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GRQ
Against the backdrop of an earthquake-ravaged Los Angeles, 'Get Rich Quick' follows one man's desperate bid to save his family from financial ruin. Marlon, grappling with a personal tragedy, is enticed by a mysterious financial advisor promising a surefire path to wealth. But as Marlon's high-stakes gambles spiral out of control, the line between salvation and destruction blurs.
Unfolding over a single tension-filled day, Marlon must confront not only his financial ruin, but the dark secrets haunting his family.
A pulse-pounding descent into the dangers of unchecked ambition and the real-world costs of chasing the dream.
'Very rarely have I come across a book as riveting and thoroughly engaging as Steven Bernstein’s GRQ. The characters are so vivid and compelling that it wouldn’t surprise me at all if I were to encounter them in real life. An absolute must-read.' - Gale Anne Hurd, Executive Producer of FEAR THE WALKING DEAD; ALIENS
'This little book of wisdom is an iChing for the mid 2020s. Marlon is the infernal dumbass in his schemes to Get Rich Quick, to the despair of his darling Viola. The problem is that there's a Marlon in all of us. Well, most of us. Not me, obviously. A brilliant evisceration of debt and delusion.' - JP Maxwell, author and award-winning filmmaker
About the Author
Steven Bernstein, ASC, DGA, WGA is an American cinematographer, director, screenwriter and author based in Hollywood, LA. In 1992 he won the Best Artistic Contribution Award at the Tokyo International Film Festival for Like Water for Chocolate alongside Emmanuel Lubezki. He also won the Cannes Golden Lion for his work in commercials.
Unfolding over a single tension-filled day, Marlon must confront not only his financial ruin, but the dark secrets haunting his family.
A pulse-pounding descent into the dangers of unchecked ambition and the real-world costs of chasing the dream.
'Very rarely have I come across a book as riveting and thoroughly engaging as Steven Bernstein’s GRQ. The characters are so vivid and compelling that it wouldn’t surprise me at all if I were to encounter them in real life. An absolute must-read.' - Gale Anne Hurd, Executive Producer of FEAR THE WALKING DEAD; ALIENS
'This little book of wisdom is an iChing for the mid 2020s. Marlon is the infernal dumbass in his schemes to Get Rich Quick, to the despair of his darling Viola. The problem is that there's a Marlon in all of us. Well, most of us. Not me, obviously. A brilliant evisceration of debt and delusion.' - JP Maxwell, author and award-winning filmmaker
About the Author
Steven Bernstein, ASC, DGA, WGA is an American cinematographer, director, screenwriter and author based in Hollywood, LA. In 1992 he won the Best Artistic Contribution Award at the Tokyo International Film Festival for Like Water for Chocolate alongside Emmanuel Lubezki. He also won the Cannes Golden Lion for his work in commercials.
142 pages, Paperback
Published June 3, 2025
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 39 reviews
June 9, 2025
A rare reading gamble for me, based on the review of someone I follow here, and the summary of the novella’s plot fictionalising a topic that doesn’t interest me in daily life - Get Rich Quick schemes (hence the title GRQ) and particularly crypto-currency.
I’m glad I fell for the ‘quick sell’ of the review; it is way different from my usual reading fare. Well written too, fascinating in a dark, slightly depressing, way as you’re taken within the mind-sets of people who fall for get rich quick schemes - and those who sell them.
The story is narrated by an unnamed financial advisor. In a way he’s open and honest with you, the reader, about his sales techniques. He knows you think him a thief and con-man. But he believes he’s open about it (to a degree) in selling you dreams (eg getting rich easily), and not dishonest about that. You get nowhere in life unless you gamble (he says).
Intermittently through the story he describes something about his background, shares some tales from his job, such as the client who, against his advice, wants to ‘invest’ serious sums of money in a lottery. Someone already wedded to that get rich quick culture without the advisor trying.
However, the story is mainly about another client, Marlon, who is frankly delusional about managing most aspects of his life, personal and financial. This was one aspect I wasn’t entirely sure about, whether I wanted to hear so much about him and his life. He’s not just an easy target for the advisor he is, frankly, an idiot. I hate the term ‘Loser’ being used about anyone, and it’s one I rarely hear used in England anyway (more an Americanism?), but Marlon seems to be painted here as the archetypal Loser. And easy meat for exploitation when he really needs money.
There’s a twist. The writer introduces himself into the story, as a film director about to make a film on crypto-currency! The writer is indeed a real life film director, with some notable films under his belt, and it even appears that a film, GRQ, is scheduled to appear soon, maybe this year (I looked it up online). The forthcoming appearance of this film is a part of the book’s plot…
It’s a longish novella, a quick easy read. The chapters are short, no more than several pages, and sharp in their impact. The patter of a salesman. It’s also not written in a clear screenplay format. It’ll be interesting to see how much the film follows the book in style and content.
The two main characters are not at all likeable or sympathetic, though you feel a little for those in the background caught up in their deceptions. The one downside for me is that Marlon, as a character, isn’t subtly drawn - he is just dumb, gullible, and that could knock a little off my rating. This isn’t about high finance deviousness, nothing complex financially, no Wall Street machinations or manipulations, just the stupidity (or desperation) of those caught up in ‘get rich quick’ schemes, and those who make their living selling such ideas. And I guess there are the Marlons around who make this easy for the dodgy salesmen. Maybe not just people like him - I recall a seemingly intelligent friend, some decades ago, who sincerely believed in the riches he’d get from what was clearly a Pyramid selling scheme (Ponzi?) and would have joined it if he’d had the money. Fortunately he didn’t and we persuaded him otherwise.
I enjoyed the read, depressingly though it is to acknowledge this sub-culture made even easier by the Internet. I hope the film lives up to this story.
For its originality and holding my attention so well, 4.5* which I’ll round up to 5*.
I’m glad I fell for the ‘quick sell’ of the review; it is way different from my usual reading fare. Well written too, fascinating in a dark, slightly depressing, way as you’re taken within the mind-sets of people who fall for get rich quick schemes - and those who sell them.
The story is narrated by an unnamed financial advisor. In a way he’s open and honest with you, the reader, about his sales techniques. He knows you think him a thief and con-man. But he believes he’s open about it (to a degree) in selling you dreams (eg getting rich easily), and not dishonest about that. You get nowhere in life unless you gamble (he says).
Intermittently through the story he describes something about his background, shares some tales from his job, such as the client who, against his advice, wants to ‘invest’ serious sums of money in a lottery. Someone already wedded to that get rich quick culture without the advisor trying.
However, the story is mainly about another client, Marlon, who is frankly delusional about managing most aspects of his life, personal and financial. This was one aspect I wasn’t entirely sure about, whether I wanted to hear so much about him and his life. He’s not just an easy target for the advisor he is, frankly, an idiot. I hate the term ‘Loser’ being used about anyone, and it’s one I rarely hear used in England anyway (more an Americanism?), but Marlon seems to be painted here as the archetypal Loser. And easy meat for exploitation when he really needs money.
There’s a twist. The writer introduces himself into the story, as a film director about to make a film on crypto-currency! The writer is indeed a real life film director, with some notable films under his belt, and it even appears that a film, GRQ, is scheduled to appear soon, maybe this year (I looked it up online). The forthcoming appearance of this film is a part of the book’s plot…
It’s a longish novella, a quick easy read. The chapters are short, no more than several pages, and sharp in their impact. The patter of a salesman. It’s also not written in a clear screenplay format. It’ll be interesting to see how much the film follows the book in style and content.
The two main characters are not at all likeable or sympathetic, though you feel a little for those in the background caught up in their deceptions. The one downside for me is that Marlon, as a character, isn’t subtly drawn - he is just dumb, gullible, and that could knock a little off my rating. This isn’t about high finance deviousness, nothing complex financially, no Wall Street machinations or manipulations, just the stupidity (or desperation) of those caught up in ‘get rich quick’ schemes, and those who make their living selling such ideas. And I guess there are the Marlons around who make this easy for the dodgy salesmen. Maybe not just people like him - I recall a seemingly intelligent friend, some decades ago, who sincerely believed in the riches he’d get from what was clearly a Pyramid selling scheme (Ponzi?) and would have joined it if he’d had the money. Fortunately he didn’t and we persuaded him otherwise.
I enjoyed the read, depressingly though it is to acknowledge this sub-culture made even easier by the Internet. I hope the film lives up to this story.
For its originality and holding my attention so well, 4.5* which I’ll round up to 5*.
July 1, 2025
Just finished ‘GRQ’ and... wow. Steven Bernstein clearly knows how to tell a story with cinematic flair, and this novella races. Set over the course of a single day in a quake-stricken Los Angeles, it follows Marlon, a man teetering on the edge of emotional and financial collapse. When a charismatic financial guru appears offering a way out, Marlon grabs at it, and everything begins to unravel.
The pacing is breathless, like a psychological thriller laced with social satire. Think ‘Uncut Gems’ or ‘The Wolf of Wall Street’, only distilled into something leaner, darker, and more intimate. Bernstein doesn’t just expose the fantasy of getting rich quick, he skewers it, while still managing to find something heartbreakingly human at the centre.
What really impressed me was how the writing walks this tightrope between gritty realism and something almost dreamlike. As Marlon spirals deeper into his own illusions, the lines between truth and delusion start to blur. It's intense, claustrophobic, and, strangely, quite beautiful.
At just over 140 pages, ‘GRQ’ is a one-sitting read, but it packs an emotional punch far beyond its size. If you like character-driven fiction that digs into the darker corners of ambition and self-destruction, give this a go. I hear there’s a film version in the works too, definitely one to watch.
The pacing is breathless, like a psychological thriller laced with social satire. Think ‘Uncut Gems’ or ‘The Wolf of Wall Street’, only distilled into something leaner, darker, and more intimate. Bernstein doesn’t just expose the fantasy of getting rich quick, he skewers it, while still managing to find something heartbreakingly human at the centre.
What really impressed me was how the writing walks this tightrope between gritty realism and something almost dreamlike. As Marlon spirals deeper into his own illusions, the lines between truth and delusion start to blur. It's intense, claustrophobic, and, strangely, quite beautiful.
At just over 140 pages, ‘GRQ’ is a one-sitting read, but it packs an emotional punch far beyond its size. If you like character-driven fiction that digs into the darker corners of ambition and self-destruction, give this a go. I hear there’s a film version in the works too, definitely one to watch.
November 21, 2025
#ad much love for my copy @partnersincrimevbt #partner
🅖🅡🅠 (Get Rich Quick)
< @stevenbernsteindirectorwriter >
ꜱᴜꜱᴘᴇɴꜱᴇ ᴛʜʀɪʟʟᴇʀ | ᴅᴀʀᴋ ʜᴜᴍᴏʀ
𝟣𝟦𝟦 ᴘᴀɢᴇꜱ
Oof! I just want to share every little snippet from this book. I’ve never read anything quite like it - hilarious, sharp, and a total warning shot all at once. The storytelling and the writing style are out of this world. It’s a quick read you won’t regret.
My favorite quote comes from page 15, and if you’ve followed my reviews you know this is my cue for BORINGGG: “Blah, blah, blah.” 😂 He cuts all that boring stuff out and gets straight to the point. I loved it.
This book hits all of us. Each chapter feels like a vignette, which makes it short, hard-hitting, and memorable. When everything around us is money, money, money and get more, more, more, this book reminds us what actually matters.
Because in the end, it all means nothing. This is an odyssey of growing up, trying to get rich fast, and realizing how empty and chaotic that chase can be. The word compelling was coined for books exactly like this.
Fabulous.
Read if you like: family drama and secrets, suspense, fast pacing, claustrophobia, coming-of-age themes, life lessons, schemes, and more.
If your book club is looking for a short but hard-hitting read, this is it. So much to unpack. Let’s descend into the storm that is this book.
I knew from the cover and blurb I wanted to read this book - but I was truly blown away by how much I enjoyed it!
🅖🅡🅠 (Get Rich Quick)
< @stevenbernsteindirectorwriter >
ꜱᴜꜱᴘᴇɴꜱᴇ ᴛʜʀɪʟʟᴇʀ | ᴅᴀʀᴋ ʜᴜᴍᴏʀ
𝟣𝟦𝟦 ᴘᴀɢᴇꜱ
Oof! I just want to share every little snippet from this book. I’ve never read anything quite like it - hilarious, sharp, and a total warning shot all at once. The storytelling and the writing style are out of this world. It’s a quick read you won’t regret.
My favorite quote comes from page 15, and if you’ve followed my reviews you know this is my cue for BORINGGG: “Blah, blah, blah.” 😂 He cuts all that boring stuff out and gets straight to the point. I loved it.
This book hits all of us. Each chapter feels like a vignette, which makes it short, hard-hitting, and memorable. When everything around us is money, money, money and get more, more, more, this book reminds us what actually matters.
Because in the end, it all means nothing. This is an odyssey of growing up, trying to get rich fast, and realizing how empty and chaotic that chase can be. The word compelling was coined for books exactly like this.
Fabulous.
Read if you like: family drama and secrets, suspense, fast pacing, claustrophobia, coming-of-age themes, life lessons, schemes, and more.
If your book club is looking for a short but hard-hitting read, this is it. So much to unpack. Let’s descend into the storm that is this book.
I knew from the cover and blurb I wanted to read this book - but I was truly blown away by how much I enjoyed it!
June 30, 2025
Despite the narrator's and/or Marlon's protestations, if Patrick Bateman is the American Psycho, then Bernstein's Marlon is the American Socio, floundering with his paint by numbers approach to human relationships, miscalculating at every turn and unable to comprehend why his approach to others from his wife to his creditors backfires every time. Damn fine book that would pair well with a DAMN FINE CUP OF COFFEE or other beverage of your choice, consumed responsibly, of course.
June 29, 2025
Honestly, this is the best book I’ve read in a long time and I expect it will win some major literary prizes. I’m also looking forward to the film adaptation.
Bernstein’s GRQ is a captivating and thought-provoking novel that uses a suspenseful plot and satirical commentary to explore the complexities of human ambition and the dangers of chasing "get rich quick" dreams in a world increasingly driven by wealth and materialism.
June 20, 2025
GRQ is a quick and engaging read that resonates strongly with our current times, especially as cryptocurrency continues to be pitched as the solution to our financial troubles. The story moves at a fast pace, almost like a thriller, but what really sets it apart is the clever balance of humor and family drama that runs throughout. The personal dynamics between the characters feel real and grounded, making the book not just a thrilling ride but a meaningful exploration of relationships.
The narrator, who strikes a unique tone of both wisdom and wit, offers an outside perspective on Marlon's chaotic life, and while he serves as a bit of an antagonist, his commentary adds depth and intrigue to the narrative. This narrative approach, blending both insight and tension, was one of the most enjoyable aspects of the book.
GRQ is a great pick for anyone looking for a fast, thoughtful read. If you’re into stories that explore family dynamics and offer a reflection on our financial systems, it’s definitely worth picking up!
The narrator, who strikes a unique tone of both wisdom and wit, offers an outside perspective on Marlon's chaotic life, and while he serves as a bit of an antagonist, his commentary adds depth and intrigue to the narrative. This narrative approach, blending both insight and tension, was one of the most enjoyable aspects of the book.
GRQ is a great pick for anyone looking for a fast, thoughtful read. If you’re into stories that explore family dynamics and offer a reflection on our financial systems, it’s definitely worth picking up!
June 24, 2025
This really is a powerhouse of a novella.
There's an economy in the style and intent which moves the story along quickly and with nothing showy or unnecessary within the prose, the tension builds even further.
The reader is left both rooting for the main protagonist and shaking their head at his futile hopefulness. Even the unreliable narrator manages to elicit some sympathy, with the sad parental backstory and early forays into deception.
It manages to be different and eerily relevant for today's world. Read it!
There's an economy in the style and intent which moves the story along quickly and with nothing showy or unnecessary within the prose, the tension builds even further.
The reader is left both rooting for the main protagonist and shaking their head at his futile hopefulness. Even the unreliable narrator manages to elicit some sympathy, with the sad parental backstory and early forays into deception.
It manages to be different and eerily relevant for today's world. Read it!
June 25, 2025
A perfect read for the underground. Bitesize chapters make it super easy for any length of journey to read. Love that you cannot fully trust the narrator at any time and you form real, solid opinions on the characters that feel like real people. It’s like the characters are just as much convincing themselves as well as the reader. The writing is sharp and witty meaning I often smiled or chuckled on the tube. A definite recommendation for those looking for something a little different.
June 25, 2025
Fantastic read. Steven writes with such flair that you remain gripped throughout the book.
June 19, 2025
Bernstein’s GRQ explodes off the page like a Molotov cocktail hurled into the smoldering wreckage of the American Dream. Set in a surreal, post-earthquake Los Angeles teetering on the brink, it’s a scathing satire — sharp, fast, and unflinchingly original.
At the center is Marlon, a desperate man with twenty-four hours to save his family from financial ruin. A little too close to home for some of us. What begins as a scramble for solvency spirals into a breakneck descent, where everyone’s a player and salvation is just another hustle.
A delicious read.
At the center is Marlon, a desperate man with twenty-four hours to save his family from financial ruin. A little too close to home for some of us. What begins as a scramble for solvency spirals into a breakneck descent, where everyone’s a player and salvation is just another hustle.
A delicious read.
July 9, 2025
Most enjoyable book I've read this year! Entertaining and well-written: getting readers to identify with/be sympathetic to characters is challenging. Bernstein manages to do that, even with a decidedly unlikeable protagonist. A man you wouldn't loan $20 to, Bernstein manages to make you want to hug. At turns funny, at others, enraging. Add to that Bernstein's cinematic style, and I can't wait to see the movie! Well done, sir!
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July 31, 2025With this audacious novel Steven Bernstein has committed an act of literature. It's compact style drives a narrative of incompetent dreamers fated to fail by their delirious expectations, massive lack of wit and suicidal pretense. They behave like so many public figures today who embrace a delusional experience. They are prey to the sharks of every color that surround them, circling, awaiting their moment. Anyone who has ever had a daydream, a nightmare, a fantasy or a wish unfulfilled will relate to these characters caught up in an unforgiving portrait of successful failures.
Marlon and Viola represent too many of today's generation attempting to survive.
Marlon is a pilotless plane looking for a place to crash. Viola is his cement parachute. Neither are worthy of sympathy, nor capable of introspection as they flounder hopelessly from one incident to another.
Bernstein's tale is a cynic’s view wrapped in an irony surrounded by a fantasy compounded by existential reality and consecrated to an unlimited lack of principled values. The protagonist’s story limps through a blinkered existence of pretended fulfillment, egocentric fallibility leading to the consequences such behavior deserves.
What levens this concoction is that Bernstein is that kind of artist so in touch with the perpetrators of fraud and their victims that he makes their fearful, incoherent, destructive actions sympathetic. And we agree, in spite of ourselves. We recognize what we already know, yet are amazed at the accuracy of the insular circumstances of these people's lives. We are fascinated by their apparent inability to view life from any other perspective than their own. We stick with them as they execute and perpetuate their fates mesmerized by a cluelessness which condemns them to a future which will continue to repeat itself in ever widening circles.
Steven Bernstein is an original talent with a learned vocabulary, a deep understanding of the human heart, a biting wit and a singular creativity. He is a philosopher-king with the rare capacity to pull off a great range of superficial characters recognizable to us all.
I have often believed that American education requires a course on the Nature of Human Nature. This book would be the only required reading.
Marlon and Viola represent too many of today's generation attempting to survive.
Marlon is a pilotless plane looking for a place to crash. Viola is his cement parachute. Neither are worthy of sympathy, nor capable of introspection as they flounder hopelessly from one incident to another.
Bernstein's tale is a cynic’s view wrapped in an irony surrounded by a fantasy compounded by existential reality and consecrated to an unlimited lack of principled values. The protagonist’s story limps through a blinkered existence of pretended fulfillment, egocentric fallibility leading to the consequences such behavior deserves.
What levens this concoction is that Bernstein is that kind of artist so in touch with the perpetrators of fraud and their victims that he makes their fearful, incoherent, destructive actions sympathetic. And we agree, in spite of ourselves. We recognize what we already know, yet are amazed at the accuracy of the insular circumstances of these people's lives. We are fascinated by their apparent inability to view life from any other perspective than their own. We stick with them as they execute and perpetuate their fates mesmerized by a cluelessness which condemns them to a future which will continue to repeat itself in ever widening circles.
Steven Bernstein is an original talent with a learned vocabulary, a deep understanding of the human heart, a biting wit and a singular creativity. He is a philosopher-king with the rare capacity to pull off a great range of superficial characters recognizable to us all.
I have often believed that American education requires a course on the Nature of Human Nature. This book would be the only required reading.
June 11, 2025
A short story by screenwriter Steven Bernstein, writer and director of Last Call and Decoding Annie Parker.
It is narrated by a financial investor, who immediately sets the tone and alarm bells by saying he is not one of those unreliable narrators… instinctively, as a salesman of crypto currency you want to call bullshit.
It became quite tense and difficult to read through as Marlon, at risk of repossession, stakes all his family’s savings on a punt. He is a very flawed character but tragedy and his determined resilience make you feel for him.
The story also becomes very meta, as a film is made about the book GRQ and a scene from the film is discussed like a reaction movie to itself. And, of course, there IS a film of the book coming out!
My thanks to Fly on the Wall Press for a proof copy.
It is narrated by a financial investor, who immediately sets the tone and alarm bells by saying he is not one of those unreliable narrators… instinctively, as a salesman of crypto currency you want to call bullshit.
It became quite tense and difficult to read through as Marlon, at risk of repossession, stakes all his family’s savings on a punt. He is a very flawed character but tragedy and his determined resilience make you feel for him.
The story also becomes very meta, as a film is made about the book GRQ and a scene from the film is discussed like a reaction movie to itself. And, of course, there IS a film of the book coming out!
My thanks to Fly on the Wall Press for a proof copy.
July 7, 2025
Get Rich Quick is almost, but not quite, entirely unlike any other book you've read. The short of it if you're pressed for time is that it's excellent. Quick. Sharp. Incisive. Just buy the darn thing. You won't regret it.
As for "why" the book is these things... Or what is the plot, or what genre it is... That's a lot harder. In summary the book is about a guy about to get his house evicted and the attempts he makes to prevent it. But that's like saying cake is about flour and sugar. The plot takes no more than 3 or 4 pages of the book and is entirely irrelevant. You're not here for plot.
It's a sort of comedy, except it gets absurdly dark at times, and it's a sort of farce, except it's extraordinarily sincere, and it's a sort of a novel, except that, as mentioned, it barely has a plot. The thing that it is the most, however, is brilliant.
I'm not being cute. That really is the whole plot. A guy tells the story of another guy who is roughly 7 hours away from losing his house. But you don't even know this until almost 3/4 into the book. However, every page is a banger, Bernstein does not miss even on a single paragraph, He'll discuss pawn shops or the mechanics of buying thousands of lottery tickets for no particular reason and after laughing about it, you'll feel a punch in your guts for the same no particular reason.
I guess the book is a reflection of a life lived in the most sincere deceit you could imagine.
For references or influences... Bernestein loves Douglas Adams, he even adds 42 cents to the amount of money that is owed on the mentioned house. He loves the old tabloid stories, and I'd say most of all, he loves introspection and the motives of what make us do what we do.
You can read this piece in an afternoon, but there's good odds you'll be thinking about it for years. I know I will.
As for "why" the book is these things... Or what is the plot, or what genre it is... That's a lot harder. In summary the book is about a guy about to get his house evicted and the attempts he makes to prevent it. But that's like saying cake is about flour and sugar. The plot takes no more than 3 or 4 pages of the book and is entirely irrelevant. You're not here for plot.
It's a sort of comedy, except it gets absurdly dark at times, and it's a sort of farce, except it's extraordinarily sincere, and it's a sort of a novel, except that, as mentioned, it barely has a plot. The thing that it is the most, however, is brilliant.
I'm not being cute. That really is the whole plot. A guy tells the story of another guy who is roughly 7 hours away from losing his house. But you don't even know this until almost 3/4 into the book. However, every page is a banger, Bernstein does not miss even on a single paragraph, He'll discuss pawn shops or the mechanics of buying thousands of lottery tickets for no particular reason and after laughing about it, you'll feel a punch in your guts for the same no particular reason.
I guess the book is a reflection of a life lived in the most sincere deceit you could imagine.
For references or influences... Bernestein loves Douglas Adams, he even adds 42 cents to the amount of money that is owed on the mentioned house. He loves the old tabloid stories, and I'd say most of all, he loves introspection and the motives of what make us do what we do.
You can read this piece in an afternoon, but there's good odds you'll be thinking about it for years. I know I will.
July 7, 2025
Bernstein's "GRQ" : A Fierce Reckoning with Fortune's Promise
Steven Bernstein's "GRQ," deceptively slight in its page count, arrives like a seismic jolt, a bracing examination of the contemporary hunger for wealth and the precariousness of the American dream. Set against the backdrop of an earthquake ravaged Los Angeles, the novel plunges into the desperate orbit of Marlon, a man teetering on the edge of the precipice of financial ruin. His family's fate is intertwined with the capricious forces of the crypto-currency market and his own flawed ambition.
This is no mere morality tale, nor a simplistic indictment of capitalist excess. Rather, Bernstein with the keen eye of a seasoned film director, crafts a narrative that is both visceral and intellectually stimulating. "GRQ" is a tightly wound and darkly humorous meditation on the siren call of get rich quick schemes and their corrosive effect on human nature.
If the cinematic quality of the prose is any indication, the screen version of "GRQ" promises to be a powerful and compelling experience.
Steven Bernstein's "GRQ," deceptively slight in its page count, arrives like a seismic jolt, a bracing examination of the contemporary hunger for wealth and the precariousness of the American dream. Set against the backdrop of an earthquake ravaged Los Angeles, the novel plunges into the desperate orbit of Marlon, a man teetering on the edge of the precipice of financial ruin. His family's fate is intertwined with the capricious forces of the crypto-currency market and his own flawed ambition.
This is no mere morality tale, nor a simplistic indictment of capitalist excess. Rather, Bernstein with the keen eye of a seasoned film director, crafts a narrative that is both visceral and intellectually stimulating. "GRQ" is a tightly wound and darkly humorous meditation on the siren call of get rich quick schemes and their corrosive effect on human nature.
If the cinematic quality of the prose is any indication, the screen version of "GRQ" promises to be a powerful and compelling experience.
May 25, 2025
I was expecting a short thriller, but I got something more. A story of a troubled man, how he slowly dug his grave throughout his life, bringing his family down with him, and how he tried to fix it in one day. All of this is recounted by the narrator who also plays a heavy part in his life.
I don’t know how to write about this book, without either saying too much or too little, but it was such a profound experience, emotional whilst witty, carrying an underlying message through the vicissitudes of the characters with acute writing and satire.
Although I didn’t care for the fate of the main characters, I could see how easy it is to fall victim to our own desires and our own unreachable ambitions, just because as a society we value materialism to substance. Only when it’s too late do we realise that all this facade is literally “things” that are breakable and can crumble at any moment. As the protagonists realise this, we’re left with the secretive narrator in the epilogue and much needed time for introspection.
I loved the story and the author’s writing style and I can’t wait to see the film coming out later this year based on it.
Thanks to the author and Fly on the Wall Press for a copy and this is my honest opinion.
I don’t know how to write about this book, without either saying too much or too little, but it was such a profound experience, emotional whilst witty, carrying an underlying message through the vicissitudes of the characters with acute writing and satire.
Although I didn’t care for the fate of the main characters, I could see how easy it is to fall victim to our own desires and our own unreachable ambitions, just because as a society we value materialism to substance. Only when it’s too late do we realise that all this facade is literally “things” that are breakable and can crumble at any moment. As the protagonists realise this, we’re left with the secretive narrator in the epilogue and much needed time for introspection.
I loved the story and the author’s writing style and I can’t wait to see the film coming out later this year based on it.
Thanks to the author and Fly on the Wall Press for a copy and this is my honest opinion.
June 24, 2025
As an earthquake threatens to rock LA, Marlon is living way beyond his means and has until the end of the day to get rich quick before his house is repossessed. He locks himself in his underground bunker to figure things out, and strikes gold when a dodgy financial advisor makes him an offer he can’t refuse. But he will have to lend the money from his loved ones and there’s no guarantee he will even get it all back.
Despite the themes of debt, natural disasters and greed, this is a modern take on the American dream and our delusional obsession with wealth — whatever the cost and whoever you can throw under the bus along the way.
I liked the slimy character of the crypto salesman who narrates Marlon’s descent into destitution, who in a very meta way is making a film about cryptocurrency. The book itself was adapted from a film! It’s a pacy, darkly funny read made all the better by an immoral narrator at the helm.
I felt a little for Marlon whose downward spiral likely stemmed from a tragedy revealed near the end of the novella. He’s a character that we can all easily slip into with the cost of living and lifestyle pressures meaning we rely on credit and buy now, pay later schemes — our very own modern loan shark. Getting rich quick is no panacea, and like Marlon it will come back to bite us (or even topple down on us).
I recommend you read this if you’ve enjoyed Caledonian Road or Universality: social commentaries with a flash of wit.
Thank you to the publisher for the gifted copy.
Despite the themes of debt, natural disasters and greed, this is a modern take on the American dream and our delusional obsession with wealth — whatever the cost and whoever you can throw under the bus along the way.
I liked the slimy character of the crypto salesman who narrates Marlon’s descent into destitution, who in a very meta way is making a film about cryptocurrency. The book itself was adapted from a film! It’s a pacy, darkly funny read made all the better by an immoral narrator at the helm.
I felt a little for Marlon whose downward spiral likely stemmed from a tragedy revealed near the end of the novella. He’s a character that we can all easily slip into with the cost of living and lifestyle pressures meaning we rely on credit and buy now, pay later schemes — our very own modern loan shark. Getting rich quick is no panacea, and like Marlon it will come back to bite us (or even topple down on us).
I recommend you read this if you’ve enjoyed Caledonian Road or Universality: social commentaries with a flash of wit.
Thank you to the publisher for the gifted copy.
November 19, 2025
MY THOUGHTS -
This was way more fun than I had originally thought it would be. Sometimes you read a book just simply because it is funny and enjoyable. And that was the case for me, this book was a fun surprise.
You know how people always compare books to being on a roller coaster? Will this book to me was more like the tilt-a-whirl. That was always my favorite ride at the fair—the way it would rock back and forth, lull you into thinking you knew what was coming, and then suddenly whip you into a tight spin that left you laughing uncontrollably. That’s the vibe here: unexpected twists, bursts of action, and scenes that had me giggling out loud.
A small handful of characters that are very well developed and fun, a little chaotic, a little questionable, and completely entertaining. They will have you rooting for them even when you are not sure if they are the good guys or bad guys.
Fast-paced, quirky, and absolutely addictive, this was a quick read that packed in a surprising amount of fun. If you’re craving something different this is definitely the book for you!
I voluntarily posted this review after receiving an e-copy of this book from Partners in Crime Tours. Thank You!
This was way more fun than I had originally thought it would be. Sometimes you read a book just simply because it is funny and enjoyable. And that was the case for me, this book was a fun surprise.
You know how people always compare books to being on a roller coaster? Will this book to me was more like the tilt-a-whirl. That was always my favorite ride at the fair—the way it would rock back and forth, lull you into thinking you knew what was coming, and then suddenly whip you into a tight spin that left you laughing uncontrollably. That’s the vibe here: unexpected twists, bursts of action, and scenes that had me giggling out loud.
A small handful of characters that are very well developed and fun, a little chaotic, a little questionable, and completely entertaining. They will have you rooting for them even when you are not sure if they are the good guys or bad guys.
Fast-paced, quirky, and absolutely addictive, this was a quick read that packed in a surprising amount of fun. If you’re craving something different this is definitely the book for you!
I voluntarily posted this review after receiving an e-copy of this book from Partners in Crime Tours. Thank You!
October 27, 2025
An ingenious, fast-paced tale that transforms from a Thackery-like satire to a moving portrait of grief. Deftly handles themes we're all to familiar with -- money, real estate, lives gone awry, while managing to entertain and surprise. A lot of fun. Also worth noting is the prose -- it's excellent, sharp, honed.
June 6, 2025
This was a fun pacey read that I finished in less than 24 hours.
It offers an intoxicating pair of protagonists - the breezy unnamed financial advisor telling of his life and clients in breathless first person prose, and the third person perspective on Marlon his most hapless client whose Micawberesque belief that something will turn up lures him into ever more foolish ventures, not so much guided as pinballed through life by phrases plucked from dodgy self-help books.
The financial adviser does not so much break the fourth wall as leer through it in asides to the reader that reminded me of Houlden Caulfield's charting of his misdeeds in Catcher in the Rye. There is a touch of Douglas Adams' Hitchhikers guide to the galaxy in the humorous pathos with which it charts Marlon's foolish decisions.
In its merging of cinematic and literary media, with a book that references a film of the same name by a director who is also the book's author, it has something of the tangle of forms that I enjoyed in Goldman's brilliant The Princess Bride
And as a film charting some of the absurdities of modern financial gambles (are they instruments, are they investments? no I think gambles sums it up quite nicely) it reminded me of the bewitching but sprawling history of money offered up in The Laundromat.
Bernstein inserts himself into the text being interviewed about the film and
how publicity drives crypto prices, rather than fundamentals and how dangerous it is for non-professional investors.
Money - which once used to be a token of value in place of a corresponding quantity of goods - seems to have become both increasingly esoteric and dangerously unregulated. It is frightening that some people once close to the US government seemed to want a crypto currency to become the new international financial reserve currency. I mean, not only is this stuff unlinked to any tangible value (as far as I can see) but the 'mining' of it consumes absurd quantities of energy to drive computer processors at a time when we should be seeking to reduce energy consumption as we decouple our society from climate corrupting fossil fuels.
The prose hustles the reader along at the pace of a salesman knowing that to close the deal he must keep talking, that to pause is to allow thought and doubt to enter the client's mind.
As the financial observer notes
People are drawn to what they half understand. They can fill in the other half with what they desire. Most people aren't seduce by things that are certain and have certain outcomes. Certainty is the end of hope.
And therein perhaps lies the real crisis of our time, the triumph of emotive thinking over rational thinking. From populist politics to ponzi investments, people are preyed by those who would trigger visceral reactions, easy scapegoats, simple solutions and ways to Get Rich Quick
Entertaining and amusing as the book is, Bernstein throws a stark light on modern finance from the very title with its three letter acronym GRQ that echoes the names of so many dodgy crypto currencies, bubbles that will burst just as the professional gamblers have taken their leave.
It offers an intoxicating pair of protagonists - the breezy unnamed financial advisor telling of his life and clients in breathless first person prose, and the third person perspective on Marlon his most hapless client whose Micawberesque belief that something will turn up lures him into ever more foolish ventures, not so much guided as pinballed through life by phrases plucked from dodgy self-help books.
The financial adviser does not so much break the fourth wall as leer through it in asides to the reader that reminded me of Houlden Caulfield's charting of his misdeeds in Catcher in the Rye. There is a touch of Douglas Adams' Hitchhikers guide to the galaxy in the humorous pathos with which it charts Marlon's foolish decisions.
In its merging of cinematic and literary media, with a book that references a film of the same name by a director who is also the book's author, it has something of the tangle of forms that I enjoyed in Goldman's brilliant The Princess Bride
And as a film charting some of the absurdities of modern financial gambles (are they instruments, are they investments? no I think gambles sums it up quite nicely) it reminded me of the bewitching but sprawling history of money offered up in The Laundromat.
Bernstein inserts himself into the text being interviewed about the film and
how publicity drives crypto prices, rather than fundamentals and how dangerous it is for non-professional investors.
Money - which once used to be a token of value in place of a corresponding quantity of goods - seems to have become both increasingly esoteric and dangerously unregulated. It is frightening that some people once close to the US government seemed to want a crypto currency to become the new international financial reserve currency. I mean, not only is this stuff unlinked to any tangible value (as far as I can see) but the 'mining' of it consumes absurd quantities of energy to drive computer processors at a time when we should be seeking to reduce energy consumption as we decouple our society from climate corrupting fossil fuels.
The prose hustles the reader along at the pace of a salesman knowing that to close the deal he must keep talking, that to pause is to allow thought and doubt to enter the client's mind.
As the financial observer notes
People are drawn to what they half understand. They can fill in the other half with what they desire. Most people aren't seduce by things that are certain and have certain outcomes. Certainty is the end of hope.
And therein perhaps lies the real crisis of our time, the triumph of emotive thinking over rational thinking. From populist politics to ponzi investments, people are preyed by those who would trigger visceral reactions, easy scapegoats, simple solutions and ways to Get Rich Quick
Entertaining and amusing as the book is, Bernstein throws a stark light on modern finance from the very title with its three letter acronym GRQ that echoes the names of so many dodgy crypto currencies, bubbles that will burst just as the professional gamblers have taken their leave.
December 2, 2025
GRQ by Stephen Bernstein is a quirky, quick, and compelling novella unlike anything I’ve ever encountered in reading. I was reeled in, exactly as the narrator intended, with the first line: DO YOU WANT TO BE RICH? ASK ME HOW, in bold font, and taking up nearly a quarter of the page. Yes! Yes I do want to be rich! Tell me how! (Spoiler: I changed my mind.)
In a somewhat stream-of-consciousness style, our unnamed narrator strings readers along to the very last page. In turns, the narrator not-so-subtly pitches and preaches to us (often breaking the fourth wall), peppers us with fact-filled and irrelevant asides, while slowly revealing the plot. But within all the “willy-nilly” business of GRQ, the author makes readers want to know the story of the disaster who’s named Marlon.
Marlon. In Texas, we’d definitely say, “Bless his heart.” IYKYK. He knows all the right terms, BOOM, has all the right equipment, BOOM, and goes through all the right motions, BOOM! – except he doesn’t. He’s a BS’er, and even that isn’t something he’s really mastered other than in his own mind. And even then, he has doubts. In these times when we are nonstop fed the same kind of BS that Marlon and the narrator are dishing out, the social commentary and relevance of GRQ comes in loud and clear: just believe what you’re told. It’s better that way – except it isn’t.
Author Steven Bernstein writes with panache, framing the literal collapse of Marlon’s world around the figurative one. And, quelle surprise that he does it suspensefully; we can’t stop watching this train wreck, and we can’t stop wondering if or how it will all resolve itself. He writes so cleverly and evocatively that readers have concerns and *GASP* feelings. In GRQ, Bernstein doesn’t allow us to go “lurching off willy-nilly,” of course; not even the reader gets off scot-free. Amidst the humor, he also takes us to some dark and painful places, and he leaves us thinking. Eek.
Don’t let the short page count and abundance of white space fool you. GRQ packs a powerful punch delivered in unique and fascinating way. Highly recommend it for something completely different. (NOTE: for further exploration, Bernstein also wrote and directed GRQ the Movie, which is releasing soon and has a run time of about an hour and a half -- only slightly shorter than how long it takes to read the novella, which is the movie’s basis.)
This review and more special features on Hall Ways Blog.
“Usually, you shouldn’t trust a person who asks you to trust them. I mean, if they are telling you the truth, why are they worried you won’t believe them? But I am the exception.”
In a somewhat stream-of-consciousness style, our unnamed narrator strings readers along to the very last page. In turns, the narrator not-so-subtly pitches and preaches to us (often breaking the fourth wall), peppers us with fact-filled and irrelevant asides, while slowly revealing the plot. But within all the “willy-nilly” business of GRQ, the author makes readers want to know the story of the disaster who’s named Marlon.
“The lack of profits from the stocks he hadn’t yet invested in was why he hadn’t paid the mortgage. It was a bit of a paradox.”
Marlon. In Texas, we’d definitely say, “Bless his heart.” IYKYK. He knows all the right terms, BOOM, has all the right equipment, BOOM, and goes through all the right motions, BOOM! – except he doesn’t. He’s a BS’er, and even that isn’t something he’s really mastered other than in his own mind. And even then, he has doubts. In these times when we are nonstop fed the same kind of BS that Marlon and the narrator are dishing out, the social commentary and relevance of GRQ comes in loud and clear: just believe what you’re told. It’s better that way – except it isn’t.
Author Steven Bernstein writes with panache, framing the literal collapse of Marlon’s world around the figurative one. And, quelle surprise that he does it suspensefully; we can’t stop watching this train wreck, and we can’t stop wondering if or how it will all resolve itself. He writes so cleverly and evocatively that readers have concerns and *GASP* feelings. In GRQ, Bernstein doesn’t allow us to go “lurching off willy-nilly,” of course; not even the reader gets off scot-free. Amidst the humor, he also takes us to some dark and painful places, and he leaves us thinking. Eek.
Don’t let the short page count and abundance of white space fool you. GRQ packs a powerful punch delivered in unique and fascinating way. Highly recommend it for something completely different. (NOTE: for further exploration, Bernstein also wrote and directed GRQ the Movie, which is releasing soon and has a run time of about an hour and a half -- only slightly shorter than how long it takes to read the novella, which is the movie’s basis.)
This review and more special features on Hall Ways Blog.
June 24, 2025
I came to this book with an open mind aware of the basic premise of the story. Marlon is lurching from one crisis to another determined to provide for his family and enjoy the high life. His character is underpinned with a deep desire to impress, to be validated and approved of and ultimately use financial success to prove he is a good person. He is deluded.
The narrator and nameless financial adviser is under no illusion as to who he is, he's a thief, a liar, a deceiver and yet he is brutally honest with the reader, if not with his clients. He tempts Marlon into the seedy world of bitcoin and encourages him to risk his family's life savings on GRQ, make cash and avert the bank from repossessing his flashy home. Aside from the drama of Marlon's financial risk taking, the backdrop of an earthquake and the sad backstories of all the characters involved in Marlon's and the financial adviser lives creates such a crescendo of tension the reader can't help but sympathise with these flawed and very human individuals. The financial adviser 'temptor' destroys the fourth wall, drags the reader at breakneck speed through the story, forcing you to see your own flaws, your own insecurities and lack of moral fibre. As much as we would like to judge, we are confronted with the darker side of our own humanity and sympathise. There's a Marlon and 'temptor' in all of us.
I particularly enjoyed the blurring of realities, where the author of the book is promoting a film about GRQ in the book which affects the value of the coin. It's delicious. The play with reality in the storyline and the reality that a film is indeed being made of the book is simultaneously amusing and clever.
The author creates a humorous world where we can safely explore what it is to be human. You will draw from this book exactly what you invest in it (unlike bitcoin!). It's a spiritual and moral guide for our modern times, a warning and a clarion call to redirect society and avoid the failure of a culture that worships money!
We don't know what happens to Marlon, we also don't know who the financial adviser is, is he simply a deeply flawed human or is he possessed by a dark spiritual entity hellbent on tempting humans into despair? We are left to summise as with many things in life it remains somewhat mysterious.
Bernstein highlights the darker aspects of humanity and makes it bearable with wit and wisdom. I suggest you read this book a few times to peel away it's many layers and more thoroughly enjoy the genius of it!
The narrator and nameless financial adviser is under no illusion as to who he is, he's a thief, a liar, a deceiver and yet he is brutally honest with the reader, if not with his clients. He tempts Marlon into the seedy world of bitcoin and encourages him to risk his family's life savings on GRQ, make cash and avert the bank from repossessing his flashy home. Aside from the drama of Marlon's financial risk taking, the backdrop of an earthquake and the sad backstories of all the characters involved in Marlon's and the financial adviser lives creates such a crescendo of tension the reader can't help but sympathise with these flawed and very human individuals. The financial adviser 'temptor' destroys the fourth wall, drags the reader at breakneck speed through the story, forcing you to see your own flaws, your own insecurities and lack of moral fibre. As much as we would like to judge, we are confronted with the darker side of our own humanity and sympathise. There's a Marlon and 'temptor' in all of us.
I particularly enjoyed the blurring of realities, where the author of the book is promoting a film about GRQ in the book which affects the value of the coin. It's delicious. The play with reality in the storyline and the reality that a film is indeed being made of the book is simultaneously amusing and clever.
The author creates a humorous world where we can safely explore what it is to be human. You will draw from this book exactly what you invest in it (unlike bitcoin!). It's a spiritual and moral guide for our modern times, a warning and a clarion call to redirect society and avoid the failure of a culture that worships money!
We don't know what happens to Marlon, we also don't know who the financial adviser is, is he simply a deeply flawed human or is he possessed by a dark spiritual entity hellbent on tempting humans into despair? We are left to summise as with many things in life it remains somewhat mysterious.
Bernstein highlights the darker aspects of humanity and makes it bearable with wit and wisdom. I suggest you read this book a few times to peel away it's many layers and more thoroughly enjoy the genius of it!
September 7, 2025
Darkly funny and emotionally raw, GRQ is a must-read domestic thriller that charts the struggle of a man who will promise anything — and the family who must endure the cost.
GRQ (Get Rich Quick) begins in Los Angeles, where a mysterious financial advisor (who swears he’s not an unreliable narrator) begins by telling us about his client, Marlon. It seems that Marlon is an ideas man who purchased a home he couldn’t afford. As foreclosure notices slip through the mail slot, we gradually learn about a family tragedy that has shaken the family to its core.
Amid promises of sudden wealth from cryptocurrencies and other high-stakes gambles, Marlon insists that his next scheme will be the one that saves them. His wife, Viola, long-suffering and skeptical, clings to voicemails from a lost child. Their daughter Sarah, practical yet loyal, is torn between her father’s neediness and her husband Michael’s blunt warnings that Marlon is a liar and a thief. Viola’s father Charles bristles with disdain for his son-in-law’s endless excuses, while Marlon’s mother, sweet but naïve, is only too willing to lend him money.
Author Steven Bernstein builds this sneaky domestic thriller with addictive, vignette-like chapters narrated by voices that alternate between self-justification and raw emotion. Marlon himself offers absurd rationalizations for his lies while trying desperately to mask his own shame. Passages describing Viola’s actions, meanwhile, sharpen the emotional core of the novel, showing how grief distorts truth as much as deception does.
Bernstein’s strength lies in how he seamlessly layers humor, suspense and sorrow. On one page, we’re laughing at Marlon’s ridiculous schemes and evasions. On the next, the ground shakes — literally, as Los Angeles is rocked by earthquakes, and figuratively, as the family fractures under pressure. In chapters like A Big-Assed Gun, we get white-knuckled suspense. All the while, the fallout shelter beneath Marlon’s house becomes a perfect metaphor for secrecy, survival, and entrapment.
Can love survive deception? Can grief coexist with hope? Bernstein refuses easy answers. Readers who admire the tragicomic bite and examination of the American family ala Jonathan Franzen will find much to savor, though GRQ is a far more entertaining and propulsive read than anything Franzen has published to date. GRQ is more than just a satire of financial delusion or a pure play domestic thriller. It is also a story of love and grief, of the stories we tell to stay afloat when the ground itself won’t stop shaking.
GRQ (Get Rich Quick) begins in Los Angeles, where a mysterious financial advisor (who swears he’s not an unreliable narrator) begins by telling us about his client, Marlon. It seems that Marlon is an ideas man who purchased a home he couldn’t afford. As foreclosure notices slip through the mail slot, we gradually learn about a family tragedy that has shaken the family to its core.
Amid promises of sudden wealth from cryptocurrencies and other high-stakes gambles, Marlon insists that his next scheme will be the one that saves them. His wife, Viola, long-suffering and skeptical, clings to voicemails from a lost child. Their daughter Sarah, practical yet loyal, is torn between her father’s neediness and her husband Michael’s blunt warnings that Marlon is a liar and a thief. Viola’s father Charles bristles with disdain for his son-in-law’s endless excuses, while Marlon’s mother, sweet but naïve, is only too willing to lend him money.
Author Steven Bernstein builds this sneaky domestic thriller with addictive, vignette-like chapters narrated by voices that alternate between self-justification and raw emotion. Marlon himself offers absurd rationalizations for his lies while trying desperately to mask his own shame. Passages describing Viola’s actions, meanwhile, sharpen the emotional core of the novel, showing how grief distorts truth as much as deception does.
Bernstein’s strength lies in how he seamlessly layers humor, suspense and sorrow. On one page, we’re laughing at Marlon’s ridiculous schemes and evasions. On the next, the ground shakes — literally, as Los Angeles is rocked by earthquakes, and figuratively, as the family fractures under pressure. In chapters like A Big-Assed Gun, we get white-knuckled suspense. All the while, the fallout shelter beneath Marlon’s house becomes a perfect metaphor for secrecy, survival, and entrapment.
Can love survive deception? Can grief coexist with hope? Bernstein refuses easy answers. Readers who admire the tragicomic bite and examination of the American family ala Jonathan Franzen will find much to savor, though GRQ is a far more entertaining and propulsive read than anything Franzen has published to date. GRQ is more than just a satire of financial delusion or a pure play domestic thriller. It is also a story of love and grief, of the stories we tell to stay afloat when the ground itself won’t stop shaking.
July 22, 2025
GRQ is a sharp, satirical novel that follows a morally slippery narrator who peddles dreams of fast money through dubious crypto schemes and financial manipulations. The story centers around Marlon, a hapless husband and father with a penchant for bad decisions, who spirals deeper into chaos as his lies unravel and his life crumbles. Through absurd vignettes and dark humor, Bernstein delivers a biting critique of capitalism, self-delusion, and the fragile façade of success.
Reading this book was like listening to a charming con man talk circles around the truth while you laugh and cringe in equal measure. The narrator’s voice is hypnotic. It’s funny, fast-talking, and flawed. Bernstein’s writing feels conversational and unfiltered, filled with tangents, wild lists, and jabs at everything from labradoodles to General Tso’s chicken. It’s brilliantly messy. The narrative never tries to be neat or linear. That looseness works in its favor. It mirrors the chaos of the characters’ lives and thoughts, making the humor land harder and the emotions hit sharper when they sneak in.
What I really liked was the sadness beneath the jokes. The book feels like it’s laughing through tears. Behind all the posturing and bluster, there’s a real ache about failure, about loneliness, about the longing to be seen and believed. Bernstein doesn’t offer tidy redemption arcs. Nobody learns their lesson. And that’s part of the power. It’s raw. It’s painful. It’s hilarious. It’s frustrating. And most of all, it feels true. That tension between comedy and despair gives the book its edge. It sneaks up on you, and when it does, it cuts deep.
If you enjoy books that take risks, characters who spiral gloriously, and writing that dances between clever and chaotic, this one’s for you. I’d recommend it to fans of dark comedy or people who loved Catch-22 or The Sellout.
Reading this book was like listening to a charming con man talk circles around the truth while you laugh and cringe in equal measure. The narrator’s voice is hypnotic. It’s funny, fast-talking, and flawed. Bernstein’s writing feels conversational and unfiltered, filled with tangents, wild lists, and jabs at everything from labradoodles to General Tso’s chicken. It’s brilliantly messy. The narrative never tries to be neat or linear. That looseness works in its favor. It mirrors the chaos of the characters’ lives and thoughts, making the humor land harder and the emotions hit sharper when they sneak in.
What I really liked was the sadness beneath the jokes. The book feels like it’s laughing through tears. Behind all the posturing and bluster, there’s a real ache about failure, about loneliness, about the longing to be seen and believed. Bernstein doesn’t offer tidy redemption arcs. Nobody learns their lesson. And that’s part of the power. It’s raw. It’s painful. It’s hilarious. It’s frustrating. And most of all, it feels true. That tension between comedy and despair gives the book its edge. It sneaks up on you, and when it does, it cuts deep.
If you enjoy books that take risks, characters who spiral gloriously, and writing that dances between clever and chaotic, this one’s for you. I’d recommend it to fans of dark comedy or people who loved Catch-22 or The Sellout.
July 2, 2025
I wasn’t quite sure what to expect when I picked up GRQ, but I didn’t expect to be hit with such a sharp, daring, and wildly clever story... and it really is clever. This is not some tale thrown together "willy nilly"; it’s deliberate, layered, and beautifully delivered.
From the very start, Marlon’s life is on a knife-edge, and watching it all come apart at the seams is both tense and strangely hilarious. One moment you’re laughing at the absurdity of it all, and the next you’re feeling genuinely sorry for the guy. His attempts to claw his way out of disaster are messy, misguided, and at times infuriating. It's like you're watching a car crash and you're screaming, "Get out of the way, Marlon!!" but you can't take your eyes off the impending disaster as you hope there are no casualties while you watch from the safety of the sidewalk!
Yes, it's a novella, but it manages to have an epic feel. The pacing never lets up, with brisk, snappy chapters that practically dare you to stop reading — I couldn’t. I was hooked!!
What sets GRQ apart is its ability to juggle chaos and clarity. It satirises greed, ambition, and the illusion of control without ever losing sight of the human cost. It’s sharp, witty, and full of dark charm...and Bernstein has written it beautifully. I would totally recommend it!!
Now, where can I purchase a Remco Whirlybird US Air Force Rescue Corps chopper?!!
From the very start, Marlon’s life is on a knife-edge, and watching it all come apart at the seams is both tense and strangely hilarious. One moment you’re laughing at the absurdity of it all, and the next you’re feeling genuinely sorry for the guy. His attempts to claw his way out of disaster are messy, misguided, and at times infuriating. It's like you're watching a car crash and you're screaming, "Get out of the way, Marlon!!" but you can't take your eyes off the impending disaster as you hope there are no casualties while you watch from the safety of the sidewalk!
Yes, it's a novella, but it manages to have an epic feel. The pacing never lets up, with brisk, snappy chapters that practically dare you to stop reading — I couldn’t. I was hooked!!
What sets GRQ apart is its ability to juggle chaos and clarity. It satirises greed, ambition, and the illusion of control without ever losing sight of the human cost. It’s sharp, witty, and full of dark charm...and Bernstein has written it beautifully. I would totally recommend it!!
Now, where can I purchase a Remco Whirlybird US Air Force Rescue Corps chopper?!!
December 13, 2025
GRQ by Steven Bernstein is a thriller about Get Rich Quick schemes and an unnamed financial narrator who talks throughout the entire book. This is such an interesting plot and the narrator is open and honest with us the readers about his cryptocurrency scheme and other points about a man named Marlon and the effects on his own family. We hear about the narrator's background and all about his own life as we also get to hear about Marlon and his troubles. This is a novella but it is still a decent read at about 130 pages. You could read this in about an hour or less depending on your reading speeds. The point is you don't really feel bad or good for the characters in this book you just get to read about what they are doing to affect other people with their GRQ's. Fun fact this is a movie coming out sometime soon based on this short novella. I read through the whole book very quickly as I was curious about Marlon would take the opportunity he was given by the financial guru and do with it. But then of course everything goes bad because this is a physiological thriller. I could not put this one down folks and you should read this one and learn more about Marlon/the narrator!
July 4, 2025
I loved this book.
In the shaking heart of L.A., a city teetering on the edge just like its protagonist, Bernstein's "GRQ" unleashes a darkly comedic maelstrom. Marlon, a man swimming in debt and the shadows of a past grief, falls prey to the fast-talking of a crypto charlatan, a guru peddling the classic "Get Rich Quick" delusion.
Bernstein's sharp wit dissects the intoxicating myth of the American dream, revealing the profound, often ridiculous costs of chasing an unattainable ideal. Greed, the bizarre tides of cryptocurrency, and the delicate dance of marriage are all laid bare with a biting cynicism, making the raw reality of someone willing to gamble it all for fortune a surprisingly hilarious, yet ultimately heartbreaking, affair. The short, punchy chapters, like a barrage of witty jabs, propelled me through this chaotic odyssey, a journey that's both a darkly funny evisceration of debt and delusion, and a reminder of the flawed, relatable core that makes us all a little like Marlon.
An absolute must read.
In the shaking heart of L.A., a city teetering on the edge just like its protagonist, Bernstein's "GRQ" unleashes a darkly comedic maelstrom. Marlon, a man swimming in debt and the shadows of a past grief, falls prey to the fast-talking of a crypto charlatan, a guru peddling the classic "Get Rich Quick" delusion.
Bernstein's sharp wit dissects the intoxicating myth of the American dream, revealing the profound, often ridiculous costs of chasing an unattainable ideal. Greed, the bizarre tides of cryptocurrency, and the delicate dance of marriage are all laid bare with a biting cynicism, making the raw reality of someone willing to gamble it all for fortune a surprisingly hilarious, yet ultimately heartbreaking, affair. The short, punchy chapters, like a barrage of witty jabs, propelled me through this chaotic odyssey, a journey that's both a darkly funny evisceration of debt and delusion, and a reminder of the flawed, relatable core that makes us all a little like Marlon.
An absolute must read.
June 28, 2025
Laugh-out-loud dark humour, with a delightfully-charming reliable narrator (trust me, you can really trust him), and a cover-busting cameo, Bernstein has masterfully created a multi-layered exploration of what happens when we refuse to confront the “elephants in the room,” worthy of a university class syllabus. GRQ is an emotional roller coaster that will have you laughing at the top of a page, and sobbing for an aunt (who is not even part of the story) by the page’s end. A surprisingly- (and unsettlingly-) relatable cynical salve for our times that reminds readers of the universal human connection.
December 1, 2025
Partners in Crime Virtual Book Tour
This is a quick read with short chapters that alternate between Marlon's story and the narrator's thoughts. When a slick “advisor” promises guaranteed wealth, what could go wrong? 👀
GRQ is a tense, one-day spiral through debt, lies, and dark humor—and I loved digging into it.
A gritty, fast-paced story about desperation, dark secrets, and the seductive danger of “easy money.” 💸🔥
My Review
December 19, 2025
Not your average, straightforward financial suspense story.
GRQ (Get Rich Quick) by Steven Bernstein gets really quirky fast. Part stream-of-consciousness and part suspense, where the narrator continually breaks the fourth wall, it is the story of a manipulative financial advisor, a get-rich-quick opportunity, and his desperate client, Marlon, on the day his house is being repossessed. Can Marlon scrape together all the cash he has left, even emotionally pressuring his relatives and in-laws into buying into his dream of a cryptocurrency killing? Or will he take what he’s got and walk away, hoping for another chance with the wife he’s boldly lied to about their circumstances for years?
The story’s delivery is unique, with short, first-person chapters from the financial advisor that reveal his backstory and confess his scheme to make money off his hapless clients. Those chapters alternate with how Marlon came to be where he is today, revealing shocking details along the way. The wife, Viola, is complicit in their situation by failing to take a more active interest and ‘trusting’ Marlon to take care of her from the start.The novel is fast-paced, with great galloping swaths of pages containing only a single line of text in an extra-large font, bullet points that prove the narrator’s current point. Marlon makes his final stand from the fallout shelter built into his home, the suspense of his risky move ratcheting up by the minute as Los Angeles is wracked by a series of earthquakes, with the BIG ONE just waiting to hit.
I recommend GRQ to readers looking for financial suspense stories and something really fresh, unique, and punchy.I voluntarily reviewed this after receiving an Advance Review Copy from the author through Partners in Crime Virtual Book Tours.
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