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FantasticLand: A Novel
Since the 1970s, FantasticLand has been the theme park where “Fun is Guaranteed!” But when a hurricane ravages the Florida coast and isolates the park, the employees find it anything but fun. Five weeks later, the authorities who rescue the survivors encounter a scene of horror. Photos soon emerge online of heads on spikes outside of rides and viscera and human bones littering the gift shops, breaking records for hits, views, likes, clicks, and shares. How could a group of survivors, mostly teenagers, commit such terrible acts?
Presented as a fact-finding investigation and a series of first-person interviews, FantasticLand pieces together the grisly series of events. Park policy was that the mostly college-aged employees surrender their electronic devices to preserve the authenticity of the FantasticLand experience. Cut off from the world and left on their own, the teenagers soon form rival tribes who viciously compete for food, medicine, social dominance, and even human flesh. This new social network divides the ravaged dreamland into territories ruled by the Pirates, the ShopGirls, the Freaks, and the Mole People. If meticulously curated online personas can replace private identities, what takes over when those constructs are lost?
FantasticLand is a modern take on Lord of the Flies meets Battle Royale that probes the consequences of a social civilization built online.
Skyhorse Publishing, as well as our Arcade, Yucca, and Good Books imprints, are proud to publish a broad range of books for readers interested in fiction-novels, novellas, political and medical thrillers, comedy, satire, historical fiction, romance, erotic and love stories, mystery, classic literature, folklore and mythology, literary classics including Shakespeare, Dumas, Wilde, Cather, and much more. While not every title we publish becomes a New York Times bestseller or a national bestseller, we are committed to books on subjects that are sometimes overlooked and to authors whose work might not otherwise find a home.
Presented as a fact-finding investigation and a series of first-person interviews, FantasticLand pieces together the grisly series of events. Park policy was that the mostly college-aged employees surrender their electronic devices to preserve the authenticity of the FantasticLand experience. Cut off from the world and left on their own, the teenagers soon form rival tribes who viciously compete for food, medicine, social dominance, and even human flesh. This new social network divides the ravaged dreamland into territories ruled by the Pirates, the ShopGirls, the Freaks, and the Mole People. If meticulously curated online personas can replace private identities, what takes over when those constructs are lost?
FantasticLand is a modern take on Lord of the Flies meets Battle Royale that probes the consequences of a social civilization built online.
Skyhorse Publishing, as well as our Arcade, Yucca, and Good Books imprints, are proud to publish a broad range of books for readers interested in fiction-novels, novellas, political and medical thrillers, comedy, satire, historical fiction, romance, erotic and love stories, mystery, classic literature, folklore and mythology, literary classics including Shakespeare, Dumas, Wilde, Cather, and much more. While not every title we publish becomes a New York Times bestseller or a national bestseller, we are committed to books on subjects that are sometimes overlooked and to authors whose work might not otherwise find a home.
394 pages, ebook
First published October 11, 2016
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 8,221 reviews
July 26, 2018
yeah, five stars, what of it? i was ready to give this one five stars just on premise alone: a massive hurricane in florida isolates an amusement park full of workers entrusted with keeping an eye on things after the customers have been evacuated, and despite having plenty of food, water, medical supplies and shelter, once they are rescued by the national guard a month later, the place is destroyed, many have died, the survivors are injured, and on top of the staggering property damage, there are also corpses hanging from wires, heads on spikes, tales of spectacle-murders, cannibalism, and the warriors-style themed-gang affiliations and epic battles that led to all this violent devastation.
this is my kind of awesome.
it's told as a series of interviews from survivors, rescuers, people evacuated before it all went down, lawyers, the park's owner, etc. collected by a man writing a book on the incident, so it has the same general shape as World War Z: An Oral History of the Zombie War, but on a smaller scale, where you get a piece of the puzzle; one perspective of the horror, before moving on to the next fresh hell. it's vivid, wonderfully gory, and as absurd as it seems on the surface - that people would deteriorate into Lord of the Flies lawlessness in under a month - given the circumstances, the participants, the escalation, the book does a good job making it seem like something that could totally happen. there's an afterword that's a little weak - some sort of too little, too late attempt to guilt the reader into a self-examination of why we are so entertained by violence that has been done, and much more elegantly, by so many others. this is not a book that should be trying to stimulate moral unrest in the reader - this should just be a straight-up romp of blood and brain matter.
despite how violent it is, i think there's crossover appeal for teen readers. the characters are mostly late-teen, early-twenties, and the whole "we are separating ourselves into groups based on really superficial characteristics" is pure YA-adventure trope. (there's even a nod to the The Hunger Games & etc in a chicks n' crossbows sequence.)
the groups here are not dauntless or district 12, they are deadpool, the pirates, the robots, the shopgirls, the mole men, the freaks, the short-lived fairy prairie, and the unaffiliated few. also, the warthogs, which are the absolute coolest pair in the book and were very wisely left mysterious, so their chilling ways were much more effective. BEST CHAPTER EVER!
me, i'd probably be with the shopgirls. i have an overdeveloped work ethic that makes it seem like the most sensible thing to do in this situation is protect thy inventory with bow and arrow, 'cuz that's your job, even if no one's gonna give you a raise for it. or pay for your funeral expenses. however, i have a soft and mooshy place in my heart for the freaks, and i definitely have a book-crush on glenn guignol, who is played by jim rose in my head.
there's only one thing i'm confused about. it's not a true spoiler, but it involves some plot-dissection that will probably be useless to anyone who hasn't read the book, so i'm gonna spoiler-tag it so no one gets bored.
that's all i have. it's a fun, fun book. warthog sequel?
***********************************************
finally got around to reading this one and now i double my advice to those of you in theme parks - get OUT! even if there's no hurricane.
review to come
***********************************************
as amazing as this book sounds, with hurricane matthew about to hit florida, i worry for all of youse down that way, lest this situation come to pass. get out of the damn theme parks, guys!
but seriously, stay safe, my friends... i will be thinking about you
come to my blog!
March 28, 2019
My thoughts in a nutshell
This book sucks. It was a recommendation and I wanted to read it immediately because the blurb is so exciting. I'm grateful for the suggestion but it just didn't work for me, and I'm so sorry about that. It could have been a 5 stars read.
The story is about…
Skip over this point if you don't like the sneak peek.
Some employees stayed behind in the theme park when hurricane Sadie came. They have a single task; stay in the shelter and wait until the storm ends and then take care of the park. It will be only a few days, and they get paid for it. Sounds cool, right? You have to sit in one place and wait, and you get some money for this. At some point, the light goes out and everyone panics. They have to stay for about a month, and all hell breaks loose in a few hours. The kids turned into murderers and they started to kill each other.
What impressed me the most 😊
Okay guys, I DNF it about 40%. I was listening to the audiobook and that was really cool. The narrators' voice was emotional, they got right into the story. I loved it when they screamed or cried when they've read the story for me.
The author writes the book as an interview. He asked all concerned parties what and why that happened, and everybody tells their own point of view. I like this format, especially from the audiobook version.
What I don't like at all ☹️
The plot is ridiculous and way, way far-fetched. The kids become murderers in a couple of hours. LOL, why? I swear it has no fucking reason for all of this violence. The teenagers choosed a group and started to fight the another team. WELCOME TO THE HUNGER GAMES. Ludicrous.
The violence is absurd. One of them had cut the boy's hand. OK, why? :D Because he walked there. This is just one example of many absurd scenes. Dear Mike Bockoven, what's wrong with you man? Seriously, I'm worried about you. Are you sleeping well? Nevermind. :D
The book has a lot of potential... just missing the main reason, and without it it is garbage, I'm sorry.
I thought maybe the killer guys have some mental health condition or something... but no, just NOTHING. And it hurts me so much.
In my view, if a bunch of people stuck in somewhere for about a month, they will stay together and try to survive. It is the logical way, and normal people chose this method. If someone goes crazy the others will lock him/her, or tie up, or something.
I don't know what happened in the end, to be honest, I don't care at all.
I hated when the kids continuously said that they can't survive because they don't have a smartphone or Facebook or Instagram. What the actual fuck? I love my phone but if I'm stuck somewhere where I would probably die, I couldn't think about my social media or my fucking phone. This is double-mega bullshit. Oh man, I'm so mad. Please people, don't be so stupid, just please.
Make a conclusion
I gave it 1 stars because that is the lowest rating I can give.
I don't recommend it because it is just a poor novel. If you want to read this, just throw away and read something better.
January 12, 2024
This was GOOOOOD! Totally sucked me in from the start and I couldn’t look away no matter how brutal and messed up things got. Audiobook was super well done too, highly recommend it!
June 29, 2021
When does horror become gorror? Apparently as soon as it crosses the turnstiles to enter FantasticLand, Mike Bockoven’s 2016 take on Lord of the Flies set in an amusement park.
Structured in the increasingly-prevalent “oral history” format of a series of interviews, characters reveal their survivor stories from the depravity that ensued after a hurricane stranded teenage theme park workers for five weeks. For some reason that the author takes pains to explain can’t be explained, the kids go all savage Hunger Games almost immediately. We’re talking chopping off body parts and putting them on stakes, just ‘cuz.
While I hope my horror-loving friends won’t disown me, this was a big steaming pile of NOPE for this here reader. Horror isn’t for everyone, but I do find enjoyment in the genre from time to time. That enjoyment usually comes from feeling either scared or entertained. FantasticLand didn’t make me feel either of those things. Honestly the only thing I felt for the final 50% was that I wanted it to be over.
Perhaps after the trying year we all had in 2020, stories where people are debased to the lowest of the low just don’t appeal to me anymore. I hate giving books one star, but according to Goodreads two stars means “it was ok.” It was not.
Structured in the increasingly-prevalent “oral history” format of a series of interviews, characters reveal their survivor stories from the depravity that ensued after a hurricane stranded teenage theme park workers for five weeks. For some reason that the author takes pains to explain can’t be explained, the kids go all savage Hunger Games almost immediately. We’re talking chopping off body parts and putting them on stakes, just ‘cuz.
While I hope my horror-loving friends won’t disown me, this was a big steaming pile of NOPE for this here reader. Horror isn’t for everyone, but I do find enjoyment in the genre from time to time. That enjoyment usually comes from feeling either scared or entertained. FantasticLand didn’t make me feel either of those things. Honestly the only thing I felt for the final 50% was that I wanted it to be over.
Perhaps after the trying year we all had in 2020, stories where people are debased to the lowest of the low just don’t appeal to me anymore. I hate giving books one star, but according to Goodreads two stars means “it was ok.” It was not.
April 28, 2024
3.5 - okay wait I actually liked this book!! I had very low expectations for it, but it was unlike any “thriller” I’ve ever read. Imagine being stuck in an amusement park as a hurricane hits and then stranded for 2 months after before they finally rescue you… on KU too!
August 27, 2018
My, oh my, oh my! 4.5 I-dunno-what-I-just-read-but-I'm-pretty-sure-I-loved-it stars for the audiobook version narrated by all-stars Luke Daniels and Angela Dawe.
I was hooked right from the first chapter of FantasticLand. The premise here is that an author is writing a book about what went down at the FantasticLand amusement park when a few hundred employees were stranded there for a few weeks after a hell of a hurricane. Each chapter is presented as an interview with a different person who was affected by the events.
I love books that switch perspectives from chapter to chapter, and this one does it in spades. Daniels and Dawe do phenomenal voice work here -- each of the characters had a unique voice and and they were just so darn real!
This book will completely suck you in and make you believe in FantasticLand and the tragic events that unfolded there. Author Mike Bockoven has written this in such a realistic way with gritty details that it truly reads like a compelling real-life documentary.
Be forewarned, though, that this is a really dark story, and part of the realism comes from the various interviewees describing things in very graphic detail. While I've certainly read and watched more graphic violence than is portrayed in this story, the fact that this feels so real will leave you feeling more unsettled than you expect. I learned the hard way that this was not good bedtime reading material.
If you like exploring the darker side of human nature then be sure to check this out. Bockoven's writing shows real talent and skill --I'll definitely be adding his next offering, Pack, to my watch list. (Edited 08/27/18: I watched for, and then I tried Pack, but it was not my cup of tea. I do not recommend it to readers who are going to try it solely based on liking FantasticLand.)
Badass Female Character Score: 5/5
The author has very successfully created a cast of characters who are incredibly balanced. There are heroes and villains; assholes and sweeties; and wimps and fighters, but none of those roles were necessarily determined by gender. Many of the women portrayed here are strong and fought hard, giving just as good as they got.
I was hooked right from the first chapter of FantasticLand. The premise here is that an author is writing a book about what went down at the FantasticLand amusement park when a few hundred employees were stranded there for a few weeks after a hell of a hurricane. Each chapter is presented as an interview with a different person who was affected by the events.
I love books that switch perspectives from chapter to chapter, and this one does it in spades. Daniels and Dawe do phenomenal voice work here -- each of the characters had a unique voice and and they were just so darn real!
This book will completely suck you in and make you believe in FantasticLand and the tragic events that unfolded there. Author Mike Bockoven has written this in such a realistic way with gritty details that it truly reads like a compelling real-life documentary.
Be forewarned, though, that this is a really dark story, and part of the realism comes from the various interviewees describing things in very graphic detail. While I've certainly read and watched more graphic violence than is portrayed in this story, the fact that this feels so real will leave you feeling more unsettled than you expect. I learned the hard way that this was not good bedtime reading material.
If you like exploring the darker side of human nature then be sure to check this out. Bockoven's writing shows real talent and skill --
Badass Female Character Score: 5/5
The author has very successfully created a cast of characters who are incredibly balanced. There are heroes and villains; assholes and sweeties; and wimps and fighters, but none of those roles were necessarily determined by gender. Many of the women portrayed here are strong and fought hard, giving just as good as they got.
January 21, 2019
For those of us who felt like the Hunger Games, Battle Royale, and Lord of the Flies didn't have nearly enough killing and violence. People who are just jonesing for some teen-on-teen brutality and bloodshed: It's gonna satisfy your itch!
This book is written as a series of interviews with the survivors from a massacre at an amusement park. There was a group of employees - like a couple hundred - who became stranded there without rescue after a hurricane for a month and all hell broke loose.
The thing is, you would think that the complete breakdown of societal rules and civility would take longer than a couple of days, but that photo is of day 2. For all they knew, their rescuers would be showing up that day and the park would reopen in the morning. That's how fast they lost their shit.
They had been dressed up in princess and mouse costumes, posing for pictures with little children just the day before, and now they are stabbing each other with the props and hanging dead bodies as warnings to the other "tribes" off of teacup rides?
Seriously, you had to wonder how long these young adults had been plotting imaginary murders in their heads, they took to it so quickly. They didn't even try to get along for a minute. They lose power and suddenly everyone joins a tribe and starts killing. They are putting heads on pikes within days of the storm! Is our society really so fragile? Are we all just a power outage away from becoming a bunch of Hannibal Lectors?
And then I remember that this book is set in Florida...
All of my doubts about humanity were laid to rest. Everyone knows that Florida is home to the batshit crazies of the world.
(In all seriousness, I could have flooded this review with Florida crazy memes... there was just so much material....)
So, read this book for the killyness and bloody fun, but then get on Google and check out the Florida crime memes. I promise you will be entertained!
This book is written as a series of interviews with the survivors from a massacre at an amusement park. There was a group of employees - like a couple hundred - who became stranded there without rescue after a hurricane for a month and all hell broke loose.
The thing is, you would think that the complete breakdown of societal rules and civility would take longer than a couple of days, but that photo is of day 2. For all they knew, their rescuers would be showing up that day and the park would reopen in the morning. That's how fast they lost their shit.
They had been dressed up in princess and mouse costumes, posing for pictures with little children just the day before, and now they are stabbing each other with the props and hanging dead bodies as warnings to the other "tribes" off of teacup rides?
Seriously, you had to wonder how long these young adults had been plotting imaginary murders in their heads, they took to it so quickly. They didn't even try to get along for a minute. They lose power and suddenly everyone joins a tribe and starts killing. They are putting heads on pikes within days of the storm! Is our society really so fragile? Are we all just a power outage away from becoming a bunch of Hannibal Lectors?
And then I remember that this book is set in Florida...
All of my doubts about humanity were laid to rest. Everyone knows that Florida is home to the batshit crazies of the world.
(In all seriousness, I could have flooded this review with Florida crazy memes... there was just so much material....)
So, read this book for the killyness and bloody fun, but then get on Google and check out the Florida crime memes. I promise you will be entertained!
July 5, 2022
**2 mediocre Stars**
I don't know how to review this book...
For starters, I want to say that did like and enjoy parts of it. BUT. Up until the last few "chapters", I didn't really understand what was happening most of the time, or better said WHY all those things were happening.
When a hurricane hits Florida, the area around the theme park "FantasticLand" is completely flooded, which leads to it being cut off from the mainland for over a month.
Even though the hundreds of employees stranded there have everything they need to survive comfortably, shortly after the storm, they start forming these crazy groups and they engage in these bloody battles with each other.
The book is written as this sort of book research, by a journalist named Adam Jakes. He assembles the accounts of what went so horribly wrong through interviews with subjects ranging from a 'FantasticLand historian' to many survivors, to the infamous leader of the Pirate tribe.
My biggest problem with this book was that I often found myself thinking there has to be some supernatural stuff coming up. I thought that there must have been some strange thing about hurricane Sadie that drove people mad, because why else would they start killing each other off in the most gruesome ways possible? Sadly, that was never the case.
I couldn't help but think that in a situation like this, where a group of people are left stranded somewhere for a long time, the logical thing to do is stay together, then find shelter, food and water. Then try and stay alive until someone comes to rescue you. Not to form weird groups and murder other fellow survivors for no fucking reason :|
Up until the final chapter, I couldn't wrap my head around it all and I guess I'm still not that happy with the explanation we get in the end. It just wasn't good enough for me.
I don't know how to review this book...
For starters, I want to say that did like and enjoy parts of it. BUT. Up until the last few "chapters", I didn't really understand what was happening most of the time, or better said WHY all those things were happening.
When a hurricane hits Florida, the area around the theme park "FantasticLand" is completely flooded, which leads to it being cut off from the mainland for over a month.
Even though the hundreds of employees stranded there have everything they need to survive comfortably, shortly after the storm, they start forming these crazy groups and they engage in these bloody battles with each other.
The book is written as this sort of book research, by a journalist named Adam Jakes. He assembles the accounts of what went so horribly wrong through interviews with subjects ranging from a 'FantasticLand historian' to many survivors, to the infamous leader of the Pirate tribe.
My biggest problem with this book was that I often found myself thinking there has to be some supernatural stuff coming up. I thought that there must have been some strange thing about hurricane Sadie that drove people mad, because why else would they start killing each other off in the most gruesome ways possible? Sadly, that was never the case.
I couldn't help but think that in a situation like this, where a group of people are left stranded somewhere for a long time, the logical thing to do is stay together, then find shelter, food and water. Then try and stay alive until someone comes to rescue you. Not to form weird groups and murder other fellow survivors for no fucking reason :|
Up until the final chapter, I couldn't wrap my head around it all and I guess I'm still not that happy with the explanation we get in the end. It just wasn't good enough for me.
October 4, 2022
NEW THOUGHTS
This was a re-read of a favorite from 2020. It was just as good as I remembered it to be!
Told through a series of interviews after the tragedy, FANTASTICLAND tells the tragic story of what happened to a bunch of internet dependant teens and young adults, when the amusement park at which they were employed, is flooded and isolated after a huge hurricane. After weeks spent on their own and unconnected, these kids turned to...other things for their entertainment. Many people did not make it out alive.
I had forgotten about the opening wherein Hurricane Sadie devastates the area of Florida where Fantasticland is located. It made for a timely read considering what just happened with Ian.
These two narrators are beyond good and I think this is one of those rare cases where the audio might be elevated by the voicing of the parts. I don't think this would have been as spellbinding if I read it, instead of listening to it.
My original review:
If LORD OF THE FLIES was set in a flooded amusement park, it would be FANTASTICLAND.
I loved everything about this audiobook! Both of the narrators were excellent, which is good because each one of them voiced many characters throughout the tale. The story was told via a series of interviews that happened well after the fact. The reader is left to pull it all together in their mind. These narrators were so excellent, they sounded like entirely different people from interview to interview.
It's very scary to think about today's youth and/or young adults. They have to have something to amuse themselves every second of the day, it seems like. Cut off from phones and the internet, they are left with nothing to do and it turns out, there's nothing scarier than a group of bored teens.
The story was excellent, the narrators were excellent and I cannot wait to read more from this author!
My highest recommendation!
Get your copy here: https://amzn.to/3hyz5Ho
*I bought this ebook AND the audiobook with my hard earned cash.*
This was a re-read of a favorite from 2020. It was just as good as I remembered it to be!
Told through a series of interviews after the tragedy, FANTASTICLAND tells the tragic story of what happened to a bunch of internet dependant teens and young adults, when the amusement park at which they were employed, is flooded and isolated after a huge hurricane. After weeks spent on their own and unconnected, these kids turned to...other things for their entertainment. Many people did not make it out alive.
I had forgotten about the opening wherein Hurricane Sadie devastates the area of Florida where Fantasticland is located. It made for a timely read considering what just happened with Ian.
These two narrators are beyond good and I think this is one of those rare cases where the audio might be elevated by the voicing of the parts. I don't think this would have been as spellbinding if I read it, instead of listening to it.
My original review:
If LORD OF THE FLIES was set in a flooded amusement park, it would be FANTASTICLAND.
I loved everything about this audiobook! Both of the narrators were excellent, which is good because each one of them voiced many characters throughout the tale. The story was told via a series of interviews that happened well after the fact. The reader is left to pull it all together in their mind. These narrators were so excellent, they sounded like entirely different people from interview to interview.
It's very scary to think about today's youth and/or young adults. They have to have something to amuse themselves every second of the day, it seems like. Cut off from phones and the internet, they are left with nothing to do and it turns out, there's nothing scarier than a group of bored teens.
The story was excellent, the narrators were excellent and I cannot wait to read more from this author!
My highest recommendation!
Get your copy here: https://amzn.to/3hyz5Ho
*I bought this ebook AND the audiobook with my hard earned cash.*
May 4, 2024
“in disasters, people react differently. It’s not uncommon for people to focus on one thing they can control amid a sea of chaos and hyperfocus on that one thing.”
after a hurricane hits Florida’s coast, it ends up isolating this amusement park called “FantasticLand” leading to the people trapped inside fighting for survival in a battle royale type scenario. there’s definitely some commentary on how humans resort to violence when feeling cornered and the things that went on in this book showcases that brutality first hand. the book is also told through an interview format with accounts from many of the people who were directly involved. you definitely have to suspend some disbelief with this one, but overall i had a fun time reading and it stayed fast paced and entertaining from beginning to end.
➺ i have to applaud the narrators cause i thought it was a full cast when it was actually just 2 people lol. they both did an amazing job giving each character distinct voices and i highly recommend the audiobook!
after a hurricane hits Florida’s coast, it ends up isolating this amusement park called “FantasticLand” leading to the people trapped inside fighting for survival in a battle royale type scenario. there’s definitely some commentary on how humans resort to violence when feeling cornered and the things that went on in this book showcases that brutality first hand. the book is also told through an interview format with accounts from many of the people who were directly involved. you definitely have to suspend some disbelief with this one, but overall i had a fun time reading and it stayed fast paced and entertaining from beginning to end.
➺ i have to applaud the narrators cause i thought it was a full cast when it was actually just 2 people lol. they both did an amazing job giving each character distinct voices and i highly recommend the audiobook!
November 15, 2018
Find all of my reviews at: http://52bookminimum.blogspot.com/
FantasticLand is getting every Star and I ain’t even sorry.
Like the blurb says, this story is a modern-day . . . .
Ha! I keed. It truly is Lord of the Flies meets [insert battle to the death book/film of your choosing here]. More specifically it is about . . . .
What happened in FantasticLand during the thirty-five days dubbed “The Battle of the Tribes.”
Here’s the deal: In the Fall of 2017 Hurricane Sadie was being tracked off the coast of Florida. It was anticipated she would be a wreaker of havoc, but no one ever anticipated her effects would be felt so far inland and just how powerful she would become. Basically, the only thing that could have been worse is . . . .
While the National Guard, local authorities and all humanitarian efforts were focused on the coastal regions, 326 employees of FantasticLand were left to their own devices. Weeks later, 207 were evacuated. This is the story of what happened, told in interview format by the survivors. It was oh so very . . . .
(If you haven’t seen that movie, you really need to rectify it immediately or there’s a possibility I will defriend you. j/k. *cough* maybe *cough*)
This was everything it should have been. Gory, nauseating, action-packed and a story that didn't miss a beat from the first page to the last. I luuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuurved it.
FantasticLand is getting every Star and I ain’t even sorry.
Like the blurb says, this story is a modern-day . . . .
Ha! I keed. It truly is Lord of the Flies meets [insert battle to the death book/film of your choosing here]. More specifically it is about . . . .
What happened in FantasticLand during the thirty-five days dubbed “The Battle of the Tribes.”
Here’s the deal: In the Fall of 2017 Hurricane Sadie was being tracked off the coast of Florida. It was anticipated she would be a wreaker of havoc, but no one ever anticipated her effects would be felt so far inland and just how powerful she would become. Basically, the only thing that could have been worse is . . . .
While the National Guard, local authorities and all humanitarian efforts were focused on the coastal regions, 326 employees of FantasticLand were left to their own devices. Weeks later, 207 were evacuated. This is the story of what happened, told in interview format by the survivors. It was oh so very . . . .
(If you haven’t seen that movie, you really need to rectify it immediately or there’s a possibility I will defriend you. j/k. *cough* maybe *cough*)
This was everything it should have been. Gory, nauseating, action-packed and a story that didn't miss a beat from the first page to the last. I luuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuurved it.
October 5, 2018
"Of the 326 employees who stayed behind in the park, 207 were eventually evacuated. The fate of the 119 missing souls may never be known, but evidence of death and slaughter was immediately apparent. Photo's soon emerged: heads on spikes outside of rides, corpses floating in detention cells, and viscera decaying in the humid Florida sun. FantasticLand, where "Fun Is Guaranteed!", was covered in blood. There were human bones littering the gift shops. It was all the country could talk about. The coverage crossed all media, breaking records for hits, views, likes, clicks and shares."
Well that was a bloody (very bloody) good time! I know many people will read that above quote and know instantly how repulsive it is and will steer clear of this book. Me? I say bring it on, Bockoven, let's see what you got!
Chapter 18 was scary. Really f-ing scary and I rarely ever make that statement. I don't think I will ever forget it.
If you love horror and all things gory then this is one I would highly recommend!
Well that was a bloody (very bloody) good time! I know many people will read that above quote and know instantly how repulsive it is and will steer clear of this book. Me? I say bring it on, Bockoven, let's see what you got!
Chapter 18 was scary. Really f-ing scary and I rarely ever make that statement. I don't think I will ever forget it.
If you love horror and all things gory then this is one I would highly recommend!
June 10, 2021
This book was fun, gory, and a whole lot of crazy!
I liked the format of the book as well. The chapters were in interviews after everything goes down with the hurricane and theme park.
I can imagine the audiobook for this would be great in that type of format. I did not do the audiobook but I heard it's great!
FantasticLand is about a theme park in Florida that’s been around since the 1970s. It’s super popular, has tons of rides, and the park is separated by different themes.
Each area in the park is different and completely unique to anything else in the park.
There’s the Fairy Prairie, the Golden Road, the World’s Circus, the Hero Haven, Fantastic Future World, and the Pirate Cove.
Sounds like a cool theme park, but here’s the thing.
A hurricane is coming to wipe out most of Florida and the park is going to be isolated and half destroyed from the storm.
All hell is about to go down with management and the teenagers/young adults who work there.
This book is the love child of Lord of the Flies and a theme park like Disneyland.
If you can suspend some disbelief with the plot, I think you’ll enjoy the hell of this book.
One: It’s a horror book and in my opinion, that genre is not the most believable.
It's a fun, creepy and scary genre to read though.
Two: It’s a bunch of teenagers and young adults with no cell phones, social media or adult supervision. Hello teenage angst and hormonal, raging monster kids!
And management has completely dropped the ball on survival and crisis organization for the park.
Three: It’s in Florida.
Have you ever googled “Florida Man” and your birthday?
Yeah, about that. I’m not sure what’s going on in Florida but nothing surprises me now with the stories that come out of the state.
It’s like me being surprised by “another” serial killer in Washington State. 🤷🏼♀️🤣
Definitely glad to finally read this one!
It's been on my to-be-read list for sometime now.
Glad to read this with the Horror Aficionados group. It was fun to see the reactions and opinions about this one!
I liked the format of the book as well. The chapters were in interviews after everything goes down with the hurricane and theme park.
I can imagine the audiobook for this would be great in that type of format. I did not do the audiobook but I heard it's great!
FantasticLand is about a theme park in Florida that’s been around since the 1970s. It’s super popular, has tons of rides, and the park is separated by different themes.
Each area in the park is different and completely unique to anything else in the park.
There’s the Fairy Prairie, the Golden Road, the World’s Circus, the Hero Haven, Fantastic Future World, and the Pirate Cove.
Sounds like a cool theme park, but here’s the thing.
A hurricane is coming to wipe out most of Florida and the park is going to be isolated and half destroyed from the storm.
All hell is about to go down with management and the teenagers/young adults who work there.
This book is the love child of Lord of the Flies and a theme park like Disneyland.
If you can suspend some disbelief with the plot, I think you’ll enjoy the hell of this book.
One: It’s a horror book and in my opinion, that genre is not the most believable.
It's a fun, creepy and scary genre to read though.
Two: It’s a bunch of teenagers and young adults with no cell phones, social media or adult supervision. Hello teenage angst and hormonal, raging monster kids!
And management has completely dropped the ball on survival and crisis organization for the park.
Three: It’s in Florida.
Have you ever googled “Florida Man” and your birthday?
Yeah, about that. I’m not sure what’s going on in Florida but nothing surprises me now with the stories that come out of the state.
It’s like me being surprised by “another” serial killer in Washington State. 🤷🏼♀️🤣
Definitely glad to finally read this one!
It's been on my to-be-read list for sometime now.
Glad to read this with the Horror Aficionados group. It was fun to see the reactions and opinions about this one!
April 7, 2019
DNF 50%
^^ This gif pretty much sums up how I feel about this book.
I stopped reading this for my own sanity and the sanity of my boyfriend. I kept scoffing and sighing and let-me-just-read-you-this-ridiculous-part-ing. I really did not like this.
First of all, it was SO B O R I N G. The back of this book compares it to Battle Royale, which is one of my all time faves. THIS WAS A LIE. This is nowhere near as spectacular as Battle Royale.
Secondly, this was so boring. Seriously.
Thirdly, this read like a hate letter written to millennials. "Kids are getting their hands cut off but let me just mention how annoyed Sally is because she can't check Facebook". "Ugh, I wish I had my phone so I could post a picture of that head on my instagram". NO ONE WOULD BE THINKING ABOUT SOCIAL MEDIA IF THEY WERE TRYING NOT TO BE KILLED. "We better get out of here, because these kids are going to lose their minds and start killing each other" an adult actually said something along those lines. It was mentioned MULTIPLE times and this was when they had been in the storm shelter for less than 48 hours.
Fourthly, WHY, when there is enough food, water and shelter to last weeks and weeks, WOULD PEOPLE'S FIRST DECISION TO BE TO FORM TRIBES AND START KILLING EACH OTHER?! Oh, wait, IT WOULDN'T. This was the most ridiculous thing about this book. Yes, obviously it would be terrifying to be caught in a hurricane but they were only in the shelters for three days tops. They had enough food and water for everyone, it was dry, and had power for almost the whole time. Then within an hour of leaving the shelters they group up and start doing heinous shit to each other, like cutting off hands. Once again still have lots and lots of food, water and shelter. THEY ARE PRETTY MUCH CAMPING WHAT THE HELL. It's so unrealistic and makes no sense.
UGH. This was so dumb and I'm ANNOYED.
^^ This gif pretty much sums up how I feel about this book.
I stopped reading this for my own sanity and the sanity of my boyfriend. I kept scoffing and sighing and let-me-just-read-you-this-ridiculous-part-ing. I really did not like this.
First of all, it was SO B O R I N G. The back of this book compares it to Battle Royale, which is one of my all time faves. THIS WAS A LIE. This is nowhere near as spectacular as Battle Royale.
Secondly, this was so boring. Seriously.
Thirdly, this read like a hate letter written to millennials. "Kids are getting their hands cut off but let me just mention how annoyed Sally is because she can't check Facebook". "Ugh, I wish I had my phone so I could post a picture of that head on my instagram". NO ONE WOULD BE THINKING ABOUT SOCIAL MEDIA IF THEY WERE TRYING NOT TO BE KILLED. "We better get out of here, because these kids are going to lose their minds and start killing each other" an adult actually said something along those lines. It was mentioned MULTIPLE times and this was when they had been in the storm shelter for less than 48 hours.
Fourthly, WHY, when there is enough food, water and shelter to last weeks and weeks, WOULD PEOPLE'S FIRST DECISION TO BE TO FORM TRIBES AND START KILLING EACH OTHER?! Oh, wait, IT WOULDN'T. This was the most ridiculous thing about this book. Yes, obviously it would be terrifying to be caught in a hurricane but they were only in the shelters for three days tops. They had enough food and water for everyone, it was dry, and had power for almost the whole time. Then within an hour of leaving the shelters they group up and start doing heinous shit to each other, like cutting off hands. Once again still have lots and lots of food, water and shelter. THEY ARE PRETTY MUCH CAMPING WHAT THE HELL. It's so unrealistic and makes no sense.
UGH. This was so dumb and I'm ANNOYED.
April 22, 2017
You'd be amazed how quickly rumors can grow and get out of hand when kids don't have the constant distraction of their phones to check every twelve seconds.
I don't know what this says about me, and I'm pretty sure I don't want to know, but I LOVE books about people behaving badly in the face of a crisis. There's just something so enticing about the fact that the times we should all be working together are the times we're most likely to declare that it's every man for himself. Aliens attacking? Zombies on the loose? Time to barricade the basement doors, and hunker down with our bottled water and our cans of Spam.
The big crisis in this book is the MOAH - Mother Of All Hurricanes - which smacks into the eastern coast of Florida with unprecedented force. A few hundred park employees of FantasticLand have been contracted to ride out the storm within the park's confines to guard against looting. Like most amusement park workers, they are nearly all in their teens and twenties. Things are going okay down in the underground bunker . . . until the power goes out. Panic, mayhem, and chaos roll in, and five people are dead. That helps enforce the fact that NO ONE is in charge, and after the storm passes, the super-disgruntled park staff emerge from the earth, and split into warring factions hoarding food, and defending their own areas of the park. Time passes, and the cavalry doesn't show. Things get more and more desperate. No one can post stuff on Facebook or check their messages. The bodies start piling up.
The story unspools in a series of interviews with the survivors, and their rescuers. That's a whole lotta unreliable narrators, which only adds to the fun. Whose version of the truth should we believe? I did have a few minor problems that kept me from tacking on that fifth star: all characters seemed to possess about the same intelligence level, and spoke using virtually the same voice, AND, there was no real big smackdown
Well, enough nitpicking. On the whole, the book satisfied my bloodlust, and managed to reassure me that people arereally good basically scum at heart. I honestly can't remember the last time I was tempted to call in sick to work so I could stay home and read.
I don't know what this says about me, and I'm pretty sure I don't want to know, but I LOVE books about people behaving badly in the face of a crisis. There's just something so enticing about the fact that the times we should all be working together are the times we're most likely to declare that it's every man for himself. Aliens attacking? Zombies on the loose? Time to barricade the basement doors, and hunker down with our bottled water and our cans of Spam.
The big crisis in this book is the MOAH - Mother Of All Hurricanes - which smacks into the eastern coast of Florida with unprecedented force. A few hundred park employees of FantasticLand have been contracted to ride out the storm within the park's confines to guard against looting. Like most amusement park workers, they are nearly all in their teens and twenties. Things are going okay down in the underground bunker . . . until the power goes out. Panic, mayhem, and chaos roll in, and five people are dead. That helps enforce the fact that NO ONE is in charge, and after the storm passes, the super-disgruntled park staff emerge from the earth, and split into warring factions hoarding food, and defending their own areas of the park. Time passes, and the cavalry doesn't show. Things get more and more desperate. No one can post stuff on Facebook or check their messages. The bodies start piling up.
The story unspools in a series of interviews with the survivors, and their rescuers. That's a whole lotta unreliable narrators, which only adds to the fun. Whose version of the truth should we believe? I did have a few minor problems that kept me from tacking on that fifth star: all characters seemed to possess about the same intelligence level, and spoke using virtually the same voice, AND, there was no real big smackdown
Well, enough nitpicking. On the whole, the book satisfied my bloodlust, and managed to reassure me that people are
September 10, 2022
“it’s that a person gets stupid when they become people.”
Easily the best book I've read in 2022 (so far.)
FantasticLand (the theme park) is a large theme park separated into factions. it was supposed to be that way so any visitor could experience many different parks in one. you got the Pirates, the Fairies, the Robots and more.
all of which are sections of the park with different employees and leaderships. in a normal day that's practical, but when a hurricane hits Florida, trapping those employees in the park for weeks, that turned the groups into tribes fighting for their own survival (and enjoyment for some.)
This novel is told in an interview style, similar to World War Z: An Oral History of the Zombie War and that format made it more disturbing.
Reread review:
for the 2nd time reading this book I had to lower the rating to 3 stars instead of my initial 5. I firmly believe now this book would've been more effective had the author not exaggerated some things. specially the gore.
Easily the best book I've read in 2022 (so far.)
FantasticLand (the theme park) is a large theme park separated into factions. it was supposed to be that way so any visitor could experience many different parks in one. you got the Pirates, the Fairies, the Robots and more.
all of which are sections of the park with different employees and leaderships. in a normal day that's practical, but when a hurricane hits Florida, trapping those employees in the park for weeks, that turned the groups into tribes fighting for their own survival (and enjoyment for some.)
This novel is told in an interview style, similar to World War Z: An Oral History of the Zombie War and that format made it more disturbing.
Reread review:
for the 2nd time reading this book I had to lower the rating to 3 stars instead of my initial 5. I firmly believe now this book would've been more effective had the author not exaggerated some things. specially the gore.
January 6, 2022
Hurricane Sadie is barreling onto Florida's coastline. FantasticLand, an amusement park, is in the line of fire, Operation Rapture is put in use. 320 employees are to remain inside the park to prevent against looters, theft, and general shenanigans. Left with enough water, food, and supplies, they could have lasted months before helped arrived and would have been fine. Management's decision to leave mostly young adults there with no power or cellphones was not a wise decision. Soon the park becomes divided into tribes. Tribes start killing each other over supplies, food, and general boredom. There is a real cannon being fired from Pirate's Cove, right along with hanging bodies from the lamp lights. The cashiers become archers, firing off shots from high above the ground. What happened over in Circus Land is creepy and involves skin. Utter chaos everywhere. I loved it!
March 18, 2022
I knew this was going to be a fun gamble when all the passionate reviews I saw we're either 1 star or 4-5 star reviews.
I think it's obvious which side of the coin I landed on. This is a 1-star read with a bump to 2 stars for fantastic narration.
Everything about this is problematic and I'm not even sure where to begin. First, it's told in oral history format which I have yet to enjoy. Meaning the book is just a bunch of interviews - aka all dialog. I likely would've DNF'ed it if I were physically reading it but I actually enjoyed the narrators who breathed colorful life into these awful characters.
Fantasticland (think Disney World) is a popular kid's theme park in Florida that is rendered isolated after a hurricane. The author does his best Lord of the Flies homage here by having the stranded employees form their own "gangs" (i.e. Pirates, Deadpools, Shop Girls, etc.) and then start savagely killing each other, a la Hunger Games.
There was just no reason for it. I could never get behind it, even under the guise of fiction. There still needs to be some sense of purpose or motivating factor. Can you imagine the upbeat, positive, kid-friendly employees of Disney all turning into bloodthirsty murderers if left alone to their own devices? No, you can't. It's illogical.
The science behind a hurricane isolating a theme park for months and the reason behind the unhurried efforts to save them were laughable as well.
This is 100% gore porn. Author Mike Bockoven's twisted fantasy. A dangerously uninformed study of human behavior. When the lights go out in my neighborhood, I pray Mike isn't my neighbor.
I think it's obvious which side of the coin I landed on. This is a 1-star read with a bump to 2 stars for fantastic narration.
Everything about this is problematic and I'm not even sure where to begin. First, it's told in oral history format which I have yet to enjoy. Meaning the book is just a bunch of interviews - aka all dialog. I likely would've DNF'ed it if I were physically reading it but I actually enjoyed the narrators who breathed colorful life into these awful characters.
Fantasticland (think Disney World) is a popular kid's theme park in Florida that is rendered isolated after a hurricane. The author does his best Lord of the Flies homage here by having the stranded employees form their own "gangs" (i.e. Pirates, Deadpools, Shop Girls, etc.) and then start savagely killing each other, a la Hunger Games.
There was just no reason for it. I could never get behind it, even under the guise of fiction. There still needs to be some sense of purpose or motivating factor. Can you imagine the upbeat, positive, kid-friendly employees of Disney all turning into bloodthirsty murderers if left alone to their own devices? No, you can't. It's illogical.
The science behind a hurricane isolating a theme park for months and the reason behind the unhurried efforts to save them were laughable as well.
This is 100% gore porn. Author Mike Bockoven's twisted fantasy. A dangerously uninformed study of human behavior. When the lights go out in my neighborhood, I pray Mike isn't my neighbor.
June 11, 2021
OH MY GOD THIS WAS SO MUCH INSANE FUN.
A+ for the audio!
This was another audio I listened to working 'Dark Store' - on my own, in a locked up retail store, in the basement of a deserted shopping centre - also, coincidentally, the day(s) that storms raged outside. COULD THE SETTING HAVE BEEN MORE PERFECT?!
Because this story begins with a storm. A storm that sees just under 400 theme park employees trapped for around 5 weeks. They've got plenty of food and water, and they're supposed to be looking after the park, but things don't quite go to the plan of the exhaustive safety manual designed for this specific kind of scenario.
The book is a series of interviews, and the good stuff starts coming hard and fast once we get to the interviews of those who found themselves as part of one of the 'tribes' that formed during the FantasticLand fiasco. I LOVED the format, and it made the audio that much more entertaining, because you get so many different voices and perspectives of what went down, and you get the classic variations that come from different people telling the same story, and I honestly didn't care that it all seemed a bit far fetched. I felt like, no matter how the situation itself came about, the way these kids dealt with everything seemed pretty real. People taking charge, people cowering, people trying to remain neutral, people just wanting to keep to themselves and stay safe, people trying to pretend it was all a bad dream.
The violence was insane, but as soon as it was told by someone who experienced it first-hand it suddenly seemed more tame, or more reasonable. I LOVED that aspect. Some of it was chilling, but more was just terrifyingly understandable.
This was such a unique, messed up story and I just loved the experience of reading/listening to it. I find myself going back through it to highlight passages that really stood out. I'll likely re-read it at some stage.
A LOT of fun, totally crazy, brilliant characters and variety. Not totally believable, but who cares when you get to have this much fun? Highly recommend.
A+ for the audio!
This was another audio I listened to working 'Dark Store' - on my own, in a locked up retail store, in the basement of a deserted shopping centre - also, coincidentally, the day(s) that storms raged outside. COULD THE SETTING HAVE BEEN MORE PERFECT?!
Because this story begins with a storm. A storm that sees just under 400 theme park employees trapped for around 5 weeks. They've got plenty of food and water, and they're supposed to be looking after the park, but things don't quite go to the plan of the exhaustive safety manual designed for this specific kind of scenario.
The book is a series of interviews, and the good stuff starts coming hard and fast once we get to the interviews of those who found themselves as part of one of the 'tribes' that formed during the FantasticLand fiasco. I LOVED the format, and it made the audio that much more entertaining, because you get so many different voices and perspectives of what went down, and you get the classic variations that come from different people telling the same story, and I honestly didn't care that it all seemed a bit far fetched. I felt like, no matter how the situation itself came about, the way these kids dealt with everything seemed pretty real. People taking charge, people cowering, people trying to remain neutral, people just wanting to keep to themselves and stay safe, people trying to pretend it was all a bad dream.
The violence was insane, but as soon as it was told by someone who experienced it first-hand it suddenly seemed more tame, or more reasonable. I LOVED that aspect. Some of it was chilling, but more was just terrifyingly understandable.
This was such a unique, messed up story and I just loved the experience of reading/listening to it. I find myself going back through it to highlight passages that really stood out. I'll likely re-read it at some stage.
A LOT of fun, totally crazy, brilliant characters and variety. Not totally believable, but who cares when you get to have this much fun? Highly recommend.
June 4, 2021
"Kids these days with their PHONES. I bet if they didn't have their phones for a few hours, they'd immediately start killing each other. Take away Instagram and Facebook and they turn into dumb rabid animals. Have I mentioned that PHONES are BAD?"
This book is actual garbage. It's 300 pages of ranting about Kids These Days sprinkled with poorly veiled racism and misogyny.
I award Mike Bockoven a single star for writing in complete sentences.
This book is actual garbage. It's 300 pages of ranting about Kids These Days sprinkled with poorly veiled racism and misogyny.
I award Mike Bockoven a single star for writing in complete sentences.
February 18, 2017
This book was SO. MUCH. FUN.
It's the story of FantasticLand, a theme park built by its eccentric creator as a rival to the Disney and Universal resorts. When a hurricane hits Florida in late 2017, the area around the park is completely flooded, and FantasticLand ends up being cut off from the mainland for more than a month. After reassurances from its board of directors that the hundreds of employees stranded there have everything they need to survive comfortably, it's bumped down the list of priorities for rescue efforts. But when the National Guard finally reach the park, they are faced with an unbelievably grisly scene: bodies hung from rides, decapitated heads on spikes, blood and bones spattered and strewn everywhere. It emerges that, having banded into tribes, the remaining survivors have been waging an intense, bloody battle with each other. Through interviews with subjects ranging from a 'FantasticLand historian' to the notorious leader of the Pirate tribe, journalist Adam Jakes assembles a loosely chronological account of what went so horribly wrong.
This is, ultimately, horror, but it's the 'violence ordinary people are capable of in desperate circumstances' type of horror, not the ghosts/vampires/demons kind. It's fascinating getting to know the background of this place, and I actually think the exposition was my favourite part. The worldbuilding is just so thorough: if the premise sounds stupidly far-fetched, it doesn't feel like it by the time you've taken in the history of FantasticLand and understand its company culture. The 'battle of the tribes' itself is less enjoyable, or at least it was for me: I'm not fond of long, complicated action scenes, which appear frequently in the final third of the book. I'd also have loved to know more about what the deal was with the Warthogs, although thinking about it, I'm glad a bit of ambiguity was left in. It makes the story scarier.
I've just read the whole description on the Goodreads page, and I think the idea of this being a novel which 'probes the consequences of a social civilisation built online' is overemphasised. The idea that these young people are used to constant stimulation, and the sudden absence of that is what makes them turn so rapidly to violence, is mentioned a few times as a theory, but it's definitely not what the story is about. This paragraph is a bit apropos-of-nothing, but I'm putting it in because I think the blurb makes FantasticLand sound a bit like a tedious anti-social-media parable. It isn't that.
If you liked Sarah Lotz's The Three, I'd recommend this. The different voices and the fact that it's framed as a book about a real-life event make the parallel obvious, and there's a similar sense of dread hanging over the whole thing. It's also equally engaging and readable.
(Incidentally, I'd love to read more books like this. I'm aware of World War Z, which I would consider, but I'm just not really interested in zombies; and I've read Six Stories, which presents its story through transcripts of a fictional podcast. If you know of any other (ideally non-zombie) horror novels that take the 'oral history' approach, tell me!)
TinyLetter | Twitter | Instagram | Tumblr
It's the story of FantasticLand, a theme park built by its eccentric creator as a rival to the Disney and Universal resorts. When a hurricane hits Florida in late 2017, the area around the park is completely flooded, and FantasticLand ends up being cut off from the mainland for more than a month. After reassurances from its board of directors that the hundreds of employees stranded there have everything they need to survive comfortably, it's bumped down the list of priorities for rescue efforts. But when the National Guard finally reach the park, they are faced with an unbelievably grisly scene: bodies hung from rides, decapitated heads on spikes, blood and bones spattered and strewn everywhere. It emerges that, having banded into tribes, the remaining survivors have been waging an intense, bloody battle with each other. Through interviews with subjects ranging from a 'FantasticLand historian' to the notorious leader of the Pirate tribe, journalist Adam Jakes assembles a loosely chronological account of what went so horribly wrong.
This is, ultimately, horror, but it's the 'violence ordinary people are capable of in desperate circumstances' type of horror, not the ghosts/vampires/demons kind. It's fascinating getting to know the background of this place, and I actually think the exposition was my favourite part. The worldbuilding is just so thorough: if the premise sounds stupidly far-fetched, it doesn't feel like it by the time you've taken in the history of FantasticLand and understand its company culture. The 'battle of the tribes' itself is less enjoyable, or at least it was for me: I'm not fond of long, complicated action scenes, which appear frequently in the final third of the book. I'd also have loved to know more about what the deal was with the Warthogs, although thinking about it, I'm glad a bit of ambiguity was left in. It makes the story scarier.
I've just read the whole description on the Goodreads page, and I think the idea of this being a novel which 'probes the consequences of a social civilisation built online' is overemphasised. The idea that these young people are used to constant stimulation, and the sudden absence of that is what makes them turn so rapidly to violence, is mentioned a few times as a theory, but it's definitely not what the story is about. This paragraph is a bit apropos-of-nothing, but I'm putting it in because I think the blurb makes FantasticLand sound a bit like a tedious anti-social-media parable. It isn't that.
If you liked Sarah Lotz's The Three, I'd recommend this. The different voices and the fact that it's framed as a book about a real-life event make the parallel obvious, and there's a similar sense of dread hanging over the whole thing. It's also equally engaging and readable.
(Incidentally, I'd love to read more books like this. I'm aware of World War Z, which I would consider, but I'm just not really interested in zombies; and I've read Six Stories, which presents its story through transcripts of a fictional podcast. If you know of any other (ideally non-zombie) horror novels that take the 'oral history' approach, tell me!)
TinyLetter | Twitter | Instagram | Tumblr
June 5, 2024
This book has mixed reviews. I thought it was really good. I did have the ebook and the audiobook which was really fun. It helps me concentrate if I read along with the narrator and this book had interviews from the survivors. The book is about a theme park, a huge one with pirates in one section, faeries in another, one other. When a hurricane is approaching no one is very concerned because the park was miles away. Not true. The people were bussed out but many people remained in the park, no transportation for them.
They had plenty of food and water but when the power went out, all was dark and of course being Florida all experienced extreme discomfort from the heat.
All should have been ok, but fear and anger from so many people created a very dire situation. Think Lord of the Flies on steroids.
I enjoyed the book a lot and do recommend it to people who like something different from typical horror.
They had plenty of food and water but when the power went out, all was dark and of course being Florida all experienced extreme discomfort from the heat.
All should have been ok, but fear and anger from so many people created a very dire situation. Think Lord of the Flies on steroids.
I enjoyed the book a lot and do recommend it to people who like something different from typical horror.
January 5, 2022
I’m sorry- but what am I missing?!? So you’re telling me that all of these teens and adults of seemingly sound mind (they were employed for an extensive period of time at a family theme park entertaining young children)…suddenly started to murder one another when they were stranded at the park for FOUR hours after a hurricane. FOUR. HOURS. And not only that- but they formed gangs! Gangs I tell you! And they didn’t band together in a quest for survival- there was plenty of food, water and shelter. They just decided- “hey! I’m a killer now! Let me give this murdering a try!”
And it wasn’t even a clean and simple murder! Body parts were chopped off. People’s faces were branded. CANNONS were shot! People were stabbed with swords. Others impaled with bows and arrows? Wtfffff. Just stop. First off- why were there cannons and real swords and bows and arrows on site??? Were they paying 4.7 gajillion dollars in insurance at this joint. Secondly- I know that most of our country lately is inherently stupid…but THIS stupid???? Well maybe. But NOT in a few hours! Not even in a few days!
There was no trigger as to why any of this happened. No deep look at these characters in an attempt to explain what happened. There’s just nothing here that screams “oh! I get why that dude cut another fella’s hands off!” Nada. And I also didn’t connect with ANYONE in this entire book. Didn’t really care or know who anyone was. Didn’t really care if their face got bashed in. Just shrugged my shoulders and carried on reading.
And while we all love our social media- if I heard that that was the reason why this happened one more time I’m going to brand my own face off. Again- how many natural disasters are there where people have no heat and electricity or FOOD AND WATER for days or weeks. Why have there been no gangs??? No cannons?! No sharp shooters with bows and arrows?!? Was I supposed to run around the streets wielding a steak knife at neighbors during Hurricane Sandy, and I just didn’t know?!?
This was just silly. I told my book club that I would need 47 lobotomies in order to suspend my disbelief enough to even slightly buy into this. Blech.
And it wasn’t even a clean and simple murder! Body parts were chopped off. People’s faces were branded. CANNONS were shot! People were stabbed with swords. Others impaled with bows and arrows? Wtfffff. Just stop. First off- why were there cannons and real swords and bows and arrows on site??? Were they paying 4.7 gajillion dollars in insurance at this joint. Secondly- I know that most of our country lately is inherently stupid…but THIS stupid???? Well maybe. But NOT in a few hours! Not even in a few days!
There was no trigger as to why any of this happened. No deep look at these characters in an attempt to explain what happened. There’s just nothing here that screams “oh! I get why that dude cut another fella’s hands off!” Nada. And I also didn’t connect with ANYONE in this entire book. Didn’t really care or know who anyone was. Didn’t really care if their face got bashed in. Just shrugged my shoulders and carried on reading.
And while we all love our social media- if I heard that that was the reason why this happened one more time I’m going to brand my own face off. Again- how many natural disasters are there where people have no heat and electricity or FOOD AND WATER for days or weeks. Why have there been no gangs??? No cannons?! No sharp shooters with bows and arrows?!? Was I supposed to run around the streets wielding a steak knife at neighbors during Hurricane Sandy, and I just didn’t know?!?
This was just silly. I told my book club that I would need 47 lobotomies in order to suspend my disbelief enough to even slightly buy into this. Blech.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 9, 2018
I kinda thought FantasticLand really existed st first. That's how realistic the novel was. The writing was impeccable
June 8, 2021
This is pretty much Lord of the Flies in an amusement park with a lot more blood, guts and dismembered limbs. And it was a blast! 5 stars!
November 18, 2018
FantasticLand “Where fun is guaranteed”
My friend Bandit turned me onto the audio of this one and it was excellent. As a matter of fact, this was made for audio. Told in a series of interviews, there were plenty of characters to go around and the narration really added depth to the interview style format.
Hurricane Sadie ravaged the Florida coastline isolating the amusement park FantasticLand, which should have been far enough inland to avoid the destruction. Sadie was a real bitch though. 150 mile an hour wind. A million people left homeless. 10 million without power. And 300+ employees of FantasticLand, low on the rescue priority list because they had plenty of food, water and shelter, left to fend for themselves and await help to arrive.
It doesn’t take long for things to go horribly wrong. Without cell phones and social media there was only one thing left for the employees to do. Break out into tribes and start positioning for survival. Duh. I guess if your cell phone is dead and you can’t play Clash of Clans you might as well do it for real. Yep. In hindsight, may not have been the best plan. Damn millennial's.
An original and extremely entertaining tale of society gone feral.
4.5 Stars rounded up to 5 on the strength of the narration and the whack cast of characters.
“Always check how much TNT you are using.”
That’s super sound advice.
My friend Bandit turned me onto the audio of this one and it was excellent. As a matter of fact, this was made for audio. Told in a series of interviews, there were plenty of characters to go around and the narration really added depth to the interview style format.
Hurricane Sadie ravaged the Florida coastline isolating the amusement park FantasticLand, which should have been far enough inland to avoid the destruction. Sadie was a real bitch though. 150 mile an hour wind. A million people left homeless. 10 million without power. And 300+ employees of FantasticLand, low on the rescue priority list because they had plenty of food, water and shelter, left to fend for themselves and await help to arrive.
It doesn’t take long for things to go horribly wrong. Without cell phones and social media there was only one thing left for the employees to do. Break out into tribes and start positioning for survival. Duh. I guess if your cell phone is dead and you can’t play Clash of Clans you might as well do it for real. Yep. In hindsight, may not have been the best plan. Damn millennial's.
An original and extremely entertaining tale of society gone feral.
4.5 Stars rounded up to 5 on the strength of the narration and the whack cast of characters.
“Always check how much TNT you are using.”
That’s super sound advice.
dnf
March 29, 2019I don’t like any of the characters and I just don’t care.
November 28, 2016
Incredible read. Shocking and unsettling. I've read other reviews that point out the "creepiness" factor in this and I have to agree. There is plenty of "on-screen" violence and the author pulls no punches with the descriptions of what happens in the park, you get to witness what happens sometimes firsthand, and then you get to hear how different individuals not only interpreted what went down but why they thought this stuff was happening as well. But the most disturbing aspect was the matter-of-factness in which the story is presented. It's no secret this is written like World War Z in interview format, and it is that first-person non-omniscient perspective that makes it so terrifying, you only know what the people themselves know and sometimes the stories are conflicting; so like most real world tragedies, the reader is left to decipher, with not all of the information or facts, what actually happened. This book is about as unputdownable as they come and I'm grateful for the long thanksgiving weekend that allowed me to run through this without having to stop for work or other inconveniences. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!
February 26, 2025
3.5 rounded down to 3
This book had an interesting premise and kept me thinking about it.
The basic story is that there is a hugely popular amusement park near Daytona Beach that rivals Disneyworld and Universal- the owner wanted a view of the ocean at the resort despite warnings about hurricanes.
He put a lot of time and effort into state-of-the-art safety and emergency operations training.
When “the big one” hit that area of Florida over 300 staff members stayed on as part of the crew - most of them young adults.
Things devolve quickly and rescuers do not come for weeks. Partly because board members tell the National Guard not to worry - Fantasticland is well prepared with plenty of provisions and training and partly because this is the hurricane of the century and Florida is devastated beyond what anyone has ever seen before- rescuers cannot keep up.
You’ll be told the story in a retrospective view through interviews with the survivors and it’s not pretty.
I think the interview style post disaster wasn’t really my thing. I may have rated it higher if it was a linear timeline telling the story with a little more character development but overall an interesting story and intriguing study of how people act in dire situations.
This book had an interesting premise and kept me thinking about it.
The basic story is that there is a hugely popular amusement park near Daytona Beach that rivals Disneyworld and Universal- the owner wanted a view of the ocean at the resort despite warnings about hurricanes.
He put a lot of time and effort into state-of-the-art safety and emergency operations training.
When “the big one” hit that area of Florida over 300 staff members stayed on as part of the crew - most of them young adults.
Things devolve quickly and rescuers do not come for weeks. Partly because board members tell the National Guard not to worry - Fantasticland is well prepared with plenty of provisions and training and partly because this is the hurricane of the century and Florida is devastated beyond what anyone has ever seen before- rescuers cannot keep up.
You’ll be told the story in a retrospective view through interviews with the survivors and it’s not pretty.
I think the interview style post disaster wasn’t really my thing. I may have rated it higher if it was a linear timeline telling the story with a little more character development but overall an interesting story and intriguing study of how people act in dire situations.
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