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Junk
Set in present-day Los Angeles, Junk explores an epic conspiracy, one at work for thousands of years that involves total takeover of the planet Earth by aliens. In the wild, souped-up vision of Les Bohem - the acclaimed, Emmy-winning writer of the Steven Spielberg miniseries, Taken - the world is at the end stage of long-range plot that involves a gigantic genetic-engineering project. The aliens who have invaded us have no planet. No spaceship is coming. Instead, a small advance force comes, breeds, and dies - thus becoming an anomaly in our DNA that can’t be explained. In Junk, seers for centuries have had visions that turned out to be messages from our alien DNA. The time for the takeover is now. The aliens are ready, and they are starting to bloom.
This title contains explicit language and depictions of physical and sexual violence that may be upsetting to some listeners. Listener discretion is advised.
©2018 Leslie Bohem (P)2018 Audible Originals, LLC.
This title contains explicit language and depictions of physical and sexual violence that may be upsetting to some listeners. Listener discretion is advised.
©2018 Leslie Bohem (P)2018 Audible Originals, LLC.
10 pages, Audible Audio
Published February 28, 2019
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 377 reviews
April 4, 2019
Junk was junk. Did he really need to set me up that way?
This is an original audiobook exclusive to Audible. I decided to snag it on the strength of being read by John Waters, the fabulous director of so many subversive unconventional movies. Unfortunately, he’s a much better director than voice-over actor and reader. It was hard to distinguish between characters, and he didn’t bring much emotion to the events. I looked up the author and identified him as a screenplay writer, so I suspect he must be a personal friend of Waters and that is how the project was born. Unfortunately, the story feels like it was written more as a screenplay than a novel and lacks literary qualities. The writing itself is mediocre, and the characterizations are rather minimal…which is likely more common for a screenplay where the actors can embody personas and create roles with their presence. These characters were all rather shallow and lacked depth.
The story as a whole is a dark and twisted apocalyptic tale. Not a terrible plot, but I became bored with it, likely because the characters didn’t compel enough emotional weight to the story. All that said, Bohem’s heart is in the right place in what I took as his thematic critique of our consumerist ways and the outrageous, unbalanced power of wealth in society. It’s not an environmental disaster that occurs in this story, but rather a demonstration of how easily power leads to tyranny. Unfortunately, he’s rather heavy handed and his messages are blatantly didactic. Not bad messages, but they don’t develop into a good work of fiction.
Not recommended.
This is an original audiobook exclusive to Audible. I decided to snag it on the strength of being read by John Waters, the fabulous director of so many subversive unconventional movies. Unfortunately, he’s a much better director than voice-over actor and reader. It was hard to distinguish between characters, and he didn’t bring much emotion to the events. I looked up the author and identified him as a screenplay writer, so I suspect he must be a personal friend of Waters and that is how the project was born. Unfortunately, the story feels like it was written more as a screenplay than a novel and lacks literary qualities. The writing itself is mediocre, and the characterizations are rather minimal…which is likely more common for a screenplay where the actors can embody personas and create roles with their presence. These characters were all rather shallow and lacked depth.
The story as a whole is a dark and twisted apocalyptic tale. Not a terrible plot, but I became bored with it, likely because the characters didn’t compel enough emotional weight to the story. All that said, Bohem’s heart is in the right place in what I took as his thematic critique of our consumerist ways and the outrageous, unbalanced power of wealth in society. It’s not an environmental disaster that occurs in this story, but rather a demonstration of how easily power leads to tyranny. Unfortunately, he’s rather heavy handed and his messages are blatantly didactic. Not bad messages, but they don’t develop into a good work of fiction.
Not recommended.
March 13, 2019
If you’re the sort of person who doesn’t know who John Waters is, you probably won’t like this, and you also have my pity. Or maybe you’re just a better person than I am.
This pleasantly dark and grisly apocalypse tale shows that the author has an encyclopedic knowledge of strange facts and stories. Try googling any of the weird tangents to see that Mr. Bohem didn’t just make it up. It’s less fictional than I would like to believe.
I think some of the reviewers didn’t finish reading it. There is a philosophical statement beneath the feces and atrocities.
This pleasantly dark and grisly apocalypse tale shows that the author has an encyclopedic knowledge of strange facts and stories. Try googling any of the weird tangents to see that Mr. Bohem didn’t just make it up. It’s less fictional than I would like to believe.
I think some of the reviewers didn’t finish reading it. There is a philosophical statement beneath the feces and atrocities.
March 8, 2019
The book has a lot of graphic language and violence. Reading reviews I found that this is a love or hate type book. There is hardly any middle ground. I actually enjoy it and was pleasantly surprised. I may have inflated the rating due to so many unkind ones, I’m not sure. I storyline was intriguing.
August 27, 2019
Eesh. Junk is an awfully bold title for a book of this caliber... This was an Audible exclusive (I don't think it exists commercially as a printed book), and I must have downloaded it because it was free or cheap, and it had John Waters as the narrator (a fun, quirky choice). Waters did fine, but this is a book that fails to come together, even though it sounds promising if you list all the pieces. There's murder, a detective, aliens taking over human bodies, conspiratorial families controlling human destiny, junk DNA (hence the title), and a major apocalyptic event. You are never given a reason to care about any of the characters, and the information you learn about real world phenomena (secret groups, DNA, etc.) is either surface level or too little, too late. The dialog is wiseacre and contrived, with multiple characters awkwardly and profusely swearing in a way that no one ever would. Example: "Fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck! There are none so blind as those too fucking crazy to see. Get your mind right for once, goddammit. All I have is hazy, useless, scattered images. A sense of someone I was in another life. Oh right, so throw that shit into the mix. Fuck! Another life. How is that possible?" Or the line: "God is a fucking smart ass." Eesh. You can skip this one.
March 19, 2019
I couldn't do this one. I tried, believe me, I tried. The synopsis sounded promising: Aliens, mystery, conspiracy. But once you got into it, it was confusing as hell.
John Waters narrates and that is the first big mistake of this book. He's not a voice actor, he can't give each person a distinctive voice. This makes it near impossible to determine who's talking. He also put inflections on weird words.
There are too many characters doing too many different things. It's so hard to keep what's going on and who's doing what, where, straight.
I listened to maybe 3 hours of this book and I just can't do it anymore.
John Waters narrates and that is the first big mistake of this book. He's not a voice actor, he can't give each person a distinctive voice. This makes it near impossible to determine who's talking. He also put inflections on weird words.
There are too many characters doing too many different things. It's so hard to keep what's going on and who's doing what, where, straight.
I listened to maybe 3 hours of this book and I just can't do it anymore.
March 6, 2019
This should have worked! I know Jon Waters isn't a professional voice actor but he's FREAKIN' Jon Waters so he could have been a perfectly acceptable conduit for this dark humored screeching paced story of weird.
With the book 2/3 done I had bumped up narration to 1.5. The book had a...grinding feeling to it. I was making such an effort to stick with it.
I couldn't keep tabs on all the characters...an actual actor might have helped with that, Waters doesn't do voices. The humor was there but it was...what...kind of grinding in a way, too. This book's plot is utter joylessness, but that's not bad...misery with no shred of daylight or hope can work in a book. (Waiting for Eden comes most recently to mind...).
I have a small suscipicion that are grandchildren will rediscover this book one day, and it will be a masterpiece ahead of it's time. That I just can't GRASP it right now, the unabridged madness and whirling dervish plot outline. But for now, fun and exciting concept, noble attempt at executing it...but we non-Bloomed are just not ready for this stuff. And the Bloomed wouldn't care.
With the book 2/3 done I had bumped up narration to 1.5. The book had a...grinding feeling to it. I was making such an effort to stick with it.
I couldn't keep tabs on all the characters...an actual actor might have helped with that, Waters doesn't do voices. The humor was there but it was...what...kind of grinding in a way, too. This book's plot is utter joylessness, but that's not bad...misery with no shred of daylight or hope can work in a book. (Waiting for Eden comes most recently to mind...).
I have a small suscipicion that are grandchildren will rediscover this book one day, and it will be a masterpiece ahead of it's time. That I just can't GRASP it right now, the unabridged madness and whirling dervish plot outline. But for now, fun and exciting concept, noble attempt at executing it...but we non-Bloomed are just not ready for this stuff. And the Bloomed wouldn't care.
August 23, 2020
This is junk. I'm taking it out with the trash and giving it the ol' DNF.
I'd rate this an NC-17 for gratuitous sexual content and violence/gore.
I'd rate this an NC-17 for gratuitous sexual content and violence/gore.
March 10, 2019
I downloaded the book because I thought it was about heroin. It was better and being read to by Grandpa Waters was awesome. Who gives a rat’s ass about performance - I loved the whole thing.
March 7, 2019
A muddled cross between a late-era Chuck Palahniuk (the less good ones) and "John Dies at the End" by David Wong. This book doesn't know what it wants to be so it does several things....badly.
What starts as a quasi-detective novel about a missing girl VERY quickly spirals out of control (of both the reader and author) into a mishmash of horror, sci-fi, conspiracies, secret societies, chase novel, revolution, and vulgar-schlock to sorta tell the story about the apocalypse?
But it's not even a real apocalypse...it's only halfsie-lypse. Only roughly half the population dies due to the titular "junk" DNA in their systems being unable to adapt to a "Russian flu" that's really an excuse (by aliens, natch) to prepare our planet for eventual colonization and resource exploitation. We learn this from a teen girl vlogger. Because OF COURSE WE LEARN IT FROM A TEEN GIRL VLOGGER.
So half the population is gone but society continues on as before but with less traffic (seriously, there's barely a blip that registers with the SEVERAL characters in this novel). Of those remaining, most are normal but a few are "Pluses" -- i.e., they've become a semi-superpowered ruling class based on how their DNA reacted to the alien Russian flu thing.
So an underground resistance forms around the old vlogs this girl put out that seem to explain everything and they get passed around via analog means (like VHS) to avoid detection. For some reason her vlogs inspire people to resist the new ruling class even though there's nothing terribly inspirational about them. Eventually there's some chasing and some resisting and some winning.
Ultimately, it's a mess and it's to care about the fate of people who have allegedly lost their humanity when they were barely written as humans to begin with...
What starts as a quasi-detective novel about a missing girl VERY quickly spirals out of control (of both the reader and author) into a mishmash of horror, sci-fi, conspiracies, secret societies, chase novel, revolution, and vulgar-schlock to sorta tell the story about the apocalypse?
But it's not even a real apocalypse...it's only halfsie-lypse. Only roughly half the population dies due to the titular "junk" DNA in their systems being unable to adapt to a "Russian flu" that's really an excuse (by aliens, natch) to prepare our planet for eventual colonization and resource exploitation. We learn this from a teen girl vlogger. Because OF COURSE WE LEARN IT FROM A TEEN GIRL VLOGGER.
So half the population is gone but society continues on as before but with less traffic (seriously, there's barely a blip that registers with the SEVERAL characters in this novel). Of those remaining, most are normal but a few are "Pluses" -- i.e., they've become a semi-superpowered ruling class based on how their DNA reacted to the alien Russian flu thing.
So an underground resistance forms around the old vlogs this girl put out that seem to explain everything and they get passed around via analog means (like VHS) to avoid detection. For some reason her vlogs inspire people to resist the new ruling class even though there's nothing terribly inspirational about them. Eventually there's some chasing and some resisting and some winning.
Ultimately, it's a mess and it's to care about the fate of people who have allegedly lost their humanity when they were barely written as humans to begin with...
December 4, 2019
This was a weird, high-thrills alien invasion story that just became too weird and disjointed. Les Bohem is the screenwriter for Spielberg's series Taken, and the Hollywood feel is very much in evidence.
The first part of the book introduces us to our "hero," a dirty ex-cop whose career has gone to shit and whose personal life is a trainwreck. Tom Lombard isn't exactly a bad guy, he's just made some really bad life decisions. In the opening chapters, he's just gotten caught screwing the babysitter, leading his wife to leave him and take their tween daughter and teen son with her. With nothing better to do, Tom accepts a missing person case from one of his sleazier clients. The missing person turns out to be the daughter of a Chinese billionaire who was trying to go off-grid before she was caught by some Men In Black and their silver-haired woman leader. Lombard finds her body in a dumpster, and then things get weird.
The Thirteen Families are the 1% of the 1%. The masters of the universe, the leaders of the world, the richest and most elite of the elite. They're also getting pretty disgruntled about all the "New Money" that's moving into their tier and cramping their style. Bohem shows us the Thirteen as being about as horrible and sociopathic as you'd expect people born into unlimited privilege to be, dialed up to 11. It's very much a Hollywood version of the super-rich (which is not to say that Saudi Princes and industrialist scions aren't really this bad). But there is one daughter of one of the families who is a mentally ill genius who's been shut up in her very lushly furnished room for years because she started ranting about how the drive to turn the entire human race into consumerist automatons is actually a long-range scheme by powers higher than themselves. Of course, she turns out to be right.
The second part of the book is when "the Bloom" happens. Worldwide, a slice of the population gains crystalline black eyes and telepathic powers, and loses all conscience and humanity. "The Pluses" become the new ruling class overnight. They are superhuman, they can read your mind and control your thoughts, and they're utterly, mercilessly sadistic tyrants. They let society continue on much as it has been in some respects, except that Pluses control everything and can do anything they want at any time to a non-Plus for any reason, and they do. There are a lot of gory descriptions of Plus sadism and terrorization of the remaining human populace.
Pluses are actually the result of alien DNA that was seeded in humanity thousands of years ago. They are a sort of parasite that will mutate humanity, spread, and then... Well, this is one of the places where the book kind of lost me. They kill the "host" (humanity) and move on. Move on where? They don't have spaceships! At least Invasion of the Body Snatchers presented the pod people as (very implausibly) flying back into space under their own power when their invasion failed. I could not figure out what the long-term survival strategy of the species that planted "junk" DNA in humans was.
But anyway, the world is now ruled by alien sadists in human skins, the Thirteen Families have become merely the most elevated of their bootlickers, and Tom Lombard has teamed up with his teenage son, the daughter of one of the Thirteen Families, and a trio of witches to fight the Pluses.
Witches? Yes. With magic. In the last half of the book, the story goes off the rails as we learn of an ancient society of witches created to save mankind from the Pluses. The climax involves a global music broadcast. Yes, really.
As climactic Hollywood plots go, it's decent enough. Would probably make a good B-movie. But as a science fiction novel, I'll avoid the obvious pun, but Junk is, well, a bit lacking. It's a horror/SF adventure that cooks along at a screenplay's pace, but I think Les Bohem is perhaps a better screenwriter than a novelist.
The first part of the book introduces us to our "hero," a dirty ex-cop whose career has gone to shit and whose personal life is a trainwreck. Tom Lombard isn't exactly a bad guy, he's just made some really bad life decisions. In the opening chapters, he's just gotten caught screwing the babysitter, leading his wife to leave him and take their tween daughter and teen son with her. With nothing better to do, Tom accepts a missing person case from one of his sleazier clients. The missing person turns out to be the daughter of a Chinese billionaire who was trying to go off-grid before she was caught by some Men In Black and their silver-haired woman leader. Lombard finds her body in a dumpster, and then things get weird.
The Thirteen Families are the 1% of the 1%. The masters of the universe, the leaders of the world, the richest and most elite of the elite. They're also getting pretty disgruntled about all the "New Money" that's moving into their tier and cramping their style. Bohem shows us the Thirteen as being about as horrible and sociopathic as you'd expect people born into unlimited privilege to be, dialed up to 11. It's very much a Hollywood version of the super-rich (which is not to say that Saudi Princes and industrialist scions aren't really this bad). But there is one daughter of one of the families who is a mentally ill genius who's been shut up in her very lushly furnished room for years because she started ranting about how the drive to turn the entire human race into consumerist automatons is actually a long-range scheme by powers higher than themselves. Of course, she turns out to be right.
The second part of the book is when "the Bloom" happens. Worldwide, a slice of the population gains crystalline black eyes and telepathic powers, and loses all conscience and humanity. "The Pluses" become the new ruling class overnight. They are superhuman, they can read your mind and control your thoughts, and they're utterly, mercilessly sadistic tyrants. They let society continue on much as it has been in some respects, except that Pluses control everything and can do anything they want at any time to a non-Plus for any reason, and they do. There are a lot of gory descriptions of Plus sadism and terrorization of the remaining human populace.
Pluses are actually the result of alien DNA that was seeded in humanity thousands of years ago. They are a sort of parasite that will mutate humanity, spread, and then... Well, this is one of the places where the book kind of lost me. They kill the "host" (humanity) and move on. Move on where? They don't have spaceships! At least Invasion of the Body Snatchers presented the pod people as (very implausibly) flying back into space under their own power when their invasion failed. I could not figure out what the long-term survival strategy of the species that planted "junk" DNA in humans was.
But anyway, the world is now ruled by alien sadists in human skins, the Thirteen Families have become merely the most elevated of their bootlickers, and Tom Lombard has teamed up with his teenage son, the daughter of one of the Thirteen Families, and a trio of witches to fight the Pluses.
Witches? Yes. With magic. In the last half of the book, the story goes off the rails as we learn of an ancient society of witches created to save mankind from the Pluses. The climax involves a global music broadcast. Yes, really.
As climactic Hollywood plots go, it's decent enough. Would probably make a good B-movie. But as a science fiction novel, I'll avoid the obvious pun, but Junk is, well, a bit lacking. It's a horror/SF adventure that cooks along at a screenplay's pace, but I think Les Bohem is perhaps a better screenwriter than a novelist.
March 30, 2019
I totally struggled to finish this story. the plot had great potential; however, the story itself was awful. It felt like the author tried to write a book that would become adapted for television. By this, I mean the story had so many POVs. Even minor characters introduced for one chapter had a POV and backstory. It bounced around so much I had a difficult time keeping the different characters straight. Just as it seemed like the story was getting good, the author would throw in a random twist that didn't make any sense. The ending was anticlimactic and didn't make sense.
Narration: The actor read well. However, one of the reasons that may have contributed to the confusion of characters is that every character had the same voice. Maybe that's just my preference, but I have become accustomed to actors who create unique voices for (at minimum) each of the main characters.
Narration: The actor read well. However, one of the reasons that may have contributed to the confusion of characters is that every character had the same voice. Maybe that's just my preference, but I have become accustomed to actors who create unique voices for (at minimum) each of the main characters.
March 15, 2019
This is like The Davinci Code, if you injected it with the virus from World War Z, sprinkled it with American Gods, and then dropped it "headfirst into a sewer of violence" (as one of the scenes in the book is described).
I get some of the negative reviews, but IMHO this was a hit-the-gas-and-don't-let-up, wild, ultraviolent, sci-fi/apocalyptic/gore attention-grabber worthy of 5 stars. The narration wasn't great (no differentiation between voices except for one time he tried a British accent that was pretty awful), but whatever.
I get some of the negative reviews, but IMHO this was a hit-the-gas-and-don't-let-up, wild, ultraviolent, sci-fi/apocalyptic/gore attention-grabber worthy of 5 stars. The narration wasn't great (no differentiation between voices except for one time he tried a British accent that was pretty awful), but whatever.
April 6, 2019
Audible started this book with a warning that stated, "this title contains explicit language and depictions of physical and sexual violence that may be upsetting to some listeners." I should've stopped right there. This was one of the worst books I've ever encountered. Junk contained so many things that I can't stand in a book: gratuitous and overly gory physical violence, sexual violence, advanced ancient civilizations (please!), levitating witches (seriously!), warlocks, magic, aliens, psychics, conspiracy theories, conspiracy theories about conspiracy theories, excessive profanity, and the list goes on. It was narrated by John Waters, who I thought was fine. I give him credit for making it through this without retching. There was filth and grossness around every corner it seemed. There wasn't an upstanding citizen to be found anywhere. So much of this was off-putting. I'm mad at myself for not bailing on this 10+ hour mess, but there were some hints of some neat science fiction here and there which piqued my interest just enough to keep holding my nose and listening. Zero stars.
March 26, 2019
Holy Fuck Balls!!
That was a trippy and very interesting ride. I loved every bump, turn, and acceleration of it.
This is definitely a story for the "conspiracy theorist" , which is probably why I loved it so much! There's a lot of history in this story. History that the average person wouldn't know of. History that a true research lover would know. Like myself 😃... I really loved that aspect. It's a wild creative conspiracy that Les Bohem created in his interesting mind and I'm so happy he shared it with the rest of us.
I loved the writing style. It's one of those " let's share bits and pieces and bring them back together throughout the story and create little mind explosions in the process" writing styles. Almost like a mystery. Over all very creative story and not as crazy and out there as most would think.
This story starts out mellow and continuously gets more and more intense, a crazy trip that just gets crazier. A very long term alien takeover that has been in the works for thousands of years. The "takeover" isn't so much a take over as it is a plan of using what's here and changing it or enhancing it to reach an ultimate goal of world domination. On the other end of the spectrum there's been a preventative plan in the process for just as long. Listening to it all unfold was awesome! I've said it enough, but so creative!! Very interesting characters. You think you know them all at a certain point but Les has a way of keeping secrets about the characters until the perfect time. Always keeping you on your toes. They should make this a movie. I would love to watch it! Check it peeps... unfortunately it's only available on Audible but that's ok. I do wish I could own a physical copy though!!!!
That was a trippy and very interesting ride. I loved every bump, turn, and acceleration of it.
This is definitely a story for the "conspiracy theorist" , which is probably why I loved it so much! There's a lot of history in this story. History that the average person wouldn't know of. History that a true research lover would know. Like myself 😃... I really loved that aspect. It's a wild creative conspiracy that Les Bohem created in his interesting mind and I'm so happy he shared it with the rest of us.
I loved the writing style. It's one of those " let's share bits and pieces and bring them back together throughout the story and create little mind explosions in the process" writing styles. Almost like a mystery. Over all very creative story and not as crazy and out there as most would think.
This story starts out mellow and continuously gets more and more intense, a crazy trip that just gets crazier. A very long term alien takeover that has been in the works for thousands of years. The "takeover" isn't so much a take over as it is a plan of using what's here and changing it or enhancing it to reach an ultimate goal of world domination. On the other end of the spectrum there's been a preventative plan in the process for just as long. Listening to it all unfold was awesome! I've said it enough, but so creative!! Very interesting characters. You think you know them all at a certain point but Les has a way of keeping secrets about the characters until the perfect time. Always keeping you on your toes. They should make this a movie. I would love to watch it! Check it peeps... unfortunately it's only available on Audible but that's ok. I do wish I could own a physical copy though!!!!
March 7, 2019
You get what you pay for.
December 29, 2020
I can’t think of a more fitting story to end 2020 with.
Well, actually I can. We have “The Stand”, “Wanderers”... wait getting off track already.
The point is this story is relatable on many levels due to this COVID thingy we haven’t been able to get rid off. Some parts of the story ring very true, especially thinking back to the beginning stages of it before it went rampaging all over the world.
I really liked the supernatural elements woven into the story as well as some secret societies/Illuminati as it bring to life a few dominant conspiracy theories (or truths, depending on your point of view).
The setting of the story is well done, but the rest of it was a bit lackluster. It’s a thriller, so I guess I cannot expect too much out of it when it comes to character development but it felt too flat. I barely remember anyone’s name a few days from finishing this thing.
And also the ending. Not spoiling anything here, obviously, but it felt very lackluster. Like a really nice build up and then a pretty huge let down. At least for me.
Overall, I would probably rate it 2 stars but because the setting was oh so relatable it made for a more interesting story than it probably is.
I wouldn’t say I’d recommend it, but if you’re looking for the End of the World story, this one is a OK one to check out.
Roman
Well, actually I can. We have “The Stand”, “Wanderers”... wait getting off track already.
The point is this story is relatable on many levels due to this COVID thingy we haven’t been able to get rid off. Some parts of the story ring very true, especially thinking back to the beginning stages of it before it went rampaging all over the world.
I really liked the supernatural elements woven into the story as well as some secret societies/Illuminati as it bring to life a few dominant conspiracy theories (or truths, depending on your point of view).
The setting of the story is well done, but the rest of it was a bit lackluster. It’s a thriller, so I guess I cannot expect too much out of it when it comes to character development but it felt too flat. I barely remember anyone’s name a few days from finishing this thing.
And also the ending. Not spoiling anything here, obviously, but it felt very lackluster. Like a really nice build up and then a pretty huge let down. At least for me.
Overall, I would probably rate it 2 stars but because the setting was oh so relatable it made for a more interesting story than it probably is.
I wouldn’t say I’d recommend it, but if you’re looking for the End of the World story, this one is a OK one to check out.
Roman
March 4, 2019
The story starts as a fast-paced detective, veers into sci-fi, lightly touches on horror, takes a detour into a fantasy, and ends as a slow-going, confused jumble.
I wanted to like this. I was in the mood for simple, fast-paced entertainment and I like all three of the mentioned genres. Unfortunately, this book just didn't live up to "the promise of the premise." The first chapter wasn't representative of the rest of the book.
About halfway through I started skipping. The slowed-down pace was beginning to bore me and I found none of the characters interesting enough to compensate for the lack of progress in the story.
If the book had maintained the energy of the start, I might have rated it higher. As is, I can't recommend it.
I wanted to like this. I was in the mood for simple, fast-paced entertainment and I like all three of the mentioned genres. Unfortunately, this book just didn't live up to "the promise of the premise." The first chapter wasn't representative of the rest of the book.
About halfway through I started skipping. The slowed-down pace was beginning to bore me and I found none of the characters interesting enough to compensate for the lack of progress in the story.
If the book had maintained the energy of the start, I might have rated it higher. As is, I can't recommend it.
March 14, 2019
I didn't expect much as I got this as one of my free books from Audible. I figured it would be a quick read as I drove to and from work. It started off slow and dark and I wasn't that impressed with the writing. However, the more I read the more interested I got. Then the plot totally changed and blossomed into something I could never have imagined. I was fascinated and blown away with the concepts and story that were being narrated. It turned out to be a great story that I am thankful I discovered and took the time to get through. I would highly recommend this book.
March 14, 2019
The title suits the content. I couldn't even finish the book it was so bad. New characters and story lines were consistently introduced, making it super difficult to follow along, particularly as a listener rather than a reader. Just gory and dark. It's not even worth one star. Don't waste your time.
March 26, 2019
I had a hard time following what was going on in this audiobook—hard to keep track of some characters. What I did follow I liked. I love John Waters and enjoyed listening to him read.
July 10, 2019
Terrible. DNF at 15%. Overly vulgar with no payoff, poorly written and the narration by Waters was so uselessly unprofessional that it actively detracted from the already utterly incomprehensible stupid plotting.
If you value your brain cells, give this a hard pass.
in short: don't buy it. don't bother. don't waste your time, It's trash.
If you value your brain cells, give this a hard pass.
in short: don't buy it. don't bother. don't waste your time, It's trash.
May 5, 2019
After 2 hours into the audiobooks I just didn't pick it up anymore, so decided to DNF. Wasn't into the story, didn't like the many characters that lacked everything but a name and minimal inormation/cahracterization. The story failed to grab me at all.
Admittedly I went into this blind so maybe I could have known it wasn't for me if I had heard someone talk about it.
Admittedly I went into this blind so maybe I could have known it wasn't for me if I had heard someone talk about it.
couldnt-finish
May 15, 2020I might try again at some point, but at an hour in, none of the characters are sympathetic, the descriptions are intentionally gross, and Waters reads every character in the same voice. Disappointing.
March 20, 2019
It probably isn't fair that I am reviewing this book. I barely made it into the second chapter before I gave up on it.
Audible gives you the chance to choose two among a small list of audible originals each month and this sounded slightly better than most of the other selections. I started listening on my walk home and almost quit on the warning that there would be pervasive language and graphic violence throughout. But it is a short walk and I gave it ten minutes. I was barely into the second chapter when I got home and that is enough for me.
In the first chapter some drug addict becomes the victim of a kicking to death at the hands (er... feet) of another woman and her two thugs. A maid who happened in on the crime also gets a good amount of beating for her trouble. Chapter two started out with the rantings of a teenage nihilist. And it is now taking me longer to review even more of the book than I bothered to endure.
Skip over this one.
Audible gives you the chance to choose two among a small list of audible originals each month and this sounded slightly better than most of the other selections. I started listening on my walk home and almost quit on the warning that there would be pervasive language and graphic violence throughout. But it is a short walk and I gave it ten minutes. I was barely into the second chapter when I got home and that is enough for me.
In the first chapter some drug addict becomes the victim of a kicking to death at the hands (er... feet) of another woman and her two thugs. A maid who happened in on the crime also gets a good amount of beating for her trouble. Chapter two started out with the rantings of a teenage nihilist. And it is now taking me longer to review even more of the book than I bothered to endure.
Skip over this one.
April 17, 2019
More like 3.5 stars. I enjoyed this refreshing take on themes explored by "Invasion of the Body Snatchers" and more recently, "The X-Files". The set-up is a world in which a plague has drastic genetic effects on the population (many die, some "evolve") and the chaos that these changes cause.
Bohem teases that the newly activated genes might be extra-terrestrial in origin, but the "whys" give way to a story mostly of the "hows". The exploration of a world where life is so under-valued as to be meaningless, while consumption is so high it is also somehow meaningless is disturbing and bleak, and very original.
I'm not quite sure that the landing gets stuck, but I enjoyed spending my time here with this story, and it left me with plenty of room for thought.
Bohem teases that the newly activated genes might be extra-terrestrial in origin, but the "whys" give way to a story mostly of the "hows". The exploration of a world where life is so under-valued as to be meaningless, while consumption is so high it is also somehow meaningless is disturbing and bleak, and very original.
I'm not quite sure that the landing gets stuck, but I enjoyed spending my time here with this story, and it left me with plenty of room for thought.
April 17, 2019
I feel like there was so much damn potential with this story. Aliens hiding within the very genome of the human race, just waiting to be activated. And once activated, holy crap, the idea of such a quick and efficient takeover. I mean, you're either part of the new world order, or you're not. But this book seemed to have been written by a 13-year-old who'd just discovered cursing for the first time. No real development of the protagonist, a lot of room for improvement of the antagonist, and a plot that just....never developed from the first round of writing. Real big disappointment. The title is apropos, though, because this book was complete and total JUNK.
April 10, 2019
Starts off a little rough. Dialogue is a little bit crass & cheesy but then things start happening & it’s hard to turn it off. Story is pretty genius...Illuminati, an outbreak, witches, murder, environmental issues, and it’s read by JOHN WATERS. Your not sure what is going to happen, as there are SO MANY different angles. Would make a fantastic tv series! Fun read. Pick it up NETFLIX.
March 20, 2019
I loved this. It is perfectly dark and gritty. I struggled to follow all the characters and it was at times difficult to follow the plot, but overall it was well written and great to listen to.
March 31, 2019
Different genre for me, hated this, don’t waste your time. Story disjointed and when it finally caught my interest went really dark. Very poorly written attempt at a Stephen King type novel.
September 7, 2019
Definitely an interesting take on the end of the world as we know it, and John Waters' narration gives it a nice, sardonic edge that helps propel the story. Worth a listen.
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