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Karma Grinders
A searing, hilarious dispatch from a lost generation... A dysfunctional crew of drug addicts and neurotics follow their merciless queen through sadistic stunts and large-scale financial crime, taking them from desolate army bases to hedge funds and Silicon Valley, accumulating Karma for a new religion with every life they ruin.
Scamming, identity theft, internet trolling become offerings on a kaleidoscopic altar of Xanax, cocaine, narcissism and song lyrics. Charming, disturbing, laugh out loud funny, sharp and witty characters -- ultimately, a meditation on abnormal psychology, the descent into addiction and sadism, and the things we will do to belong, even as it all falls down.
Scamming, identity theft, internet trolling become offerings on a kaleidoscopic altar of Xanax, cocaine, narcissism and song lyrics. Charming, disturbing, laugh out loud funny, sharp and witty characters -- ultimately, a meditation on abnormal psychology, the descent into addiction and sadism, and the things we will do to belong, even as it all falls down.
387 pages, Kindle Edition
Published January 25, 2025
4 people are currently reading
18 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews
February 3, 2025
What a book!! This was a such a fun, crazy, and thought-provoking read! I smiled every time I caught a Canucks or hockey reference and I even read it during intermission when watching Canucks games ◡̈ My favourite character was Aliya for sure. Really great job, I will definitely be re-reading!!!
January 31, 2025
This one was refreshing, exciting and engaging. I felt a connection to the characters, Gerg, probably the most given I'm also a big fan of wordplay and puns. It was a lot of fun finding the hidden Easter eggs relating to my favourite hockey team and with a house full of Swifties, I picked out those Easter eggs quite easily too. Although I'm not one who typically picks up books with a particular activity of the characters (describing as such so as not to spoil), this one, to close the story, really captures the true harm and destruction said activity can end up causing when it's gone too far. Well done. I look forward to picking up more books by this author in the future.
February 19, 2025
I love this book. Very smartly written with lots of Easter eggs that were fun to find, especially if you’re a Canucks fan or hockey fan in general.
Madigan has a great sense of humour and it shone through; I burst out laughing countless times.
Karma Grinders is intelligent, well paced, character driven, twisty, a little chaotic and totally worth the read.
An impressive debut novel.
Aliya is by far the best character in the book! Read it and find out why 😉
Madigan has a great sense of humour and it shone through; I burst out laughing countless times.
Karma Grinders is intelligent, well paced, character driven, twisty, a little chaotic and totally worth the read.
An impressive debut novel.
Aliya is by far the best character in the book! Read it and find out why 😉
December 25, 2025
Madigan has a distinctive writing style, where inner thoughts and feelings are grounded in reality but immediately gives way to surrealism when characters (the grinders) interact with each other and the world around them. It’s eventually understood that copious drug use was the most reasonable way to function in a cult dialed up to 11. Won’t give any spoilers, but if you’re looking for a novel that blends surrealism with internet subculture, you’ll love this.
May 6, 2025
A lot of books either take themselves too seriously, or treat the reader like an idiot. Karma Grinders is one of the rare few that do neither.
Karma Grinders is surreal, but the writing is so vivid that you won't lose yourself in the chaos. Quite the opposite actually- you'll be entranced! At some point I found myself imagining more ways to farm karma for the grind. K.D. Madigan does a fantastic job of making you feel like an honorary member of the cult.
The characters are so well written and real that I found myself switching my favorite character every other page, but ultimately, Gerg reigns superior.
There was absolutely not a single second where I could predict the next event. The ending was especially unpredictable, but once the events started unfolding, I couldn't stop reading.
The hockey references were also fun additions, especially in the military chapter.
(I have no clue how to Goodreads reviewing format works, but I'll keep this short and sweet until the book is available to rate on storygraph)
Pace: fast and very difficult to put down once you start! I would recommend reading on a day off with no distractions.
Content warnings: Drugs, violence, gore, and descriptive deaths.
Karma Grinders is surreal, but the writing is so vivid that you won't lose yourself in the chaos. Quite the opposite actually- you'll be entranced! At some point I found myself imagining more ways to farm karma for the grind. K.D. Madigan does a fantastic job of making you feel like an honorary member of the cult.
The characters are so well written and real that I found myself switching my favorite character every other page, but ultimately, Gerg reigns superior.
There was absolutely not a single second where I could predict the next event. The ending was especially unpredictable, but once the events started unfolding, I couldn't stop reading.
The hockey references were also fun additions, especially in the military chapter.
(I have no clue how to Goodreads reviewing format works, but I'll keep this short and sweet until the book is available to rate on storygraph)
Pace: fast and very difficult to put down once you start! I would recommend reading on a day off with no distractions.
Content warnings: Drugs, violence, gore, and descriptive deaths.
April 22, 2025
This is a wild, surreal, and comic ride from start to finish. It’s hard to make a direct comparison to any other genre or writer, but I found myself thinking Karma Grinders echoed a mix of Stephen King (at his most surreal/cosmic), Neil Gaiman, and Tarantino. If there’s one thing any of those writers’ stories have in common, it’s that they defy convention and surprise in ways that break all the rules. If you’re up for a fun and freewheeling take on cults, drugs, and the human condition’s default state of searching for purpose, you’ll love this.
February 25, 2025
In all my years as a reader, I wouldn’t be exaggerating when I tell you that this is the most unique book that I’ve ever read. Each twist and turn took me by surprise, and by the time I started to gather what was actually happening, I couldn’t have been more excited for the reveal (and it was so worth it!). The POV jumps from character to character, so you do get to experience the world of the Karma Grinders through multiple perspectives over the course of the book, and each POV has its own individual flair...the characters felt, in some ways, very true to life. The action is fast-paced, the plot is original, and there’s never a dull moment – especially at the end. Bonus points for if you’re a Vancouver Canucks fan: keep an eye on the many, many easter eggs throughout the novel; Madigan knows his stuff!
Huge trigger warning for the contents of this book, which includes (but is not limited to): drug use, gore, bodily fluids, and death. But if you’re okay with that, this is definitely a book worth picking up!
Huge trigger warning for the contents of this book, which includes (but is not limited to): drug use, gore, bodily fluids, and death. But if you’re okay with that, this is definitely a book worth picking up!
July 12, 2025
A searing, hilarious dispatch from a lost generation... A dysfunctional crew of drug addicts and neurotics follow their merciless queen through sadistic stunts and large-scale financial crime, taking them from desolate army bases to hedge funds and Silicon Valley, accumulating Karma for a new religion with every life they ruin.
Scamming, identity theft, internet trolling become offerings on a kaleidoscopic altar of Xanax, cocaine, narcissism and song lyrics. Charming, disturbing, laugh out loud funny, sharp and witty characters -- ultimately, a meditation on abnormal psychology, the descent into addiction and sadism, and the things we will do to belong, even as it all falls down.
Scamming, identity theft, internet trolling become offerings on a kaleidoscopic altar of Xanax, cocaine, narcissism and song lyrics. Charming, disturbing, laugh out loud funny, sharp and witty characters -- ultimately, a meditation on abnormal psychology, the descent into addiction and sadism, and the things we will do to belong, even as it all falls down.
September 22, 2025
Five god damn fucking stars. This book rocked my god damn world so god damn hard, like a force of nature. I was stuck onto every word like glue, each scene replaying in my head over and over and over again whenever I wasn't reading it.
Excellent book, 100000% recommend. I had Russel Books order a copy for me cause I knew I needed to read it after reading the first few pages from the PDF put up for free on the posters around downtown. I've recommended it to all my friends. It's SO GOD DAMN GOOD.
Get this book NOW.
Karma for the Grind.
Excellent book, 100000% recommend. I had Russel Books order a copy for me cause I knew I needed to read it after reading the first few pages from the PDF put up for free on the posters around downtown. I've recommended it to all my friends. It's SO GOD DAMN GOOD.
Get this book NOW.
Karma for the Grind.
January 29, 2025
This book is the definition of a page-turner. I finished it in less than 24 hours because I couldn’t wait to find out what would happen next in this plot’s wild ride. The characters, how they act, and the conversations that they have are hilarious and incredibly human. I also had so much fun looking for all the hockey references - I definitely missed some along the way. Karma Grinders is a fun, hysterical, uniquely unpredictable trip in the best way.
March 9, 2025
@riotsurvivor is one of the keystone Canucks hockey accounts to me, so it was great to come along and read his surreal, wild ride of a book. It's full of clever references to Vancouver and hockey, simultaneously a fun trippy fever dream of disintegrating pineapple fractals as well as a reflection on the absurdity of just being alive in a decaying modern age, where satire has nothing on real life anymore.
March 18, 2025
I'd followed K.D. Madigan on Canucks twitter for a long time, and when I closed my account there a couple of years ago, was very glad to see he'd joined BlueSky.
He mentioned publishing a book, titled 'Karma Grinders', and I bought an .epub copy on the KOBO site, as I do not have a Kindle.
The story really brought me in, and the sprinkling of Vancouver & hockey Easter Eggs were fun to spot.
No spoilers, but this book is a wild ride that you won't forget.
He mentioned publishing a book, titled 'Karma Grinders', and I bought an .epub copy on the KOBO site, as I do not have a Kindle.
The story really brought me in, and the sprinkling of Vancouver & hockey Easter Eggs were fun to spot.
No spoilers, but this book is a wild ride that you won't forget.
December 25, 2025
There may be times you will be confused, shocked or even disgusted, but you will never not be entertained. The narrative passes like a fever dream and you won't want to put the book down. All of the music, sports and pop culture references and Easter eggs aren't required for enjoyment, rather they serve to enhance the journey. Considering this is a debut novel, I'm looking forward to what the future has in store from K.D. Madigan.
June 2, 2025
This book is a masterpiece from start to finish. Excellent for those who love references to hockey, science fiction, and more. I, in fact, read it all in one night. Excellent storytelling, you really feel like you're immersed in the world.
November 16, 2025
IF YOU READ ONE BOOK THIS YEAR THAT'S NOT VERY MANY - ALSO, MAKE IT THIS ONE
Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews