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Huge
In comedy, killing is a good thing. From the award-winning screenwriter and International Emmy nominee comes this unexpectedly dark and twisted thriller.
It's 1994, and three stand-up comedians have embarked on a tour of smaller communites across a remote stretch of rural Canadian countryside. Dale is a 40-something comic from Chicago who's on the back half of a mediocre career and thinking about quitting the business. Rynn is a 20-something fast-rising comedy star from Dublin with a big break into TV on her horizon. And who is this third guy, the hulking young man added to the bill at the last minute by a booker with dubious motives? He goes by Hobie Huge, and his enormous physical presence is unfortunately not matched by his skills as opening act. But his brutal lack of ability as a comedian turns out to be the least of his companion's problems. Huge starts to show signs of a terrifying capacity for brutality offstage too--and for Dale and Rynn, the tour becomes less about getting laughs and more about getting off the road alive.
It's going to take some getting used to, but Brent Butt is no longer just a funny guy. His debut novel is so accomplished it's frightening.
It's 1994, and three stand-up comedians have embarked on a tour of smaller communites across a remote stretch of rural Canadian countryside. Dale is a 40-something comic from Chicago who's on the back half of a mediocre career and thinking about quitting the business. Rynn is a 20-something fast-rising comedy star from Dublin with a big break into TV on her horizon. And who is this third guy, the hulking young man added to the bill at the last minute by a booker with dubious motives? He goes by Hobie Huge, and his enormous physical presence is unfortunately not matched by his skills as opening act. But his brutal lack of ability as a comedian turns out to be the least of his companion's problems. Huge starts to show signs of a terrifying capacity for brutality offstage too--and for Dale and Rynn, the tour becomes less about getting laughs and more about getting off the road alive.
It's going to take some getting used to, but Brent Butt is no longer just a funny guy. His debut novel is so accomplished it's frightening.
304 pages, Paperback
First published October 3, 2023
64 people are currently reading
1519 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 276 reviews
November 13, 2023
More of a 3.5
A good story with some interesting characters and a surprisingly insightful view into the world of a standup comic on the road in the 90’s. It was also really cool to see Brent Butt’s writing voice come through in a totally different genre.
The “thriller” component was the weakest part, although it wasn’t bad. Butt uses a lot of standard “crazy guy” tropes that didn’t always work for me, but it also had some genuinely terrifying moments.
Good book and I recommend it, especially if you were a fan of Corner Gas!
A good story with some interesting characters and a surprisingly insightful view into the world of a standup comic on the road in the 90’s. It was also really cool to see Brent Butt’s writing voice come through in a totally different genre.
The “thriller” component was the weakest part, although it wasn’t bad. Butt uses a lot of standard “crazy guy” tropes that didn’t always work for me, but it also had some genuinely terrifying moments.
Good book and I recommend it, especially if you were a fan of Corner Gas!
May 24, 2023
An engaging and fresh thriller about three comedians on tour in the wilds of small-town Canada when something goes very wrong for two of them. Butt did a superb crafting of each of the comedians -- they pop out of the pages like real people. I particularly liked the friendship among them and the insider's view of the comedy world. Highly entertaining.
November 24, 2023
This book is absolutely ridiculous and probably not good however it is very entertaining so I guess it was worthwhile. A film version of this would probably be a campy success.
Brent Butt's narration skills for sociopaths are not good.
Brent Butt's narration skills for sociopaths are not good.
December 24, 2024
“Huge” is a solid comedic thriller. The story kind of goes off the rails about three quarters of the way through though. Even though the “scary” elements didn’t always land, the overall concept, the character development and easy readability of this book made it worth the time.
June 27, 2024
This book was amazing. Brent Butt’s debut book really keeps you on your toes. As soon as you think what’s gonna happen he completely catches you off guard. Great comedy/thriller of a ride
November 6, 2023
As a Canadian who grew up in Winnipeg, I have been a fan of Brent Butt's work for many years. I fell in love with Corner Gas since it first hit CTV, and I now rewatch the series with my kids, who love it too. Even before Corner Gas, I saw Brent perform stand up at Rumours comedy club in Winnipeg, and I still remember thinking "Damn, this guy is FUNNY!" Now I can add, "Damn, this guy can write a hell of a thriller!"
Huge is a smart and quirky story of a trio of comedians - veteran headliner Dale, rising star MC Rynn, and wildcard newcomer Hobie Huge - strangers thrown together for a last-minute string of standup gigs in small bars across rural Manitoba and Northwest Ontario in 1994. Unbeknownst to at least some of the group, shady circumstances and fairly horrific violence have led to this comedy tour, and will threaten deadly repercussions both on and off stage. This is a very entertaining story with solid - more than solid, IMPRESSIVE - writing and pacing, as well as fantastic character development. It's a dark and twisty thriller, set against the extremely vivid and detailed backdrop of life on the comedy tour circuit - where Brent's wealth of experience truly shines, and rings authentically true. The author also turns an extremely capable hand to describing realistic settings, fast-paced action, and grisly violence. The dialogue and banter, as well as characters' inner monologues, are sharp, witty, and engaging, and there are many moments of the author's characteristic dry humour. It is also an intense nail-biter with some truly scary (and HUGE!) bad guys.
There are some instances where an unpleasant character's weight becomes the butt of jokes, however the comedian who made the jokes immediately rebukes herself for going after such low-hanging fruit, saying "I'm better than this", which puts the scene in a better light. I would have liked to see a little bit more nuanced development of Dale's relationship with his ex wife, but I loved his devotion to his daughter - you can feel his regret for all the ways his career demands have caused him to let her down. I also love that he writes friendships between men and women where they genuinely like and appreciate each other, without the cliché of an automatic romance. We need more of this please. And I loved all the Winnipeg and Manitoba references - it's gone from the Chicago of the North to the Cleveland, and it's nice to see it get some literary love.
I thoroughly enjoyed this author's debut novel, and hope it is the first of more to come. It was a hell of a show, Brent - you really killed. I loved the audiobook narration as well. 4.5 stars rounded up.
Huge is a smart and quirky story of a trio of comedians - veteran headliner Dale, rising star MC Rynn, and wildcard newcomer Hobie Huge - strangers thrown together for a last-minute string of standup gigs in small bars across rural Manitoba and Northwest Ontario in 1994. Unbeknownst to at least some of the group, shady circumstances and fairly horrific violence have led to this comedy tour, and will threaten deadly repercussions both on and off stage. This is a very entertaining story with solid - more than solid, IMPRESSIVE - writing and pacing, as well as fantastic character development. It's a dark and twisty thriller, set against the extremely vivid and detailed backdrop of life on the comedy tour circuit - where Brent's wealth of experience truly shines, and rings authentically true. The author also turns an extremely capable hand to describing realistic settings, fast-paced action, and grisly violence. The dialogue and banter, as well as characters' inner monologues, are sharp, witty, and engaging, and there are many moments of the author's characteristic dry humour. It is also an intense nail-biter with some truly scary (and HUGE!) bad guys.
There are some instances where an unpleasant character's weight becomes the butt of jokes, however the comedian who made the jokes immediately rebukes herself for going after such low-hanging fruit, saying "I'm better than this", which puts the scene in a better light. I would have liked to see a little bit more nuanced development of Dale's relationship with his ex wife, but I loved his devotion to his daughter - you can feel his regret for all the ways his career demands have caused him to let her down. I also love that he writes friendships between men and women where they genuinely like and appreciate each other, without the cliché of an automatic romance. We need more of this please. And I loved all the Winnipeg and Manitoba references - it's gone from the Chicago of the North to the Cleveland, and it's nice to see it get some literary love.
I thoroughly enjoyed this author's debut novel, and hope it is the first of more to come. It was a hell of a show, Brent - you really killed. I loved the audiobook narration as well. 4.5 stars rounded up.
October 11, 2023
I really enjoyed this book. It’s fantastic for a debut novel as well.
Brent’s experience as a comedian really shows in the writing. Ultimately my favorite parts in the book were the parts where the comedians were talking shop and analyzing lines. I’m a junky for this stuff and it felt incredibly genuine. The old adage remains true “Write what you know.”
I’m happy this book was more than just comedy, that Brent dove right into something he isn’t normally known for. It was a thrilling read.
I do have a few criticisms about the book. For instance, there are times in the book when the point of view shifts midway through a chapter. Ultimately sticking with one point of view per chapter would have made the book stronger, because it would allow the reader to get closer to each character and how they think.
Dale and Rynn felt like solid relatable characters, but I found Huge to be a little over the top. Maybe that was the point, so I’m not sure if that's a negative for some people.
Unfortunately, the last third of the book really goes off the rails and the ending drags quite a bit.
All that said, it was an enjoyable and entertaining thrill ride. It kept me hooked enough to blaze through it in a week, which is a major plus.
Again, being his debut novel, this was incredible. It can only go up from here! I hope Brett continues writing fiction because I think he has an incredible talent for it. I look forward to the next one!
Congrats on this wonderful debut, Brent.
3 1/2 Stars out of 5
Brent’s experience as a comedian really shows in the writing. Ultimately my favorite parts in the book were the parts where the comedians were talking shop and analyzing lines. I’m a junky for this stuff and it felt incredibly genuine. The old adage remains true “Write what you know.”
I’m happy this book was more than just comedy, that Brent dove right into something he isn’t normally known for. It was a thrilling read.
I do have a few criticisms about the book. For instance, there are times in the book when the point of view shifts midway through a chapter. Ultimately sticking with one point of view per chapter would have made the book stronger, because it would allow the reader to get closer to each character and how they think.
Dale and Rynn felt like solid relatable characters, but I found Huge to be a little over the top. Maybe that was the point, so I’m not sure if that's a negative for some people.
Unfortunately, the last third of the book really goes off the rails and the ending drags quite a bit.
All that said, it was an enjoyable and entertaining thrill ride. It kept me hooked enough to blaze through it in a week, which is a major plus.
Again, being his debut novel, this was incredible. It can only go up from here! I hope Brett continues writing fiction because I think he has an incredible talent for it. I look forward to the next one!
Congrats on this wonderful debut, Brent.
3 1/2 Stars out of 5
January 15, 2024
I want to be 100% transparent and begin this review with the fact that I quote one of the best moments of my life as being when I wrote a speech on Brent Butt as a tween and got to give that speech to open up one of his comedy shows in my hometown. As I walked off stage, he ran at me saying “that was awesome!” and grabbed me into a bear hug - and for the only time in my life I was absolutely struck with stardom.
with that being said!!! I also have a framed paper that takes up space on my bedroom wall that says “Alyssa Reads Books” (idk what other function my degree holds at this time) - so we’ll let that serve as my credentials for not coming at you with a COMPLETELY bias review here…
now for a moment, allow me the absolute pleasure of returning the compliment to my childhood hero - that was AWESOME!!!
I didn’t want to put this book down! I personally loved Butt’s writing style, even though the protagonist’s explanation of comedy needing to be “specific” was also a pretty good tutorial for how this novel was written.
I had fun the whole time, while still being caught shocked by some of the more tense thriller-esc scenes. I hope this debut novel marks the beginning of a beautiful stack of books on my shelf from this author.
(side note - was “mean Hank” an inspiration for Hobie? did anyone else get this vibe? just me?)
with that being said!!! I also have a framed paper that takes up space on my bedroom wall that says “Alyssa Reads Books” (idk what other function my degree holds at this time) - so we’ll let that serve as my credentials for not coming at you with a COMPLETELY bias review here…
now for a moment, allow me the absolute pleasure of returning the compliment to my childhood hero - that was AWESOME!!!
I didn’t want to put this book down! I personally loved Butt’s writing style, even though the protagonist’s explanation of comedy needing to be “specific” was also a pretty good tutorial for how this novel was written.
I had fun the whole time, while still being caught shocked by some of the more tense thriller-esc scenes. I hope this debut novel marks the beginning of a beautiful stack of books on my shelf from this author.
(side note - was “mean Hank” an inspiration for Hobie? did anyone else get this vibe? just me?)
September 10, 2023
I grew up watching Brent Butt's Corner Gas so I was so excited to receive an ARC for HUGE.
HUGE is a slow-burn thriller about three stand-up comedians, Dale, Rynn, and Hobie Huge, who are on tour in rural Canadian towns. Dale and Rynn quickly find out that Hobie's an awful performer, but they have yet to learn that it's not just Hobie's jokes that are brutal.
Brent Butt has always done an amazing job of creating interesting characters, and there's absolutely no shortage of them in this book. The main characters were fleshed out really well, and I enjoyed that a good chunk of the story was spent getting to know them.
I also loved the world-building in this book; it was like a behind-the-scenes look into what it's like being on tour, performing in sketchy bars in the middle of nowhere.
HUGE was a surprising, twisty ride that kept me on the edge of my seat!
A huge thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the gifted copy. HUGE comes out on October 3.
HUGE is a slow-burn thriller about three stand-up comedians, Dale, Rynn, and Hobie Huge, who are on tour in rural Canadian towns. Dale and Rynn quickly find out that Hobie's an awful performer, but they have yet to learn that it's not just Hobie's jokes that are brutal.
Brent Butt has always done an amazing job of creating interesting characters, and there's absolutely no shortage of them in this book. The main characters were fleshed out really well, and I enjoyed that a good chunk of the story was spent getting to know them.
I also loved the world-building in this book; it was like a behind-the-scenes look into what it's like being on tour, performing in sketchy bars in the middle of nowhere.
HUGE was a surprising, twisty ride that kept me on the edge of my seat!
A huge thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the gifted copy. HUGE comes out on October 3.
October 15, 2023
3.5 stars. Brent is definitely a fantastic writer; some of his sentences had me in awe of his linguistic ability -- A Ninja of words - "What dd I just read/hear?" "Holy crap, that was amazing!"
HOWEVER, My husband and I (big Brent Butt fans) listened to this on a long car ride. We both felt that this was poorly edited. The first 2/3 of the book was fantastic. But, it was like the editors got bored and didn't even bother editing the last 1/3.
SPOILER ALERT: How did he know which direction to go, with no paths in the woods? 360 degrees, and he chose the exact path in the dark? Sorry, no.
It could have been a much better book if the editors actually read the climatic scenes and made them more concise. Fight, survive, fight, survive, fight, survive, yada yada yada. And then the antangonist 'monologues' [v.] multiple times. Some better editing would have made this a more compact story and dropped H.'s issues as nuggets throughout the book, instead of dumping it all at the end.
I'm sure Brent Butt will sell the movie rights for this. I hope he keeps editorial rights. I think the combination of Brent's creative talent and the right editors will make this a HUGE success.
HOWEVER, My husband and I (big Brent Butt fans) listened to this on a long car ride. We both felt that this was poorly edited. The first 2/3 of the book was fantastic. But, it was like the editors got bored and didn't even bother editing the last 1/3.
SPOILER ALERT: How did he know which direction to go, with no paths in the woods? 360 degrees, and he chose the exact path in the dark? Sorry, no.
It could have been a much better book if the editors actually read the climatic scenes and made them more concise. Fight, survive, fight, survive, fight, survive, yada yada yada. And then the antangonist 'monologues' [v.] multiple times. Some better editing would have made this a more compact story and dropped H.'s issues as nuggets throughout the book, instead of dumping it all at the end.
I'm sure Brent Butt will sell the movie rights for this. I hope he keeps editorial rights. I think the combination of Brent's creative talent and the right editors will make this a HUGE success.
December 18, 2024
I know Brent Butt from Corner Gas. It's a Canadian sitcom staple!!
I was walking through the bookstore and saw this book and went... "No... is that... it can't be... IT IS!" and instantly picked the book up and bought it. I love Brent Butt, and we all know comedy and horror intertwine. It's just as hard to make someone scared as it is to make them laugh. Look at Jordan Peele!
So, this book was naturally a fit. I like horror and I'm a big fan of Brent. And the book was awesome! I now want a little Netflix type film of it though... I think it could be massively creepy.
Struggling comedians hit the road, and the newbie is a little... off. He's different and has a temper, but when you need money and gotta tour, you don't complain, right? But what happens when it gets worse... Comedy kills.
I loved this book and definitely recommend it. It's Brent's first stab (pun intended) at a horror novel (that we know of anyways), so there are definitely aspects that aren't as perfected as other famous horror novelists, but taking that into account... this one is REALLY good. I can't wait to read more by Brent!
Five out of five stars.
I was walking through the bookstore and saw this book and went... "No... is that... it can't be... IT IS!" and instantly picked the book up and bought it. I love Brent Butt, and we all know comedy and horror intertwine. It's just as hard to make someone scared as it is to make them laugh. Look at Jordan Peele!
So, this book was naturally a fit. I like horror and I'm a big fan of Brent. And the book was awesome! I now want a little Netflix type film of it though... I think it could be massively creepy.
Struggling comedians hit the road, and the newbie is a little... off. He's different and has a temper, but when you need money and gotta tour, you don't complain, right? But what happens when it gets worse... Comedy kills.
I loved this book and definitely recommend it. It's Brent's first stab (pun intended) at a horror novel (that we know of anyways), so there are definitely aspects that aren't as perfected as other famous horror novelists, but taking that into account... this one is REALLY good. I can't wait to read more by Brent!
Five out of five stars.
February 21, 2024
I enjoyed the first half of the book which gives an insider view of how a standup comedy team might work.
October 6, 2023
This one was unfortunately a DNF for me, I got to 100 pages and I couldn't continue. I hated the characters, I found it very slow and it was confusing as I sometimes didn't know who was speaking..
November 21, 2024
I bought this last year after seeing him at the Whistler Writer's Fest and just got around to reading it. It was entertaining in a way, but lacked the nuances of believable dialogue and clever plotting to make it more substantive. It would do better as a TV series, and to choose to swing harder to either the comedy side or to the psychotic side. Hard to swing between the two without the literary skill.
November 23, 2023
It was actually well written. Good and scary. I just don’t care for so much profanity. I’m sure it’s probably fitting. It’s just not for me. I was engaged enough in the story to see it through. But I wanted to be done with it.
December 23, 2023
The Short Answer
A solid little horror novel that starts off strong and ends just fine. The unique premise and the insights on being a standup comic are worth the price of admission, but the horror needs just a touch more polish.
Still an entertaining read, so it gets a soft recommendation from me. If the premise sounds interesting grab it, you won't be disappointed that you read it, but you also won't be blown away by it.
The Long Answer
I grabbed a copy of this the second I heard it existed. Brent Butt wrote a horror novel? Words I never thought I'd be saying, so I had to see the result. And the results for the most part are pretty good. He is an incredibly talented writer, and it generally shows in this book.
The first thing I have to commend is his character work. The characters were all distinct, well fleshed out, and believable. I found myself caring about them and their aspirations in life and their responses to the situations they encounter never once felt forced or out of character.
All the writing about comedy and being on the road is also perfect. Clearly this is an area that Mr. Butt knows a lot about because he writes it really well. I also really appreciated that he wrote an entire book about standup comics that writes up as little of the actual routines as necessary. That kind of comedy doesn't always translate well to the written page and Butt gets that. He gives us all the important bits relevant to the story, and then expertly summarizes the rest.
There are, unfortunately, a few things that drag this book down a bit. The main villain is interesting for the most part, but gets over explained later on. Pairing back the information on him and making him more mysterious would have made him much more menacing. I especially felt this during some of his small internal monologues. Seeing him muttering to himself is creepy, finding out what he's saying isn't. This isn't a big problem, but there was one issue that really hurt the book for me.
The final few chapters make a number of missteps that started piling up for me. The final confrontation goes on for too long. This also leads to a lot of the overexplaining about the villain's backstory etc. that robs him of mystery, but is also so unoriginal that it's hard to care. This should have stayed in the author's notes and not on the finished page.
Finally, this is a book that doesn't know when to end. After the whole event is finished we spend multiple chapters learning about what happened to all the surviving characters afterwards. This is a huge horror faux pas. Once the horror is over, the book is over. Making someone keep going just drags out the ending and gives us very little that we didn't already know. The character beats that do happen would have been more interesting if they'd happened mid crisis.
I still enjoyed this book, and would recommend it to any horror fans with even a passing interest in standup comedy. But it's just a bit shy of being a classic, which is frustrating because so many of the pieces are there, just not all of them quite land in place.
Will be very interested to see what he writes next though.
A solid little horror novel that starts off strong and ends just fine. The unique premise and the insights on being a standup comic are worth the price of admission, but the horror needs just a touch more polish.
Still an entertaining read, so it gets a soft recommendation from me. If the premise sounds interesting grab it, you won't be disappointed that you read it, but you also won't be blown away by it.
The Long Answer
I grabbed a copy of this the second I heard it existed. Brent Butt wrote a horror novel? Words I never thought I'd be saying, so I had to see the result. And the results for the most part are pretty good. He is an incredibly talented writer, and it generally shows in this book.
The first thing I have to commend is his character work. The characters were all distinct, well fleshed out, and believable. I found myself caring about them and their aspirations in life and their responses to the situations they encounter never once felt forced or out of character.
All the writing about comedy and being on the road is also perfect. Clearly this is an area that Mr. Butt knows a lot about because he writes it really well. I also really appreciated that he wrote an entire book about standup comics that writes up as little of the actual routines as necessary. That kind of comedy doesn't always translate well to the written page and Butt gets that. He gives us all the important bits relevant to the story, and then expertly summarizes the rest.
There are, unfortunately, a few things that drag this book down a bit. The main villain is interesting for the most part, but gets over explained later on. Pairing back the information on him and making him more mysterious would have made him much more menacing. I especially felt this during some of his small internal monologues. Seeing him muttering to himself is creepy, finding out what he's saying isn't. This isn't a big problem, but there was one issue that really hurt the book for me.
The final few chapters make a number of missteps that started piling up for me. The final confrontation goes on for too long. This also leads to a lot of the overexplaining about the villain's backstory etc. that robs him of mystery, but is also so unoriginal that it's hard to care. This should have stayed in the author's notes and not on the finished page.
Finally, this is a book that doesn't know when to end. After the whole event is finished we spend multiple chapters learning about what happened to all the surviving characters afterwards. This is a huge horror faux pas. Once the horror is over, the book is over. Making someone keep going just drags out the ending and gives us very little that we didn't already know. The character beats that do happen would have been more interesting if they'd happened mid crisis.
I still enjoyed this book, and would recommend it to any horror fans with even a passing interest in standup comedy. But it's just a bit shy of being a classic, which is frustrating because so many of the pieces are there, just not all of them quite land in place.
Will be very interested to see what he writes next though.
October 4, 2023
Write what you know, they say.
Well, Brent Butt knows comedy, and he plays it to great form in the thriller Huge.
Thank you to Penguin Random House Canada and Netgalley for my eARC for review!
For those who don't know, this is the very same Brent Butt who brought us Corner Gas. (As a fan of the show, I couldn't help but have his voice in my head as I read.)
It's definitely not the kind of writing we are used to from him, but it's great stuff.
Stand-up comics Dale Webly and Rynn Lanigan are on tour in random rural towns in Canada, and new to the stage alongside them is Hobie Huge.
The world of stand-up comedy makes for a surprisingly effective backdrop for some dark and seedy goings-on.
The towns might be like Dog River in demographics, but no such charmingly humorous events. There are some nasty, violent characters about.
I loved the insider views of the comedy road, and Butt's wry writing style made it even better.
I did find the pacing went a bit long by the end, but overall it was most enjoyable.
Recommended!
Released on Oct. 3.
Well, Brent Butt knows comedy, and he plays it to great form in the thriller Huge.
Thank you to Penguin Random House Canada and Netgalley for my eARC for review!
For those who don't know, this is the very same Brent Butt who brought us Corner Gas. (As a fan of the show, I couldn't help but have his voice in my head as I read.)
It's definitely not the kind of writing we are used to from him, but it's great stuff.
Stand-up comics Dale Webly and Rynn Lanigan are on tour in random rural towns in Canada, and new to the stage alongside them is Hobie Huge.
The world of stand-up comedy makes for a surprisingly effective backdrop for some dark and seedy goings-on.
The towns might be like Dog River in demographics, but no such charmingly humorous events. There are some nasty, violent characters about.
I loved the insider views of the comedy road, and Butt's wry writing style made it even better.
I did find the pacing went a bit long by the end, but overall it was most enjoyable.
Recommended!
Released on Oct. 3.
October 31, 2023
The humor in this book is brilliant and so is the dialogue. I am so envious of this author’s talent. I loved the description of three comedians being on the road in the 1990s. I was fascinated with how they handled bookings, rowdy audiences, creepy venue owners, and rewriting jokes to make them funnier.
The first two thirds of the book were great, but the violence in the last third of the novel was too much for me. Even though there was still some good humor, having Huge play the central role in the last third took the fun out of the book. He is a tragic character, but a villain rather than a protagonist.
Overall I would recommend the book for the quality of the writing and look forward to seeing more from this author.
The first two thirds of the book were great, but the violence in the last third of the novel was too much for me. Even though there was still some good humor, having Huge play the central role in the last third took the fun out of the book. He is a tragic character, but a villain rather than a protagonist.
Overall I would recommend the book for the quality of the writing and look forward to seeing more from this author.
January 7, 2024
Holy Cow! Not what I was expecting and completely taken by surprise. What a fantastic ride. A quick, page turning jaunt across the Canadian countryside.
Just when you start thinking that the guy you're riding with is a little odd, he goes and shows you how unhinged he really is.
Brent Butt has done a great job of mixing stand up comedy with a complete lunatic.
Just when you start thinking that the guy you're riding with is a little odd, he goes and shows you how unhinged he really is.
Brent Butt has done a great job of mixing stand up comedy with a complete lunatic.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 11, 2024
More of a 3.5 interesting characters but ultimately nothing really happened every character got some sort of good ending and by the end all the stakes where dropped. Started amazing but the killer needed work and his actions could’ve been much more sinister. Good plot needed a bit more time in the oven
October 31, 2023
Wow would a good debut novel from Brent Butt !
November 4, 2023
I'll be honest, I put this book in my "Future pubs" bucket as soon as I saw Brent Butt across the cover - I didn't even realize it was a thriller. I assumed it was a memoir (that is not a fat joke).
So when I actually read the description, I was stoked. I listened to the audiobook, which Brent reads himself, and it was a good choice. This was well written, well paced, funny, scary, and didn't take itself too seriously.
So when I actually read the description, I was stoked. I listened to the audiobook, which Brent reads himself, and it was a good choice. This was well written, well paced, funny, scary, and didn't take itself too seriously.
November 12, 2023
A great read. I look forward to Brent's next book!
January 26, 2024
This is a great debut novel I enjoyed the characters and the connections in the plot.
July 31, 2024
Interesting behind the scenes look at stand up comedy with a crackerjack thriller thrown in.
October 9, 2024
Violently funny.
A quick read.
A quick read.
February 15, 2025
3.5
Review coming
Review coming
August 2, 2025
Did you ever wonder what kind of crazy stories grew inside Brent Leroy’s head when reading a comic at Corner Gas’ cashier? The answer is this novel!
A real page-turner, thrilling, profound, sometimes a little funny and especially captivating.
Hope there is more to come!
A real page-turner, thrilling, profound, sometimes a little funny and especially captivating.
Hope there is more to come!
November 24, 2023
This was a great read!! 3.75 stars because I found it a little predictable but it was really funny and kept me invested the whole time! Also lost some point for the writting, it’s well written but sometimes when all three characters were together it was hard to tell who’s view we were getting. But over all a great read that had me losing sleep.
January 10, 2025
this is actually a Corner Gas prequel that explains why Oscar is so grumpy
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