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John the Cynic
John is having some trouble.
His father is a preacher, but his own faith is failing. He is angry with God, angry with the church, and angry at his own weakness. He hates his job. His friends are few, and they make him angry too. His brother is funnier than him, his sister is smarter than him, his parents are more pious than him, and he is struggling to see what value his own life even has.
Maybe it's useless. Maybe nothing matters at all. Maybe his perception of reality has been false the whole time. Certainly, some strange things have started happening to troubling dreams and harrowing visions, flying sea turtles, deep and inescapable caves, curious people bringing him weird and threatening messages, lightning, fire, shadow. Maybe it's all really happening. Maybe it's all in his mind. Maybe there's no difference.
But when John encounters four abused and abandoned little girls and tries to save them, he will be propelled on a harrowing journey through realms unknowable. He has questions to ask of God. But will he receive any answers? Does he really want to?
His father is a preacher, but his own faith is failing. He is angry with God, angry with the church, and angry at his own weakness. He hates his job. His friends are few, and they make him angry too. His brother is funnier than him, his sister is smarter than him, his parents are more pious than him, and he is struggling to see what value his own life even has.
Maybe it's useless. Maybe nothing matters at all. Maybe his perception of reality has been false the whole time. Certainly, some strange things have started happening to troubling dreams and harrowing visions, flying sea turtles, deep and inescapable caves, curious people bringing him weird and threatening messages, lightning, fire, shadow. Maybe it's all really happening. Maybe it's all in his mind. Maybe there's no difference.
But when John encounters four abused and abandoned little girls and tries to save them, he will be propelled on a harrowing journey through realms unknowable. He has questions to ask of God. But will he receive any answers? Does he really want to?
277 pages, Kindle Edition
Published June 8, 2026
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
May 24, 2026
What a mind bending debut by Cory Clark! This novel will make you feel like you’re in a (fever) dream with incredibly vivid imagery. It’s very obvious the author has immense knowledge of christinianity and has deconstructed from the cult-like behavior taught by some churches. As someone who has been agnostic for as long as I can remember, the author brings up conversations around the church and bible that I’ve always wondered about myself (how can people believe the bible is infallible? if God is all knowing, why does he allow such horrific things to happen to his ‘creations’?) and noting the blatant cherry picking that often occurs in American Christian culture + using it for hateful rhetoric rather than good. While I enjoyed the story overall, the only part I didn’t quite love was the depiction of the Turkish community as kind of dark and crime ridden/“godless”. I feel this could have been ANY community (impoverished or not, white or any other race) and the story would have had the same impact. I understand it was meant to tie back to historical references but it still didn’t quite sit right with me :/
Overall though - fantastic writing, great imagery, important arguments posed, and a thought provoking, surreal story of trying to understanding one’s place in the world. I would recommend for people who also enjoyed Good Omens by Terry Prachett, A Short Stay in Hell by Steven L. Peck, or anyone who enjoyed mind & time bending experiences!
Thank you to the author for the e-ARC
in return for an honest review.
Overall though - fantastic writing, great imagery, important arguments posed, and a thought provoking, surreal story of trying to understanding one’s place in the world. I would recommend for people who also enjoyed Good Omens by Terry Prachett, A Short Stay in Hell by Steven L. Peck, or anyone who enjoyed mind & time bending experiences!
Thank you to the author for the e-ARC
in return for an honest review.
Review of advance copy received from Author
Cory did a fantastic job with John the Cynic. His artful descriptions and storytelling had me hooked from page one. I related a lot to John’s character, dismantling religion, and not knowing what to say at the right times. This book was beautifully written and I can’t wait to read more from Cory!
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews