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Whammy
The trouble with small towns is that nothing of note ever happens. That has pretty much been the status quo for quite some time in Lily Grove, Texas, where the only two things keeping the town moving are farming and the oil field. But when an accidental death shakes up the oil patch, Klive Anderson tries to balance keeping some form of normalcy in his day-to-day life, while also trying to uncover exactly what the hell happened. You know, just in case the same thing could happen to him. Meanwhile, Stacey Karlisle has her own issues to worry about. Being the neighborhood entrepreneur keeps the day moving, but after a while, going through the motions starts to wear one down.
Whammy follows the two as they both try to navigate the rare ripple in their little pond in their own very different ways. Part mystery, part comic book adventure, take a drive out to the country and find out how to handle yourself when exciting things happen in your normally sleepy little hometown.
Whammy follows the two as they both try to navigate the rare ripple in their little pond in their own very different ways. Part mystery, part comic book adventure, take a drive out to the country and find out how to handle yourself when exciting things happen in your normally sleepy little hometown.
269 pages, Kindle Edition
Published June 4, 2020
3 people want to read
About the author
Ted Akin
9 books4 followersTed Akin is a wandering, wayward Texan telling stories from Kosciusko to Key West. Given the opportunity, he’ll go on an adventure and make a story out of it. Given equal opportunity, he will waste an afternoon in a recliner or hammock.
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
June 5, 2020
This is the spoiler free review of Whammy by Ted Akin. If you would like to read the spoiler full review complete with the big reveal of what makes this book more fantasy than reality please visit https://amanjareads.com/2020/06/03/wh...
Thank you to author Ted Akin for providing me with a copy of Whammy in exchange for an honest review.
Whammy starts off as a small town Texas slice of life story. It follows Klive as he works for an oil company in Lily Grove. Oil is the big employer for this small town and he has the thankless task of investigating safety concerns.
He lives above a coffee shop with coffee shop owner Stacey. She is also the town drug dealer and just uses the shop as a front for her real passion, marijuana.
For the first third of the book we follow Klive as he tiredly investigates the sudden death of one of his coworkers. The reader gets the vague feeling that there's more to this story that we aren't seeing but they don't have a foothold on it yet.
The book doesn't really get going until we discover that Klive isn't the protagonist of this story at all. Stacey is the one we should be following! And once we do Whammy takes off.
The novel goes from small town humdrum to magical, over the top, life and death style excitement. Once Stacey takes the lead the whole book lights up and becomes far more interesting.
There are a lot of meta elements to this book. These elements bring out an experimental feel in the novel. I appreciate it but at the same time it needs more polish. It's very difficult to accomplish this sort of ground breaking storytelling narrative the first time around.
I've been assured that there will be a sequel that follows and I have high hopes that that one will have the rough edges smoothed out.
Whammy is a prologue. It's an introduction to the way that author Akin thinks and writes. Conceptually, it's solid and interesting but the editing still needs a little work. It doesn't flow smoothly and has a few parts that get a little confusing.
Parts of the book read like a dream where you know who the character is but they look like someone else so you start to think they're someone else but you know deep down who they really are. You know when you try to describe that kind of dream to someone and it comes out fragmented and bumbling but they get the gist? That's the second act of Whammy.
The pieces for great world building have been laid and I have confidence that the sequel will be even more successful than the first. Whammy is a decent read and is the start of a series to watch out for.
Thank you to author Ted Akin for providing me with a copy of Whammy in exchange for an honest review.
Whammy starts off as a small town Texas slice of life story. It follows Klive as he works for an oil company in Lily Grove. Oil is the big employer for this small town and he has the thankless task of investigating safety concerns.
He lives above a coffee shop with coffee shop owner Stacey. She is also the town drug dealer and just uses the shop as a front for her real passion, marijuana.
For the first third of the book we follow Klive as he tiredly investigates the sudden death of one of his coworkers. The reader gets the vague feeling that there's more to this story that we aren't seeing but they don't have a foothold on it yet.
The book doesn't really get going until we discover that Klive isn't the protagonist of this story at all. Stacey is the one we should be following! And once we do Whammy takes off.
The novel goes from small town humdrum to magical, over the top, life and death style excitement. Once Stacey takes the lead the whole book lights up and becomes far more interesting.
There are a lot of meta elements to this book. These elements bring out an experimental feel in the novel. I appreciate it but at the same time it needs more polish. It's very difficult to accomplish this sort of ground breaking storytelling narrative the first time around.
I've been assured that there will be a sequel that follows and I have high hopes that that one will have the rough edges smoothed out.
Whammy is a prologue. It's an introduction to the way that author Akin thinks and writes. Conceptually, it's solid and interesting but the editing still needs a little work. It doesn't flow smoothly and has a few parts that get a little confusing.
Parts of the book read like a dream where you know who the character is but they look like someone else so you start to think they're someone else but you know deep down who they really are. You know when you try to describe that kind of dream to someone and it comes out fragmented and bumbling but they get the gist? That's the second act of Whammy.
The pieces for great world building have been laid and I have confidence that the sequel will be even more successful than the first. Whammy is a decent read and is the start of a series to watch out for.
April 18, 2020
Part small town Texas drama part super hero drama; Whammy weaves together two stories to create a humorous, adventure mystery. Klive Anderson is a man of simple pleasures. He likes coffee, good sleep, his easy steady employment working in a Texas oilfield, and writing superhero stories in his journal. His roommate on the other hand is a the complete opposite. Stacey Karlisle owns the town's only coffee shop, but really it's just a front for her dope business. Differences aside they get on real good and can easily waste an evening watching Clint Eastwood movies together. Living in small town there isn't much drama to speak of but when one of Klive's coworkers is killed in a work accident, things begin to go off kilter for for him. He's unsettled and takes to writing more about villains and superheroes in his journal. When Stacey picks up his notebook one day she gets drawn into his story. Little does she know just how drawn in she's about to be. Off the wall, laugh out loud funny, and unique; Whammy is a zany western/comic adventure fantasy that readers won't soon forget about.
June 3, 2020
This is another phenomenal fiction read from author Ted Akin. Whammy represents almost a new genre, humorous rural fantasy with magic realism and even some Western elements thrown in. It's an incredible ride.
Readers will be immediately drawn into this novel and its cast of hilarious characters, making for several truly laugh-out-loud moments. You will also have several WTF moments, which compel you to keep reading to the very end.
If you enjoy comic books, humor, fantasy, or just a good old-fashioned novel that you cannot put down, Whammy is it!
Readers will be immediately drawn into this novel and its cast of hilarious characters, making for several truly laugh-out-loud moments. You will also have several WTF moments, which compel you to keep reading to the very end.
If you enjoy comic books, humor, fantasy, or just a good old-fashioned novel that you cannot put down, Whammy is it!
June 8, 2020
I have received this book in exchange for an honest review. I have given Whammy by Ted Akin three out of five stars ⭐️ ⭐️⭐️
Whammy is a very unique story like no other story that I’ve read before. I found it quite difficult to get into at first as it was a very slow paced and informative start to the story, including the history of Lily Grove, Texas. It took almost half way into the book for me to pick up the pace and start to enjoy the comic book styled formatted story.
I found Akin’s writing style really interesting and enjoyed the humorous side to the book, it definitely had me laughing out loud at times!
The two main characters, Klive Anderson and Stacey Karlisle had a strange relationship, it was quite mysterious at times and now I understand why hah! I didn’t manage to create a connection with either of them which was a shame as this always helps me to really delve into a story.
There were lots of moments where I had to read over twice as Akin definitely took the fantasy side up a notch or two, I was completely surprised at the twist in this story and what started to unravel towards the end of the book. I definitely didn’t expect that at all!
I would definitely recommend this book to fans of comedy/humour and fantasy stories.
Whammy is a very unique story like no other story that I’ve read before. I found it quite difficult to get into at first as it was a very slow paced and informative start to the story, including the history of Lily Grove, Texas. It took almost half way into the book for me to pick up the pace and start to enjoy the comic book styled formatted story.
I found Akin’s writing style really interesting and enjoyed the humorous side to the book, it definitely had me laughing out loud at times!
The two main characters, Klive Anderson and Stacey Karlisle had a strange relationship, it was quite mysterious at times and now I understand why hah! I didn’t manage to create a connection with either of them which was a shame as this always helps me to really delve into a story.
There were lots of moments where I had to read over twice as Akin definitely took the fantasy side up a notch or two, I was completely surprised at the twist in this story and what started to unravel towards the end of the book. I definitely didn’t expect that at all!
I would definitely recommend this book to fans of comedy/humour and fantasy stories.
June 5, 2020
In the real world, Klive works in an oil field in Texas while writing a comic book without the pictures when a colleague dies suddenly, leaving a mystery on his hands as he notices inconsistencies. Klive’s roommate Stacey owns and runs the coffee shop, which fronts for a certain illegal activity. Born and raised in Lily Grove, she’s sure nothing every happens in Lily Grove. Until a mysterious stranger who likes to read books starts frequenting her coffee shop without ever buying anything. In another universe, a superhero and a supervillian are constantly facing off, destroying a building and leaving contracting estimator Jack Jackson constantly at odds with his rival Feld Springfeld.
I honestly jumped at the chance to read this when the author, Ted Akin, contacted me with his review request. It sounded like so much fun and like it would be very amusing. I like fun books, so I knew I couldn’t pass. When I saw the cover with the cat, the very cool-looking cat, I decided the book was irresistible. This book really did not disappoint, though it went in a very different direction towards the end than I had expected.
The Characters: Fun and Well-Crafted
The characters were so much fun. They were extremely well-crafted to the point where I thought I was reading about real people. They had idiosyncrasies and speech patterns that both suited them and the area. They did feel a little exaggerated, but that just made them that much more fun to read about.
Initially, I thought this would be a story split between Klive and Stacey as things start to happen in Lily Grove and they learn how to handle the unexpected when their sleepy town is jolted awake. But, just when I was really getting into Klive, I felt like Stacey stole the limelight and was actually the main character the whole time. Which also kind of made sense since she had the larger personality and, honestly, was a ton more fun. Still, I adored Klive. He seemed sweet and hardworking, and really cared.
Woven into the story of Klive and Stacey was the comic book without the pictures Klive was writing. At first, I was completely confused when the story went from a metropolis with a superhero and a supervillian to Lily Grove, Texas, but it quickly made sense and I found the characters to be just as interesting, though not quite as developed. Which makes sense considering Klive isn’t exactly a bestselling novelist.
The Setting: Real and Imagined
This book takes place in Lily Grove, Texas and in the imaginary world of metropolitan Politin. I enjoyed both settings and found the divergence in how they were developed to be quite interesting. On one hand, you have a small town in Texas that felt like it really could have been Texas (I couldn’t say for sure as I’ve never been). On the other hand, you have a fictional setting (within a fictional story) that wasn’t quite as well described considering the author is a character in the book who doesn’t exactly have an actual writing background.
Let’s start with Texas. This place came alive through the descriptions and the people. They way they acted and spoke made me feel like I was in Texas. Or, at least, what I think Texas as being like. I think the author nailed the small town feel and I actually loved reading about the expansive farm lands and oil field. I didn’t quite understand all the oil field talk (too technical for me though the information never felt like it was dumped on me), but I think I got just enough to appreciate the hard work that’s done there.
Politin was a completely different creature. It’s clearly a stereotypical metropolis with lots of buildings and seemingly twice as many people. I really, really loved Stacey’s remarks about it. It felt like the author was poking fun at fictional settings, especially those in comic books. It was fun and really gave the comic book without pictures the right feel. It’s a rather unique world considering it’s the setting for a story within a story, and I think it was exceptionally well done.
The Plot: A Bit Split
I really enjoyed this book, but, at the same time, I struggle a little bit (just a little bit) with how the story was presented. It felt like it was split into two segments that happened to be linked. Without the first half, the second half couldn’t happen, but I don’t think it was sewed as neatly together as it could have been.
Still, this was such a fun book. I enjoyed it immensely. It moved at a really good pace, the humor and story seemingly in lockstep. I loved that the comic book without pictures was flawlessly woven into the greater story. It was nice to flip back and forth between them and the stories of Klive and Stacey. I felt the second half was more exciting than the first half, but I absolutely adored getting to know all the characters in the first half. I wish there had been a bit more at the end of the book to tie back to the first half, but I also really felt the end fit the book well. I also feel like there’s a lot more to Stacey’s story that I’d like to know.
This is an amusing novel about stories, a light mystery, a very interesting cat, and magic. There are so many elements in it, but it all made sense! I don’t think this book would be as much fun if something had been cut out and I think the author did a fantastic job of weaving all these crazy elements into a single, cohesive story. I wish there had been more to the ending, but, overall, this was a really fantastic story.
Overall: Nicely Woven
I really loved this book. It was an easy and fun read with great characters and interesting settings. There’s so much in this book, but it all worked flawlessly. If anything, I only wish the two halves had been stitched together better. Still, this was a lot of fun and made me smile. It was a perfect distraction while also providing a quality story. While it felt like there were almost too many elements, it was also surprising to see how well they worked together, and I really must applaud the author for being able to weave them together into such a fun read.
Thank you to the author, Ted Akin, for a free e-copy. All opinions expressed are my own.
I honestly jumped at the chance to read this when the author, Ted Akin, contacted me with his review request. It sounded like so much fun and like it would be very amusing. I like fun books, so I knew I couldn’t pass. When I saw the cover with the cat, the very cool-looking cat, I decided the book was irresistible. This book really did not disappoint, though it went in a very different direction towards the end than I had expected.
The Characters: Fun and Well-Crafted
The characters were so much fun. They were extremely well-crafted to the point where I thought I was reading about real people. They had idiosyncrasies and speech patterns that both suited them and the area. They did feel a little exaggerated, but that just made them that much more fun to read about.
Initially, I thought this would be a story split between Klive and Stacey as things start to happen in Lily Grove and they learn how to handle the unexpected when their sleepy town is jolted awake. But, just when I was really getting into Klive, I felt like Stacey stole the limelight and was actually the main character the whole time. Which also kind of made sense since she had the larger personality and, honestly, was a ton more fun. Still, I adored Klive. He seemed sweet and hardworking, and really cared.
Woven into the story of Klive and Stacey was the comic book without the pictures Klive was writing. At first, I was completely confused when the story went from a metropolis with a superhero and a supervillian to Lily Grove, Texas, but it quickly made sense and I found the characters to be just as interesting, though not quite as developed. Which makes sense considering Klive isn’t exactly a bestselling novelist.
The Setting: Real and Imagined
This book takes place in Lily Grove, Texas and in the imaginary world of metropolitan Politin. I enjoyed both settings and found the divergence in how they were developed to be quite interesting. On one hand, you have a small town in Texas that felt like it really could have been Texas (I couldn’t say for sure as I’ve never been). On the other hand, you have a fictional setting (within a fictional story) that wasn’t quite as well described considering the author is a character in the book who doesn’t exactly have an actual writing background.
Let’s start with Texas. This place came alive through the descriptions and the people. They way they acted and spoke made me feel like I was in Texas. Or, at least, what I think Texas as being like. I think the author nailed the small town feel and I actually loved reading about the expansive farm lands and oil field. I didn’t quite understand all the oil field talk (too technical for me though the information never felt like it was dumped on me), but I think I got just enough to appreciate the hard work that’s done there.
Politin was a completely different creature. It’s clearly a stereotypical metropolis with lots of buildings and seemingly twice as many people. I really, really loved Stacey’s remarks about it. It felt like the author was poking fun at fictional settings, especially those in comic books. It was fun and really gave the comic book without pictures the right feel. It’s a rather unique world considering it’s the setting for a story within a story, and I think it was exceptionally well done.
The Plot: A Bit Split
I really enjoyed this book, but, at the same time, I struggle a little bit (just a little bit) with how the story was presented. It felt like it was split into two segments that happened to be linked. Without the first half, the second half couldn’t happen, but I don’t think it was sewed as neatly together as it could have been.
Still, this was such a fun book. I enjoyed it immensely. It moved at a really good pace, the humor and story seemingly in lockstep. I loved that the comic book without pictures was flawlessly woven into the greater story. It was nice to flip back and forth between them and the stories of Klive and Stacey. I felt the second half was more exciting than the first half, but I absolutely adored getting to know all the characters in the first half. I wish there had been a bit more at the end of the book to tie back to the first half, but I also really felt the end fit the book well. I also feel like there’s a lot more to Stacey’s story that I’d like to know.
This is an amusing novel about stories, a light mystery, a very interesting cat, and magic. There are so many elements in it, but it all made sense! I don’t think this book would be as much fun if something had been cut out and I think the author did a fantastic job of weaving all these crazy elements into a single, cohesive story. I wish there had been more to the ending, but, overall, this was a really fantastic story.
Overall: Nicely Woven
I really loved this book. It was an easy and fun read with great characters and interesting settings. There’s so much in this book, but it all worked flawlessly. If anything, I only wish the two halves had been stitched together better. Still, this was a lot of fun and made me smile. It was a perfect distraction while also providing a quality story. While it felt like there were almost too many elements, it was also surprising to see how well they worked together, and I really must applaud the author for being able to weave them together into such a fun read.
Thank you to the author, Ted Akin, for a free e-copy. All opinions expressed are my own.
June 2, 2020
I chose to read this book after receiving a free e-copy from the author. All opinions in this review are my own and completely unbiased.
Whammy is quite unique. It was a slow start, and I could have done without all of the history of the town, especially since it wasn’t important to the story. Once I got through that, though, I enjoyed it.
The relationship between Klive and Stacey is an interesting one. They’re roommates and friends, but there’s a lot that they don’t know about each other. Their lives in the small town of Lily Grove have been quite boring until all of a sudden, Klive happens across a mystery. Stacey inadvertently gets involved in the mystery and her life changes forever.
I like Ted Akin’s writing style and look forward to reading more of his off the wall writing.
Whammy is quite unique. It was a slow start, and I could have done without all of the history of the town, especially since it wasn’t important to the story. Once I got through that, though, I enjoyed it.
The relationship between Klive and Stacey is an interesting one. They’re roommates and friends, but there’s a lot that they don’t know about each other. Their lives in the small town of Lily Grove have been quite boring until all of a sudden, Klive happens across a mystery. Stacey inadvertently gets involved in the mystery and her life changes forever.
I like Ted Akin’s writing style and look forward to reading more of his off the wall writing.
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews