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Five Funerals
Jeff Somers, author of popular noir thriller The Electric Church, kicks the door in on the darkly whimsical and macabrely weird with Five Funerals: Choose Your Own Perilous Path—a book that looks at the tongue-in-cheek nihilism of Edward Gorey's The Gashlycrumb Tinies and asks, "What if these kids had a bit more life in them?" What emerges is a book you never knew you wanted to read but won't want to put down.
The graduating class of Bishop Carlbus Prep has a secret.
The Outing Party is a tradition at Bishop Carlbus, a semi-illicit party hosted by a senior student after the annual Outing, a weekend field trip taken by the graduating class every year. In 1995, Amy Keaton is determined to host a legendary Outing Party, but everything goes wrong. Her classmates are rude. Someone seems to be sabotaging her plans. And, as the night goes on, resentment and rage start driving everyone to extremes. The party spins out of control: by the next morning, Amy Keaton is dead, and twenty-five kids have a soul-crushing secret.
In 2015, six Bishop Carlbus Prep alumni—Victor, Kate, Leo, Titus, Ida, and Winnie—gather for the funeral of their old high school classmate Zillah. They soon realize that they are now the sole surviving members of the Class of 1995—everyone else who attended Amy Keaton's Outing Party is dead. And many of those deaths are bizarre and shocking. Sucked dry by leeches. Consumed by mice. Swept out to sea.
The survivors begin piecing together the events of the last two decades, and wonder: Is someone hunting them? Are they next?
And, maybe, do they deserve to be next?
The graduating class of Bishop Carlbus Prep has a secret.
The Outing Party is a tradition at Bishop Carlbus, a semi-illicit party hosted by a senior student after the annual Outing, a weekend field trip taken by the graduating class every year. In 1995, Amy Keaton is determined to host a legendary Outing Party, but everything goes wrong. Her classmates are rude. Someone seems to be sabotaging her plans. And, as the night goes on, resentment and rage start driving everyone to extremes. The party spins out of control: by the next morning, Amy Keaton is dead, and twenty-five kids have a soul-crushing secret.
In 2015, six Bishop Carlbus Prep alumni—Victor, Kate, Leo, Titus, Ida, and Winnie—gather for the funeral of their old high school classmate Zillah. They soon realize that they are now the sole surviving members of the Class of 1995—everyone else who attended Amy Keaton's Outing Party is dead. And many of those deaths are bizarre and shocking. Sucked dry by leeches. Consumed by mice. Swept out to sea.
The survivors begin piecing together the events of the last two decades, and wonder: Is someone hunting them? Are they next?
And, maybe, do they deserve to be next?
501 pages, Paperback
Published February 22, 2026
8 people are currently reading
125 people want to read
About the author
Jeff Somers
69 books353 followersJeff Somers (www.jeffreysomers.com) began writing by court order as an attempt to steer his creative impulses away from engineering genetic grotesqueries. He has published nine novels, including the Avery Cates Series of noir-science fiction novels from Orbit Books (www.avery-cates.com) and the Ustari Cycle series of urban fantasy novels. His short story “Ringing the Changes” was selected for inclusion in Best American Mystery Stories 2006, his story “Sift, Almost Invisible, Through” appeared in the anthology Crimes by Moonlight edited by Charlaine Harris, and his story “Three Cups of Tea” appeared in the anthology Hanzai Japan. He also writes about books for Barnes and Noble and About.com and about the craft of writing for Writer’s Digest, which will publish his book on the craft of writing Writing Without Rules in 2018. He lives in Hoboken with his wife, The Duchess, and their cats. He considers pants to always be optional.
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March 3, 2026
Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC of
Five Funerals.
The cover caught my eye since I'm a fan of Edward Gorey.
I had higher than average expectations that I would enjoy this, but alas, I did not.
Five Funerals attempts to blend dark humor with a dash of mortality that's similar to Edward Gorey's hilariously dark style in The Gashlycrumb Tinies.
The book uses the choose your own adventure concept and footnotes where readers can navigate various story paths of the students, now grownups, meeting bizarre fates.
Readers also get insight as to the adults current life circumstances, all of them pitiful and pathetic, woeful and wistful as they contemplate where their lives have taken such a depressing turn.
And it all leads to that fateful night of the Outing Party in which a classmate was discovered dead.
Rather than creating empathy or sympathy or even laughs, the tedious character backstories dragged the pacing of the narrative.
Instead of connecting with the characters, I thought all the adults were lame or sad.
What are the odds that all of them never got over what happened to The Outing Party?
Despite how much Amy was mocked and disrespected, all the characters allowed her death to ruin their lives.
Their bizarre deaths felt less like funny tributes or darkly comedic and more like a melancholy reminder that YOLO.
While the book tries to adopt a tongue-in-cheek nihilism, the humor often misses the mark.
The bizarre deaths could make you laugh but, to me, as I kept reading, it just made me sad.
The attempts at levity fall flat, making me question whether the book is a dark comedy or a somber meditation on mortality.
Maybe I'm not in the right mood for this, but I felt the theme was about the fragility of life and the inevitability of death, which could be a thoughtful message.
The repetitive exposition of each character's backstory dragged the narrative down; I didn't care about anyone or what happened to them.
This had the potential similar to Gorey and/or Tim Burton, but its reliance on tedious character backstories and monotonous footnotes (which got tiring to read fast) made you forget who was who and who died in what way.
I loved the illustrations; I wished there had been more.
The cover caught my eye since I'm a fan of Edward Gorey.
I had higher than average expectations that I would enjoy this, but alas, I did not.
Five Funerals attempts to blend dark humor with a dash of mortality that's similar to Edward Gorey's hilariously dark style in The Gashlycrumb Tinies.
The book uses the choose your own adventure concept and footnotes where readers can navigate various story paths of the students, now grownups, meeting bizarre fates.
Readers also get insight as to the adults current life circumstances, all of them pitiful and pathetic, woeful and wistful as they contemplate where their lives have taken such a depressing turn.
And it all leads to that fateful night of the Outing Party in which a classmate was discovered dead.
Rather than creating empathy or sympathy or even laughs, the tedious character backstories dragged the pacing of the narrative.
Instead of connecting with the characters, I thought all the adults were lame or sad.
What are the odds that all of them never got over what happened to The Outing Party?
Despite how much Amy was mocked and disrespected, all the characters allowed her death to ruin their lives.
Their bizarre deaths felt less like funny tributes or darkly comedic and more like a melancholy reminder that YOLO.
While the book tries to adopt a tongue-in-cheek nihilism, the humor often misses the mark.
The bizarre deaths could make you laugh but, to me, as I kept reading, it just made me sad.
The attempts at levity fall flat, making me question whether the book is a dark comedy or a somber meditation on mortality.
Maybe I'm not in the right mood for this, but I felt the theme was about the fragility of life and the inevitability of death, which could be a thoughtful message.
The repetitive exposition of each character's backstory dragged the narrative down; I didn't care about anyone or what happened to them.
This had the potential similar to Gorey and/or Tim Burton, but its reliance on tedious character backstories and monotonous footnotes (which got tiring to read fast) made you forget who was who and who died in what way.
I loved the illustrations; I wished there had been more.
March 10, 2026
this is perfect for fans of edward gorey, fans of dark comedy, fans of fun and interactive writing, and anyone with good taste. best book of the year so far, hands down!
January 5, 2026
I read an advanced copy on NetGalley and had so much fun! Darkly funny, Five Funerals plays with structure and allows the reader to enjoy the book in whatever suits them. A choose your own adventure but no matter where you go death is waiting.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Thank you to NetGalley for the early copy.
Five Funerals begins with a section entitled “How to Read This Novel.” Essentially, there are footnotes throughout the book that will send you to other parts of the book, which will then send you back to where you were. It is a strange sort of Choose Your Own Adventure, sending you off in different directions depending on your own reading style. For the sake of transparency, I chose to read this book front to back, and read the footnotes whenever they cropped up.
This is a tale about people dying, based loosely on The Gashlycrumb Tinies by Edward Gorey. Five old classmates show up at a funeral for another student from their class, and realize that they are the only ones left of Bishop Carlbus Prep’s Class of 1995. The book then becomes a showcase of all the classmates dying, interspersed with sections detailing the end-of-year outing party where a girl named Amy Keaton died under mysterious circumstances. The party sections end about half way through the book, probably with the expectation that you are jumping around. We never are actually told exactly what happened to Amy, and this lingering mystery sits right alongside Amy’s maybe-maybe-not-there ghost. Whatever happened, the class is irreversibly changed from the experience, and many of the deaths seem more intentional on their part then not.
What I really liked about this book, aside from the unique and horrid ways that many of these frankly nasty people died, was how it uses its format to address memory. A character will remember someone, then the footnote will direct you to that character’s death or a memory of that character before snapping you back to the present. We see the way that memories are brought up, and how it ruptures the straight forward flow of the narrative.
Memory is also used in how the class remembers the outing party from different perspectives and all have different rationalizations for what happened that night. Amy’s ghost, while again never completely confirmed to be a presence, is given power over these people through the strength of her memory. Bottles in the pool is a constant recurring image for many characters, as well as the song playing either over the boom box or through two students in a bad rock band, which adds to the power that these memories hold– they become real again to our characters. Finally, while there are some death chapters that are from the dying person’s perspective, several are presented as people remembering them, like an old college roommate telling the story or a eulogy at a funeral, using memory to try and bring understanding to their death or actions in life when these people know them.
I would recommend for you to read this book by jumping around, as opposed to reading it straight. I’m a bit sad that I missed the opportunity to do this. It showcases this major theme on a meta level that I haven’t seen captured like this in other books I’ve read. If you love a good murder, morbid humor (I’m pleased to report that this book made me laugh several times), or are the type of person to cheer in Friday the 13th when the rotten characters are killed, this is definitely the book for you.
Five Funerals begins with a section entitled “How to Read This Novel.” Essentially, there are footnotes throughout the book that will send you to other parts of the book, which will then send you back to where you were. It is a strange sort of Choose Your Own Adventure, sending you off in different directions depending on your own reading style. For the sake of transparency, I chose to read this book front to back, and read the footnotes whenever they cropped up.
This is a tale about people dying, based loosely on The Gashlycrumb Tinies by Edward Gorey. Five old classmates show up at a funeral for another student from their class, and realize that they are the only ones left of Bishop Carlbus Prep’s Class of 1995. The book then becomes a showcase of all the classmates dying, interspersed with sections detailing the end-of-year outing party where a girl named Amy Keaton died under mysterious circumstances. The party sections end about half way through the book, probably with the expectation that you are jumping around. We never are actually told exactly what happened to Amy, and this lingering mystery sits right alongside Amy’s maybe-maybe-not-there ghost. Whatever happened, the class is irreversibly changed from the experience, and many of the deaths seem more intentional on their part then not.
What I really liked about this book, aside from the unique and horrid ways that many of these frankly nasty people died, was how it uses its format to address memory. A character will remember someone, then the footnote will direct you to that character’s death or a memory of that character before snapping you back to the present. We see the way that memories are brought up, and how it ruptures the straight forward flow of the narrative.
Memory is also used in how the class remembers the outing party from different perspectives and all have different rationalizations for what happened that night. Amy’s ghost, while again never completely confirmed to be a presence, is given power over these people through the strength of her memory. Bottles in the pool is a constant recurring image for many characters, as well as the song playing either over the boom box or through two students in a bad rock band, which adds to the power that these memories hold– they become real again to our characters. Finally, while there are some death chapters that are from the dying person’s perspective, several are presented as people remembering them, like an old college roommate telling the story or a eulogy at a funeral, using memory to try and bring understanding to their death or actions in life when these people know them.
I would recommend for you to read this book by jumping around, as opposed to reading it straight. I’m a bit sad that I missed the opportunity to do this. It showcases this major theme on a meta level that I haven’t seen captured like this in other books I’ve read. If you love a good murder, morbid humor (I’m pleased to report that this book made me laugh several times), or are the type of person to cheer in Friday the 13th when the rotten characters are killed, this is definitely the book for you.
February 5, 2026
**ARC Review**
As someone who has spent a lot of time staring at a poster of the Gashlycrumb Tinies, I was intrigued by the idea of a modern adaptation of the 1963 illustrated book by Edward Gorey. The original is an illustrated book chronicling the deaths of 26 children who die in increasingly surprising ways. One kid dies by awl (a wood/leather work tool - think knife stick), one is smothered under a rug, eaten by mice, etc. Sommers does a really good job of weaving together a narrative inspired by the Tinies. The backstory is a high school party for seniors from an elite prep school where the hostess winds up dead at the bottom of the stairs (not a spoiler - you learn this within pages of the beginning). Each character has their own story and the book is set up similar to a choose-your-own adventure.
Admittedly, I hated that type of book growing up because I like linear storytelling and choosing between two options stressed me out. HOWEVER, I have come to like non-linear storytelling more as I’ve aged. This book doesn’t propose a choice between alternatives; you just have the option of flipping back and forth between footnotes and character stories. Each footnote is either commentary about the scene/character or a redirect to the individual story of the character’s death. The stories occur between the end of high school and the mid-2010s when the senior class is dwindling to single digits.
I read this in digital format and I had trouble keeping track of what page I was on before I flipped to the relevant story because they are not cross referenced both ways so it was a little hard to get used to at first. I’d lose my place and have to go back to my estimated location and scroll to find my place. The kindle format did let me click each footnote and open it as a separate window while the printed book (I imagine) would have them at the end of the chapter. The kindle version also had them at the end but I liked being able to stop and click the footnote and see the pop up. I think it’d be easier to keep track of your place in a print copy but after the fact, I realized I could’ve just bookmarked the last page and gone back to it. Oops.
I like the macabre theme of the book and trying to figure out if these unlikeable characters died in freak accidents or if they were being targeted by a vengeful spirit. Each death was creative and felt like a very accurate embellishment of the original Tinies which were usually 1-2 sentences per character. I really enjoyed this and highly recommend.
As someone who has spent a lot of time staring at a poster of the Gashlycrumb Tinies, I was intrigued by the idea of a modern adaptation of the 1963 illustrated book by Edward Gorey. The original is an illustrated book chronicling the deaths of 26 children who die in increasingly surprising ways. One kid dies by awl (a wood/leather work tool - think knife stick), one is smothered under a rug, eaten by mice, etc. Sommers does a really good job of weaving together a narrative inspired by the Tinies. The backstory is a high school party for seniors from an elite prep school where the hostess winds up dead at the bottom of the stairs (not a spoiler - you learn this within pages of the beginning). Each character has their own story and the book is set up similar to a choose-your-own adventure.
Admittedly, I hated that type of book growing up because I like linear storytelling and choosing between two options stressed me out. HOWEVER, I have come to like non-linear storytelling more as I’ve aged. This book doesn’t propose a choice between alternatives; you just have the option of flipping back and forth between footnotes and character stories. Each footnote is either commentary about the scene/character or a redirect to the individual story of the character’s death. The stories occur between the end of high school and the mid-2010s when the senior class is dwindling to single digits.
I read this in digital format and I had trouble keeping track of what page I was on before I flipped to the relevant story because they are not cross referenced both ways so it was a little hard to get used to at first. I’d lose my place and have to go back to my estimated location and scroll to find my place. The kindle format did let me click each footnote and open it as a separate window while the printed book (I imagine) would have them at the end of the chapter. The kindle version also had them at the end but I liked being able to stop and click the footnote and see the pop up. I think it’d be easier to keep track of your place in a print copy but after the fact, I realized I could’ve just bookmarked the last page and gone back to it. Oops.
I like the macabre theme of the book and trying to figure out if these unlikeable characters died in freak accidents or if they were being targeted by a vengeful spirit. Each death was creative and felt like a very accurate embellishment of the original Tinies which were usually 1-2 sentences per character. I really enjoyed this and highly recommend.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
5 ⭐️
📖 Read as an e-book
“A is for Amy who fell down the stairs. B is for Basil assaulted by bears. C is for Clara who wasted away. D is for Desmond thrown out of a sleigh…”
🪝 A darkly macabre, “choose-your-own-perilous-path” book inspired by artist Edward Gorey’s The Gashlycrumb Tinies. This novel reimagines the A-Z of untimely deaths and links each person together with a shared secret that happened during a HS graduation party 20 years prior.
💙 What I Liked:
I literally want to shout from the rooftops about how FUN this book was!! It’s like a choose your own adventure for adults, with horror elements and enough interactivity to keep you wanting more! The author says you can read this however you choose, but I started at the beginning and jumped back and forth with each footnote that directed me to another chapter.
As you navigate through this book, you begin to understand the underlying story that connects each of our 26 characters, and how they continue to be haunted by it even after 20 years have passed. Every so often a new character’s name will pop up with a footnote that directs you to another chapter, which will then reveal the story of how they met their gruesome end.
This book was an absolute blast to navigate through!! I read it on my iPad, which allowed me to easily bookmark the page I was on and jump to another chapter. I imagine it would be just as easy with a physical copy. I loved the story, and adored how the author creatively interpreted each of the Gashlycrumb Tinies deaths to fit his own narrative.
💔 What Could’ve Been Better:
If I had to find a critique, it would be that some chapters could have been shorter. I think bits and pieces began to feel like filler, especially with such a big cast of characters.
🧐 Overall Thoughts:
Jeff Somers does a fantastic job of weaving a story that has mystery, horror, and humor all rolled into one. This is one of the few books that I genuinely wished would not end! It was so much fun reading a bit more of the plot and then seeing a footnote that sent me on another journey to see how our next doomed character would kick the bucket.
This book needs to be on everyone’s radar! It was unique and fun, and I can’t recommend this one enough!
~ Thank you to NetGalley and Ruadan Books for providing me with this ARC in exchange for an honest review! 📚 ~
📖 Read as an e-book
“A is for Amy who fell down the stairs. B is for Basil assaulted by bears. C is for Clara who wasted away. D is for Desmond thrown out of a sleigh…”
🪝 A darkly macabre, “choose-your-own-perilous-path” book inspired by artist Edward Gorey’s The Gashlycrumb Tinies. This novel reimagines the A-Z of untimely deaths and links each person together with a shared secret that happened during a HS graduation party 20 years prior.
💙 What I Liked:
I literally want to shout from the rooftops about how FUN this book was!! It’s like a choose your own adventure for adults, with horror elements and enough interactivity to keep you wanting more! The author says you can read this however you choose, but I started at the beginning and jumped back and forth with each footnote that directed me to another chapter.
As you navigate through this book, you begin to understand the underlying story that connects each of our 26 characters, and how they continue to be haunted by it even after 20 years have passed. Every so often a new character’s name will pop up with a footnote that directs you to another chapter, which will then reveal the story of how they met their gruesome end.
This book was an absolute blast to navigate through!! I read it on my iPad, which allowed me to easily bookmark the page I was on and jump to another chapter. I imagine it would be just as easy with a physical copy. I loved the story, and adored how the author creatively interpreted each of the Gashlycrumb Tinies deaths to fit his own narrative.
💔 What Could’ve Been Better:
If I had to find a critique, it would be that some chapters could have been shorter. I think bits and pieces began to feel like filler, especially with such a big cast of characters.
🧐 Overall Thoughts:
Jeff Somers does a fantastic job of weaving a story that has mystery, horror, and humor all rolled into one. This is one of the few books that I genuinely wished would not end! It was so much fun reading a bit more of the plot and then seeing a footnote that sent me on another journey to see how our next doomed character would kick the bucket.
This book needs to be on everyone’s radar! It was unique and fun, and I can’t recommend this one enough!
~ Thank you to NetGalley and Ruadan Books for providing me with this ARC in exchange for an honest review! 📚 ~
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
~~ARC Review~~
First thank you to NetGallery for the Advance copy! It was a pleasure to read this before publishing!
I absolutely loved the concept of this book, it sounded so moody and mysterious. Somers does a great job of creating unique character voices, and keeps humor throughout this dark-themed book. By giving readers the flexibility to read this in whatever order they saw fit, he creates a completely new reading experience. That being said, I am only like 79% sure that I read the whole book.
I thought a few of the footnotes were entertaining, but found myself rolling my eyes when I had to stop mid paragraph and go read another chapter to get the context. I see influences from cult classics like Good Omens, but I didn't really like when Good Omens did the footnote thing, either. I give it points for playing with form for sure. I think the overall structure could have a better flow, and of course this is taking into account the fact that the author outright says you can read it in any order. It is almost a choose-your-own-adventure book! Which to me, interrupts the flow, but can be a vibe if that is what you are looking for.
I wanted to see the remaining characters' reactions to realizing they were the last five. I wanted to see their investigations and theories. Instead, we got more outlandish (though funny) ways to die.
My biggest gripe is that there were just so many characters. I like the influence of the alphabet etc., but it didn't have to stay at 26 characters. It made it hard to remember who did what, who had a wild death and who just had a weird one (not really a spoiler as the premise is all about death...). Plus, with so many characters in a relatively short book, we can't dive really far into the story of each one. I really wanted to love this book, but overall because of the emphasis on expanse rather than depth, it fell short of amazing.
I do think that this could have done with a last round of editing, I found a few small grammar errors. A minor annoyance that took me out, as well as a couple being named Regina and George, which just gave too much Mean Girls.
Overall, if you're in the mood for a dark choose your own adventure, with some of the strangest deaths you can laugh about, pick this up!
First thank you to NetGallery for the Advance copy! It was a pleasure to read this before publishing!
I absolutely loved the concept of this book, it sounded so moody and mysterious. Somers does a great job of creating unique character voices, and keeps humor throughout this dark-themed book. By giving readers the flexibility to read this in whatever order they saw fit, he creates a completely new reading experience. That being said, I am only like 79% sure that I read the whole book.
I thought a few of the footnotes were entertaining, but found myself rolling my eyes when I had to stop mid paragraph and go read another chapter to get the context. I see influences from cult classics like Good Omens, but I didn't really like when Good Omens did the footnote thing, either. I give it points for playing with form for sure. I think the overall structure could have a better flow, and of course this is taking into account the fact that the author outright says you can read it in any order. It is almost a choose-your-own-adventure book! Which to me, interrupts the flow, but can be a vibe if that is what you are looking for.
I wanted to see the remaining characters' reactions to realizing they were the last five. I wanted to see their investigations and theories. Instead, we got more outlandish (though funny) ways to die.
My biggest gripe is that there were just so many characters. I like the influence of the alphabet etc., but it didn't have to stay at 26 characters. It made it hard to remember who did what, who had a wild death and who just had a weird one (not really a spoiler as the premise is all about death...). Plus, with so many characters in a relatively short book, we can't dive really far into the story of each one. I really wanted to love this book, but overall because of the emphasis on expanse rather than depth, it fell short of amazing.
I do think that this could have done with a last round of editing, I found a few small grammar errors. A minor annoyance that took me out, as well as a couple being named Regina and George, which just gave too much Mean Girls.
Overall, if you're in the mood for a dark choose your own adventure, with some of the strangest deaths you can laugh about, pick this up!
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Thank you to NetGalley and Ruadán Books for the digital advance reader copy.
If you know and love Edward Gorey's Gashlycrumb Tinies, you won't be able to resist this book.
At the final senior party at their tony prep school, Amy falls down the stairs and dies. How? Who? Why?
The other twenty-five students continue on with their lives, but are they cursed? Over the next twenty or so years, they all die in strange ways.
The book allows you to read straight through what happened at the party and then what happened to each of the students as adults OR you can start to read and then use the footnotes to skip to that student's tragic ending story and then pop back to the main story when done with that student.
I chose to do the skip-around method, and I think I would prefer it that way. Each person's story gives hints as to what may have happened to Amy, and by reading it this way, I didn't know exactly what happened to Amy until the very end.
Somers' experience as a short story author is strongly apparent here, as he managed to make me invested in each of the Tiny's stories within the first page of each. He knows how to drop you right into the action and emotion and motivation of each character quickly.
How to characterize this book? It's much like Gorey's Tinies . . . horrifying, but darkly humorous, too, because who thinks of children dying in such gothic ways?
As Somers' adults, the Tinies are now haunted creatures, some deservedly so and some tragically so.
There's a definite hint at a possible supernatural cause behind the deaths, but mostly it's all about the Tinies - who they became, how they handled guilt, and how they faced their end.
It's a strangely sad book, and the humor that is there is very dark.
It's a bit bleak - much like Gorey's Tinies.
For those who want something different.
*language, graphic violence, substance abuse, disordered eating, suicide and self-harm, sexual references
If you know and love Edward Gorey's Gashlycrumb Tinies, you won't be able to resist this book.
At the final senior party at their tony prep school, Amy falls down the stairs and dies. How? Who? Why?
The other twenty-five students continue on with their lives, but are they cursed? Over the next twenty or so years, they all die in strange ways.
The book allows you to read straight through what happened at the party and then what happened to each of the students as adults OR you can start to read and then use the footnotes to skip to that student's tragic ending story and then pop back to the main story when done with that student.
I chose to do the skip-around method, and I think I would prefer it that way. Each person's story gives hints as to what may have happened to Amy, and by reading it this way, I didn't know exactly what happened to Amy until the very end.
Somers' experience as a short story author is strongly apparent here, as he managed to make me invested in each of the Tiny's stories within the first page of each. He knows how to drop you right into the action and emotion and motivation of each character quickly.
How to characterize this book? It's much like Gorey's Tinies . . . horrifying, but darkly humorous, too, because who thinks of children dying in such gothic ways?
As Somers' adults, the Tinies are now haunted creatures, some deservedly so and some tragically so.
There's a definite hint at a possible supernatural cause behind the deaths, but mostly it's all about the Tinies - who they became, how they handled guilt, and how they faced their end.
It's a strangely sad book, and the humor that is there is very dark.
It's a bit bleak - much like Gorey's Tinies.
For those who want something different.
*language, graphic violence, substance abuse, disordered eating, suicide and self-harm, sexual references
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Five Funerals by Jeff Somers
Rating : 4.5 ⭐ rounded up
Format : eBook 💻
Pages : 501
Duration : 9 Days
---------------
Five Funerals, no it's not a straight to video sewual to Four Weddings and a Funeral, though that would be quite funny, no this dark, whimsical, macabre but hilarious create your story of a turning out party gone wrong.
We follow the 25 members of Bishop Caribus Preps graduating class as they attend Amy Keaton's Outing Party where a suitably funny yet tragic death has knocked on effects that reverberates around the (not for long) remaining students.
I normally don't do spoilers and I'm not really going to do so now, however these deaths, though tragic are pretty damn funny. Getting stuck in mud, gorging yourself silly for internet views and ripped apart by bears. Ok maybe not funny as such but these are 25 borderline douchebags and in some cases deserve it, plus they are made up so that's fine right?!?
Some personal stories/accounts of death are tragic, some deserved, some hilarious and some just sad, but no matter what it had me hooked wanting to know what happened to Zillla, the Twins, Kate and the rest.
There is a thought that there is potentially too many characters and the book potentially carries on slightly too long and with the create your own story element making the story slightly disjointed, however this is more than likely my fault as I read from cover to cover (reading all the hilarious footnotes)
But this book will stay on in my mind for a long time, a macabre death crossing my mind and making me smile, maybe I need help
Except Maud Bluth, I'm glad she died
Thank you to Netgalley & Rudan Books for the Advanced Review Copy of this book, though I am grateful for the ARC the words above are my own
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You can find more reviews on my blog here : https://bookshelf018.wordpress.com/
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Rating : 4.5 ⭐ rounded up
Format : eBook 💻
Pages : 501
Duration : 9 Days
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Five Funerals, no it's not a straight to video sewual to Four Weddings and a Funeral, though that would be quite funny, no this dark, whimsical, macabre but hilarious create your story of a turning out party gone wrong.
We follow the 25 members of Bishop Caribus Preps graduating class as they attend Amy Keaton's Outing Party where a suitably funny yet tragic death has knocked on effects that reverberates around the (not for long) remaining students.
I normally don't do spoilers and I'm not really going to do so now, however these deaths, though tragic are pretty damn funny. Getting stuck in mud, gorging yourself silly for internet views and ripped apart by bears. Ok maybe not funny as such but these are 25 borderline douchebags and in some cases deserve it, plus they are made up so that's fine right?!?
Some personal stories/accounts of death are tragic, some deserved, some hilarious and some just sad, but no matter what it had me hooked wanting to know what happened to Zillla, the Twins, Kate and the rest.
There is a thought that there is potentially too many characters and the book potentially carries on slightly too long and with the create your own story element making the story slightly disjointed, however this is more than likely my fault as I read from cover to cover (reading all the hilarious footnotes)
But this book will stay on in my mind for a long time, a macabre death crossing my mind and making me smile, maybe I need help
Except Maud Bluth, I'm glad she died
Thank you to Netgalley & Rudan Books for the Advanced Review Copy of this book, though I am grateful for the ARC the words above are my own
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You can find more reviews on my blog here : https://bookshelf018.wordpress.com/
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Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
In Five Funerals, Jeff Somers takes terrific liberties with Edward Gorey’s Gashlycrumb Tinies, and the result is a dark, funny meander through the kind of fiction a reader such as myself pines for on lengthy nighttime train journeys. This is a mystery wearing the clothes of other genres: eighties horror movies, tell alls, punk songs.
The required familiarity with Gorey’s brief alphabet book in which 26 children meet unpleasant ends, isn’t a problem. It’s easily available and takes only a moment to read, but Five Funerals has a target audience that is familiar with Gorey, and those who don’t like Edward Gorey won’t enjoy this novel.
There’s not a lot to say about Somers’ style: it’s readable, not as coy as I’d expected when I read the summary of the book, and he clearly gets Gorey. I found the “choose your own adventure” feel to the traveling-via-footnotes structure irritating after a while and had I been reading on paper I might have given the book a less favorable review; on an e-reader they weren’t an impediment to immersion in the story, but for a reader who works 45-50 hours a week and has limited free time, I don’t like the feeling of going over a novel repeatedly to make sure I haven’t missed out on anything (as a kid this was also my problem with choose your own adventure stories). This book can be read straight through, by the way: I played around with the footnotes on my first run through and then tried reading it straightly.
For readers who delight in Edward Gorey, this is an enjoyable “wish I’d thought of it first!” kind of read. I will definitely look for a print copy and look forward to recommending it to friends.
I received an advance digital copy of this novel via NetGalley in exchange for this honest review.
The required familiarity with Gorey’s brief alphabet book in which 26 children meet unpleasant ends, isn’t a problem. It’s easily available and takes only a moment to read, but Five Funerals has a target audience that is familiar with Gorey, and those who don’t like Edward Gorey won’t enjoy this novel.
There’s not a lot to say about Somers’ style: it’s readable, not as coy as I’d expected when I read the summary of the book, and he clearly gets Gorey. I found the “choose your own adventure” feel to the traveling-via-footnotes structure irritating after a while and had I been reading on paper I might have given the book a less favorable review; on an e-reader they weren’t an impediment to immersion in the story, but for a reader who works 45-50 hours a week and has limited free time, I don’t like the feeling of going over a novel repeatedly to make sure I haven’t missed out on anything (as a kid this was also my problem with choose your own adventure stories). This book can be read straight through, by the way: I played around with the footnotes on my first run through and then tried reading it straightly.
For readers who delight in Edward Gorey, this is an enjoyable “wish I’d thought of it first!” kind of read. I will definitely look for a print copy and look forward to recommending it to friends.
I received an advance digital copy of this novel via NetGalley in exchange for this honest review.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Thank you Ruadán books and NetGalley for this arc in exchange for an honest review. A dark diamond in the rough. Told with gritty, unflinching realness this novel brings to light who we really are and how the events in our life shape us, remake us, and break us. But we are all the same in that death comes for us all. It is riddled with hilarious footnotes, great wordplay, and characters so real I thought they would physically reach out of the book and pull me in. The amount of characters did not deter me and found the flow of the book fun and different, because I haven't read a "choose your own adventure" since I was a child.
These stories are not for the faint of heart, if the warning at the beginning about death, addiction, suicide, etc is any indication. But the world is a gruesome place filled with people who have been through things (and deaths) you couldn't possibly have imagined. Now, did I imagine one of those scenarios would be a flashback to the first main character working out her brother-in-law's death while her sister passed out on the couch from too much partying? No, but it was refreshing to read as a lover of the macabre in literature.
If you love an urban backdrop, genuine characters (a lot of them), and a story with ultimate re-readability that doesn't shy away from death and the hardships of life then this one is for you! I'll certainly need more than one gin with a twist to recover from the roller-coaster ride that is "Five Funerals".
These stories are not for the faint of heart, if the warning at the beginning about death, addiction, suicide, etc is any indication. But the world is a gruesome place filled with people who have been through things (and deaths) you couldn't possibly have imagined. Now, did I imagine one of those scenarios would be a flashback to the first main character working out her brother-in-law's death while her sister passed out on the couch from too much partying? No, but it was refreshing to read as a lover of the macabre in literature.
If you love an urban backdrop, genuine characters (a lot of them), and a story with ultimate re-readability that doesn't shy away from death and the hardships of life then this one is for you! I'll certainly need more than one gin with a twist to recover from the roller-coaster ride that is "Five Funerals".
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Thank you NetGalley for the Review Copy!
The premise of this book is that six alumni attend a funeral for one of their former classmates and realize they are the only people left from their graduating high school class. Are they being hunted by someone? Are they being haunted by the spirit of the girl who died at their final senior party? On the surface it's an insanely clever book, taking the well loved simple story of the Gashlycrumb Tinies and making them real life flawed people who still succumb to their Gorey fate but in a new way.
In practice, this book feels meant to be read on an e-reader due to it's reliance on footnotes. The book wants you to skip around putting space between the five funerals of the ones who are left. If you elect not to do that, as I did, you are left with a very very long second half of the book where nothing of "plot" importance happens. The Introduction says there is no wrong way to read the book but I would disagree. You need to read it as "intended" by following the footnotes and reading each alumni in "order" they are discussed by the remaining six people.
If this sounds confusing, it is. Which is tragic because I loved the writing style, I liked how he made each of the characters feel different, which is insane considering how many times the POVs change. I like the mystery of what happened. I like so many parts of the book but the execution just left me staring at the percentage left on my kindle willing it to change.
The premise of this book is that six alumni attend a funeral for one of their former classmates and realize they are the only people left from their graduating high school class. Are they being hunted by someone? Are they being haunted by the spirit of the girl who died at their final senior party? On the surface it's an insanely clever book, taking the well loved simple story of the Gashlycrumb Tinies and making them real life flawed people who still succumb to their Gorey fate but in a new way.
In practice, this book feels meant to be read on an e-reader due to it's reliance on footnotes. The book wants you to skip around putting space between the five funerals of the ones who are left. If you elect not to do that, as I did, you are left with a very very long second half of the book where nothing of "plot" importance happens. The Introduction says there is no wrong way to read the book but I would disagree. You need to read it as "intended" by following the footnotes and reading each alumni in "order" they are discussed by the remaining six people.
If this sounds confusing, it is. Which is tragic because I loved the writing style, I liked how he made each of the characters feel different, which is insane considering how many times the POVs change. I like the mystery of what happened. I like so many parts of the book but the execution just left me staring at the percentage left on my kindle willing it to change.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
This one is dark, clever, and twisted.
Five Funerals is inspired by Edward Gorey’s The Gashlycrumb Tinies. Admittedly, I hadn’t read it before picking this up and that was actually okay. The Gashlycrumb Tinies is essentially a dark ABC book in which 26 children meet untimely ends. Jeff Somers takes it a step further, expanding the idea and creating a larger narrative around these characters.
The senior class at Bishop Carlbus Prep holds a year-end party where Amy Keaton winds up dead. Fast forward 10 years, and many of the remaining 25 party attendees have also died and in strange ways. While The Gashlycrumb Tinies simply states how each one dies, Five Funerals lays out the circumstances surrounding those deaths.
In the introduction, Somers explains that you should read until you reach a footnote directing you to another section, then follow that path and so on. Unfortunately, this was hopelessly impractical with a digital copy, so I read straight through, and my rating reflects that experience.
I found the book to be grim but also genuinely funny. It lends itself well to multiple reads, and I can absolutely see myself picking up a print copy to experience it as designed. My one negative was wanting a stronger sense of finality though that may be a lot to ask from a choose-your-own-path structure. Regardless, I’d read more from this author.
3.5 stars
Thank you to NetGalley and Ruadan Books for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.
Five Funerals is inspired by Edward Gorey’s The Gashlycrumb Tinies. Admittedly, I hadn’t read it before picking this up and that was actually okay. The Gashlycrumb Tinies is essentially a dark ABC book in which 26 children meet untimely ends. Jeff Somers takes it a step further, expanding the idea and creating a larger narrative around these characters.
The senior class at Bishop Carlbus Prep holds a year-end party where Amy Keaton winds up dead. Fast forward 10 years, and many of the remaining 25 party attendees have also died and in strange ways. While The Gashlycrumb Tinies simply states how each one dies, Five Funerals lays out the circumstances surrounding those deaths.
In the introduction, Somers explains that you should read until you reach a footnote directing you to another section, then follow that path and so on. Unfortunately, this was hopelessly impractical with a digital copy, so I read straight through, and my rating reflects that experience.
I found the book to be grim but also genuinely funny. It lends itself well to multiple reads, and I can absolutely see myself picking up a print copy to experience it as designed. My one negative was wanting a stronger sense of finality though that may be a lot to ask from a choose-your-own-path structure. Regardless, I’d read more from this author.
3.5 stars
Thank you to NetGalley and Ruadan Books for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.
February 25, 2026
I'd forgotten the premise of this one, and that made it an absolute joy when I realized what was going on. The delight I experienced at death was a bit hilarious. Anyway...I enjoyed this a lot, but I made the mistake of not reading it in the footnote order. That means I ended up with what felt like a Very Long back-half of a book. These are all the different deaths, so they aren't uninteresting and the writing voice remains engaging and clever, but it's not the same as it would be if I'd jumped around. I think jumping around would be easier, for me at least, with a physical copy of the book. YMMV.
A tragedy occurred in the shared past of each of the 25 characters. This tragedy has haunted them since, and appears to be stalking them as they each die in bizarre ways at a young age. As the book unfolds, the reader learns bits and pieces from different perspectives of the past tragedy until it's all resolved in one go.
This would make a wonderful movie--like Burton and Anderson had a gothic baby.
Thank you to NetGalley and Ruadán Books for the e-arc in exchange for an honest review.
A tragedy occurred in the shared past of each of the 25 characters. This tragedy has haunted them since, and appears to be stalking them as they each die in bizarre ways at a young age. As the book unfolds, the reader learns bits and pieces from different perspectives of the past tragedy until it's all resolved in one go.
This would make a wonderful movie--like Burton and Anderson had a gothic baby.
Thank you to NetGalley and Ruadán Books for the e-arc in exchange for an honest review.
February 27, 2026
Five Funerals tells the story of a high school alumni class where the grads keep dying in mysterious ways. The book is structured to allow additional exploration of what exactly happened to all 26 alumni, if the reader wishes, that are not mandatory to the main plot.
I always say I want a new and original plot, but Five Funerals perhaps tries to shove too many innovations into one book. Just an adult choose your own path idea is brilliant. People dying in imaginative ways in a homage to Gorey’s gory A to Z Gashlycrumb Tinies is also a great idea. Even having a graduation party go horribly wrong, though not very innovative, works. However, shoving all of them into one overly long book is not a good idea. I got bored. Plus, the whole idea of children’s choose your own path books is not that you return back to the main story. That is how footnotes work—not paths.
So, while I didn’t enjoy Five Funerals as much as I expected, many readers may like it a lot. I will split the difference and rate it 3 stars.
Thanks to NetGalley and Ruadan Books for providing me with an advanced review copy.
I always say I want a new and original plot, but Five Funerals perhaps tries to shove too many innovations into one book. Just an adult choose your own path idea is brilliant. People dying in imaginative ways in a homage to Gorey’s gory A to Z Gashlycrumb Tinies is also a great idea. Even having a graduation party go horribly wrong, though not very innovative, works. However, shoving all of them into one overly long book is not a good idea. I got bored. Plus, the whole idea of children’s choose your own path books is not that you return back to the main story. That is how footnotes work—not paths.
So, while I didn’t enjoy Five Funerals as much as I expected, many readers may like it a lot. I will split the difference and rate it 3 stars.
Thanks to NetGalley and Ruadan Books for providing me with an advanced review copy.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
I've loved The Gashlycrumb Tinies forever and was fascinated by the idea of this novel. I read it as recommended (following each path as it arrives) and kept my copy of the Gorey book nearby the whole time. This is how I suggest reading Five Funerals, actually. Familiarity with The Gashlycrumb Tinies isn't necessary by any means, but it did enhance my reading experience a lot. Somers doesn't veer from even the strangest demise
Edward Gorey cooked up.
The structure of the novel really replicates the way strands of details and digressions weave their way into stories and memories as we're telling them or recalling them. If you've ever reminisced with a small group about the people you all used to know, the way Five Funerals functions will be familiar.
If you're looking for a bit of absurdity mixed in with some really poignant reflections on friendship and loneliness, and you enjoy rabbit holes and footnotes, I highly recommend Five Funerals. I finished the ARC and then preordered the book.
Reading tip: Have more than one bookmark handy.
Edward Gorey cooked up.
The structure of the novel really replicates the way strands of details and digressions weave their way into stories and memories as we're telling them or recalling them. If you've ever reminisced with a small group about the people you all used to know, the way Five Funerals functions will be familiar.
If you're looking for a bit of absurdity mixed in with some really poignant reflections on friendship and loneliness, and you enjoy rabbit holes and footnotes, I highly recommend Five Funerals. I finished the ARC and then preordered the book.
Reading tip: Have more than one bookmark handy.
January 31, 2026
Thanks NetGalley for an ARC opportunity! This is a macabre and dark humor story of 5 high school friends who reconnect over a series of funerals.
The style of writing is engaging with a variety of perspectives in each single story. The first half of the book follows the 5, and the remainder is a series of stories of each of other deaths referenced. Footnotes are used to connect the main story to the side tales, and that was hard to follow in a digital copy.
I enjoyed the macabre story of death and themes explored. The book reads as a series of character studies revealing how people respond to a traumatic event as well as aging. I wonder if interspersing the individual death stories within the narrative of the first 5 people would change the pace and experience of reading the story.
Overall, If you enjoy dark humor and reflecting on the human experience of mortality and traumas, you may well enjoy this book.
The style of writing is engaging with a variety of perspectives in each single story. The first half of the book follows the 5, and the remainder is a series of stories of each of other deaths referenced. Footnotes are used to connect the main story to the side tales, and that was hard to follow in a digital copy.
I enjoyed the macabre story of death and themes explored. The book reads as a series of character studies revealing how people respond to a traumatic event as well as aging. I wonder if interspersing the individual death stories within the narrative of the first 5 people would change the pace and experience of reading the story.
Overall, If you enjoy dark humor and reflecting on the human experience of mortality and traumas, you may well enjoy this book.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Big Gorey fan since childhood here, and generally a fan of tales that are a bit experimental. This worked for me, but I can imagine there are a lot of people for whom it won't. It's callous in ways, although that's because the characters are callous - I don't get the impression that the author is, or that the message is a callous one, and that's important to me. I very much enjoyed all the different ways that stories could be told - I am a fan of epistolary stories and fiction told as oral history, and this slots into those categories and more. It probably helps that the "and more" are things I'm familiar with - the art scene, coverage of underground music, etc - so I felt very at home.
I will almost certainly be getting this for my mother, who introduced me to Edward Gorey, Charles Addams, and the other weird authors in life. Mother's Day is coming up.
I received an election ARC of this book from the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
I will almost certainly be getting this for my mother, who introduced me to Edward Gorey, Charles Addams, and the other weird authors in life. Mother's Day is coming up.
I received an election ARC of this book from the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
January 19, 2026
Five Funerals by Jeff Somers is a brilliant premise rendered in an adequate way. Somers has taken the unfortunate child victims of Edward Gorey’s The Gashlycrumb Tinies and made them into fully-realized, often horribly-flawed people, who may or may not live under a curse. The conceit is that the novel may be read straight through or, using links/directions in the footnotes, like a choose-your-own-adventure style book. There were parts that were wickedly funny and others that were wickedly dull (and arguably too long, honestly). There is also a tonal issue: is this novel meant to be sarcastic and irreverent or reverently solemn? Ultimately, I enjoyed the concept, most of the stories/vignettes, and the writing is top notch overall. Thank you to the publishers and NetGalley for allowing me to preview this book.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Five Funerals is an unapologetically weird and quirky story, which I genuinely enjoyed. It leans into its strangeness with confidence, creating a dark, offbeat reading experience that feels very unique.
At times, I felt like there was a lot happening, with many characters to keep up with. I occasionally found myself trying to piece together who was who and which thread I was following.
What really stood out to me was the way the story can be read in a variety of ways. I chose to read it front to back, but I couldn’t help wondering what the experience would have been like if I had followed the footnotes instead — it’s such a clever and unusual concept.
Overall, this was an interesting and creative read, and I think readers who enjoy darker humour and unconventional storytelling will appreciate this book.
At times, I felt like there was a lot happening, with many characters to keep up with. I occasionally found myself trying to piece together who was who and which thread I was following.
What really stood out to me was the way the story can be read in a variety of ways. I chose to read it front to back, but I couldn’t help wondering what the experience would have been like if I had followed the footnotes instead — it’s such a clever and unusual concept.
Overall, this was an interesting and creative read, and I think readers who enjoy darker humour and unconventional storytelling will appreciate this book.
February 15, 2026
This was unlike anything I have read before. Five Funerals is like a choose your own adventure and a series of short stories rolled into one that come together to depict a series of half lived lives following a high school tragedy.
Morbid, depressing, funny and unique, this book was a redressing take on a noir mystery. Leaving you with more questions than answers, Somers’ writing draws you in to each character while simultaneously demanding you don’t form any character attachments.
The only issue with this book is that because you don’t have the ability to get attached to characters, it did feel like there were two or three too many tales of demise, and culling the character list slightly would have made for a tighter more engrossing story.
Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC copy in exchange for an honest review.
Morbid, depressing, funny and unique, this book was a redressing take on a noir mystery. Leaving you with more questions than answers, Somers’ writing draws you in to each character while simultaneously demanding you don’t form any character attachments.
The only issue with this book is that because you don’t have the ability to get attached to characters, it did feel like there were two or three too many tales of demise, and culling the character list slightly would have made for a tighter more engrossing story.
Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC copy in exchange for an honest review.
February 18, 2026
*Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read and review this ARC. All opinions are my own.*
3,5/5 ★
Bound by the events that took place at The Party, this class carries on with their lives, until, one by one, —and in circumstances that may remind readers of the uniquely eerie deaths seen in media like the Final Destination movies—, they meet their own demise. Are they cursed by what happened that night? Or are these deaths merely cruel coincidences?
The author invites multiple ways to experience the story. I’d recommend flipping back and forth whenever the narrative hints at it. In my humble opinion, it makes the reading experience feel more layered and complete.
Macabre and delightful all at once, this book keeps you turning the pages, eager to see who —or what— comes next.
3,5/5 ★
Bound by the events that took place at The Party, this class carries on with their lives, until, one by one, —and in circumstances that may remind readers of the uniquely eerie deaths seen in media like the Final Destination movies—, they meet their own demise. Are they cursed by what happened that night? Or are these deaths merely cruel coincidences?
The author invites multiple ways to experience the story. I’d recommend flipping back and forth whenever the narrative hints at it. In my humble opinion, it makes the reading experience feel more layered and complete.
Macabre and delightful all at once, this book keeps you turning the pages, eager to see who —or what— comes next.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
3.5 ⭐
Drawn in by the cover. Stuck around for the dark humor.
Oh, and the unusual way the book was written. Been a long while since I chose my own adventure.
It's probably wrong to find so much death funny, but honestly some of the ridiculous ways these people died, you can't help but chuckle to yourself.
I enjoyed the back and forth in time, revealing more as we went on, as to exactly what did happen at that party.
I found this too be an incredibly fun book, and it's one I'll be buying a few times just for gifting something a bit different.
Thanks to netgalley for the free digital copy.
Drawn in by the cover. Stuck around for the dark humor.
Oh, and the unusual way the book was written. Been a long while since I chose my own adventure.
It's probably wrong to find so much death funny, but honestly some of the ridiculous ways these people died, you can't help but chuckle to yourself.
I enjoyed the back and forth in time, revealing more as we went on, as to exactly what did happen at that party.
I found this too be an incredibly fun book, and it's one I'll be buying a few times just for gifting something a bit different.
Thanks to netgalley for the free digital copy.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
So I love Edward Gorey's work. I was lucky enough to live on Cape Cod before he passed and had the honor of meeting him. His work is....probably not for everyone, but if you like his brand of humor, you will love everything he did.
So I was excited to see this new take on the Ghastlycrumb Tinies. I never thought of them as all knowing each other, but now I can't unsee it! What an ingenious take on this story, bring those well known kids to life and fleshing out their horrific fates. I did also like the "choose your own adventure" style. Been a while, but why did that ever go out of style? LOL
So I was excited to see this new take on the Ghastlycrumb Tinies. I never thought of them as all knowing each other, but now I can't unsee it! What an ingenious take on this story, bring those well known kids to life and fleshing out their horrific fates. I did also like the "choose your own adventure" style. Been a while, but why did that ever go out of style? LOL
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Thank you so much to netgalley and the publisher for the arc of this one in exchange for an honest review!
What a weird book LOL. We follow a graduating class where everyone dies and goes to the funerals. We hop around to the past and there are footnotes throughout. It is also a pick your own adventure type of book.
I liked the concept of this one but it was not my favorite. I think the author was trying to have a dark humor like a series of unfortunate events but it just fell short for me. I think the author had some great ideas but they were not all flushed out.
What a weird book LOL. We follow a graduating class where everyone dies and goes to the funerals. We hop around to the past and there are footnotes throughout. It is also a pick your own adventure type of book.
I liked the concept of this one but it was not my favorite. I think the author was trying to have a dark humor like a series of unfortunate events but it just fell short for me. I think the author had some great ideas but they were not all flushed out.
January 27, 2026
Five Funerals is a fun premise and, at its best, manages to have the same darkly funny, darkly whimsical atmosphere as Edward Gorey—as advertised. However, parts of it and some characters felt shallow and underdeveloped—serving the plot and humour more than any sort of characterisation or theme. And the footnotes, in the ebook, were impossible to navigate. Maybe if I hadn’t been actively fighting to read the book, I’d have had more patience for the actual writing.
Thank you to NetGalley and Ruadán Books for the opportunity to read and review this DRC. All opinions are mine alone.
Thank you to NetGalley and Ruadán Books for the opportunity to read and review this DRC. All opinions are mine alone.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
I read this Edward Gorey inspired book from beginning to end, not wanting to miss out anything interesting (despite the intro by the author saying it could be read multiple different ways). From the first chapter, this story of a teenage house party gone very very wrong, starts off pretty strong. The overall tone is disorienting and full of dread. There is TONS of black humor, and extremely snarky dialogue. Some of the characters are pretty unlikable, but all are haunted by their past decisions and actions.
Thank you to NetGalley for a copy of this book.
Thank you to NetGalley for a copy of this book.
February 9, 2026
This was an interesting and enjoyable read for me, though not quite as engaging as I had hoped. I love the macabre wit and visual sensibility of Edward Gorey's drawings and work, and I think that affection raised my expectations going in. The central idea is clever, and the individual stories are solid, but some in the collection didn’t fully land for me. It's a fantastic concept, but it is just not quite as sharp or memorable as I’d anticipated.
3.5 stars, but rounded up to 4 as I loved the idea!
Thanks to Netgalley, the author and publisher for the E-Arc.
3.5 stars, but rounded up to 4 as I loved the idea!
Thanks to Netgalley, the author and publisher for the E-Arc.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Five Funerals by Jeff Somers was pretentious and depressing. I will no longer decide to read a book by a beautiful cover. The choose your own perilous path proved to be difficult for me on the Kindle app. I thought it would be dark comedy and not depressing. I thought it would be interesting and not Pretentious. Maybe I woke up on the wrong side of the bed today. ARC was provided by Ruadán Books via NetGalley. I received an advance reading copy for free and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
February 10, 2026
I found this book hilariously macabre and wonderfully creative. 26 college friends start dying off in mysterious ways and the ones who haven’t died yet try to find out why this happens.
As a digital copy, this doesn’t work as a choose your own adventure because flipping back and forth is more hassle than it’s worth but I imagine as a paper copy the concept works out.
Highly amusing and throughly enjoyable.
Many thanks to NetGalley and Ruadan books for this ARC.
As a digital copy, this doesn’t work as a choose your own adventure because flipping back and forth is more hassle than it’s worth but I imagine as a paper copy the concept works out.
Highly amusing and throughly enjoyable.
Many thanks to NetGalley and Ruadan books for this ARC.
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