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I'm Starting to Worry About This Black Box of Doom: A Novel
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Goodreads Choice Award
Nominee for Readers' Favorite Science Fiction (2024)A standalone darkly humorous thriller set in modern America's age of anxiety, by New York Times bestselling author Jason Pargin.
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 these eccentric misfits 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.
The truth promises to be even stranger, and may change how you see the world.
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 these eccentric misfits 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.
The truth promises to be even stranger, and may change how you see the world.
416 pages, Paperback
First published September 24, 2024
1382 people are currently reading
49690 people want to read
About the author
Jason Pargin
16 books3,062 followersJason Pargin is a New York Times bestselling author who used to write under the pseudonym David Wong. His first novel, John Dies at the End, became a feature film in 2012. He is also the author of the Zoey Ashe series, currently in development for TV.
Jason was also the Executive Editor at Cracked.com from 2007 until 2020, when he left to become a full time novelist. He has a dog.
Jason was also the Executive Editor at Cracked.com from 2007 until 2020, when he left to become a full time novelist. He has a dog.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 2,221 reviews
August 21, 2024
This was a wild ride, and I had a great time!
The story is very original and fast paced, the characters are colourful and well written, each one with their own unique voice.
There is a lot of dark humour and craziness and it worked really well for me.
I did not see the resolution coming and it might have been my least favourite part but I still loved this book.
I listened to the audiobook version and I found the narrator added a lot to my enjoyment.
The story is very original and fast paced, the characters are colourful and well written, each one with their own unique voice.
There is a lot of dark humour and craziness and it worked really well for me.
I did not see the resolution coming and it might have been my least favourite part but I still loved this book.
I listened to the audiobook version and I found the narrator added a lot to my enjoyment.
August 28, 2024
This isn’t a book that I would have requested, but I was invited by the Publisher to read it, and I did LOVE the INTRIGUING premise so, I gave it a chance-but it wasn’t for me.
OUTLIER OPINION:
Outside Los Angeles, a Lyft driver named Abbott pulls up to find a young woman sitting on a large black box. It was the type that musicians use to haul their concert gear, and this one was covered in band stickers, including one that said RADIOACTIVE.
Her name is Ether, and she offers him $200,000 cash to transport her and the box across the country, to Washington, DC. They MUST leave immediately, arrive by July 4th and leave ALL trackable devices behind.
THE RULES:
No looking inside the box.
No asking what is inside of it
No telling anyone where they are going until the road trip is over.
Over the course of FIVE days, MANY will find themselves in pursuit of the pair and the box, including but not limited to, a tattooed guy, a retired FBI agent, Abbott’s father and those on Social Media who get wind of this “road trip” and begin to spread their own conspiracy theories which true to life, become increasingly outrageous.
Will a thread on Reddit solve the mystery?
What IS actually in the “black box of doom”? I had a theory which was not correct, but I preferred what I was thinking to the actual ending, which to me was not only strange but very underwhelming.
The book is MORE “social commentary” than thriller and at 400 pages, it just felt WAY TOO LONG for this reader. I found myself wanting to skim days two through five!
Though not a fit for me, I’m guessing that those who regularly read the author’s work, and have a better idea of what to expect, may find this book more satisfying. Or perhaps it will work for those who enjoy participating in Social Media threads about current events or crime.
A buddy read with MarilynW and DeAnn! Watch for their reviews for additional insight!
AVAILABLE SEPTEMBER 24, 2024
Thank You to St. Martin’s Press for the gifted ARC provided through NetGalley. As always, these are my candid thoughts!
OUTLIER OPINION:
Outside Los Angeles, a Lyft driver named Abbott pulls up to find a young woman sitting on a large black box. It was the type that musicians use to haul their concert gear, and this one was covered in band stickers, including one that said RADIOACTIVE.
Her name is Ether, and she offers him $200,000 cash to transport her and the box across the country, to Washington, DC. They MUST leave immediately, arrive by July 4th and leave ALL trackable devices behind.
THE RULES:
No looking inside the box.
No asking what is inside of it
No telling anyone where they are going until the road trip is over.
Over the course of FIVE days, MANY will find themselves in pursuit of the pair and the box, including but not limited to, a tattooed guy, a retired FBI agent, Abbott’s father and those on Social Media who get wind of this “road trip” and begin to spread their own conspiracy theories which true to life, become increasingly outrageous.
Will a thread on Reddit solve the mystery?
What IS actually in the “black box of doom”? I had a theory which was not correct, but I preferred what I was thinking to the actual ending, which to me was not only strange but very underwhelming.
The book is MORE “social commentary” than thriller and at 400 pages, it just felt WAY TOO LONG for this reader. I found myself wanting to skim days two through five!
Though not a fit for me, I’m guessing that those who regularly read the author’s work, and have a better idea of what to expect, may find this book more satisfying. Or perhaps it will work for those who enjoy participating in Social Media threads about current events or crime.
A buddy read with MarilynW and DeAnn! Watch for their reviews for additional insight!
AVAILABLE SEPTEMBER 24, 2024
Thank You to St. Martin’s Press for the gifted ARC provided through NetGalley. As always, these are my candid thoughts!
July 8, 2024
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.
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.
September 24, 2024
Loved this controversial 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!
Sidebar: It REALLY irks me when the top reviews (most likes) for a book on Goodreads are negative, especially when the reviewer admits to skipping sections or skimming sections (or the last 20%) of the book. Of course everyone is entitled to their own opinion but at least read the entire book first, you never know when a book might surprise you and you go from thinking "meh" to "yeah". And if you just can't bring yourself to read the whole thing, then list as DNF instead of burying the only partially read disclosure.
Disclosure: Received an uncorrected ARC of this book from NetGalley and St. Martin's Press (Thank you!) in exchange for an honest review.
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!
Sidebar: It REALLY irks me when the top reviews (most likes) for a book on Goodreads are negative, especially when the reviewer admits to skipping sections or skimming sections (or the last 20%) of the book. Of course everyone is entitled to their own opinion but at least read the entire book first, you never know when a book might surprise you and you go from thinking "meh" to "yeah". And if you just can't bring yourself to read the whole thing, then list as DNF instead of burying the only partially read disclosure.
Disclosure: Received an uncorrected ARC of this book from NetGalley and St. Martin's Press (Thank you!) in exchange for an honest review.
May 13, 2024
When you previously had a stellar experience with an author’s work, you’re naturally going to compare everything else he writes with that initial book, or in this case, books. I’m a big fan of the “John Dies at the End” series, or JDATE, for short. As I read each of those I went on an adventure with well crafted characters I cared about and found myself astounded by the brilliant twists and turns of the story. I also appreciated the laugh out loud humor throughout.
This one was….very different. I hate to give Pargin a bad rating in general, but I just didn't enjoy this book and had a hard time even finishing it. (More on that, later.) So I have to be honest. The basic concept is interesting and sounds like a fun, wild ride, but instead the story was just stressful, too steeped in political ranting and populated by characters that were nearly impossible to like. (*I don't hide from politics in art, but I generally don't seek them out when I'm trying to decompress or be entertained, is what I'm saying!)
I'm going to try to keep this part short, but my biggest problem was the main character, Abbott. I think he's meant to be the primary protagonist, but he's actual garbage. A woman-hating Incel, (*the book's word, not mine*), a lot of his dialogue consists of long, volatile diatribes. It’s very difficult to go along on this journey with him. It's a very different experience than JDATE, where the characters have flaws for sure but they’re still worth rooting for in the end. In those books the characters are self-proclaimed assholes, but at times they can be assholes with hearts of gold despite themselves. Abbott is insufferable. It got to a point where whenever I saw that he had an entire paragraph of dialogue, I skipped over it. Do I do this often with books? Hardly ever. His partner for the roadtrip, a girl named Ether, was also sometimes working my last nerve but I think she was designed that way. And she at least had redeeming qualities. (But oh boy, was she chatty!)
There are moments in their journey when, despite his personality and extreme anxiety, Abbott just can’t HELP but assist strangers, including women. I was not buying it. Especially since this was sandwiched around the scenes of Abbott in the car spewing hateful rhetoric at Ether for pages worth of dialogue. He wasn’t learning to be a better person, and there was not a better person lurking somewhere underneath. As I stated before with JDATE, the author absolutely knows how to write layered characters though. What was the point of Abbott? He wasn't funny or charming. The anxiety was relatable at first, but he lost me with the whining. Did I buy the possibility that he was even capable of a character arc? Sadly, no. Maybe I'm being too harsh and unforgiving. Wicked sad, I hate that for me.
The read eventually became tedious. If Abbott wasn’t ranting about everything being awful then Ether was going on and on for pages about nonsense that I didn’t care about. I wasn’t invested in a single one of these people. The only character that I kind of liked and found to be interesting was Key, the ex FBI agent, and in the end another character that I can't elaborate on because it's kind of a spoiler. I’ll be completely honest: I skimmed through the last 20% just to see how the story ended. I didn’t want to completely DNF it, (okay, I did), but I figured I should at least see the resolution. I was left with an empty feeling.
What did Pargin do well here? Good mock-ups of Reddit posts, usernames, etc. (A Hellscape, basically.) Although, I think that adding typos to the posts would have made them even more realistic. Abbott is a Twitch streamer and my personal experience as a participant in the chat rooms on that app is very different from the one depicted in this book, but I also mainly watch content creators who are funny, creative and amazing and most of them are also part of the LGBTQA+ community so that makes a big difference. Pargin did a decent job of portraying the frightening mob mentality of humanity. This is a very political book. It's about the stupidity of internet trolls, about letting negativity and fear (and pessimistic media) control your life. Oddly enough, it's also about how you can never fully tell who the good guys and the bad guys are just by their appearance. I liked that one. (I’m sorry to keep harping on this, but I think Abbott was the worst character even at the end of the book and so were his followers.)
I still think Pargin is very creative and has a great sense of humor, but personally I recommend reading the JDATE books.
Thank you to Netgalley and to the publisher for this ARC in exchange for an honest review! All opinions are my own.
Biggest TW: Suicide, Substance abuse, Domestic terrorism, Incel ranting, Sexism, Mention of animal harm, Mention of child harm
This one was….very different. I hate to give Pargin a bad rating in general, but I just didn't enjoy this book and had a hard time even finishing it. (More on that, later.) So I have to be honest. The basic concept is interesting and sounds like a fun, wild ride, but instead the story was just stressful, too steeped in political ranting and populated by characters that were nearly impossible to like. (*I don't hide from politics in art, but I generally don't seek them out when I'm trying to decompress or be entertained, is what I'm saying!)
I'm going to try to keep this part short, but my biggest problem was the main character, Abbott. I think he's meant to be the primary protagonist, but he's actual garbage. A woman-hating Incel, (*the book's word, not mine*), a lot of his dialogue consists of long, volatile diatribes. It’s very difficult to go along on this journey with him. It's a very different experience than JDATE, where the characters have flaws for sure but they’re still worth rooting for in the end. In those books the characters are self-proclaimed assholes, but at times they can be assholes with hearts of gold despite themselves. Abbott is insufferable. It got to a point where whenever I saw that he had an entire paragraph of dialogue, I skipped over it. Do I do this often with books? Hardly ever. His partner for the roadtrip, a girl named Ether, was also sometimes working my last nerve but I think she was designed that way. And she at least had redeeming qualities. (But oh boy, was she chatty!)
There are moments in their journey when, despite his personality and extreme anxiety, Abbott just can’t HELP but assist strangers, including women. I was not buying it. Especially since this was sandwiched around the scenes of Abbott in the car spewing hateful rhetoric at Ether for pages worth of dialogue. He wasn’t learning to be a better person, and there was not a better person lurking somewhere underneath. As I stated before with JDATE, the author absolutely knows how to write layered characters though. What was the point of Abbott? He wasn't funny or charming. The anxiety was relatable at first, but he lost me with the whining. Did I buy the possibility that he was even capable of a character arc? Sadly, no. Maybe I'm being too harsh and unforgiving. Wicked sad, I hate that for me.
The read eventually became tedious. If Abbott wasn’t ranting about everything being awful then Ether was going on and on for pages about nonsense that I didn’t care about. I wasn’t invested in a single one of these people. The only character that I kind of liked and found to be interesting was Key, the ex FBI agent, and in the end another character that I can't elaborate on because it's kind of a spoiler. I’ll be completely honest: I skimmed through the last 20% just to see how the story ended. I didn’t want to completely DNF it, (okay, I did), but I figured I should at least see the resolution. I was left with an empty feeling.
What did Pargin do well here? Good mock-ups of Reddit posts, usernames, etc. (A Hellscape, basically.) Although, I think that adding typos to the posts would have made them even more realistic. Abbott is a Twitch streamer and my personal experience as a participant in the chat rooms on that app is very different from the one depicted in this book, but I also mainly watch content creators who are funny, creative and amazing and most of them are also part of the LGBTQA+ community so that makes a big difference. Pargin did a decent job of portraying the frightening mob mentality of humanity. This is a very political book. It's about the stupidity of internet trolls, about letting negativity and fear (and pessimistic media) control your life. Oddly enough, it's also about how you can never fully tell who the good guys and the bad guys are just by their appearance. I liked that one. (I’m sorry to keep harping on this, but I think Abbott was the worst character even at the end of the book and so were his followers.)
I still think Pargin is very creative and has a great sense of humor, but personally I recommend reading the JDATE books.
Thank you to Netgalley and to the publisher for this ARC in exchange for an honest review! All opinions are my own.
Biggest TW: Suicide, Substance abuse, Domestic terrorism, Incel ranting, Sexism, Mention of animal harm, Mention of child harm
November 2, 2024
This book is not about QAnon, but it is the only thing I’ve read that finally explained to me how QAnon became something millions of people believed to be real. When I first heard what they thought, I was blown away that rational people could actually think that a cannibalistic, child molesting, satanic cabal, who were operating a child sex trafficking ring, conspired against the 45th president of the US (he who’s name I refuse to acknowledge as my president).
Fun book overall. And yes, Buc-ee’s is a real thing in Texas, and they really are well known for their pristine bathrooms. If you are ever driving through Texas, highly recommend stopping at one to get a selfie with the beaver, fill up your gas or charge your car, take a bathroom break, shop for Texas souvenirs, get Buc-ee’s branded snacks for the road, and grab a hot meal to go. They even have really great vegetarian burritos for veg heads like me!
Fun book overall. And yes, Buc-ee’s is a real thing in Texas, and they really are well known for their pristine bathrooms. If you are ever driving through Texas, highly recommend stopping at one to get a selfie with the beaver, fill up your gas or charge your car, take a bathroom break, shop for Texas souvenirs, get Buc-ee’s branded snacks for the road, and grab a hot meal to go. They even have really great vegetarian burritos for veg heads like me!
June 28, 2024
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.
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.
January 19, 2025
saying i would write long reviews again is biting me in the ass right about now
”Why did she get to move on and be happy? The fires of rage must be kept alight at all cost, and there is no justice until everyone is sufficiently burned.”
hate when i want to read a funny book about what mysterious item is in this random box and am suddenly hit by the main character being a huge fucking incel. hate it especially cause i felt sympathetic towards him, oh poor guy has anxiety (same), poor guy has shitty parents (same), and then he suddenly hits me with “I’d rather be raped 50 times, cause that’s over after a few minutes, than be accused of being a rapist cause that ruins men’s lifes.” , you little fucking dipshit, you fucking asshole, moron, idiot, verdammter wichser, show me where this has ruined a man’s life, fucking WHERE.
anyway. bad enough really. enough validation to give this one star. the whole incel thing never gets like resolved or anything btw. we just drop it again at one point like it never happened and like homeboy didn’t also say that he doesn’t want to go to prison cause he’s afraid of getting raped as that trauma would mentally follow him for the rest of his life - do you even hear yourself at this point. i get that this was on purpose by the author to show the guy’s hypocrisy but what did i do to have to sit through this stupidity.
speaking of stupidity.
i get what the author was trying to do with this book. like, internet bad, everyone just in their bubble, algorithms want us to hate each other, fake news everywhere, blabla. but this was a little bit too on the nose. i prefer my books with more subtlety, like make me actually think about your point, please, i swear i have a brain.
but most importantly. not only was it bad and stupid and basically pointless. it was also boring. and that’s simply a crime i can’t forgive.
”Why did she get to move on and be happy? The fires of rage must be kept alight at all cost, and there is no justice until everyone is sufficiently burned.”
hate when i want to read a funny book about what mysterious item is in this random box and am suddenly hit by the main character being a huge fucking incel. hate it especially cause i felt sympathetic towards him, oh poor guy has anxiety (same), poor guy has shitty parents (same), and then he suddenly hits me with “I’d rather be raped 50 times, cause that’s over after a few minutes, than be accused of being a rapist cause that ruins men’s lifes.” , you little fucking dipshit, you fucking asshole, moron, idiot, verdammter wichser, show me where this has ruined a man’s life, fucking WHERE.
anyway. bad enough really. enough validation to give this one star. the whole incel thing never gets like resolved or anything btw. we just drop it again at one point like it never happened and like homeboy didn’t also say that he doesn’t want to go to prison cause he’s afraid of getting raped as that trauma would mentally follow him for the rest of his life - do you even hear yourself at this point. i get that this was on purpose by the author to show the guy’s hypocrisy but what did i do to have to sit through this stupidity.
speaking of stupidity.
i get what the author was trying to do with this book. like, internet bad, everyone just in their bubble, algorithms want us to hate each other, fake news everywhere, blabla. but this was a little bit too on the nose. i prefer my books with more subtlety, like make me actually think about your point, please, i swear i have a brain.
but most importantly. not only was it bad and stupid and basically pointless. it was also boring. and that’s simply a crime i can’t forgive.
August 11, 2024
Abbott Coburn is a 26-year-old Lyft driver who is called to a Circle K gas station to take a woman to LAX. When he arrives, he meets Ether, a woman guarding a large black box. She was going to fly from Los Angeles to Washington, DC, but now she needs someone to drive her instead.
Abbott is not into the idea - he has severe anxiety and doesn’t want to spend ten days driving across the country and back, but the $200,000 she offers him soon changes his mind. He agrees, and she tells him the rules: he cannot look in the box, he has to leave all of his electronics behind so they can’t be tracked, and he cannot tell anyone where he’s going or what he’s doing. The problem? Abbott is a Twitch streamer, and while he was at his house packing for the trip, he uploaded a quick video to let his followers know he’d be gone for a while. Oops!
As they embark on their journey, he realizes that someone else wants that black box that Ether is guarding with her life. He’s also about to run out of his anti-anxiety medication. What neither of them know is that a retired FBI agent has gotten involved, and social media comments are flying. On Reddit, people are tracking the pair and discussing what may be in the box. Everything is discussed, from it carrying aliens or a dead body, maybe fentanyl, but the leading conspiracy theory is that they are carrying a nuclear weapon to DC, as they will arrive at their destination on the Fourth of July.
A lot of the book has these threads and comments in it, and it’s fascinating to watch people make up their own minds about what these two strangers have planned. The ending is a huge surprise, but the social media hype leading up to it is even more surprising. We see it every day, but it was really interesting to see the kinds of things people with limited information take as fact.
This book was fun, thrilling, and had great characters. I could not wait until the end to find out what was in the box, and it was definitely a shock. More than the story of Abbott and Ether, this is the story of social media, and how it really does shape the way most of us think. This was super unique and original, and I liked it a lot. This was my first book by this author, but I doubt it will be my last! 4.5 stars, rounded up.
(Thank you to St. Martin’s Press, Jason Pargin and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my review. This book is slated to be released on September 24, 2024.)
Abbott is not into the idea - he has severe anxiety and doesn’t want to spend ten days driving across the country and back, but the $200,000 she offers him soon changes his mind. He agrees, and she tells him the rules: he cannot look in the box, he has to leave all of his electronics behind so they can’t be tracked, and he cannot tell anyone where he’s going or what he’s doing. The problem? Abbott is a Twitch streamer, and while he was at his house packing for the trip, he uploaded a quick video to let his followers know he’d be gone for a while. Oops!
As they embark on their journey, he realizes that someone else wants that black box that Ether is guarding with her life. He’s also about to run out of his anti-anxiety medication. What neither of them know is that a retired FBI agent has gotten involved, and social media comments are flying. On Reddit, people are tracking the pair and discussing what may be in the box. Everything is discussed, from it carrying aliens or a dead body, maybe fentanyl, but the leading conspiracy theory is that they are carrying a nuclear weapon to DC, as they will arrive at their destination on the Fourth of July.
A lot of the book has these threads and comments in it, and it’s fascinating to watch people make up their own minds about what these two strangers have planned. The ending is a huge surprise, but the social media hype leading up to it is even more surprising. We see it every day, but it was really interesting to see the kinds of things people with limited information take as fact.
This book was fun, thrilling, and had great characters. I could not wait until the end to find out what was in the box, and it was definitely a shock. More than the story of Abbott and Ether, this is the story of social media, and how it really does shape the way most of us think. This was super unique and original, and I liked it a lot. This was my first book by this author, but I doubt it will be my last! 4.5 stars, rounded up.
(Thank you to St. Martin’s Press, Jason Pargin and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my review. This book is slated to be released on September 24, 2024.)
June 27, 2024
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.
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.
September 17, 2024
Well this book was not what I was expecting and definitely a wild something. It was bizarre but much like a train wreck I had a hard time looking away. I listened to the audiobook and read the kindle (switching because I wanted to be done honestly) and I thought the narrator did an excellent job. This book was strange in that for most of the book every main character is pretty horrible until you get to the end and they’re all not as bad as you thought (except I struggle with Abbott still) so you’re questioning your own judgement and experience. This book was less a thriller and more a social commentary which was fine, except I was expecting a thriller and felt like it could have gone a little more quickly. This book was funny but it was a really dark level of humor, the kind of humor that makes you question your morality when you find it funny so be warned of that. I did like the blog posts and twitch chats and Reddit posts that were sprinkled in the story as I felt like they enhanced it and helped underline some of the bigger themes. I will admit I never would have guessed the contents of the black box in a million years. Abbott goes to give a person a Lyft ride to the airport when the girl who orders the ride offers him 200,000 dollars to drive him and a giant mysterious box to DC by the Fourth of July but he can’t ask what’s in the box. Some small pieces of information get leaked and twisted by social media and suddenly Abbott and the girl, Ether, are the topic of public scrutiny and suspected to be bringing a bomb to DC. Their five day journey was chaotic and the book is also fleshed out with some other perspectives who have connections to the two. This was an interesting book. I’m not sure how it made me feel, but it did make me think about things I wouldn’t have been thinking about.
November 21, 2024
We all know what we are getting into when cracking open a Jason Pargin book - weirdness, hilarity, stupidity and brilliance. I'm Starting to Worry About This Black Box of Doom is no different.
Though not quite as funny as John Dies at the End or as weird as Futuristic Violence and Fancy Suits, this one is much more entrenched in real life and real social media....which can be a bit of a bummer... because real life...
Overall, I really enjoyed the book, but at times it felt a preachy instead of entertaining.
Though not quite as funny as John Dies at the End or as weird as Futuristic Violence and Fancy Suits, this one is much more entrenched in real life and real social media....which can be a bit of a bummer... because real life...
Overall, I really enjoyed the book, but at times it felt a preachy instead of entertaining.
January 4, 2025
I expected a weird and wacky novel. Instead I got a 400 page political rant disguised as an extended throwaway joke about an incel and the world’s most annoying woman taking a pointless road trip.
September 3, 2024
I enjoyed this a great deal. It’s fun, funny, smart and very readable. Pargin manages to pull off the trick of taking a dumb (but very enjoyable) caper story and using it to reflect on the modern social media age in a really interesting way. There are a bunch of different threads that get juggled very effectively and come together at the end to make an enormously satisfying conclusion. All in all, a success.
Full review on the channel soon. Thanks to St Martin’s Press for the advance copy.
Full review on the channel soon. Thanks to St Martin’s Press for the advance copy.
May 26, 2024
Jason Pargin is reality's Rod Serling, calmy asking us to imagine how truly messed up the situation is, and this is his Confederacy of Dunces.
I'm really proud of that synopsis so I'll probably be saying it to everyone who asks about this book. I'm glad I've already gotten it out of the way. Be on the lookout for t-shirts and coffee mugs.
What should I tackle first?
What it's about:
If you didn't bother reading the description at the top of the page and just jumped down to the reviews and then thought "Oh shit, I don't even know what this book is about!" then here it is:
A strange woman hires an even stranger man to transport a black box from LA to Washington DC in time for the 4th of July in our nation's capital. What's in the box is unknown. Is it a bomb? It's probably a bomb. But what if it isn't? Should we panic? Probably. What else is there to do? There are people looking for this box and seemingly willing to do anything to get it. As the pair head across the country, more and more people get drawn into the mystery and spectacle until the whole insane circus just . . . well, that's for you to discover.
How it compares to other Pargin novels:
I'm only addressing this because I've seen it in other reviews and you may be here because you're a Pargin fan and expect another John Dies at the End. Now, to be clear, I've only read the JDATE series so my comparison excludes the Zoey Ashe novels (which I own, but haven't read, like book collectors do). And from that perspective this is exactly like a JDATE book. "WHAT??!" other book reviewers may be screaming who have read the same titles and come to a completely different conclusion. "Yes," I say to them and you. Pargin explores reality and perceptions of reality in JDATE with David, Amy, and John battling interdimensional beings and paranormal forces that challenge us to reconsider our dependence on this flimsy tarp upon which our world is projected. It's all about seeing things that others can't see and being considered crazy and invaluable for it at the same time. In those books, the battle rages for a return to normal and orderly against the threat of demonic chaos. Now strip away the demons and meat monsters and paranormal elements and replace it all with a smartphone. There you have the same conflict we find in I'm Starting to Worry About This Black Box of Doom In many many ways this book is much more terrifying.
What I thought about it:
It's absolutely brilliant. The true threat to reality is the destabilizing way we argue over the world we capture through the distorted lens of the smartphone camera. This entire journey demonstrates how everyone is right and everyone is wrong. Theories fly with terribly sound reasoning and authority about what could be in the box--from both the people transporting it and the internet spectators--and every step along the way, Pargin had me wondering which of these insane angles was the correct one. You can't help but become part of the mob.
Wait, what was that thing about A Confederacy of Dunces.?
If you're not familiar A Confederacy of Dunces. is the Pulitzer Prize-winning book by John Kennedy Toole. It's a book about the idiocy of every American institution from education to law enforcement to capitalism. It plays a love/hate song for the US consisting entirely of stereotypes. It's a book where nothing happens but everything is said. Plenty of things happen in I'm Starting to Worry About This Black Box of Doom but the common thread connecting the two books is how having a little bit of information can be a dangerous thing. ISTWATBBoD takes it a step further by showing how a narrow perspective can be downright deadly.
So what you're saying is . . .
This is my absolute favorite Pargin novel and its appeal is likely broader than those of us who devour all his JDATE goodness. Its impact should be more profound. Pargin is shaking us to reconsider what we're doing with our media consumption. And how we've handed over and outsourced all of our critical thinking. And if any of my description sounds like I'm describing a dry, academic finger-wagging lecture then I have failed you. Because it is absolutely as fun and hilarious and compulsive as any of the JDATE books.
One final note to Jason Pargin
Hey I don't know if you read these reviews. It's probably not a good idea whether they're 5 stars or a 1-star raging DNF. But I do have to push back on your Afterword, just a tiny bit–if your readers are still thinking in terms of “good-guys” and ”bad-guys” and karma by the end of this book, then they missed the entire point. And there's no way you can fix that for them. Also, thank you for giving a rando with a tiny YouTube channel the chance to read this book early and the opportunity to keep the signed one I bought from Parnassus pristine. I loved every minute of this.
One final final note
It's possible I'm wrong and everyone else is wrong and the whole point of this book is to demonstrate the proper way to pick up a bunny.
I'm really proud of that synopsis so I'll probably be saying it to everyone who asks about this book. I'm glad I've already gotten it out of the way. Be on the lookout for t-shirts and coffee mugs.
What should I tackle first?
What it's about:
If you didn't bother reading the description at the top of the page and just jumped down to the reviews and then thought "Oh shit, I don't even know what this book is about!" then here it is:
A strange woman hires an even stranger man to transport a black box from LA to Washington DC in time for the 4th of July in our nation's capital. What's in the box is unknown. Is it a bomb? It's probably a bomb. But what if it isn't? Should we panic? Probably. What else is there to do? There are people looking for this box and seemingly willing to do anything to get it. As the pair head across the country, more and more people get drawn into the mystery and spectacle until the whole insane circus just . . . well, that's for you to discover.
How it compares to other Pargin novels:
I'm only addressing this because I've seen it in other reviews and you may be here because you're a Pargin fan and expect another John Dies at the End. Now, to be clear, I've only read the JDATE series so my comparison excludes the Zoey Ashe novels (which I own, but haven't read, like book collectors do). And from that perspective this is exactly like a JDATE book. "WHAT??!" other book reviewers may be screaming who have read the same titles and come to a completely different conclusion. "Yes," I say to them and you. Pargin explores reality and perceptions of reality in JDATE with David, Amy, and John battling interdimensional beings and paranormal forces that challenge us to reconsider our dependence on this flimsy tarp upon which our world is projected. It's all about seeing things that others can't see and being considered crazy and invaluable for it at the same time. In those books, the battle rages for a return to normal and orderly against the threat of demonic chaos. Now strip away the demons and meat monsters and paranormal elements and replace it all with a smartphone. There you have the same conflict we find in I'm Starting to Worry About This Black Box of Doom In many many ways this book is much more terrifying.
What I thought about it:
It's absolutely brilliant. The true threat to reality is the destabilizing way we argue over the world we capture through the distorted lens of the smartphone camera. This entire journey demonstrates how everyone is right and everyone is wrong. Theories fly with terribly sound reasoning and authority about what could be in the box--from both the people transporting it and the internet spectators--and every step along the way, Pargin had me wondering which of these insane angles was the correct one. You can't help but become part of the mob.
Wait, what was that thing about A Confederacy of Dunces.?
If you're not familiar A Confederacy of Dunces. is the Pulitzer Prize-winning book by John Kennedy Toole. It's a book about the idiocy of every American institution from education to law enforcement to capitalism. It plays a love/hate song for the US consisting entirely of stereotypes. It's a book where nothing happens but everything is said. Plenty of things happen in I'm Starting to Worry About This Black Box of Doom but the common thread connecting the two books is how having a little bit of information can be a dangerous thing. ISTWATBBoD takes it a step further by showing how a narrow perspective can be downright deadly.
So what you're saying is . . .
This is my absolute favorite Pargin novel and its appeal is likely broader than those of us who devour all his JDATE goodness. Its impact should be more profound. Pargin is shaking us to reconsider what we're doing with our media consumption. And how we've handed over and outsourced all of our critical thinking. And if any of my description sounds like I'm describing a dry, academic finger-wagging lecture then I have failed you. Because it is absolutely as fun and hilarious and compulsive as any of the JDATE books.
One final note to Jason Pargin
Hey I don't know if you read these reviews. It's probably not a good idea whether they're 5 stars or a 1-star raging DNF. But I do have to push back on your Afterword, just a tiny bit–if your readers are still thinking in terms of “good-guys” and ”bad-guys” and karma by the end of this book, then they missed the entire point. And there's no way you can fix that for them. Also, thank you for giving a rando with a tiny YouTube channel the chance to read this book early and the opportunity to keep the signed one I bought from Parnassus pristine. I loved every minute of this.
One final final note
It's possible I'm wrong and everyone else is wrong and the whole point of this book is to demonstrate the proper way to pick up a bunny.
Read
November 20, 2024I don’t write reviews.
This was absolutely torturous. It caused me actual physical pain.
The whining and stupidity were seemingly endless. There was nothing quirky or fun or anything that makes the John Dies at the End books so good. This was all in the lameness and lack of style of the Zoey Ashe series.
The thing is, Abbott often wasn’t wrong. He just came off like such a loser that it was hard to listen to him. Ether was almost always wrong, except in saying the internet is mainly a thing of evil that is destroying humanity. I feel like Pargin was playing the “two party illusion” game. He takes two ends of a ridiculous argument and forces the reader to choose a side, but no one agrees fully (or even mostly) with either side, yet one isn’t allowed to choose outside of the two party paradigm. Sound familiar?
I almost forgot! Whereas, yes, people on the internet create drama and gossip, which is often exagerated or plain untrue, Pargin uses his farcical tale to, in effect, delegitimize anything that could be called a “conspiracy theory.” No, no, the military-pharma-industrial complex never works together toward goals (which would be co-inspiring or a conspiracy). Build back better, anyone? Insect allies program. Geoengineering. I guess on any level it’s an impossibility! Friends couldn’t conspire to plan a surprise party. And the real fools are people like me, who believe people can and do conspire. I’ve been put in my place. Thoroughly chastened.
There was one positive thing mentioned: a person’s job should be meaningful and helpful.
This was absolutely torturous. It caused me actual physical pain.
The whining and stupidity were seemingly endless. There was nothing quirky or fun or anything that makes the John Dies at the End books so good. This was all in the lameness and lack of style of the Zoey Ashe series.
The thing is, Abbott often wasn’t wrong. He just came off like such a loser that it was hard to listen to him. Ether was almost always wrong, except in saying the internet is mainly a thing of evil that is destroying humanity. I feel like Pargin was playing the “two party illusion” game. He takes two ends of a ridiculous argument and forces the reader to choose a side, but no one agrees fully (or even mostly) with either side, yet one isn’t allowed to choose outside of the two party paradigm. Sound familiar?
I almost forgot! Whereas, yes, people on the internet create drama and gossip, which is often exagerated or plain untrue, Pargin uses his farcical tale to, in effect, delegitimize anything that could be called a “conspiracy theory.” No, no, the military-pharma-industrial complex never works together toward goals (which would be co-inspiring or a conspiracy). Build back better, anyone? Insect allies program. Geoengineering. I guess on any level it’s an impossibility! Friends couldn’t conspire to plan a surprise party. And the real fools are people like me, who believe people can and do conspire. I’ve been put in my place. Thoroughly chastened.
There was one positive thing mentioned: a person’s job should be meaningful and helpful.
September 10, 2024
Special thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for a free, electronic ARC of this novel received in exchange for an honest review.
Expected publication date: Sept. 24, 2024
Jason Pargin is known for his quirky, tongue-in-cheek novel titles, such as “John Dies at the End” and “Zoey Punches the Future in the Dick”. So, it shouldn’t surprise anyone that his new novel also has a lengthy, and humorous, title, “I'm Starting to Worry About This Black Box of Doom.
Abbott is a Lyft driver and the day he picks up a young girl who calls herself Ether, is the day that his life is forever changed. Ether has with her a large, sealed black box that she needs to transport to the other side of the country, with Abbott’s help. Ether will pay Abbott very well for his troubles but there are a few rules- Abbot cannot ask what’s in the box. Abbot cannot look into or open the box. He cannot tell anyone where he is doing and they must leave immediately and Abbott must leave all of his electronic (and traceable) devices behind. As soon as Abbot agrees, albeit reluctantly, he knows he is about to embark on a journey that no one prepared him for.
“Doom” is eccentric and quirky, an “end of the world” thriller novel that sets two strangers on a mission to deliver a black box, without knowing its contents. Speculation mounts, in both Abbott and the reader, compounded by the /reddit comments and channels that Pargin intersperses in his novel. The internet community begins to express their opinions on what Abbot and Ether are transporting, everything from nuclear bombs to the bodies of extra-terrestrials and, with the mystery that shields the box, it honestly could be any or all of these things (or none of them). Right from the start, I wanted to know what was in the box and that (along with the witty banter between Ether and Abbott) kept me turning the pages at rapid speed.
The” Black Box of Doom” is not only the mysterious black box that is being transported across state lines, but it is also a metaphor for the Internet, and society’s addiction to it (handheld devices, like cell phones, being the prime target). The forum comments that are scattered throughout the novel are very poignant, identifying how very quickly rumours can grow among the internet masses. As the miles pass, both narrators share their strong (and often opposing) opinions on everything from misogyny to technology, bringing the readers along for the journey.
All of the main characters in the novel take their shot at narrating, and there are far more than just our two protagonists, which works to increase the tension regarding the theories of what the black box contains. Abbott is likable in parts, as is Ether, and they are two characters who would either be best friends, or kill each other, by the time the book ended (My opinion on which one it would be changed many times as I read).
The ending was satisfying and so worth the read! “Doom” is my first novel by Pargin, but he is not a stranger to the literary world and many of his novels have been turned into TV series and/or movies. His witty titles alone are intriguing, and he has the writing skills to match!
Expected publication date: Sept. 24, 2024
Jason Pargin is known for his quirky, tongue-in-cheek novel titles, such as “John Dies at the End” and “Zoey Punches the Future in the Dick”. So, it shouldn’t surprise anyone that his new novel also has a lengthy, and humorous, title, “I'm Starting to Worry About This Black Box of Doom.
Abbott is a Lyft driver and the day he picks up a young girl who calls herself Ether, is the day that his life is forever changed. Ether has with her a large, sealed black box that she needs to transport to the other side of the country, with Abbott’s help. Ether will pay Abbott very well for his troubles but there are a few rules- Abbot cannot ask what’s in the box. Abbot cannot look into or open the box. He cannot tell anyone where he is doing and they must leave immediately and Abbott must leave all of his electronic (and traceable) devices behind. As soon as Abbot agrees, albeit reluctantly, he knows he is about to embark on a journey that no one prepared him for.
“Doom” is eccentric and quirky, an “end of the world” thriller novel that sets two strangers on a mission to deliver a black box, without knowing its contents. Speculation mounts, in both Abbott and the reader, compounded by the /reddit comments and channels that Pargin intersperses in his novel. The internet community begins to express their opinions on what Abbot and Ether are transporting, everything from nuclear bombs to the bodies of extra-terrestrials and, with the mystery that shields the box, it honestly could be any or all of these things (or none of them). Right from the start, I wanted to know what was in the box and that (along with the witty banter between Ether and Abbott) kept me turning the pages at rapid speed.
The” Black Box of Doom” is not only the mysterious black box that is being transported across state lines, but it is also a metaphor for the Internet, and society’s addiction to it (handheld devices, like cell phones, being the prime target). The forum comments that are scattered throughout the novel are very poignant, identifying how very quickly rumours can grow among the internet masses. As the miles pass, both narrators share their strong (and often opposing) opinions on everything from misogyny to technology, bringing the readers along for the journey.
All of the main characters in the novel take their shot at narrating, and there are far more than just our two protagonists, which works to increase the tension regarding the theories of what the black box contains. Abbott is likable in parts, as is Ether, and they are two characters who would either be best friends, or kill each other, by the time the book ended (My opinion on which one it would be changed many times as I read).
The ending was satisfying and so worth the read! “Doom” is my first novel by Pargin, but he is not a stranger to the literary world and many of his novels have been turned into TV series and/or movies. His witty titles alone are intriguing, and he has the writing skills to match!
September 14, 2025
این کتاب از همون اول با یه داستان خفن و پرهیجان شروع میشه: جاده، یه مسافر مرموز، یه جعبه سیاه پر رمز و راز. همهچی آمادهست برای یه ماجرای پرکشش که آدمو میخکوب کنه. راستش هم اوایلش حسابی جذب شدم. ریتم تند، شخصیتها عجیب و بامزه، و اون حس «قراره اتفاق بزرگی بیفته» کاملاً منو با خودش برد.
ولی خب کمکم داستان زیر بار اضافهگویی له شد. هر جا میتونست هیجان رو نگه داره، نویسنده شروع کرد به خطابه و شعار دادن؛ مخصوصاً علیه تکنولوژی. به جای اینکه بذاره ما خودمون نتیجه بگیریم، مستقیم میکوبه تو صورتت: شبکههای اجتماعی فلان، گوشیها بهمان، انسانیت نابود شد... اونقدر کشدار و تکراری شد که عملاً انرژی داستان از بین رفت.
بدتر از همه پایان کار بود. همهی اون ماجراجویی و تعلیق آخرش به یه جور پایان «فیلم هندی» ختم شد. یه پایان پر از اغراق و کلیشه که به جای هیجان یا شوک، بیشتر حس ناامیدی میده. من واقعاً انتظار داشتم یا یه پیچ و تاب درستحسابی بگیرم یا حداقل با یه پایان تلخ ولی محکم روبهرو بشم، نه این جور جمعبندی آبکی.
در کل، کتاب پتانسیل زیادی داشت: شروع عالی، ایدهی جذاب، فضای پرتنش. اما اضافهگوییها و شعارهای مستقیم ضدتکنولوژی و سیستم حاکم نصف جذابیتش رو کُشت و پایان هم تیر خلاص بود. برای همین بیشتر از دو ستاره نمیتونم بهش بدم.
ولی خب کمکم داستان زیر بار اضافهگویی له شد. هر جا میتونست هیجان رو نگه داره، نویسنده شروع کرد به خطابه و شعار دادن؛ مخصوصاً علیه تکنولوژی. به جای اینکه بذاره ما خودمون نتیجه بگیریم، مستقیم میکوبه تو صورتت: شبکههای اجتماعی فلان، گوشیها بهمان، انسانیت نابود شد... اونقدر کشدار و تکراری شد که عملاً انرژی داستان از بین رفت.
بدتر از همه پایان کار بود. همهی اون ماجراجویی و تعلیق آخرش به یه جور پایان «فیلم هندی» ختم شد. یه پایان پر از اغراق و کلیشه که به جای هیجان یا شوک، بیشتر حس ناامیدی میده. من واقعاً انتظار داشتم یا یه پیچ و تاب درستحسابی بگیرم یا حداقل با یه پایان تلخ ولی محکم روبهرو بشم، نه این جور جمعبندی آبکی.
در کل، کتاب پتانسیل زیادی داشت: شروع عالی، ایدهی جذاب، فضای پرتنش. اما اضافهگوییها و شعارهای مستقیم ضدتکنولوژی و سیستم حاکم نصف جذابیتش رو کُشت و پایان هم تیر خلاص بود. برای همین بیشتر از دو ستاره نمیتونم بهش بدم.
May 21, 2024
You’re going to hate this book, and then you’re going to like it.
Social media has been so thoroughly discussed, dissected, and shouted about, that when you see a news article or think piece about it, you kind of want to burn your eyes out rather than read another person's opinion. It’s a topic that’s been so thoroughly beaten to death, that no one could POSSIBLY bring anything new to the conversation, let alone in a nuanced AND entertaining way. But somehow, Jason Pargin does this.
I’ll admit, I was skeptical. There were times this book referenced things SO prevalent on the internet, I’d get angry because I had JUST done my bi-monthly deletion of “the apps” to get myself off my phone and into the real world for a few weeks before, inevitably, being drawn back in. And reading this made me feel like I was being drawn back in too soon, on paper, here, in the real world!
There were also a fair amount of conversations between characters in the book that seem to be pulled directly from Pargin’s existing essays or his listicles from his time at Cracked.com. And while interesting, they didn’t always seem natural.
It’s really tricky to write about current technology, let alone provide fictional examples of posts related to what’s happening in real-time AND characters to match. The book even mentions in a tongue-in-cheek, meta moment how weird it is to see the name of a social media platform in a work of fiction, and it’s right.
There were definitely times when I saw an explanation for an internet-ism which made me wonder who exactly the target audience is for this book. Is it Pargin’s peers, fellow Gen Xers who might be less “in the know” than himself about current social media trends and lingo? Is it people from a far-off future who need to be reminded of the platforms that ruled our society as they read in their post-apocalyptic bunkers? Is it me, who just needed to get past the explanations for internet things that to me seem common knowledge, but are more likely a result of my addiction to Reddit? Yes, yes it’s me.
Because Jason Pargin still has something new to bring to the table with I’m Starting to Worry About This Black Box of Doom. It’s a wildly entertaining book that forces the reader to reevaluate their relationship with social media, which is not an easy task. In fact, I’ll probably be staying off social media for much longer having read it. Not to mention all the TERRORISM, EXPLOSIONS, CHEESE, and ALIENS in it. WOW!!!!
But you’ll have to read it yourself to see because I think the best thing a reviewer could do in the spirit of this book is to start an insane internet rumor about its contents.
Social media has been so thoroughly discussed, dissected, and shouted about, that when you see a news article or think piece about it, you kind of want to burn your eyes out rather than read another person's opinion. It’s a topic that’s been so thoroughly beaten to death, that no one could POSSIBLY bring anything new to the conversation, let alone in a nuanced AND entertaining way. But somehow, Jason Pargin does this.
I’ll admit, I was skeptical. There were times this book referenced things SO prevalent on the internet, I’d get angry because I had JUST done my bi-monthly deletion of “the apps” to get myself off my phone and into the real world for a few weeks before, inevitably, being drawn back in. And reading this made me feel like I was being drawn back in too soon, on paper, here, in the real world!
There were also a fair amount of conversations between characters in the book that seem to be pulled directly from Pargin’s existing essays or his listicles from his time at Cracked.com. And while interesting, they didn’t always seem natural.
It’s really tricky to write about current technology, let alone provide fictional examples of posts related to what’s happening in real-time AND characters to match. The book even mentions in a tongue-in-cheek, meta moment how weird it is to see the name of a social media platform in a work of fiction, and it’s right.
There were definitely times when I saw an explanation for an internet-ism which made me wonder who exactly the target audience is for this book. Is it Pargin’s peers, fellow Gen Xers who might be less “in the know” than himself about current social media trends and lingo? Is it people from a far-off future who need to be reminded of the platforms that ruled our society as they read in their post-apocalyptic bunkers? Is it me, who just needed to get past the explanations for internet things that to me seem common knowledge, but are more likely a result of my addiction to Reddit? Yes, yes it’s me.
Because Jason Pargin still has something new to bring to the table with I’m Starting to Worry About This Black Box of Doom. It’s a wildly entertaining book that forces the reader to reevaluate their relationship with social media, which is not an easy task. In fact, I’ll probably be staying off social media for much longer having read it. Not to mention all the TERRORISM, EXPLOSIONS, CHEESE, and ALIENS in it. WOW!!!!
But you’ll have to read it yourself to see because I think the best thing a reviewer could do in the spirit of this book is to start an insane internet rumor about its contents.
December 14, 2024
Pretty good story. 4 stars
November 14, 2024
3.5
At right about the eighty-percent mark I went from "this book is great" to "this book is kind of dumb". But ultimately, I think it's a real progression for Pargin because it shows him moving away from the series he is known for into a style of broader social satires that better fit his essayist tendencies. A comedy about a potential terrorist incel and an angry internet troll feminist who might be transporting a nuclear weapon across the country. It's a hilarious comedy about America's deep internet culture leading to chase scenes, evil bikers, and the FBI.
The first two acts are a sharp social satire/road movie and the third kind of veers into crime comedy. But the biting satirical tone turns sentimental, Pargin shifts into a kindly uncle and urges everyone to just get along. It just sort of loses me. There's a build-up with all the conversations about the gender war in America, that I wanted it to say something meaningful. I wanted Green Glasses Girl to feel like she meant something because the book is so smart and funny, but for all it complains that men consume media that reduce women to two-dimensional characters, it just can't seem to do anything else.
But in other ways, it's actually very insightful, this is a book about the American man in 2024 that has a lot to say. And then it says, hey I'm a punk-rock girl comedy too! And you just let them have it because everything else is so good.
At right about the eighty-percent mark I went from "this book is great" to "this book is kind of dumb". But ultimately, I think it's a real progression for Pargin because it shows him moving away from the series he is known for into a style of broader social satires that better fit his essayist tendencies. A comedy about a potential terrorist incel and an angry internet troll feminist who might be transporting a nuclear weapon across the country. It's a hilarious comedy about America's deep internet culture leading to chase scenes, evil bikers, and the FBI.
The first two acts are a sharp social satire/road movie and the third kind of veers into crime comedy. But the biting satirical tone turns sentimental, Pargin shifts into a kindly uncle and urges everyone to just get along. It just sort of loses me. There's a build-up with all the conversations about the gender war in America, that I wanted it to say something meaningful. I wanted Green Glasses Girl to feel like she meant something because the book is so smart and funny, but for all it complains that men consume media that reduce women to two-dimensional characters, it just can't seem to do anything else.
But in other ways, it's actually very insightful, this is a book about the American man in 2024 that has a lot to say. And then it says, hey I'm a punk-rock girl comedy too! And you just let them have it because everything else is so good.
August 21, 2024
Jason Pargin will always be an auto read for me. Since John Dies at the End until the end of time. I love the wit, love how thought provoking everything he writes is while still being so funny. This book was no exception I would absolutely recommend this to anyone who enjoys a thought provoking, laugh out loud funny novel. Thanks to NetGalley for the chance to review!
April 18, 2025
*4.5 stars
This is an absolutely bonkers book, but in the best way. Abbott gets tasked by Ether to help her transport a large black box, that may or may not contain a bomb, across the country so she can get her reward for doing so. Along the way, they meet some really colorful characters that just bring to life the absurdity of this country we all live in. As they keep moving toward their goal, they don't realize that a whole online community has built up around their journey and gets them involved in some rather sticky situations.
An absurd ride but I had fun reading every bit of it. Recommended.
This is an absolutely bonkers book, but in the best way. Abbott gets tasked by Ether to help her transport a large black box, that may or may not contain a bomb, across the country so she can get her reward for doing so. Along the way, they meet some really colorful characters that just bring to life the absurdity of this country we all live in. As they keep moving toward their goal, they don't realize that a whole online community has built up around their journey and gets them involved in some rather sticky situations.
An absurd ride but I had fun reading every bit of it. Recommended.
September 25, 2024
You know that feeling when you're scrolling through your social media feed, and suddenly you're convinced the world is ending? Like, one minute you're chuckling at cat videos, and the next you're sure society is on the brink of collapse because... reasons? Well, buckle up, buttercup, because Jason Pargin's latest novel, "I'm Starting to Worry About This Black Box of Doom," is about to take that anxiety-inducing doom-scroll and turn it into a cross-country road trip that'll make you laugh, cringe, and maybe - just maybe - reconsider how you view the world.
The Plot: A Fever Dream on Wheels
Imagine, if you will, a world not unlike our own (because, spoiler alert, it is our own). A world where conspiracy theories spread faster than a wildfire in a drought, where every ping on your phone could be the harbinger of the apocalypse, and where a mysterious black box might just be the MacGuffin to end all MacGuffins.
Our reluctant hero, Abbott Coburn, is your average twenty-something guy trying to make ends meet as a Lyft driver. His life is a series of mundane disappointments until he picks up a passenger who changes everything. Enter Ether (aka Karen Wozniak), a woman with a past as mysterious as the box she's hauling around. She offers Abbott a life-changing amount of cash to drive her and her ominous cargo across the country to Washington, D.C. The catch? He can't look in the box, can't ask questions, and has to ditch all his trackable devices.
What follows is a madcap journey that feels like "It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World" collided with "Doomsday Preppers" and then got rear-ended by "Black Mirror." As Abbott and Ether make their way east, the internet does what it does best: loses its collective mind. Rumors spread that the box contains everything from a dirty bomb to an alien corpse, and suddenly our hapless duo finds themselves at the center of a supposed plot to plunge America into civil war.
Characters: A Motley Crew of Modern Misfits
Pargin has a knack for creating characters that feel like people you might actually know - if your social circle included conspiracy theorists, ex-FBI agents, and biker gang members with hearts of... well, not quite gold, but maybe bronze?
- Abbott Coburn: Our protagonist is a perfect everyman for the digital age. He's anxious, underemployed, and spends most of his time in online echo chambers. His journey from basement-dwelling streamer to reluctant road-tripper is both hilarious and oddly touching.
- Ether/Karen Wozniak: A former internet celebrity with a mysterious past, Ether is like if your favorite beauty vlogger decided to go off the grid and maybe start a revolution. Her character arc is a wild ride that'll keep you guessing until the very end.
- Joan Key: An ex-FBI agent who's seen it all and is maybe a little too eager to see some more. Key's dogged pursuit of Abbott and Ether adds a layer of tension that keeps the plot humming along.
- Hunter Coburn: Abbott's father, a man who communicates primarily in grunts and disappointment. His unexpected involvement in the road trip leads to some of the book's most poignant moments.
- Malort: A tattooed biker with a vendetta and a name that tastes as bitter as he feels. His pursuit of the black box adds a dangerous edge to the already chaotic journey.
Themes: Unboxing America's Anxieties
At its core, "I'm Starting to Worry About This Black Box of Doom" is a satirical look at modern American life, touching on themes that'll hit close to home for anyone who's ever found themselves doomscrolling at 3 AM:
1. The power (and danger) of social media
2. Conspiracy theories and their real-world consequences
3. The generational divide in the digital age
4. The search for meaning in a world that often feels meaningless
5. The fine line between paranoia and justified concern
Pargin deftly weaves these themes throughout the narrative, never letting the social commentary overshadow the sheer fun of the story. It's a delicate balance, but one he manages with the skill of a tightrope walker who's had just enough caffeine to make things interesting.
Writing Style: A Rollercoaster for Your Brain
If you've read Pargin's previous works (like the "John Dies at the End" series), you know he has a writing style that's about as subtle as a glitter bomb in a library. "I'm Starting to Worry About This Black Box of Doom" is no exception. His prose is a mix of razor-sharp wit, pop culture references, and observations so on-point they'll make you wonder if he's been reading your diary.
The pacing is relentless, with each chapter ending on a cliffhanger that'll have you saying, "Just one more..." until suddenly it's 4 AM and you're wondering if you, too, should be worried about a black box of doom.
What Works: The Good Stuff
- Humor: Pargin's comedic timing is impeccable. Even in the most tense moments, he manages to slip in a joke that'll make you snort-laugh.
- Social Commentary: The book's take on internet culture and modern anxieties is spot-on without ever feeling preachy.
- Character Development: Watching Abbott grow from a passive observer to an active participant in his own life is surprisingly satisfying.
- Plot Twists: Just when you think you've got it figured out, Pargin throws a curveball that'll make your head spin.
What Could Be Better: The Not-So-Good Stuff
- Pacing: At times, the breakneck speed of the plot can be a bit overwhelming. You might find yourself needing to take a breather now and then.
- Character Overload: With such a large cast, some characters don't get as much development as they deserve.
- Ending: Without spoiling anything, the conclusion might leave some readers wanting more resolution.
The Verdict: To Read or Not to Read?
Look, if you're the kind of person who likes your fiction neat, tidy, and wrapped up with a bow, this might not be the book for you. But if you're willing to embrace the chaos, "I'm Starting to Worry About This Black Box of Doom" is a wild ride that'll make you laugh, think, and maybe paranoidly eye that Amazon package sitting on your porch.
Pargin has crafted a story that feels both timely and timeless, a funhouse mirror reflection of our current cultural moment that somehow manages to be both absurd and oddly comforting. It's like he's saying, "Hey, the world might be crazy, but at least we're all in this together."
So, should you read it? If you enjoy authors like Christopher Moore, Chuck Palahniuk, or Kurt Vonnegut, or if you've ever found yourself down a YouTube rabbit hole at 2 AM wondering if the Illuminati is real, then absolutely. This book is for you.
The Plot: A Fever Dream on Wheels
Imagine, if you will, a world not unlike our own (because, spoiler alert, it is our own). A world where conspiracy theories spread faster than a wildfire in a drought, where every ping on your phone could be the harbinger of the apocalypse, and where a mysterious black box might just be the MacGuffin to end all MacGuffins.
Our reluctant hero, Abbott Coburn, is your average twenty-something guy trying to make ends meet as a Lyft driver. His life is a series of mundane disappointments until he picks up a passenger who changes everything. Enter Ether (aka Karen Wozniak), a woman with a past as mysterious as the box she's hauling around. She offers Abbott a life-changing amount of cash to drive her and her ominous cargo across the country to Washington, D.C. The catch? He can't look in the box, can't ask questions, and has to ditch all his trackable devices.
What follows is a madcap journey that feels like "It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World" collided with "Doomsday Preppers" and then got rear-ended by "Black Mirror." As Abbott and Ether make their way east, the internet does what it does best: loses its collective mind. Rumors spread that the box contains everything from a dirty bomb to an alien corpse, and suddenly our hapless duo finds themselves at the center of a supposed plot to plunge America into civil war.
Characters: A Motley Crew of Modern Misfits
Pargin has a knack for creating characters that feel like people you might actually know - if your social circle included conspiracy theorists, ex-FBI agents, and biker gang members with hearts of... well, not quite gold, but maybe bronze?
- Abbott Coburn: Our protagonist is a perfect everyman for the digital age. He's anxious, underemployed, and spends most of his time in online echo chambers. His journey from basement-dwelling streamer to reluctant road-tripper is both hilarious and oddly touching.
- Ether/Karen Wozniak: A former internet celebrity with a mysterious past, Ether is like if your favorite beauty vlogger decided to go off the grid and maybe start a revolution. Her character arc is a wild ride that'll keep you guessing until the very end.
- Joan Key: An ex-FBI agent who's seen it all and is maybe a little too eager to see some more. Key's dogged pursuit of Abbott and Ether adds a layer of tension that keeps the plot humming along.
- Hunter Coburn: Abbott's father, a man who communicates primarily in grunts and disappointment. His unexpected involvement in the road trip leads to some of the book's most poignant moments.
- Malort: A tattooed biker with a vendetta and a name that tastes as bitter as he feels. His pursuit of the black box adds a dangerous edge to the already chaotic journey.
Themes: Unboxing America's Anxieties
At its core, "I'm Starting to Worry About This Black Box of Doom" is a satirical look at modern American life, touching on themes that'll hit close to home for anyone who's ever found themselves doomscrolling at 3 AM:
1. The power (and danger) of social media
2. Conspiracy theories and their real-world consequences
3. The generational divide in the digital age
4. The search for meaning in a world that often feels meaningless
5. The fine line between paranoia and justified concern
Pargin deftly weaves these themes throughout the narrative, never letting the social commentary overshadow the sheer fun of the story. It's a delicate balance, but one he manages with the skill of a tightrope walker who's had just enough caffeine to make things interesting.
Writing Style: A Rollercoaster for Your Brain
If you've read Pargin's previous works (like the "John Dies at the End" series), you know he has a writing style that's about as subtle as a glitter bomb in a library. "I'm Starting to Worry About This Black Box of Doom" is no exception. His prose is a mix of razor-sharp wit, pop culture references, and observations so on-point they'll make you wonder if he's been reading your diary.
The pacing is relentless, with each chapter ending on a cliffhanger that'll have you saying, "Just one more..." until suddenly it's 4 AM and you're wondering if you, too, should be worried about a black box of doom.
What Works: The Good Stuff
- Humor: Pargin's comedic timing is impeccable. Even in the most tense moments, he manages to slip in a joke that'll make you snort-laugh.
- Social Commentary: The book's take on internet culture and modern anxieties is spot-on without ever feeling preachy.
- Character Development: Watching Abbott grow from a passive observer to an active participant in his own life is surprisingly satisfying.
- Plot Twists: Just when you think you've got it figured out, Pargin throws a curveball that'll make your head spin.
What Could Be Better: The Not-So-Good Stuff
- Pacing: At times, the breakneck speed of the plot can be a bit overwhelming. You might find yourself needing to take a breather now and then.
- Character Overload: With such a large cast, some characters don't get as much development as they deserve.
- Ending: Without spoiling anything, the conclusion might leave some readers wanting more resolution.
The Verdict: To Read or Not to Read?
Look, if you're the kind of person who likes your fiction neat, tidy, and wrapped up with a bow, this might not be the book for you. But if you're willing to embrace the chaos, "I'm Starting to Worry About This Black Box of Doom" is a wild ride that'll make you laugh, think, and maybe paranoidly eye that Amazon package sitting on your porch.
Pargin has crafted a story that feels both timely and timeless, a funhouse mirror reflection of our current cultural moment that somehow manages to be both absurd and oddly comforting. It's like he's saying, "Hey, the world might be crazy, but at least we're all in this together."
So, should you read it? If you enjoy authors like Christopher Moore, Chuck Palahniuk, or Kurt Vonnegut, or if you've ever found yourself down a YouTube rabbit hole at 2 AM wondering if the Illuminati is real, then absolutely. This book is for you.
September 24, 2024
**Happy Publication Day!**
This is a very funny book! The main character is Abbott, who at 26 still lives at home with his father who owns a roofing business. Abbott spends most of his days online with a chat group but occasionally drives for Lyft, using his father's Lincoln Navigator. He arrives to pick up his latest passenger and finds a young woman in a sort of disguise, sitting on a large black box at the curb. She tells him her name is Ether and she has a proposition for him: drive her and the box from LA to DC for quite a large sum of money--half now and half when they get there. Abbott takes a lot of persuading but eventually caves, insisting he has to go home to pack a bag. Ether tells him to leave his phone and computer behind so their location can't be traced. Everything must be hush-hush and the box they are transporting is sealed and cannot be opened. Abbott does however leave a note for his father and sends a message to his online group. This sets off a bunch of gossip and speculation online, even some conspiracy theories, about what the box contains. Unbeknownst to the travelers, they are being pursued by several people including a retired FBI agent and a huge tattooed biker guy recently released from jail--but they just blithely hum along in a little bubble of obliviousness until the whole trip turns into utter chaos. Boy, this would make the funniest movie script ever!
There are many issues brought up during their odyssey that are quite thought-provoking. For instance, the internet has only been around for about 30 years but think about how much it has changed our everyday lives, especially our relationships and our ability to function in normal human society. Abbott and his father Hunter are a case in point, living in the same house but unable to connect with each other. Ether tells Abbott, 'I'm telling you, if you just allow yourself to step outside of [it all], you'll see it for what it is: a prison where the walls are made of nightmares, where you think bad news is the only news you can trust.'
Many thanks to the author and publisher for providing me with an arc of this new novel via NetGalley. My review is voluntary and the opinions expressed are my own.
This is a very funny book! The main character is Abbott, who at 26 still lives at home with his father who owns a roofing business. Abbott spends most of his days online with a chat group but occasionally drives for Lyft, using his father's Lincoln Navigator. He arrives to pick up his latest passenger and finds a young woman in a sort of disguise, sitting on a large black box at the curb. She tells him her name is Ether and she has a proposition for him: drive her and the box from LA to DC for quite a large sum of money--half now and half when they get there. Abbott takes a lot of persuading but eventually caves, insisting he has to go home to pack a bag. Ether tells him to leave his phone and computer behind so their location can't be traced. Everything must be hush-hush and the box they are transporting is sealed and cannot be opened. Abbott does however leave a note for his father and sends a message to his online group. This sets off a bunch of gossip and speculation online, even some conspiracy theories, about what the box contains. Unbeknownst to the travelers, they are being pursued by several people including a retired FBI agent and a huge tattooed biker guy recently released from jail--but they just blithely hum along in a little bubble of obliviousness until the whole trip turns into utter chaos. Boy, this would make the funniest movie script ever!
There are many issues brought up during their odyssey that are quite thought-provoking. For instance, the internet has only been around for about 30 years but think about how much it has changed our everyday lives, especially our relationships and our ability to function in normal human society. Abbott and his father Hunter are a case in point, living in the same house but unable to connect with each other. Ether tells Abbott, 'I'm telling you, if you just allow yourself to step outside of [it all], you'll see it for what it is: a prison where the walls are made of nightmares, where you think bad news is the only news you can trust.'
Many thanks to the author and publisher for providing me with an arc of this new novel via NetGalley. My review is voluntary and the opinions expressed are my own.
August 20, 2024
I'm Starting to Worry About This Black Box of Doom is a dark humor novel. I enjoyed the first quarter. But then the narrative just seemed to drag on without going anywhere. It then began to be a tedious read with me wanting to get to the end as quickly as possible. I think part of the problem for me were the many multiple points of view. There were at least six and possibly more. And I got lost with the streaming chats on the main character's social media account.
I was hoping for a bit more substance (thriller/mystery) rather than conversation and thoughts about the situation at hand. Don't get me wrong, I enjoy dark/snarky humor. But this novel didn't deliver or appeal to me as much as it did for other readers. A DNF at 32%
I was invited to read a DRC from St. Martin's Press through NetGalley. This review is completely my own and reflects my honest thoughts and opinions.
I was hoping for a bit more substance (thriller/mystery) rather than conversation and thoughts about the situation at hand. Don't get me wrong, I enjoy dark/snarky humor. But this novel didn't deliver or appeal to me as much as it did for other readers. A DNF at 32%
I was invited to read a DRC from St. Martin's Press through NetGalley. This review is completely my own and reflects my honest thoughts and opinions.
November 28, 2024
This was….well it was something. I’m not exactly sure how to describe what I read. The jacket had me hooked and it sounded very original so I got this on a browse at my book store.
The plot to this is very different and very original. Moving a mysterious box across the country with someone you don’t know makes for hi-jinx and danger in my first read of Pargin.
The relationship with Abbot and Ether was interesting to me. I also don’t think I’ve ever read a book where the social commentary was so blatant obvious. I feel like this could have been a little more subtle.
While what was inside the box was a letdown for me and I thought was dumb, the journey to get there was delightfully entertaining, so I can look past it be ause it was a fun ride otherwise.
Overall, odd, funny, smart and fun. 4 stars!
The plot to this is very different and very original. Moving a mysterious box across the country with someone you don’t know makes for hi-jinx and danger in my first read of Pargin.
The relationship with Abbot and Ether was interesting to me. I also don’t think I’ve ever read a book where the social commentary was so blatant obvious. I feel like this could have been a little more subtle.
While what was inside the box was a letdown for me and I thought was dumb, the journey to get there was delightfully entertaining, so I can look past it be ause it was a fun ride otherwise.
Overall, odd, funny, smart and fun. 4 stars!
December 1, 2024
This is a story about my least favorite people.
April 15, 2025
Uuuuhn, this was interminable. DNF at 45%.
The initial notes I wrote as I was reading:
As the incel conversations became more vocal I decided life was too short to read to that drivel, even if the author had an underlying positive intention.
The initial notes I wrote as I was reading:
Characters feel like the characters a talented university student would create in class. A start of something but void of emotional connection.
Does he hate women? It feels like he hates women.
As the incel conversations became more vocal I decided life was too short to read to that drivel, even if the author had an underlying positive intention.
September 16, 2024
Wow, I truly wasn't sure if I'd enjoy this due to the topics of crazy doomsday conspiracy things. However, I just stayed up until 2am to finish it. This start of getting pretty wild pretty fast in the story, so it reeled me in within the first few chapters. I loved Abbott and his father's character development throughout the story. Zeke was also an amazing friend, a literal ride or die buddy. Ether was brilliant and so knowledgeable, like literally needs to be a psychologist or something. I loved the wild chase and people thinking they were some sort of Bonnie and Clyde senario. Then the major twists at the end, it just kept making me go OMG WHAT!! I thoroughly enjoyed this, I give it a 4 to 4.5 stars!
I won this book from a Goodreads giveaway. All of the statements above are my true opinions after fully reading this book.
I won this book from a Goodreads giveaway. All of the statements above are my true opinions after fully reading this book.
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