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Next To Heaven: A Novel
New Bethlehem, Connecticut. Picture-perfect lawns, manicured hedges, and multi-million dollar homes present a carefully curated facade. But beneath the designer yoga gear and country club memberships lies a darker reality.
A world of troubled opulence and sharp betrayal. "It's this pulpy, Collins-esque beach read about the 1% of the 1%. It's sexy and it's fun and it's an easy read about intrigue—it's Your Friends and Neighbors. It's Billions. It's The White Lotus before the vacation" (Bestselling author and podcaster Rich Roll). A world of spectacularly badly-behaved rich people where money can buy anything. . .until it ruins everything.
In this world of excess, best friends Devon and Belle have it all—beauty, money, status. But they want something more. Something dangerous. Something that makes them feel alive. Their solution? A party—a meticulously curated gathering of New Bethlehem’s elite, from a desperate ex-NFL quarterback to a hockey coach with a penchant for married women, and a ruthless Wall Street “closer” who wields his wealth like a weapon.
One night. An ultra-elite swingers party. Multiple betrayals. And a murder that will shatter New Bethlehem’s carefully constructed facade.
A world of troubled opulence and sharp betrayal. "It's this pulpy, Collins-esque beach read about the 1% of the 1%. It's sexy and it's fun and it's an easy read about intrigue—it's Your Friends and Neighbors. It's Billions. It's The White Lotus before the vacation" (Bestselling author and podcaster Rich Roll). A world of spectacularly badly-behaved rich people where money can buy anything. . .until it ruins everything.
In this world of excess, best friends Devon and Belle have it all—beauty, money, status. But they want something more. Something dangerous. Something that makes them feel alive. Their solution? A party—a meticulously curated gathering of New Bethlehem’s elite, from a desperate ex-NFL quarterback to a hockey coach with a penchant for married women, and a ruthless Wall Street “closer” who wields his wealth like a weapon.
One night. An ultra-elite swingers party. Multiple betrayals. And a murder that will shatter New Bethlehem’s carefully constructed facade.
336 pages, Paperback
Published June 17, 2025
1231 people are currently reading
21479 people want to read
About the author
James Frey
72 books3,339 followersJames Christopher Frey is an American writer and businessman. His first two books, A Million Little Pieces (2003) and My Friend Leonard (2005), were bestsellers marketed as memoirs. Large parts of the stories were later found to be exaggerated or fabricated, sparking a media controversy. His 2008 novel Bright Shiny Morning was also a bestseller.
Frey is the founder and CEO of Full Fathom Five. A transmedia production company, FFF is responsible for the young adult adventure/science fiction series The Lorien Legacies of seven books written by Frey and others, under the collective pen name Pittacus Lore. Frey's first book of the series, I Am Number Four (2010), was made into a feature film by DreamWorks Pictures. He is also the CEO of NYXL, an esports organization based in New York.
Frey is the founder and CEO of Full Fathom Five. A transmedia production company, FFF is responsible for the young adult adventure/science fiction series The Lorien Legacies of seven books written by Frey and others, under the collective pen name Pittacus Lore. Frey's first book of the series, I Am Number Four (2010), was made into a feature film by DreamWorks Pictures. He is also the CEO of NYXL, an esports organization based in New York.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 1,329 reviews
May 20, 2025
⭐️ ⭐️
What’s a murder mystery if murder doesn’t happen until 73% of the way through the book? I’ll give you a hint; not a very good one.
The first half of this novel was trying very hard to build up some sort of tension, presumably to be released in spectacular, ejaculative fashion, but I found it to be just plain limp. So many superfluous details about characters I absolutely loathed. The formatting simply did not work for me.
The second half didn’t arouse me much more, and this was supposed to be the lurid, thrusting climax. By the time I reached this point, I just wanted to roll over and fake dysfunction.
On to the next one… I just feel like I have literary blue balls.
What’s a murder mystery if murder doesn’t happen until 73% of the way through the book? I’ll give you a hint; not a very good one.
The first half of this novel was trying very hard to build up some sort of tension, presumably to be released in spectacular, ejaculative fashion, but I found it to be just plain limp. So many superfluous details about characters I absolutely loathed. The formatting simply did not work for me.
The second half didn’t arouse me much more, and this was supposed to be the lurid, thrusting climax. By the time I reached this point, I just wanted to roll over and fake dysfunction.
On to the next one… I just feel like I have literary blue balls.
July 6, 2025
Frey, I know you love controversy (A Million Little Pieces) as we now know this wasn't a memoir. But this current novel you wrote by plugging it into AI. And you don't care what your readers think. I only discovered this because I follow Tiffany McDaniel and she was so upset with BOM selecting this. There are boundaries. You are either a writer or you are not. Sounds like A.I is the writer here- not you. I will not be checking this one out. I want to support those writers who are creative artists rather than lazy people who just want to get published. Shame on you.
June 24, 2025
Can somebody please tell me what I just read?! I literally jumped at the chance to read this book as I have loved James Frey’s previous novels, and I mean look at this cover! Whoever designed this cover should win an award. The storyline however, now that’s a different story…
This story takes place in the town of New Bethlehem, Connecticut. New Bethlehem is one of the nicest, richest towns in the state. Best houses, schools, restaurants, you name it. Everyone is rich and unlikable. Murders don’t happen in New Bethlehem, until they do…
To tell you about each character in this story would be a waste. However, I will give you a very brief description of what this story is about: unlikable characters (except Teddy, Grace, & Katy), infidelity (lots of it), swingers parties (okay, only one), erectile dysfunction, bad, bad men, and women prevailing.
As you can probably guess, this story wasn’t really for me.
The cover is the only thing saving this book. I also felt the ending was predictable, and in my opinion- a total flop.
This book was not my cup of tea, and not one that I would recommend unfortunately. I think maybe a younger generation might enjoy this book more. I am a bit disappointed as I was expecting more from this author.
(2.5 stars)
Many thanks to NetGalley, Author’s Equity, and the author for a DRC of this book. This book has already been released for publication.
Publication date: June 17, 2025
Genre~ Mystery & Thrillers, General Fiction (adult)
This story takes place in the town of New Bethlehem, Connecticut. New Bethlehem is one of the nicest, richest towns in the state. Best houses, schools, restaurants, you name it. Everyone is rich and unlikable. Murders don’t happen in New Bethlehem, until they do…
To tell you about each character in this story would be a waste. However, I will give you a very brief description of what this story is about: unlikable characters (except Teddy, Grace, & Katy), infidelity (lots of it), swingers parties (okay, only one), erectile dysfunction, bad, bad men, and women prevailing.
As you can probably guess, this story wasn’t really for me.
The cover is the only thing saving this book. I also felt the ending was predictable, and in my opinion- a total flop.
This book was not my cup of tea, and not one that I would recommend unfortunately. I think maybe a younger generation might enjoy this book more. I am a bit disappointed as I was expecting more from this author.
(2.5 stars)
Many thanks to NetGalley, Author’s Equity, and the author for a DRC of this book. This book has already been released for publication.
Publication date: June 17, 2025
Genre~ Mystery & Thrillers, General Fiction (adult)
June 9, 2025
If I could sum up Next To Heaven in one word it would be repetitious.
There is so much repetition that it if were removed the book would be at least 20 pages shorter, and I’m being generous. That’s bad enough but when you factor in clunky run-on sentences with odd punctuation choices, or punctuation that is missing entirely, it becomes a struggle to read.
“His fund grew to three billion four billion six eight ten fourteen. Their fortune grew five hundred million one point five billion three.”
See what I mean?
As ARC readers we are supposed to gloss over things that will hopefully be fixed prior to release, but there’s just so much here that needs reworking and tightening up that it’s incredibly hard to disregard. This manner of writing makes reading the book a chore.
“The town protects the land and limits what can be done with it and on it, and bobcats, bears, packs of coyotes and coywolves, herds of deer, wild turkeys, hawks eagles ducks geese and owls are regularly seen going about their business.”
Honestly, sometimes reading this book makes me feel like I’m having a stroke.
Then we have the massive info dumps among the myriad of run on sentences. Now, I understand why Frey is writing in this manner; he wants to give out as much information as possible without burying the reader in paragraph upon paragraph of details. Unfortunately, it can become incredibly irksome to read. Like this example:
“She gained three times the weight, she was depressed, rashes came and went, she had abdominal pains, migraines, there were days she couldn’t get out of bed, it all compounded, each issue made the other worse, she was scared, so scared, she was so so very scared.”
There are long rambling chapters of characters’ backgrounds and their relationships interspersed with chunks of information on new characters which doesn’t lend to a smoothly flowing story. The reader is subjected to lengthy background information drops about a character or two, and then more characters are introduced without the story moving forward.
There’s also A LOT of nonessential information about the town of New Bethlehem that completely drags down the story. The long winded sections about the origin of the town as well as the chapters on zoning laws or the history of the 2 grocery stores are completely unnecessary, and they only stop what little momentum that Frey manages to create.
At 47% and nothing has really happened. Frey finally gets around to the plot of the book and immediately after he takes a detour at the next chapter to talk about New Bethlehem’s extensive parks and lands rather than simply having the characters meet there like usual.
Later on we have 3 pages of terrible poetry about how beautiful Connecticut is… Was there an editor?
I personally don’t think this book is trashy or sexy like some reviews have stated, and there’s really not much smut (it’s spice adjacent I would say). Trashy seems to be the buzzword attached to it but there’s too much needless padding of boring details for it to elicit that response, imo. There is a section where a man refers to his genitalia as a “yogurt cannon”, but that’s just cringeworthy and gross. Comparing this to White Lotus is extremely generous… White Lotus is interesting, twisty, and entertaining, whereas this is simply rambling and tedious.
The murder finally occurs at 73%, and you don’t find out who did it until 97%, although it’s so obvious who it was and why. So much of Next To Heaven could have and should have been edited out. To say that I disliked this book is an understatement.
If you like reading about wealthy people thinking they are above others as well as the law, reading run on sentences about grocery stores and what animals live in a fictional town, and reading lots of superfluous details that have nothing to do with the plot, then maybe you will enjoy this book. As stated earlier there’s mild spice, most of it is closed door and just mentioned in passing, but it’s there.
I know I read an uncorrected proof, however the punctuation (or lack thereof) and odd grammar choices seems intentional. It’s been decades since I read anything by Frey (I read his infamous debut book when it was first published and vividly recall the media hullabaloo that ensued), so I don’t know if this is just how he writes or if it’s a stylistic choice specifically for this book. Either way, it’s awful.
**UPDATE: I just learned today 6/8 that this Frey has been openly discussing how he used AI to “write” this garbage. Nothing was mentioned on NetGalley that AI was used or I wouldn’t have read this ARC. Just wanted to be clear that I had no idea it was AI when I read it, I just thought it was a terrible book.
I received an ARC of this book via NetGalley and Authors Equity, however this review is completely my own unbiased personal opinion, left of my own volition.
There is so much repetition that it if were removed the book would be at least 20 pages shorter, and I’m being generous. That’s bad enough but when you factor in clunky run-on sentences with odd punctuation choices, or punctuation that is missing entirely, it becomes a struggle to read.
“His fund grew to three billion four billion six eight ten fourteen. Their fortune grew five hundred million one point five billion three.”
See what I mean?
As ARC readers we are supposed to gloss over things that will hopefully be fixed prior to release, but there’s just so much here that needs reworking and tightening up that it’s incredibly hard to disregard. This manner of writing makes reading the book a chore.
“The town protects the land and limits what can be done with it and on it, and bobcats, bears, packs of coyotes and coywolves, herds of deer, wild turkeys, hawks eagles ducks geese and owls are regularly seen going about their business.”
Honestly, sometimes reading this book makes me feel like I’m having a stroke.
Then we have the massive info dumps among the myriad of run on sentences. Now, I understand why Frey is writing in this manner; he wants to give out as much information as possible without burying the reader in paragraph upon paragraph of details. Unfortunately, it can become incredibly irksome to read. Like this example:
“She gained three times the weight, she was depressed, rashes came and went, she had abdominal pains, migraines, there were days she couldn’t get out of bed, it all compounded, each issue made the other worse, she was scared, so scared, she was so so very scared.”
There are long rambling chapters of characters’ backgrounds and their relationships interspersed with chunks of information on new characters which doesn’t lend to a smoothly flowing story. The reader is subjected to lengthy background information drops about a character or two, and then more characters are introduced without the story moving forward.
There’s also A LOT of nonessential information about the town of New Bethlehem that completely drags down the story. The long winded sections about the origin of the town as well as the chapters on zoning laws or the history of the 2 grocery stores are completely unnecessary, and they only stop what little momentum that Frey manages to create.
At 47% and nothing has really happened. Frey finally gets around to the plot of the book and immediately after he takes a detour at the next chapter to talk about New Bethlehem’s extensive parks and lands rather than simply having the characters meet there like usual.
Later on we have 3 pages of terrible poetry about how beautiful Connecticut is… Was there an editor?
I personally don’t think this book is trashy or sexy like some reviews have stated, and there’s really not much smut (it’s spice adjacent I would say). Trashy seems to be the buzzword attached to it but there’s too much needless padding of boring details for it to elicit that response, imo. There is a section where a man refers to his genitalia as a “yogurt cannon”, but that’s just cringeworthy and gross. Comparing this to White Lotus is extremely generous… White Lotus is interesting, twisty, and entertaining, whereas this is simply rambling and tedious.
The murder finally occurs at 73%, and you don’t find out who did it until 97%, although it’s so obvious who it was and why. So much of Next To Heaven could have and should have been edited out. To say that I disliked this book is an understatement.
If you like reading about wealthy people thinking they are above others as well as the law, reading run on sentences about grocery stores and what animals live in a fictional town, and reading lots of superfluous details that have nothing to do with the plot, then maybe you will enjoy this book. As stated earlier there’s mild spice, most of it is closed door and just mentioned in passing, but it’s there.
I know I read an uncorrected proof, however the punctuation (or lack thereof) and odd grammar choices seems intentional. It’s been decades since I read anything by Frey (I read his infamous debut book when it was first published and vividly recall the media hullabaloo that ensued), so I don’t know if this is just how he writes or if it’s a stylistic choice specifically for this book. Either way, it’s awful.
**UPDATE: I just learned today 6/8 that this Frey has been openly discussing how he used AI to “write” this garbage. Nothing was mentioned on NetGalley that AI was used or I wouldn’t have read this ARC. Just wanted to be clear that I had no idea it was AI when I read it, I just thought it was a terrible book.
I received an ARC of this book via NetGalley and Authors Equity, however this review is completely my own unbiased personal opinion, left of my own volition.
June 26, 2025
Before you decide to read this I’m going to “spoil” something and let you know this is a murder mystery where the murder doesn’t take place until three quarters of the book is finished. You’re told fairly early that someone is going to be dead, but then you meet a whole slew of the one percenters in New Bethlehem, CT and also experience a little….
At a soirée of the swinging variety.
Then you find out pretty much anyone could be dead and nearly everyone has a motive and you just have to read and find out.
So steer clear if you don’t like this approach to storytelling. Or grab your sunscreen and towel and head to the pool if you’re like me and this sounds like a perfect way to spend a day.
I happened to notice the incredibly low rating when logging this in as a Currently Reading selection and thought, boy did this dude REALLY get canceled before cancel culture was cool! I’ll admit at the time he duped Oprah my line of thinking was more like good for him on punking the Queen of All Things and making himself a boat load of money. Turns out there aren’t many oldsters who still remember that debacle and the latest issue with Frey is that he admitted a few years ago he was experimenting with AI to either write or at least clean up some of his writing. The only thing I can say about that is the people clutching their pearls over this admission better not be the ones buying the 42 new Freida books each year because there is zero chance those are actually written by a human.
I’m giving this every Star and sorry I’m not sorry. It’s obvious Frey is willing to continually double-down on being the “bad boy of literature” and I don’t hate it.
ARC provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you, NetGalley!
At a soirée of the swinging variety.
Then you find out pretty much anyone could be dead and nearly everyone has a motive and you just have to read and find out.
So steer clear if you don’t like this approach to storytelling. Or grab your sunscreen and towel and head to the pool if you’re like me and this sounds like a perfect way to spend a day.
I happened to notice the incredibly low rating when logging this in as a Currently Reading selection and thought, boy did this dude REALLY get canceled before cancel culture was cool! I’ll admit at the time he duped Oprah my line of thinking was more like good for him on punking the Queen of All Things and making himself a boat load of money. Turns out there aren’t many oldsters who still remember that debacle and the latest issue with Frey is that he admitted a few years ago he was experimenting with AI to either write or at least clean up some of his writing. The only thing I can say about that is the people clutching their pearls over this admission better not be the ones buying the 42 new Freida books each year because there is zero chance those are actually written by a human.
I’m giving this every Star and sorry I’m not sorry. It’s obvious Frey is willing to continually double-down on being the “bad boy of literature” and I don’t hate it.
ARC provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you, NetGalley!
June 26, 2025
I loved this!
Very Desperate Housewives. But make it the East Coast elite. And racier. Much racier! The writing is quirky and repetitive but I liked those aspects. Besties. Billionaires. A golden boy. Outsiders...and insiders. Countless unraveling marriages. And lots of hot sex...with pretty much anyone but their respective others. Secrets. Lies. Murder. And a happily ever after...depending on who you ask. While I loved the large cast of characters, and their in depth backstories, I did have trouble keeping them all straight more than once.
•Fast paced
•Third person POV
•Large cast of characters
•Swinger party
•Murder mystery
•Small town
•Spicy
I did a mix of ebook as well as audio and must say that Gina Gershon hit this one out of the park with her performance. The writing can be a bit jumbled with its lack of quotations and unconventional style, but her audio narration is five stars!
Thank you to NetGalley, Simon & Schuster Audio, and Author's Equity for gratis copies in exchange for my honest review.
4 stars.
Very Desperate Housewives. But make it the East Coast elite. And racier. Much racier! The writing is quirky and repetitive but I liked those aspects. Besties. Billionaires. A golden boy. Outsiders...and insiders. Countless unraveling marriages. And lots of hot sex...with pretty much anyone but their respective others. Secrets. Lies. Murder. And a happily ever after...depending on who you ask. While I loved the large cast of characters, and their in depth backstories, I did have trouble keeping them all straight more than once.
•Fast paced
•Third person POV
•Large cast of characters
•Swinger party
•Murder mystery
•Small town
•Spicy
I did a mix of ebook as well as audio and must say that Gina Gershon hit this one out of the park with her performance. The writing can be a bit jumbled with its lack of quotations and unconventional style, but her audio narration is five stars!
Thank you to NetGalley, Simon & Schuster Audio, and Author's Equity for gratis copies in exchange for my honest review.
4 stars.
May 1, 2025
I was really trying to push through, but yogurt cannon is where i draw the line, DNF @ 46% should have been 5%.
Look, the premise is exciting. A bit of rich, elite, bored couples get together and swing, and someone ends up dead. But the unconsensual sex & sayings like yogurt cannon really made this unbearable. I get it's supposed to be crass, but that could have been portrayed with a girl being extorted, drugged & r@ped.
The pacing on this is also awful. We get a literal whole chapter on the history of this made-up waspy town, the same length as the party, the whole point of the book.
Anyway, thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for this ARC.
Look, the premise is exciting. A bit of rich, elite, bored couples get together and swing, and someone ends up dead. But the unconsensual sex & sayings like yogurt cannon really made this unbearable. I get it's supposed to be crass, but that could have been portrayed with a girl being extorted, drugged & r@ped.
The pacing on this is also awful. We get a literal whole chapter on the history of this made-up waspy town, the same length as the party, the whole point of the book.
Anyway, thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for this ARC.
February 11, 2025
Haters will say, "oHhHhhh NeXt tO HeAvEn IsNt A gOoD bOoK!" just because, technically, it isn't. BUT THAT DOESN'T MEAN IT ISN'T GREAT. It's messy, over-the-top, teetering on the edge of ridiculous... but that's also kind of the point??? Frey delivers a spectacle of wealth, debauchery, and moral decay that reads like Great Gatsby if Fitzgerald was less concerned with subtlety. Plot? Chaotic. Characters? Terrible people. Writing? Um... actually pretty sharp, but fully committed to the insanity. And yet, I devoured the whole thing in one sitting. It had everything: drama, intrigue, delusion, sexual tension, and a murder that barely scratches the top five worst things that these people do. So no, it's not good. But also yes it is.
Thank you to NetGalley and Authors Equity for the advance copy.
Thank you to NetGalley and Authors Equity for the advance copy.
July 26, 2025
Such a unique and thrilling read!!! Truly have never read anything like it! LOVE how deep in went into each character!!
December 12, 2024
Friends, this book was not for me.
Extremely wealthy couples in the richest, whitest part of Connecticut decide to swing/have orgies. Literary fiction is sometimes overtly sexual and it seems to be egregious and even pandering to me. “All Fours” by Miranda July certainly had a lot of good reviews and was considered to be a favorite amongst critics, but I find it depressing.
James Frey has this very distinctive style of writing short, then longer and longer declarative sentences to design a paragraph and it ends up being distinctive pacing and descriptions. I do love his style of writing but the overall plot of this one and sheer unlikable characters made this one fall flat for me.
Thanks to @netgalley and the publisher Author’s Equity for a free copy in exchange for an honest review. Book to be published June 17, 2025.
Extremely wealthy couples in the richest, whitest part of Connecticut decide to swing/have orgies. Literary fiction is sometimes overtly sexual and it seems to be egregious and even pandering to me. “All Fours” by Miranda July certainly had a lot of good reviews and was considered to be a favorite amongst critics, but I find it depressing.
James Frey has this very distinctive style of writing short, then longer and longer declarative sentences to design a paragraph and it ends up being distinctive pacing and descriptions. I do love his style of writing but the overall plot of this one and sheer unlikable characters made this one fall flat for me.
Thanks to @netgalley and the publisher Author’s Equity for a free copy in exchange for an honest review. Book to be published June 17, 2025.
July 7, 2025
UPDATE, JULY 2025: THE AUTHOR HAS CONFIRMED THIS IS AI. I guess the nonsensical sentences, horrible writing and stupid plot wasn’t even written by this “author”. I knew something was wrong with this; I almost never have such a strong hatred for a book. I DO NOT SUPPORT USING AI TO WRITE. Or draw. Or video. Or anything. But especially not writing. 😡
*****
Devon and Belle are best friends. They are rich, snobby and stupid. There is a whole bunch of boring back story. There is a whole bunch of weird religious stuff put into a book about an affair and an orgy. They had the party. Somebody died. The media swarmed and tried to figure out why. The killer was found. The end.
I saw this book and it sounded good - I didn’t even notice who the author was, or remember that he was the guy who faked a book on Oprah’s Book Club. It was as I was adding it as “currently reading” on Goodreads, I saw it had a horrible star rating. So I read the reviews, saw people angry at the author, but I decided to give it a try anyway. l shouldn’t have wasted my time.
To start, there is no true dialogue in this book. You will not see quotation marks, just sentences that could be in person, in text, or in the narrator’s mind. The third-person writing is awful, and I almost never say that. I’ve also never seen a writing style quite like that, and I definitely didn’t care for the book jumping all over the place. The paragraphs either took up a whole page, or were one line. There was no in between!
There were too many characters, and we had to read all about them before the story even starts. Every time you think the story is finally beginning, no, you first need to read a chapter about some random character’s grandfather or brother. What? Then there will be a chapter about people being intimate, and the next chapter is about prayer and religion. I couldn’t make anything about this book work for me, so this book gets a VERY rare one star from me. It shouldn’t have been (self?) published.
(Thank you to #AuthorsEquity, #JamesFrey and @NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my review.)
*****
Devon and Belle are best friends. They are rich, snobby and stupid. There is a whole bunch of boring back story. There is a whole bunch of weird religious stuff put into a book about an affair and an orgy. They had the party. Somebody died. The media swarmed and tried to figure out why. The killer was found. The end.
I saw this book and it sounded good - I didn’t even notice who the author was, or remember that he was the guy who faked a book on Oprah’s Book Club. It was as I was adding it as “currently reading” on Goodreads, I saw it had a horrible star rating. So I read the reviews, saw people angry at the author, but I decided to give it a try anyway. l shouldn’t have wasted my time.
To start, there is no true dialogue in this book. You will not see quotation marks, just sentences that could be in person, in text, or in the narrator’s mind. The third-person writing is awful, and I almost never say that. I’ve also never seen a writing style quite like that, and I definitely didn’t care for the book jumping all over the place. The paragraphs either took up a whole page, or were one line. There was no in between!
There were too many characters, and we had to read all about them before the story even starts. Every time you think the story is finally beginning, no, you first need to read a chapter about some random character’s grandfather or brother. What? Then there will be a chapter about people being intimate, and the next chapter is about prayer and religion. I couldn’t make anything about this book work for me, so this book gets a VERY rare one star from me. It shouldn’t have been (self?) published.
(Thank you to #AuthorsEquity, #JamesFrey and @NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my review.)
June 27, 2025
This is currently leading my worst book I’ve read in 2025 list. I listened to the audiobook and I will admit the narrator did a good job trying to bring life to the story. I thought this book was poorly written. It was full of repetition and not just through the story but literally in a row were repetitive words and sentences. There was an abundance of information that was not necessary for the story and added nothing., For instance I do not need to go back to the 1700’s to understand the setting for the story is an elite town for rich people. This book read like a teenager’s wet dream and the characters acted ridiculously. None of the characters had any depth and most of them were pretty deplorable. Frequently something would catch me off guard and make me wonder if I was missing a joke. As an example I didn’t imagine a socialite would be offended since “no one talked to her like that in her life” when she was called “Miss. Fancy Pants.” And then she was turned on despite being furious at the man for talking to her like that. All of that was ridiculous and the book was full of those moments. I do think there was a glitch and I missed a few chapters near the end, but I honestly didn’t care and it didn’t impact my review. I hadn’t heard of this author and I am wondering if his belief that AI helps his writing is why I found this to be so awkward and unnatural. If it’s accurate he used it, this should be the poster child for authors avoiding using AI. I will be passing on future books by this author.
May 11, 2025
Thank you NetGalley and Authors Equity for the opportunity to read the ARC in exchange for my honest thoughts.
This book was wild!
What happens when the rich get bored? A very spicy party amongst the Connecticut elite. But as they do, the night spirals into chaos, betrayal, and you guessed it murder. There were some very cringy moments and the writing style wasn’t my favorite but still a very entertaining read. 3.5 stars rounded up.
This book was wild!
What happens when the rich get bored? A very spicy party amongst the Connecticut elite. But as they do, the night spirals into chaos, betrayal, and you guessed it murder. There were some very cringy moments and the writing style wasn’t my favorite but still a very entertaining read. 3.5 stars rounded up.
June 17, 2025
I do not, nor will I ever, condone the use of AI to write books. if you cannot be bothered to actually WRITE something, then I cannot be bothered to read it. I will never read anything this man writes.
(GR took my original review down, which shows that they WILL take down reviews, but only when big companies have a stake in the success of a white man’s [who is a known and proven liar] book.)
(GR took my original review down, which shows that they WILL take down reviews, but only when big companies have a stake in the success of a white man’s [who is a known and proven liar] book.)
June 3, 2025
I have always thought that James Frey's "A Million Little Pieces" would have been received entirely differently if it was marketed as the fiction it truly is, and I was willing to accept that mistakes are sometimes made and everyone deserves another chance. This is my first time picking up his books since then, but unfortunately, "Next to Heaven" failed to deliver for me.
This is ultimately a story of the ultra-rich behaving badly, and I'll freely admit that it's always hard for me to appreciate that niche. That, coupled with an aggressive writing style, unlikable characters, and a questionable attitude towards women that seemed to be lurking in the background, and I just couldn't connect to this book. If you enjoy the comeuppance of rich people who have misbehaved, and plot twists with an edge of vulgarity, however, this may just be the perfect book for you — your mileage may vary.
Thank you to Simon & Schuster, NetGalley, and James Frey for an advance copy of this book for review. 2.5 stars.
This is ultimately a story of the ultra-rich behaving badly, and I'll freely admit that it's always hard for me to appreciate that niche. That, coupled with an aggressive writing style, unlikable characters, and a questionable attitude towards women that seemed to be lurking in the background, and I just couldn't connect to this book. If you enjoy the comeuppance of rich people who have misbehaved, and plot twists with an edge of vulgarity, however, this may just be the perfect book for you — your mileage may vary.
Thank you to Simon & Schuster, NetGalley, and James Frey for an advance copy of this book for review. 2.5 stars.
June 18, 2025
Well it wouldn’t be a James Frey book if there wasn’t plenty of controversy and pearl clutching. So naturally, I’m here for it.
This is a dark, ripped-from-the-tabloids and humorous story of the rich behaving badly. James Frey is a great story teller and Gina Gershon @ginagershon has the perfect husky, sexy voice to narrate the story. I enjoyed the mystery of who was going to be murdered and I was surprised by who did it. If you only enjoy reading about characters you like or are offended by foul language, give this one a hard pass. Since I love despicable characters and I’ve been know to make grown men blush with my words, I enjoyed it.
This is a dark, ripped-from-the-tabloids and humorous story of the rich behaving badly. James Frey is a great story teller and Gina Gershon @ginagershon has the perfect husky, sexy voice to narrate the story. I enjoyed the mystery of who was going to be murdered and I was surprised by who did it. If you only enjoy reading about characters you like or are offended by foul language, give this one a hard pass. Since I love despicable characters and I’ve been know to make grown men blush with my words, I enjoyed it.
book-jail
June 5, 2025book jail bc why tf are you using ai to write books
June 29, 2025
The book featured somewhat interesting characters and a gossipy storyline, with a splash of murder mystery toward the end. However, the narrative and dialogue often felt more like a summary than immersive storytelling. The frequent repetition of words was too distracting.
June 21, 2025
I know, I know…he’s controversial and people still haven’t forgiven him from a billionaire tv host calling him out several years ago. There’s been accusations of this be written with AI assistance and I’m hopeful that’s not accurate. You want art to stay original as a literary person. I liked this book. I like its readability and its evocative storyline. I may be in the minority on this. I will say I love Katerina and Bright Shiny Morning a little more just because they felt more connected to the author and you could feel the pen bleeding when I was reading them. Lots of twists and turns in this one. Very scandalous and was very much a guilty pleasure read I couldn’t put down.
May 23, 2025
The book is about a bunch of rich people that live in an exclusive area, they get bored of their lives and a swingers party is thrown… someone dies.
The synopsis had me intrigued but I don’t think this book is for me. It was very hard to follow the character development and honestly i hated every single character. The formatting of the book also threw me off and made it hard to follow the characters as they were lead to the attendance of the party. I kept forgetting who was who and who was married to who and who was matched with who at the party. It was just not an enjoyable book for me.
The synopsis had me intrigued but I don’t think this book is for me. It was very hard to follow the character development and honestly i hated every single character. The formatting of the book also threw me off and made it hard to follow the characters as they were lead to the attendance of the party. I kept forgetting who was who and who was married to who and who was matched with who at the party. It was just not an enjoyable book for me.
May 27, 2025
Thank you so much to NetGalley, Simon & Schuster Audio and James Frey for this audiobook arc. I will be giving my honest review.
This book was giving White Lotus meets The Great Gatsby meets Little Fires Everywhere — and I was here for every messy, opulent, drama-soaked second.
James Frey treats setting and character with the same precision — and it shows. The beginning? SO fun. We’re talking juicy character backstories, a peek behind the curtains of the rich and dramatic, and some serious “Lifestyles of the Rich & Famous” energy. As a Minnesotan, I did have to clutch my pearls when Charlie turned down a job here because he "couldn’t handle the accents." Uff da! My heart! (Kidding. Kind of.)
If you're a Swiftie (hi, me), the entire vibe of this book could be soundtracked by The Last Great American Dynasty. It’s luxury. It’s gossip. It’s mysterious. Think mansions, secrets, and a crescendo leading up to... yep, a swingers party (SLOMW era, I see you James).
There was a lot of character-swapping (in every sense of the word), and while it got a bit hard to track who was hooking up with whom (especially in the audiobook format — maybe don’t listen while multitasking), it wasn’t a dealbreaker. Just required a smidge more focus than usual.
Bonus points for the name drops of Monet, Matisse, and Degas — that’s straight to my art-loving heart.
And if you're into behind-the-scenes stuff: the audiobook ends with a convo between James Frey and narrator Gina Gershon, which was honestly such a treat. They chat about the book, the Connecticut setting, the accents — and it just added another layer to the experience.
In short: decadent, dramatic, a little chaotic — like a vacation with people you low-key want to gossip about but also kinda envy.
This book was giving White Lotus meets The Great Gatsby meets Little Fires Everywhere — and I was here for every messy, opulent, drama-soaked second.
James Frey treats setting and character with the same precision — and it shows. The beginning? SO fun. We’re talking juicy character backstories, a peek behind the curtains of the rich and dramatic, and some serious “Lifestyles of the Rich & Famous” energy. As a Minnesotan, I did have to clutch my pearls when Charlie turned down a job here because he "couldn’t handle the accents." Uff da! My heart! (Kidding. Kind of.)
If you're a Swiftie (hi, me), the entire vibe of this book could be soundtracked by The Last Great American Dynasty. It’s luxury. It’s gossip. It’s mysterious. Think mansions, secrets, and a crescendo leading up to... yep, a swingers party (SLOMW era, I see you James).
There was a lot of character-swapping (in every sense of the word), and while it got a bit hard to track who was hooking up with whom (especially in the audiobook format — maybe don’t listen while multitasking), it wasn’t a dealbreaker. Just required a smidge more focus than usual.
Bonus points for the name drops of Monet, Matisse, and Degas — that’s straight to my art-loving heart.
And if you're into behind-the-scenes stuff: the audiobook ends with a convo between James Frey and narrator Gina Gershon, which was honestly such a treat. They chat about the book, the Connecticut setting, the accents — and it just added another layer to the experience.
In short: decadent, dramatic, a little chaotic — like a vacation with people you low-key want to gossip about but also kinda envy.
February 20, 2025
In "Next to Heaven," James Frey presents a gripping narrative set in the seemingly idyllic town of New Bethlehem, Connecticut, where the lives of the wealthy are anything but perfect.
The story revolves around two friends, Devon and Belle, who, despite their beauty and status, yearn for excitement beyond their luxurious existence. Their solution is a lavish swingers party that brings together the town's elite, including a disgraced ex-NFL player and a manipulative Wall Street mogul. However, the night spirals into chaos when betrayal leads to murder, exposing the dark underbelly of privilege and excess.
The protagonists' quest for meaning amidst superficiality shapes their journey. Devon and Belle evolve as they grapple with the repercussions of their actions while supporting characters, each embodying different aspects of wealth and ambition, enriching the narrative. The interplay between these flawed individuals highlights themes of morality and human connection in a deceptive world.
Frey skillfully explores themes of wealth, betrayal, and the pursuit of authenticity. The novel resonates with contemporary issues like the hollowness of consumerism and the moral decay hidden beneath affluence, serving as a critique of how wealth can warp relationships and self-identity.
Frey's sharp, provocative writing style is marked by a fast-paced narrative reflecting the chaotic lives of his characters. His effective use of dialogue conveys tension and reveals motivations. The multi-perspective structure initially feels disjointed but ultimately enriches the story as threads intertwine toward the climax.
Personally, "Next to Heaven" captivates with its blend of dark humor and social commentary. While some might find the characters unlikable, their flaws make them relatable representations of societal excess. The emotional impact lies in recognizing universal struggles within these extravagant lives.
In the context of satirical explorations of wealth and privilege, Frey's work aligns with others like "The Great Gatsby," but with a modern twist that incorporates elements from contemporary media like "The White Lotus."The book stands out due to its bold storytelling and ability to provoke thought about personal values in an increasingly materialistic world.
Overall, "Next to Heaven" is special for its unflinching portrayal of the darker sides of affluence and friendship. While it may not cater to everyone's taste due to its chaotic nature and morally ambiguous characters, it effectively invites readers to reflect on their own experiences with wealth and desire in today's society.
The story revolves around two friends, Devon and Belle, who, despite their beauty and status, yearn for excitement beyond their luxurious existence. Their solution is a lavish swingers party that brings together the town's elite, including a disgraced ex-NFL player and a manipulative Wall Street mogul. However, the night spirals into chaos when betrayal leads to murder, exposing the dark underbelly of privilege and excess.
The protagonists' quest for meaning amidst superficiality shapes their journey. Devon and Belle evolve as they grapple with the repercussions of their actions while supporting characters, each embodying different aspects of wealth and ambition, enriching the narrative. The interplay between these flawed individuals highlights themes of morality and human connection in a deceptive world.
Frey skillfully explores themes of wealth, betrayal, and the pursuit of authenticity. The novel resonates with contemporary issues like the hollowness of consumerism and the moral decay hidden beneath affluence, serving as a critique of how wealth can warp relationships and self-identity.
Frey's sharp, provocative writing style is marked by a fast-paced narrative reflecting the chaotic lives of his characters. His effective use of dialogue conveys tension and reveals motivations. The multi-perspective structure initially feels disjointed but ultimately enriches the story as threads intertwine toward the climax.
Personally, "Next to Heaven" captivates with its blend of dark humor and social commentary. While some might find the characters unlikable, their flaws make them relatable representations of societal excess. The emotional impact lies in recognizing universal struggles within these extravagant lives.
In the context of satirical explorations of wealth and privilege, Frey's work aligns with others like "The Great Gatsby," but with a modern twist that incorporates elements from contemporary media like "The White Lotus."The book stands out due to its bold storytelling and ability to provoke thought about personal values in an increasingly materialistic world.
Overall, "Next to Heaven" is special for its unflinching portrayal of the darker sides of affluence and friendship. While it may not cater to everyone's taste due to its chaotic nature and morally ambiguous characters, it effectively invites readers to reflect on their own experiences with wealth and desire in today's society.
June 20, 2025
** update **
I’ve had an email from NetGalley, this file has now been updated to fix the technical issue, if you have the old file downloaded you need to delete and redownload 😊
This review was removed. But since it was a simple copy and paste. Here it is again!
2.5🌟
For the majority of this title I enjoyed the story, rich people being deplorable, a sort of real housewife’s bonkathon satire. Unfortunately for me nearing the end the audio cut at chapter 54 then jumped to chapter 61 which meant I missed a large section of the lead up to the whodunnit reveal, then the same thing happened in the final chapter and through the q&a session at the end. I had guessed the who, but I completely missed the why it still impacted my reading experience so I’m rating based on what I did hear. I would normally wait to see if the link could be repaired before wrapping up and reviewing but I wasn’t invested enough to wait to jump back in.
Good fun, I enjoy Freys writing style, and have enjoyed his other work. This was definitely different. I struggled a bit to keep track of who was who at times.
The narration was well done.
My thanks to AE Titles/ S&S Audio and NetGalley for the opportunity to review this ALC 🎧
I’ve had an email from NetGalley, this file has now been updated to fix the technical issue, if you have the old file downloaded you need to delete and redownload 😊
This review was removed. But since it was a simple copy and paste. Here it is again!
2.5🌟
For the majority of this title I enjoyed the story, rich people being deplorable, a sort of real housewife’s bonkathon satire. Unfortunately for me nearing the end the audio cut at chapter 54 then jumped to chapter 61 which meant I missed a large section of the lead up to the whodunnit reveal, then the same thing happened in the final chapter and through the q&a session at the end. I had guessed the who, but I completely missed the why it still impacted my reading experience so I’m rating based on what I did hear. I would normally wait to see if the link could be repaired before wrapping up and reviewing but I wasn’t invested enough to wait to jump back in.
Good fun, I enjoy Freys writing style, and have enjoyed his other work. This was definitely different. I struggled a bit to keep track of who was who at times.
The narration was well done.
My thanks to AE Titles/ S&S Audio and NetGalley for the opportunity to review this ALC 🎧
June 17, 2025
In his latest novel, James Frey peels back the pristine veneer of suburban wealth to expose the rot beneath in "Next to Heaven," a gripping exploration of privilege, desire, and destruction in America's most exclusive enclave. Set in the fictional town of New Bethlehem, Connecticut, this darkly atmospheric thriller weaves together multiple narratives that culminate in a shocking murder, revealing how the pursuit of perfection often leads to devastating consequences.
The Setting: A Modern American Aristocracy
New Bethlehem emerges as a character itself - a town where old money mingles with new, where success is measured in square footage and social standing, and where appearances are everything. Frey masterfully constructs this rarefied world, from its perfectly manicured lawns to its unspoken hierarchies. The town's history, carefully detailed through interwoven passages, provides crucial context for understanding its present-day dynamics and the weight of legacy that bears down on its residents.
Character Dynamics
At the center of the story are two women: Devon Kensington McCallister, a descendant of American aristocracy married to ruthless hedge fund manager Billy McCallister, and Belle Hedges Moore, a Texas oil heiress whose marriage to private equity "closer" Teddy Moore has grown cold. These women, bound by wealth and secrets, set in motion events that will shatter their carefully constructed world.
The supporting cast is equally compelling:
- Alex Hunter, former NFL quarterback desperate to maintain his golden boy image while his life crumbles
- Charlie Dunlap, a charismatic hockey coach with a talent for seducing married women
- Grace Hunter, Alex's wife, wrestling with the collapse of her fairy tale marriage
- Katy Boyle, a math teacher hiding dark secrets from her past
Plot and Pacing
Frey structures the novel like a high-stakes chess game, with each character's moves and countermoves building tension toward an inevitable but shocking conclusion. The narrative alternates between present-day events and carefully placed flashbacks that reveal crucial backstory. The pacing is deliberate, allowing readers to become fully immersed in New Bethlehem's world before the carefully orchestrated chaos begins.
Themes and Social Commentary
The novel explores several interconnected themes:
- The corrupting influence of extreme wealth
- The performance of perfection in high-society
- Gender dynamics and power
- The cost of maintaining appearances
- The illusion of control in a world built on privilege
Writing Style and Craft
Frey's prose is sharp and unflinching, employing a unique style that combines detailed observation with raw emotional impact. He frequently breaks conventional grammar rules to create a more immediate, visceral effect. While this approach mostly works, occasionally it can feel repetitive or self-conscious.
Strengths
- Masterful world-building that creates a vivid sense of place
- Complex, morally ambiguous characters
- Intricate plot construction
- Incisive social commentary
- Strong sense of psychological tension
Areas for Improvement
- Some secondary plot threads feel underdeveloped
- Occasional overreliance on stylistic repetition
- A few character motivations could be more fully explored
- The pacing in the middle section sometimes lags
The Impact
"Next to Heaven" succeeds as both a gripping thriller and a searing indictment of American excess. It forces readers to confront uncomfortable truths about privilege, power, and the lengths people will go to preserve both. The novel's resolution is both satisfying and unsettling, leaving readers to grapple with its implications long after the final page.
Final Verdict
Despite some minor flaws, "Next to Heaven" is a compelling and timely novel that succeeds in both entertaining and provoking thought. It is worth reading for its ambitious scope, sharp execution, and powerful commentary on contemporary American society.
Personal Note
Having received an advance reader copy of "Next to Heaven," I was struck by how timely and relevant its themes feel in our current moment of increasing wealth inequality and social division. Frey has created something that transcends simple categorization - part thriller, part social satire, part moral fable - and the result is both entertaining and deeply unsettling.
The Setting: A Modern American Aristocracy
New Bethlehem emerges as a character itself - a town where old money mingles with new, where success is measured in square footage and social standing, and where appearances are everything. Frey masterfully constructs this rarefied world, from its perfectly manicured lawns to its unspoken hierarchies. The town's history, carefully detailed through interwoven passages, provides crucial context for understanding its present-day dynamics and the weight of legacy that bears down on its residents.
Character Dynamics
At the center of the story are two women: Devon Kensington McCallister, a descendant of American aristocracy married to ruthless hedge fund manager Billy McCallister, and Belle Hedges Moore, a Texas oil heiress whose marriage to private equity "closer" Teddy Moore has grown cold. These women, bound by wealth and secrets, set in motion events that will shatter their carefully constructed world.
The supporting cast is equally compelling:
- Alex Hunter, former NFL quarterback desperate to maintain his golden boy image while his life crumbles
- Charlie Dunlap, a charismatic hockey coach with a talent for seducing married women
- Grace Hunter, Alex's wife, wrestling with the collapse of her fairy tale marriage
- Katy Boyle, a math teacher hiding dark secrets from her past
Plot and Pacing
Frey structures the novel like a high-stakes chess game, with each character's moves and countermoves building tension toward an inevitable but shocking conclusion. The narrative alternates between present-day events and carefully placed flashbacks that reveal crucial backstory. The pacing is deliberate, allowing readers to become fully immersed in New Bethlehem's world before the carefully orchestrated chaos begins.
Themes and Social Commentary
The novel explores several interconnected themes:
- The corrupting influence of extreme wealth
- The performance of perfection in high-society
- Gender dynamics and power
- The cost of maintaining appearances
- The illusion of control in a world built on privilege
Writing Style and Craft
Frey's prose is sharp and unflinching, employing a unique style that combines detailed observation with raw emotional impact. He frequently breaks conventional grammar rules to create a more immediate, visceral effect. While this approach mostly works, occasionally it can feel repetitive or self-conscious.
Strengths
- Masterful world-building that creates a vivid sense of place
- Complex, morally ambiguous characters
- Intricate plot construction
- Incisive social commentary
- Strong sense of psychological tension
Areas for Improvement
- Some secondary plot threads feel underdeveloped
- Occasional overreliance on stylistic repetition
- A few character motivations could be more fully explored
- The pacing in the middle section sometimes lags
The Impact
"Next to Heaven" succeeds as both a gripping thriller and a searing indictment of American excess. It forces readers to confront uncomfortable truths about privilege, power, and the lengths people will go to preserve both. The novel's resolution is both satisfying and unsettling, leaving readers to grapple with its implications long after the final page.
Final Verdict
Despite some minor flaws, "Next to Heaven" is a compelling and timely novel that succeeds in both entertaining and provoking thought. It is worth reading for its ambitious scope, sharp execution, and powerful commentary on contemporary American society.
Personal Note
Having received an advance reader copy of "Next to Heaven," I was struck by how timely and relevant its themes feel in our current moment of increasing wealth inequality and social division. Frey has created something that transcends simple categorization - part thriller, part social satire, part moral fable - and the result is both entertaining and deeply unsettling.
May 29, 2025
I thought this was going to be about a bunch of rich people that have a sex party and somebody winds up dead. While this is technically true, it takes a hell of a long time to get to the dead person part and a whole bunch of boring stuff happens between the sex party and the dead guy. Almost a full chapter about the history and founding of Connecticut, including the town of New Bethlehem. Another describing the history and founding of a park in New Bethlehem. Scene setting was always just an endless list of what kind of expensive stuff was in each location, and sometimes included lists of how much everything cost. So boring.
A really weird plot point is that all of the couples who attend to the sex party are married, but then all of them end up falling in love with their hook up. Like literally, all of them. It almost seemed like the sex party was going to be a setup for one of the women to kill her husband, and I think I just wrote a much more interesting story than the one I read.
It's also desperately clear that the author is a man. He still believes in the laughably tired cliche that women are desperate to find a man with a huge elephant dick. And that women immediately want to suck that huge elephant dick. Like, IMMEDIATELY. And then bang for an hour or longer. This book is a man thinking women's sexual fantasies are the same old boring shit that men have always wanted women's sexual fantasies to be: men being sexual heroes with giant elephant dicks. He literally describes an orgasm as a "coconut cream explosion". He also refers to one character's penis as his "yogurt cannon". BARF.
The author is a HUGE fan of repetition as a literary device, to the point where I stopped listening to the audiobook to go research the names of these particular methods, and discovered that he leans heavily on polysyndeton, anaphora, and epistrophe. What this means is that he thinks it's impactful to repeat the same word or phrase again and again in short succession, but it's super-annoying when you're hearing someone read it out loud.
Lots of time is spent naming every random member of the telephone game when gossip spreads around town. Author finds himself especially clever when he makes all the names rhyme.
Lou spoke. Louise spoke. Devon spoke. Lou smiled. Louise smiled. Devon smiled. Lou spoke. Lou smiled. I scream.
Ha. Ha. Ha. It worked.
I appreciate NetGalley and the publisher for access to a digital ARC. My honest review is my own opinion.
A really weird plot point is that all of the couples who attend to the sex party are married, but then all of them end up falling in love with their hook up. Like literally, all of them. It almost seemed like the sex party was going to be a setup for one of the women to kill her husband, and I think I just wrote a much more interesting story than the one I read.
It's also desperately clear that the author is a man. He still believes in the laughably tired cliche that women are desperate to find a man with a huge elephant dick. And that women immediately want to suck that huge elephant dick. Like, IMMEDIATELY. And then bang for an hour or longer. This book is a man thinking women's sexual fantasies are the same old boring shit that men have always wanted women's sexual fantasies to be: men being sexual heroes with giant elephant dicks. He literally describes an orgasm as a "coconut cream explosion". He also refers to one character's penis as his "yogurt cannon". BARF.
The author is a HUGE fan of repetition as a literary device, to the point where I stopped listening to the audiobook to go research the names of these particular methods, and discovered that he leans heavily on polysyndeton, anaphora, and epistrophe. What this means is that he thinks it's impactful to repeat the same word or phrase again and again in short succession, but it's super-annoying when you're hearing someone read it out loud.
Lots of time is spent naming every random member of the telephone game when gossip spreads around town. Author finds himself especially clever when he makes all the names rhyme.
Lou spoke. Louise spoke. Devon spoke. Lou smiled. Louise smiled. Devon smiled. Lou spoke. Lou smiled. I scream.
Ha. Ha. Ha. It worked.
I appreciate NetGalley and the publisher for access to a digital ARC. My honest review is my own opinion.
July 15, 2025
0 ⭐️ I feel bad for the tree that became this book. I mourn the brain cells I lost reading this book. I would use this book for kindling, but fire deserves better than to come in contact with this book. I would put this book in the little free library, but I would experience guilt for the rest of my life about the person I subjected to picking up this book. To be clear I only bought this because our bookclub theme was “judge a book by its cover”, and I liked the cover. The things I like about this book end there. The writing is lazy and cocky and oddly predatory. It’s full of info dumps, run on sentences and entire passages clearly sourced from some chatGPT/Google combo. The sheer amount of repetition and predictability had me going a bit mental and piqued my claustrophobia. For a moment I considered giving this author the benefit of the doubt, thinking surely this was some sort of experimental artsy glitch gone wrong. But then I subjected myself to the Acknowledgments where I confirmed the clear fact that this guy is just insufferable.
September 24, 2025
This was spectacularly cringy and boring. I hated all of it, but most of all the repetitive, run-on sentences and lack of punctuation. You're not quirky or clever, dude. Would not recommend attempting to suffer through this one.
Thanks to NetGalley and Author's Equity for the ARC.
Thanks to NetGalley and Author's Equity for the ARC.
hell-to-the-no
June 1, 2025for a writer with a history of using AI in his past books and still advocates for it, it's not a good look on you babes
April 29, 2025
Devon and Belle have wealth and privilege but the lives they lead give them everything with ease and now they are looking for something more. They attempt to throw the party to end all parties, full of debauchery, drugs, and it will turn out, death.
I found the writing style highly innovative but it didn't work for me personally. There were no quotations around the speech and lengthy, pages-long paragraphs were followed by line-long ones. I'm sure there are many readers who will find the literary merit here but I wasn't one of them and it only served to alienate me from the story.
The party that was mentioned in the official synopsis did not take centre stage, as I had presumed and instead much of the first half was spent lengthily introducing the couples who would attend and their various back-stories. I cared little and felt I was just waiting for the story to start. Once it did, I was hooked, but overall this just didn't work for me, unfortunately.
I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review Thank you to the author, James Frey, and the publisher, Swift Press, for this opportunity.
I found the writing style highly innovative but it didn't work for me personally. There were no quotations around the speech and lengthy, pages-long paragraphs were followed by line-long ones. I'm sure there are many readers who will find the literary merit here but I wasn't one of them and it only served to alienate me from the story.
The party that was mentioned in the official synopsis did not take centre stage, as I had presumed and instead much of the first half was spent lengthily introducing the couples who would attend and their various back-stories. I cared little and felt I was just waiting for the story to start. Once it did, I was hooked, but overall this just didn't work for me, unfortunately.
I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review Thank you to the author, James Frey, and the publisher, Swift Press, for this opportunity.
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