Tourist Trapped

by J.B. Velasquez

Depressed, newly divorced, and languishing away at a dead-end job, Tobias Munch dreams of becoming a famous author. He pines for Mia, a blonde barista way out of his league, but when she hits him with her car, his mundane, going nowhere life takes an unexpected turn.

Desperate to gain Mia’s approval, Tobias partakes of a psychedelic tea that transports him to the in-between, a place the dead go to learn to let go of their bodies in preparation for the Great Beyond. After the effects wear off, Mia returns to Earth. But, thanks to the concussion from the accident, Tobias has fallen into a coma—indefinitely delaying his return.

Time is running out before they pull the plug and he dies for real. All he has to do is learn to let go of his body in order to save it.

Easier said than done.

320 pages, Kindle Edition

Published February 7, 2023

About the author

J. B. Velasquez has always been an avid reader and lover of witty, satirical, and thoughtful fiction. His writing reflects upon his own inquiries and observations about life through the lens of interesting and deeply flawed characters.

J. B., a psychotherapist of twenty years, lives in the American Southwest with his beautiful wife and two kids who refuse to stop growing--no matter how much he tells them to cut it out.

Reviews

[Jessica Goeken · Rating 4 out of 5]

An interesting perspective on a mind that is ruled by depression and victimhood. I'll admit, I didn't connect well with Tobias, because I don't understand this kind of mindset, but I did enjoy watching him come to terms with the circumstances in his life and make strides toward reclaiming his own autonomy. It took me until the last 20% or so of the book to see things come together that didn't make sense to me throughout the beginning, and although the author's writing style is not to my taste I enjoyed the big reveals and the overarching themes of a person being in charge of their own life and their own decisions.

Disclaimer: I received an advance copy of this book for free and my opinions are my own.

[Gabriella · Rating 3 out of 5]

this was weird

[Gregg Sapp · Rating 4 out of 5]

Typically, when the main character in a novel is an aspirational, angst-ridden writer, they tend to engage in a lot of navel-gazing and self-recrimination. In the early chapters of J.B. Velasquez’s offbeat novel, “Tourist Trapped,” Tobias Munch follows suit. Thirty-something Tobias is divorced, hates his job, resents his parents, and is hopelessly smitten with a Mia, an effervescent younger barista. He tells his therapist, “I’m tired of being nobody.”

Things get weird fast. At a low point in his life, Tobias goes for a long, brooding walk and is struck in a crosswalk by a motorist who turns out to be Mia. When he awakens in the hospital, she is waiting with flowers. Mia takes Tobias home, where she introduces him to her bohemian friends and a lifestyle involving copious amounts of recreational drugs. Despite misgivings, to impress Mia he agrees to participate in a hallucinogenically-induced ritual that transports him to the “in-between.”

Theology aside (there’s no God here), the in-between is like limbo, “a transitional place” where the recently dead adapt to not having a body, “And when they’re ready they can decide to enter the Great Beyond.” Tobias and Mia are “tourists,” visiting only until the drugs wear off. Unexpectedly, after Mia returns to the living world, Tobias stays behind. A helpful soul leads Tobias to a viewing room, where he can observe his Earthly body on computer monitors. To his horror, Tobias sees that he has lapsed into a coma, so he is essentially “tourist trapped” in the in-between.

These events barely skim the surface of this novel’s essential weirdness. Tobias attends an orientation, where among other things he how learns to procure real estate, where to find the best restaurants, and what residents do for kicks, like swimming with sharks or sliding down rainbows. Despite these myriad attractions, Tobias yearns to return to his body, and to Mia. Unfortunately, his parents, having given up hope for his recovery, plan to pull the plug on his comatose Earthly body.

Velasquez takes Tobias's angst and turns it into madcap head trip. Some touches seem gratuitously bizarre, but overall, he creates an over-the-top fantasy world with its own peculiarly consistent internal logic. There’s also a satiric darkness that creeps into the narrative and drives the action forward. More than its oddities, though, “Tourist Trapped” succeeds because of its compelling plot and relatable main character who evolves over its course.

[Sm · Rating 5 out of 5]

The protagonist of the story is Tobias Munch who is newly divorced. He also has depression and thus visits his therapist Dr. Joelle Macintosh sometimes. He is in love with a girl named Mia. She had no idea about his existence until she hits him with her car.
To get Mia's attention and approval, Tobias drinks psychedelic tea that transports him to a place where the dead go to learn to let go of their bodies in preparation for the Great Beyond. But he fell into a coma because of the concussion from the accident and thus it delayed his return.
Time is running out before they pull the plug and he dies for real. All he has to do is learn to let go of his body in order to save it.
To know further, hurry up and grab this awesome book.

The author weaved a brilliant, captivating story that keeps readers on their toes, filled with curiosity.
With a riveting, exciting plot, and crisp, vivid narrative, it's a story readers are going to enjoy. The enthralling writing style of the author and the way the events took place, keep the readers invested in.

The story gets more intense with each chapter. The readers will be more and more intriguied with every consecutive turn of the page and as the plot thickens, it will become impossible for them to put the book down at all.
The characters were an interesting mix of personalities.

The language is easy to understand and the description of each and every details is to the point. The book is not so long in length and you can finish it quickly and you are surely going to enjoy this book.

I highly recommend this book to all my fellow readers. It is a perfect book for a weekend that will keep the readers thoroughly entertained.

[Ann Pratley · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you're after something a little bit different, and you're a lover of quirky tales of journeys that will keep you questioning everything, this could be the book for you. While I found aspects of this story reminded me of waking up from dreams, asking in the silence of my mind, 'where did THAT come from?', it was equally easy to visualise this story as a very unique tale that would transform well into movie format. The main character, Tobias, is an interesting lad, but he has a romantic heart, and for much of this story, his heart is leading him to places he'd never heard of before - primarily 'the in-between'. I won't give any more away about the storyline of this book. What I will say is that it's original, it's unique, and if you're a reader who likes to move away from conventional storylines now and then, this might just be for you!

[Little Miss Fab 1 · Rating 3 out of 5]

Tobias is floundering, he works as a technical writer by day at night he plays video games while dreaming about publishing his 800 page book.

He stops by a local coffee shop daily to interact with a pretty barista named Mia.

His therapists encourages him to ask Mia out, and goes as far as role playing with him. Later on this made more sense.

Remy. Lover of cheesesteaks, hustler even in the in-between.

This book is well written, the occasional juvenile tactics added to the word count, not so much the story. Tobias literally shat in his pants and never showered.

Unrequited Romance, celestial beings, mediums, black lives matter, corrupt police officers😵‍💫

[Robert Sullivan · Rating 4 out of 5]

For all that this funny and entertaining, this seems like a genuine attempt to depict depression. For most of the book, our main character - divorced, alienated from work and society, self-defeating - struggles to get past his depression. This struggle involves a car accident, a coma, and an extended stay in a version of the Afterlife that may remind you of the TV show "The Good Place".

Did I mention that it's funny? The tone is always positive, the plot zips along, and we meet lots of interesting people along the way. It's definitely worth reading.

[Courtney Davis · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such a unique concept! The imagination in this story was page turning, I hope to read more from Velasquez in the future. The in between world and the unexpected ways it interacted with main character's life was great and although i found the main character quite depressing and a bit unlikeable at the beginning, I was rooting for him to find his place at the end. I really enjoyed this book and the way it made me think about life.

[K. · Rating 5 out of 5]

I so thoroughly enjoyed reading this story! The writing is clear and doesn’t‘ get in the way’ of what is happening. In my mind I could easily visualize everything, and for a writer to accomplish that is not an easy task when the story involves newly created worlds with believable everyday people (or are they…read to find out). The plot moves along at a nice pace. It is refreshing how the author explored new realities in an engaging and empathetic way. Looking forward to reading more from him.

[Michelle Hanson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Unusual book

To start I really didn't like Tobias.. A bit of a whiner. As the book went on, you can see how he was more into people and less into himself. I really liked how the story pulled you in and I like how the ending showed his mental improvement all based on a supernatural premise. I think you would enjoy this book.

[Michael · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is space garbage. And way too much of it.


You'll have to read it to know why this is the finest review I could possibly give this book. Just fantastic.

[Savannah Anderson · Rating 4 out of 5]

really interesting book. every time i thought i knew what was happening / what was going to happen, i was wrong. so many plot twists. i zipped through it. worth the read.

[Stefanie Barnfather · Rating 5 out of 5]

Tourist Trapped is fantastic. As a fan of speculative fiction, I love that this story dives into the realm of limitless possibility with a big, glorious splash upon entry. The MC, Tobias, lives a life constrained by fear; and ugly expectation. He’s dissatisfied with his career and recently-ended relationship, and his frequent therapy visits only alleviate his worries rather than help Tobias find peace. But—fortunately—he’s hit by a car driven by his crush and the “accident’s” ripple effect lands him in a psychedelic coma; and in a sudo-world catered to challenge his conscious misconceptions. J. B. Velasquez’s writing style is fantastic. It’s easy on the brain and a balm for the soul. Velasquez let’s his relatable—and entertaining—characters do the storytelling while his themes slip into the narrative as subtly as a shark sliding down a rainbow (once you read the book you’ll get this reference). If you enjoy stories about connecting with your inner child, relinquishing fear as an adaptive mechanism, making genuine sacrifice without the reassurance of reward, and understanding yourself in order to be understood by others, then I highly recommend you CHOOSE to read Tourist Trapped (another reference; admit it, you’re hooked—unlike the rainbow-sliding sharks who can't be trapped by vacationing visitors).

[Poppy Koval · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thought provoking and fun!

Tourist Trapped reminds me of the movie Defending Your Life mixed with the book The Hike by Drew Magary.

Tobias Munch has to come to terms with what it means to "want to be alive (as opposed to just wanting to not be dead)," and there are lots of thought provoking interactions with people in the after-life and real life as he figures it out.

[Alan Hamsher · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absorbing, relatable, unpredictable

A non-descript character (in whom I saw much of myself) finds himself in fortuitous places at timely moments (or vice versa, depending on one’s perspective). An expertly-told adventure of desire, para-human energies, loyal acts and a touch of philosophy. Pleasing unpredictability!

[Kristian Alwill · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a real trip. A fun but powerful read that manages to cover a lot of very heavy themes in a small package.

Tobias as the protagonist is an easy character to root for along with some folks he meets along his journey.

[Shae Mayan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Binge-able but kind of a weird premise.

[Ty Cryan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Started slow, finished fast. A page turner.