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.*
July 9, 2025
An unfortunate dud for me. I appreciate the satirical anticapitalist edge here -- sure, I've seen Buffy; I'll accept that if portals were spitting out monsters worldwide, including in the middle of a crowded grocery store, business would continue unaffected and shoppers would go on asking inane questions and otherwise treating the low-salary workers like dirt -- but that comes at the cost of some hazy worldbuilding about the nature of the situation and an overall comedic tone that I think ultimately cuts against the effectiveness of the piece. I couldn't really connect to the characters, either, with the amnesiac hero in particular feeling like a perpetual generic blank slate. Add to that a tepid plot and a few predictable twists, and well, I can't say that I've found too much in this YA apocalyptic horror novel to actually recommend.
[Content warning for gun violence and gore.]
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[Content warning for gun violence and gore.]
Like this review?
--Throw me a quick one-time donation here!
https://ko-fi.com/lesserjoke
--Subscribe here to support my writing and weigh in on what I read next!
https://patreon.com/lesserjoke
--Follow along on Goodreads here!
https://www.goodreads.com/lesserjoke
--Or click here to browse through all my reviews!
https://lesserjoke.home.blog
October 23, 2024
Lite horror with some dark comedy thrown in. A fun read that wasn't completely to my taste or humor style, but for the right audience might be a hit.
June 13, 2025
this was... something else.
I didn't enjoy much of this book. The general premise is really cool but kind of stupid/dumb at the same time? I don't know.
The plot twist towards the end was pretty good, though. It bumped my rating up to a 3⭐️!
I didn't enjoy much of this book. The general premise is really cool but kind of stupid/dumb at the same time? I don't know.
The plot twist towards the end was pretty good, though. It bumped my rating up to a 3⭐️!
May 15, 2025
Read this for RFAL ..loved it! a bit fantasy/sci Fi....so good!
November 24, 2024
I can’t think of anything worse than Hell opening up portals all over the world but I’m still stuck working at a grocery store. Jasper is a super relatable MC and I really liked being in his head. He is sympathetic to everyone and seems to want to do the right thing. I really loved Lara and I just kept picturing her as Turbo Granny from Dan Da Dan since she’s a stuffed cat toy. I liked all the commentary here about how people want so badly to ignore the bad stuff happening around them and pretend it’s not there. The scenes of people dying and then people around them getting points and coupons would had me fuming. I could feel Jasper’s pain. There were a few times I felt a little lost and this is a short book but felt like it could have been shorter? But I really really enjoyed it. It was fun and a good level of weird. Also I had a good time with the characters and the twist at the end was actually done super well I didn’t clock it at all. Very glad I got to read this one. It’s also the perfect time for it being about Black Friday and I’m reading right before thanksgiving.
May 25, 2025
This was not what I wanted. I didn't want to have teenagers wrestling with forgotten pasts and an evil corporations giving people points on their phones when horrific things happened to keep them distracted.
I wanted survival horror in a retail store where there is a portal to hell that spits out demons. Sure that was there in the background, but it was just kinda THERE and didn't really seem to do much. I read until page 88 which according to this app is 32% of the book.
Other people may like it, but I just couldn't get into it.
I wanted survival horror in a retail store where there is a portal to hell that spits out demons. Sure that was there in the background, but it was just kinda THERE and didn't really seem to do much. I read until page 88 which according to this app is 32% of the book.
Other people may like it, but I just couldn't get into it.
September 5, 2025
3.4/5 stars ⭐🌠
The world-building aspect is enjoyable, particularly the commercialization of demon assaults — if you manage to survive, especially working in retail. The universe it unfolds in is captivating especiallyin the beginning. It's light-hearted, quick-paced, and although there's a touch of gore, it’s all presented with a playful, casual vibe. I'm uncertain whether this was the turning point for the book, as it started off strong, but it seemed to lose momentum as the narrative unfolded, particularly past the halfway mark. I appreciated that the main character has a head injury, which I assume is a TBI (?), but I truly wish the narrative had portrayed the character struggling more with this condition, as living with a head injury doesn't guarantee a return to normalcy (speaking from personal experience). I kind of wish the author would delve deeper into these themes that can be found in the book. Nevertheless, what they offered was a solid starting off point to build upon. I will keep an eye out for more works by this author because their writing style was genuinely delightful.
🛒🐈
The world-building aspect is enjoyable, particularly the commercialization of demon assaults — if you manage to survive, especially working in retail. The universe it unfolds in is captivating especiallyin the beginning. It's light-hearted, quick-paced, and although there's a touch of gore, it’s all presented with a playful, casual vibe. I'm uncertain whether this was the turning point for the book, as it started off strong, but it seemed to lose momentum as the narrative unfolded, particularly past the halfway mark. I appreciated that the main character has a head injury, which I assume is a TBI (?), but I truly wish the narrative had portrayed the character struggling more with this condition, as living with a head injury doesn't guarantee a return to normalcy (speaking from personal experience). I kind of wish the author would delve deeper into these themes that can be found in the book. Nevertheless, what they offered was a solid starting off point to build upon. I will keep an eye out for more works by this author because their writing style was genuinely delightful.
🛒🐈
June 12, 2025
3.5 stars
A fascinating premise where a hellish apocalypse has broken out in our already broken world mired in late stage capitalism.
Portals have opened up all over the world, letting demons in, manifested by humans' wildest fears and nightmares. On the bright side, all portals are controlled and guarded by the Vanguard. You even get points for being a good samaritan! 400 points if you are unfortunate enough to witness violence, 2000 points if you get injured, etc... you can already see how this system is easily abused.
I only wish the resolution was less of the classic "with the power of love and friendship" trope. This really made the second half of the book fall flat for me.
A fascinating premise where a hellish apocalypse has broken out in our already broken world mired in late stage capitalism.
Portals have opened up all over the world, letting demons in, manifested by humans' wildest fears and nightmares. On the bright side, all portals are controlled and guarded by the Vanguard. You even get points for being a good samaritan! 400 points if you are unfortunate enough to witness violence, 2000 points if you get injured, etc... you can already see how this system is easily abused.
I only wish the resolution was less of the classic "with the power of love and friendship" trope. This really made the second half of the book fall flat for me.
Read
November 7, 2024our hero, Jasper (teenage male main character), has amnesia and works retail, while an apocalyptic portal opens on Aisle Nine every other day, spewing out monsters
truly, the horrors of The Abyss are nothing compared to . . . Black Friday shoppers
read if you're looking for
- YA sci fi / pre-apocalyptic novel
- quick, comedic book
- the world is ending, but MMC just wants to hold FMC's hand really bad
- quality escapism (it reads like a movie! i had a great time)
- apocalypse novel without zombies
- an absolutely remarkable thing vibes
truly, the horrors of The Abyss are nothing compared to . . . Black Friday shoppers
read if you're looking for
- YA sci fi / pre-apocalyptic novel
- quick, comedic book
- the world is ending, but MMC just wants to hold FMC's hand really bad
- quality escapism (it reads like a movie! i had a great time)
- apocalypse novel without zombies
- an absolutely remarkable thing vibes
March 26, 2025
Oh, man. I wanted to love this, but it kind of fell flat for me.
Jasper doesn't remember much before his accident at the Here For You Discount Mart; where a portal to hell has been opened in aisle 9. Vanguard has a group of guards protecting people of his world. But Jasper feels like he has a connection with one of the guards, but he can't remember her. And she is continually avoiding him.
All of this romance is secondary to the fact that they have to save the world from the apocalypse.
Jasper doesn't remember much before his accident at the Here For You Discount Mart; where a portal to hell has been opened in aisle 9. Vanguard has a group of guards protecting people of his world. But Jasper feels like he has a connection with one of the guards, but he can't remember her. And she is continually avoiding him.
All of this romance is secondary to the fact that they have to save the world from the apocalypse.
Read
October 18, 2024Graded By: Mandy C.
Cover Story: Special on Calamari
BFF Charm: Yay
Swoonworthy Scale: 3
Talky Talk: Nothing to See Here
Bonus Factor: Good Demons
Relationship Status: Wishing You the Best
Read the full book report here.
Cover Story: Special on Calamari
BFF Charm: Yay
Swoonworthy Scale: 3
Talky Talk: Nothing to See Here
Bonus Factor: Good Demons
Relationship Status: Wishing You the Best
Read the full book report here.
April 11, 2025
This one was just okay in my opinion. It wasn't awful but could have been so much more. There were funny parts, it was emotional at times, and there was also a lot of action, and I don't regret reading it but it just didn't hit a home run.
September 14, 2025
Actually 3.5 stars and you need to watch this John Oliver video on dollar stores and then read this book! https://youtu.be/p4QGOHahiVM?si=1Zdk-...
It’s a crazy fun weird story about greed and obsession with accumulating stuff and teens in love and trying to get by.
It’s a crazy fun weird story about greed and obsession with accumulating stuff and teens in love and trying to get by.
January 4, 2025
Very unique idea for a story!
January 25, 2025
There's a lot of exposition, but this story is unique enough to stand out.
April 17, 2025
This could’ve been so funny because it was such a good premise, and the idea that the apocalypse will happen on Black Friday is so real, but the characters were too serious about saving the world.
Read
September 18, 2025when u finish a book called aisle 9 on the 9th of the 9th with 19% left from the night before (sadly not at 9:09)
November 4, 2025
I went into it with low expectations but honestly I got hooked as the book went on! Pretty good for a battle of the books book!!
December 31, 2025
Black Friday: now with demons
3.25
3.25
August 20, 2025
Lara was the best part.
But also, the idea of consumerism being the theme of a horror book it's really funny.
But also, the idea of consumerism being the theme of a horror book it's really funny.
September 29, 2024
It started out strong, but the humor quickly fizzled out and it just became another post-apocalyptic teen book.
November 6, 2025
There was just not enough here. And then the main character decides that amnesia didn't happen and starts to love the other MC. Weird.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 2, 2025
This book was so obnoxiously yellow among almost all the dark covers that I had to get it, even though I already had something else in my hand. I do not regret my choice.
Aisle 9 is such a funny and easy read that I couldn’t put the book down. I ended up reading the whole thing in a day and a half.
The book itself is very quirky, with fun elements hidden everywhere, like the coupon with “Management is not liable for injuries or deaths that might occur during visit” or the “p*nis monster with acid urine”. If I had to describe the book in two words, it would be “GEN Z” in the best way possible.
The main characters are likable, and the hints about their relationships are fun to discover. I could see myself as Jasper in my retail/customer service era, and it made him so relatable. Even with the hell portal in Aisle 9.
Kyle was a great character, whom I liked from the 1st introduction (even though she was kind of a b***), and I did appreciate that she was more than the love interest but had her own arc in the book, and her person itself was a push forward. The love between characters was important, of course, but it almost seemed to be on the same level as the individual characters. A job well done here!
The book kept its card close to the book pages, but I started to suspect something wasn’t right He was still super likable, and I am so, so, so happy I was so hoping for that!
The story was fast-paced; I never felt like it was dragging or that I was bored. Humour was well spaced with the motivational parts.
While reading, I couldn’t help but see all the similarities to what’s happening in the real world right now and how accurate it is, despite it being written 2023/2024 (Published September 2024).
Private companies not wanting to save the world but instead profiting on the apocalypse, risking people's lives and instead diverting their attention with a clever app that gives them points, money and coupons. How easily people sway into the wrong direction with enough novelty. (But if you don't look close enough, it’s easy to ignore.)
In negatives: I didn't really like the fainting from amnesia trope, but it did make sense at the end, so I forgive it. It was well made at the end.
The language was easy, very modern, and it read light. I found it in the YA section, but it’s also a great adult read. I do recommend this book for those who want to escape somewhere where the apocalypse is fun and the monsters look like giant keychains!
Aisle 9 is such a funny and easy read that I couldn’t put the book down. I ended up reading the whole thing in a day and a half.
The book itself is very quirky, with fun elements hidden everywhere, like the coupon with “Management is not liable for injuries or deaths that might occur during visit” or the “p*nis monster with acid urine”. If I had to describe the book in two words, it would be “GEN Z” in the best way possible.
The main characters are likable, and the hints about their relationships are fun to discover. I could see myself as Jasper in my retail/customer service era, and it made him so relatable. Even with the hell portal in Aisle 9.
Kyle was a great character, whom I liked from the 1st introduction (even though she was kind of a b***), and I did appreciate that she was more than the love interest but had her own arc in the book, and her person itself was a push forward. The love between characters was important, of course, but it almost seemed to be on the same level as the individual characters. A job well done here!
The book kept its card close to the book pages, but I started to suspect something wasn’t right He was still super likable, and I am so, so, so happy I was so hoping for that!
The story was fast-paced; I never felt like it was dragging or that I was bored. Humour was well spaced with the motivational parts.
While reading, I couldn’t help but see all the similarities to what’s happening in the real world right now and how accurate it is, despite it being written 2023/2024 (Published September 2024).
Private companies not wanting to save the world but instead profiting on the apocalypse, risking people's lives and instead diverting their attention with a clever app that gives them points, money and coupons. How easily people sway into the wrong direction with enough novelty. (But if you don't look close enough, it’s easy to ignore.)
In negatives: I didn't really like the fainting from amnesia trope, but it did make sense at the end, so I forgive it. It was well made at the end.
The language was easy, very modern, and it read light. I found it in the YA section, but it’s also a great adult read. I do recommend this book for those who want to escape somewhere where the apocalypse is fun and the monsters look like giant keychains!
June 20, 2025
T h r e e S t a r s
Age rating:
This really depends on where you stand on like cursing. I'm not the best for this so I'd say 13+ maybe. They curse a lot.
Book rating:
Okay so this wasn't what I had expected at all this was funny and whatever but not the best thing ever idk if that's bc of my views on sci-fi or whatever but it was alright. Gave me a few laughs. Took way too long to read. But besides that good. if you like sci-fi then this is for you ig.
Age rating:
This really depends on where you stand on like cursing. I'm not the best for this so I'd say 13+ maybe. They curse a lot.
Book rating:
Okay so this wasn't what I had expected at all this was funny and whatever but not the best thing ever idk if that's bc of my views on sci-fi or whatever but it was alright. Gave me a few laughs. Took way too long to read. But besides that good. if you like sci-fi then this is for you ig.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 234 reviews