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The ThrillPlex Theater
A group of dull, miserly teachers accept an invitation to attend a movie premier event at the mysterious, relatively new ThrillPlex Theater. Their experience turns out to be more than just a night of bonding with their dates, it is an insufferable trap. The ThrillPlex Theater is specifically tailored to its audience. Simply put, whatever happens to the characters on the screen; occurs as well to each audience member. Theater founder, Amanda Castro refers to the experience as “Reciprocation: on both the corporeal and emotional level.”
- GenresHorror
116 pages, Kindle Edition
First published July 4, 2012
1 person is currently reading
126 people want to read
About the author
Brandon Swarrow
6 books15 followersBrandon Swarrow has four fiction novels; The Barn, Hugo Read This!, The ThrillPlex Theater, and his most recent Coulro. He has also published several short stories, and poems. Brandon currently resides near Pittsburgh, PA with his wife Michelle and two children.
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Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews
March 6, 2013
Many emerging and/or self-published authors contact me to read their books and provide feedback. I urge these authors to actually read my reviews... not just Twilight, but my other (arguably more vicious) reviews. Usually this dissuades them for pursuing my responses to their forays into literature. To put it mildly: I am a critical reader. It's probably the combination of the English degree, nearly a decade of teaching grammar, and the MLIS degree. I pay attention to things like tone, mood, syntax, character development, etc. And that makes me a wee more incisive than most readers. Unfortunately, I am unable to turn it off when I read.
To his credit, Swarrow knew all these things before shipping me The ThrillPlex Theater. In fact, he commented (in one of our email volleys) that he needed unbiased feedback.
So here's the unbiased feedback.
I'm sorry, but I did not enjoy this book.
Granted, I am probably not the target audience for a book of this ilk, and admitting that bias at the outset will probably make what follows a little more palpable.
Swarrow has a terrific idea with The ThrillPlex Theater: it is the story of a 5D theater experience that punishes the audience in addition to entertaining it. There's a fairly interesting meta-narrative that keeps the pages turning. The story flows at an engaging pace, and there are a few surprises along the way.
Unfortunately, the narrative is suffused with head-scratching action sequences, incongruent moments, underdeveloped characters, and stiffly written dialogue.
One of Swarrow's techniques in ThrillPlex is to imbue his characters with nicknames, illustrations of who they are beneath the surface. This would probably be an effective approach if the characters were three-dimensional: instead, they are all incredibly unlikeable and indistinguishable. This is probably why the book also isn't scary. One of the tricks to effective horror is to manage the audience, developing characters who they will care about and not want something awful to befall them. Whether or not anybody dies within the ThrillPlex is tertiary: they can be tortured, maimed, or beaten, and it simply doesn't matter.
The meta-narrative is far more interesting than the frame story. It is a story of a teacher whose obsession with one of his students drives him to the brink of madness. That insanity, though, isn't fully fleshed out, and instead creates an unsatisfying and frustrating case of "what should have been". The reader gets no sense of why the obsession takes hold of the educator. And the characterization of the teacher is all over the map: he is disinclined to talk to his colleagues, he barely controls his class, but he's manic and age-inappropriate with his own parents. At any point in the novel, I imagined this teacher to be anywhere from a lithe 24-year old to a grossly overweight 65-year old.
Additionally, there's a ton of "telling" employed in the narrative. Very few emotions are left to the reader, as situations are explained in layman's terms instead of being rounded out in a structured arc. There's a charmingly ramshackle approach to storytelling, but doesn't hold up over the course of the book.
I've yet to bring up the jarring verb tense shifts (often within a single paragraph), the colloquialisms (the zero copula is pure Western Pennsylvania), and the dangling modifiers (among other atrocious grammar no-nos). Let me round all this out into a final general thought... a note to all self-published authors: hire an editor. Hell, I'll be your editor. I have the credentials, and I'll charge much less than someone at Harper Collins. But you need an unbiased person to slice through the story, correct the grammar mistakes (unfortunately, Thrillplex is riddled with these on nearly every page, which also contributes to the non-impact of the story), uncover the meat of the plot, and guide the writing style to reflect an appropriate tone.
I feel like an ass for writing all this because Swarrow comes across as an unbelievably likable guy.
But, to trot out a tired tautology, it is what it is.
To his credit, Swarrow knew all these things before shipping me The ThrillPlex Theater. In fact, he commented (in one of our email volleys) that he needed unbiased feedback.
So here's the unbiased feedback.
I'm sorry, but I did not enjoy this book.
Granted, I am probably not the target audience for a book of this ilk, and admitting that bias at the outset will probably make what follows a little more palpable.
Swarrow has a terrific idea with The ThrillPlex Theater: it is the story of a 5D theater experience that punishes the audience in addition to entertaining it. There's a fairly interesting meta-narrative that keeps the pages turning. The story flows at an engaging pace, and there are a few surprises along the way.
Unfortunately, the narrative is suffused with head-scratching action sequences, incongruent moments, underdeveloped characters, and stiffly written dialogue.
One of Swarrow's techniques in ThrillPlex is to imbue his characters with nicknames, illustrations of who they are beneath the surface. This would probably be an effective approach if the characters were three-dimensional: instead, they are all incredibly unlikeable and indistinguishable. This is probably why the book also isn't scary. One of the tricks to effective horror is to manage the audience, developing characters who they will care about and not want something awful to befall them. Whether or not anybody dies within the ThrillPlex is tertiary: they can be tortured, maimed, or beaten, and it simply doesn't matter.
The meta-narrative is far more interesting than the frame story. It is a story of a teacher whose obsession with one of his students drives him to the brink of madness. That insanity, though, isn't fully fleshed out, and instead creates an unsatisfying and frustrating case of "what should have been". The reader gets no sense of why the obsession takes hold of the educator. And the characterization of the teacher is all over the map: he is disinclined to talk to his colleagues, he barely controls his class, but he's manic and age-inappropriate with his own parents. At any point in the novel, I imagined this teacher to be anywhere from a lithe 24-year old to a grossly overweight 65-year old.
Additionally, there's a ton of "telling" employed in the narrative. Very few emotions are left to the reader, as situations are explained in layman's terms instead of being rounded out in a structured arc. There's a charmingly ramshackle approach to storytelling, but doesn't hold up over the course of the book.
I've yet to bring up the jarring verb tense shifts (often within a single paragraph), the colloquialisms (the zero copula is pure Western Pennsylvania), and the dangling modifiers (among other atrocious grammar no-nos). Let me round all this out into a final general thought... a note to all self-published authors: hire an editor. Hell, I'll be your editor. I have the credentials, and I'll charge much less than someone at Harper Collins. But you need an unbiased person to slice through the story, correct the grammar mistakes (unfortunately, Thrillplex is riddled with these on nearly every page, which also contributes to the non-impact of the story), uncover the meat of the plot, and guide the writing style to reflect an appropriate tone.
I feel like an ass for writing all this because Swarrow comes across as an unbelievably likable guy.
But, to trot out a tired tautology, it is what it is.
August 9, 2016
This is without a doubt one of the worst books I have ever read. To the point where I am positive that anything over 1 star was left by a family, friend, or someone the author paid. There is no proper grammar to be seen for miles. Missing punctuation left and right, half the sentences too choppy, the other half too long, and all of them absolutely boring.
How this is listed as horror is beyond me. Nothing remotely scary happens in this book. Do you know what you need for a book to be scary? You don't need gore or monsters or serial killers. You need to give a shit about the characters. ANYTHING can be scary when you care about who it's happening to and if they'll be alright. Stephen King's "The Girl Who Loved Tom Gordon" is a perfect example. Almost nothing scarier than mosquitoes ever occurs and it's still chilling. I finished this book ten minutes ago and I already couldn't tell you a single memorable thing about any of the characters. They were so thinly written they were transparent.
The action sequences made no sense whatsoever. The main character bounced from place to place and motion to motion with seemingly no connection at all. The dialogue he provided was never anything but stilted and awkward, spoken in a way absolutely no human actually speaks.
The entire book is just god awful. There is not a single redeeming factor here at all. Not even the short page count can make up for how utterly horrendous the writing is.
How this is listed as horror is beyond me. Nothing remotely scary happens in this book. Do you know what you need for a book to be scary? You don't need gore or monsters or serial killers. You need to give a shit about the characters. ANYTHING can be scary when you care about who it's happening to and if they'll be alright. Stephen King's "The Girl Who Loved Tom Gordon" is a perfect example. Almost nothing scarier than mosquitoes ever occurs and it's still chilling. I finished this book ten minutes ago and I already couldn't tell you a single memorable thing about any of the characters. They were so thinly written they were transparent.
The action sequences made no sense whatsoever. The main character bounced from place to place and motion to motion with seemingly no connection at all. The dialogue he provided was never anything but stilted and awkward, spoken in a way absolutely no human actually speaks.
The entire book is just god awful. There is not a single redeeming factor here at all. Not even the short page count can make up for how utterly horrendous the writing is.
July 28, 2015
Fast read
Very entertaining. It took me a while to really get with it because it's not the genre I'm accustomed to.
Very entertaining. It took me a while to really get with it because it's not the genre I'm accustomed to.
March 12, 2013
Hugo Review of Thrillplex Theater
Brandon Swarrow's books have always been creative pieces that bring forth unique imagery in his tales and Thrillplex Theater is no exception to that rule. This tale is one that you can quickly gobble up while reading and was written with differing fonts to express multiple types of sensory information to the reader. Each page fills you with an ongoing movie scene, of which also gives you a glimpse into the actions and feelings of fear or joy each viewer experiences. I believe this is a fresh take on writing and pulls the reader away from the normal way in which a novel unfolds- in a good way, that is. If there is any suggestion I would make, it would just simply be that all writers should employ an editor or a second pair of eyes to assist in honing the little things. The end of this book is also a fine surprise and the moral lessons are well worthy of a 5-star rating. Swarrow hits home on the truth of our strangely evolving humanity and how we tend to take our very lives for granted. The concept of this 5D Thrillplex Theater is one that is also innovative and, of which should be considered to be a real invention brought to life- I would surely attend a show!
This book will make you smile, squirm, laugh, creep you out and then you will be enlightened by the end. Another great work from this author!
Brandon Swarrow's books have always been creative pieces that bring forth unique imagery in his tales and Thrillplex Theater is no exception to that rule. This tale is one that you can quickly gobble up while reading and was written with differing fonts to express multiple types of sensory information to the reader. Each page fills you with an ongoing movie scene, of which also gives you a glimpse into the actions and feelings of fear or joy each viewer experiences. I believe this is a fresh take on writing and pulls the reader away from the normal way in which a novel unfolds- in a good way, that is. If there is any suggestion I would make, it would just simply be that all writers should employ an editor or a second pair of eyes to assist in honing the little things. The end of this book is also a fine surprise and the moral lessons are well worthy of a 5-star rating. Swarrow hits home on the truth of our strangely evolving humanity and how we tend to take our very lives for granted. The concept of this 5D Thrillplex Theater is one that is also innovative and, of which should be considered to be a real invention brought to life- I would surely attend a show!
This book will make you smile, squirm, laugh, creep you out and then you will be enlightened by the end. Another great work from this author!
July 25, 2012
Thrillplex Theater is a thought provoking book that through entertainment gives a profession a whole new prospective on life. Don't miss the lessons in this book - the waning edcuation system in this US, the fact that bad people can be redeemed and the innovative idea that a cinema can provide the audience an experience to never forget. The author- other books include The Barn and Hugo Read This- has a pulse on what is relevant and needed to become a better person in a Stephen King sort of way. I hope that Swarrow continues his meaningful journeys and helps create a niche on mainstream literature by providing adult readers thought demanding short reads, that make a reader think, ponder and potenially make a change in life.
August 14, 2012
Swarrow combines imagination and reality into this thriller. He perfectly weaves in and out of a story within a story that will keep you turning the pages in search of the outcome and destiny for the main characters. I caught myself four times wanting to flip to the last page to find out what is going to happen. Luckily I waited and was able to savor the ending.
In short – a very original idea for a story that takes chances and demands the reader keep up with the fast pace and story changes. There is humor, wit, and a slight degree of creepiness to this thriller.
I have read all three of Swarrow’s novels. Although the first two (“The Barn” & “Hugo Read This”) were good, I feel this one is his best work to date.
In short – a very original idea for a story that takes chances and demands the reader keep up with the fast pace and story changes. There is humor, wit, and a slight degree of creepiness to this thriller.
I have read all three of Swarrow’s novels. Although the first two (“The Barn” & “Hugo Read This”) were good, I feel this one is his best work to date.
November 1, 2015
'The Thrillplex Theater' is the story of one girl's unstoppable ambition to create the next form of entertainment and the teachers who are made to endure her experiment.
This was a pretty weird read with a really interesting premise. It's very fresh and different to anything else I've read but I was glued to the pages throughout and could not stop reading until it was finished. It's entertaining, creepy and at times humorous. I thoroughly enjoyed it. There were some editing issues but they didn't interrupt my enjoyment.
I would highly recommend this to anyone who loves to read quirky books.
Note: I received a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.
This was a pretty weird read with a really interesting premise. It's very fresh and different to anything else I've read but I was glued to the pages throughout and could not stop reading until it was finished. It's entertaining, creepy and at times humorous. I thoroughly enjoyed it. There were some editing issues but they didn't interrupt my enjoyment.
I would highly recommend this to anyone who loves to read quirky books.
Note: I received a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.
October 21, 2012
Another very interesting and thought-provoking novel by Swarrow. The Thrillplex Theater is full of humor and wit and yet quite disturbing. The story manages to take a quite original concept (a twisted multidimensional theater experience) and weave in a contemporary commentary on the education system and the dynamics of life in today's high schools. If you liked the author's previous work, you will love this one. If you haven't read anything by Swarrow yet, The Thrillplex Theater is a great place to start.
February 11, 2015
I read this book 2 timee. It's creepy and really good and I think everyone should read it.
April 1, 2013
This might be the greatest April Fool's joke I've ever experienced. I don't even know where to begin with this colossal train wreck, much less how to critique its contribution to any canon of literature. I guess I could split this review up into two parts: kudos and criticisms.
So, here goes.
Kudos:
Swarrow has a great premise.
Criticisms:
*Punctuation is all over the place. Commas are misused incessantly, apostrophes are used in place of commas after interjections, and semicolons are used where colons should be used. In many cases, the sheer multitude of errors makes the narrative exceedingly difficult to wade through.
*Tense consistency is atrocious. The narrative moves in and out of past, present, and present progressive tense. This occasionally occurs in the span of a single paragraph. Again, this distracts far more than it attracts.
*Characterization is completely lacking in this piece. There is zero sense of who any of his characters actually are. Additionally, Swarrow hammers us with puerile nicknames for each of his characters, thus bogging the reader down with completely inane detail, instead of providing actual detail that moves the narrative forward.
*Details are often attributed to insignificant nuances in the book. They are glossed over or ignored in parts of the piece where they are truly necessary, thus creating scenes of action that are bewildering.
The preceding list of criticisms are indicative of what is wrong with self-publishing. Self-publishing furthers the premise that anyone can write. This much is true. However, not everyone can write well enough to be published. To this end, I must again stress that Swarrow's premise has much promise. With a good editor, and guided time to develop his ideas, I think Swarrow could create a pretty decent book.
So, here goes.
Kudos:
Swarrow has a great premise.
Criticisms:
*Punctuation is all over the place. Commas are misused incessantly, apostrophes are used in place of commas after interjections, and semicolons are used where colons should be used. In many cases, the sheer multitude of errors makes the narrative exceedingly difficult to wade through.
*Tense consistency is atrocious. The narrative moves in and out of past, present, and present progressive tense. This occasionally occurs in the span of a single paragraph. Again, this distracts far more than it attracts.
*Characterization is completely lacking in this piece. There is zero sense of who any of his characters actually are. Additionally, Swarrow hammers us with puerile nicknames for each of his characters, thus bogging the reader down with completely inane detail, instead of providing actual detail that moves the narrative forward.
*Details are often attributed to insignificant nuances in the book. They are glossed over or ignored in parts of the piece where they are truly necessary, thus creating scenes of action that are bewildering.
The preceding list of criticisms are indicative of what is wrong with self-publishing. Self-publishing furthers the premise that anyone can write. This much is true. However, not everyone can write well enough to be published. To this end, I must again stress that Swarrow's premise has much promise. With a good editor, and guided time to develop his ideas, I think Swarrow could create a pretty decent book.
May 3, 2013
This is a great book with a great plot and the best moral I've ever read in a book. Why didn't Oprah recommend this book?
October 27, 2016
The concept of this book is interesting. A student builds a special theater that immerses their teacher into a story that brings to light all the quirks that a make the students feel threatened and ignored. Doing so, awakens the teachers to the conditions that they are creating and is enough of a live changing experience, the teachers change their ways. There are probably hundreds of thousands youth who have had this thought go through their mind. If only my teacher or professor could experience how I feel it would be different.
The other interesting social statement in this book is about the growth of technology and how it has deadened our sensitivity to be with other people. The need to not be controlled by the digital devices but instead to focus on the people around us.
The story and thoughts are what kept me going, but the writing was hard to get through at times. I am not a literary critic or a grammar guru, but there were parts where even I knew there was a problem with the way it was written. I also found it choppy and disjointed in parts. There was even one point where upon turning the page I though my device had changed books on me and that I was reading a totally different book.
I am glad that I stuck it out to the end, but this was not up to the level I thought it would be.
The other interesting social statement in this book is about the growth of technology and how it has deadened our sensitivity to be with other people. The need to not be controlled by the digital devices but instead to focus on the people around us.
The story and thoughts are what kept me going, but the writing was hard to get through at times. I am not a literary critic or a grammar guru, but there were parts where even I knew there was a problem with the way it was written. I also found it choppy and disjointed in parts. There was even one point where upon turning the page I though my device had changed books on me and that I was reading a totally different book.
I am glad that I stuck it out to the end, but this was not up to the level I thought it would be.
September 28, 2023
Okay but misses the mark.
Tried to be a hard hitting thriller but somehow fails to really connect the reader to the experience. It's hard to connect with any of the characters, lots of different ideas in play but can't really focus on any, linier plot and a forced ending.
Fun concept but could use a rewrite of two.
Tried to be a hard hitting thriller but somehow fails to really connect the reader to the experience. It's hard to connect with any of the characters, lots of different ideas in play but can't really focus on any, linier plot and a forced ending.
Fun concept but could use a rewrite of two.
April 8, 2024
The idea of this book was good but it was so poorly executed. I don’t believe this got a final proofread either cause there was typos and incomplete sentences galore!
To be honest it seemed more like a first draft that just happened to get published but it was a quick read so I can’t complain that my time was actually wasted
To be honest it seemed more like a first draft that just happened to get published but it was a quick read so I can’t complain that my time was actually wasted
July 15, 2012
What can I say? This book is just different. It made me think. If you are able to fully comprehend the madness inside of the ThrillPlex Theater...it could quite possibly inject a little life into you.
Perhaps I may no longer worship entertainment as I have done so in the past.
The last few chapters were so vividly intense that I actually felt part of this fictional experience.
Perhaps I may no longer worship entertainment as I have done so in the past.
The last few chapters were so vividly intense that I actually felt part of this fictional experience.
Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews