| Title | : | If This Book Exists, You're in the Wrong Universe (John Dies at the End, #4) |
| Author | : | |
| Rating | : | |
| ISBN | : | - |
| Format Type | : | Kindle , Hardcover , Paperback , Audiobook & More |
| Number of Pages | : | - |
If the broken neon signs, shuttered storefronts, and sub-standard housing didn’t tip you off, you’ve just wandered into the city of “Undisclosed”. You don’t want to be caught dead here, because odds are you just might find yourself rising from the grave. That hasn’t stopped tourists from visiting to check out the unusual phenomena that hangs around our town like radioactive fallout. Interdimensional parasites feeding on human hosts, paranormal cults worshipping demonic entities, vengeful teenage sorcerers, we’ve got it all.
Did I mention the possessed toy? It’s a plastic football-sized egg that’s supposed to hatch an adorable, colorful stuffed bird when a child “feeds” it through a synchronized smartphone app. What’s actually inside is an otherworldly monstrosity that’s enticing impressionable wayward youth into murdering folks and depositing their body parts inside the egg as if it’s a hungry piggy bank to trigger the end of the world.
That’s where Dave, John, and Amy come in. They face supernatural threats so the rest of us don’t have to—and sometimes even earn a couple of bucks to so do. But between the bloody ritual sacrifices and soul-crushing nightmares, our trio realizes this apocalypse is way above their pay grade.
If This Book Exists, You're in the Wrong Universe (John Dies at the End, #4) Reviews
-
My thanks to St. Martin's Press, Jason Pargin and Netgalley.
Yay!😜 I discovered I was in the wrong universe as soon as I started reading, and I've never been happier!
David, John, Amy and Joy came together and kicked ass!
Oops! I mean they died. Then they kept dying. Repeatedly dying..and I loved every heart skipping moment.
I do love these people and their "undisclosed" town.
This book gets all the stars. To infinity and beyond! -
It feels like it's been an awfully long time since I could jump into the timey-wimey, cthulhu-esq, darkly funny and immensely sarcastic world of David and John (and Amy!) as they scramble through poverty while fighting the good fight.
They're not Sam and Dean. They don't have that kind of plot armor. But for all that, they are still fighting the fight as shadow people deal deals that only increase suffering, as future cult leaders become Earthly Gods through prophecies spanning backward through time, when phone apps tell your children to feed it human teeth...
Oh yeah, the stakes are always high or at least deeply strange and I LOVE it.
It feels like fourth-wall breaking, especially the first three books that were written under the PoV CHARACTER's name, only to mix things up as the actual author brings out his real name now. Jason Pargin is the ACTUAL writer, post-timey-wimey real continuity, and that's kinda the point.
If you like reality like you like your spaghetti, all tangled up and bloody-red, then I'm sure you'll love this return. :)
-
I don’t write reviews.
I will freely admit that I’m obsessed with the adventures of David and John. In the truest sense of the word “literally,” I literally cannot get enough. I’m excited to learn that Pargin will continue the series. If you enjoy paranormal detective with a splash of the absurd, try it out.
I must make two notes. 1) Pargin said in his notes after the story that he thinks all encounters with what people believe to be supernatural can be explained by psychology and neurology. Yet for a guy who is open about his lack of imagination, he spins terrific yarns of the weird and wild. I guess that’s like how Lovecraft was a dedicated materialist, but had the most insane dreams ever and wrote accordingly.
2) Pargin calls guns “assault rifles.” Why does this bother me? I’ve never even touched a gun, and even I know no such-named thing exists. It takes ten seconds of research in this age of information over-saturation to find that out, so what’s his excuse? Maybe it bothers me since it’s a political term and that takes me out of the fantasy. -
Hilarious, engaging, at times scary, at times a little WTF but always interesting and hard to put down. I feel like the authors writing gets better book to book in this series and there are so many great moments in this (humorous and horrible) that I basically loved it cover to cover.
-
I really tried to like this one but it was just not for me. I couldn’t wrap my head around what I was reading and DNF it at 53%.
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for this arc in exchange for my honest review. -
Easily one of the most entertaining series out there. Four books in and the characters feel like my brothers and sisters and everything remains as fun and fresh as book one. This is a great combination of horror science fiction absurd comedy and genuine real emotion type stuff. These are awesome books and well worth whatever you pay for them.
-
So much fun. Not aaaas good as the previous books thus far, but I have laughed loudly more than once. I kinda wish I'd relistened to the previous book, I had forgotten all about Joy.
"Are you sure you aren't just an old man scared of technology?" 😂
Same great narration. -
Fun. I'll need to reread it a second time to properly review it. 5/5 gumballs.
(Advanced copy via Edelweiss) -
When I first started If This Book Exists,, You’re in the Wrong Universe by Jason Pargin aka David Wong I had no idea what to expect but all I can say after finishing it is...whoa, what a ride! Or to quote the title of another book in the series What Did I Just Read! This is the fourth book in the series but the first I’ve read and I’m wondering now why it took me so long to discover this series because I loved every weird and creepy word of it.
Thanks to Netgalley and St Martin’s Press for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review -
3.5/5
While not as good as some of the other books this was still a fun, fast paced read. This did become overly preachy towards the end which kind of dimmed my enjoyment somewhat. I would be up for another volume in this series if it ever comes out. -
Jason Pargin does it again! Honestly, if I could give this book 6/5 stars I would.
In the fourth installment of the John Dies at the End series, your favorite hapless trio is back, and still pretty much as clueless as ever. I won't bother reiterating any plot details because a) the summary is just a scroll away and b) I couldn't do so without spoiling anything, but I will say this book was outstanding. As usual with Pargin's books, I flew through it in a day or two, sneaking in bits here and there between work and sleep, eager to keep reading because this book is brimming with suspense and action. Of the other books in the series, it reminds me the most of This Book is Full of Spiders (aka probably my favorite book ever).
[Undisclosed] is front and center in this story, acting as the messed up beating heart of this wild tale, and the toll the years of monster-fighting has taken on Dave, John, and Amy is more apparent than ever as they struggle to figure out what the f*ck is going on this time. But, they've also grown over the years. They know what works and what doesn't when it comes to the trials of living in [Undisclosed], so every action they take feels like the real reaction of someone who's been trying their best to actually help people, but just keeps kinda sucking at it. It would have been easy for Pargin to make the characters dumb so they can keep doing dumb things, but he didn't take the easy route. These characters are smart and capable, they just always find themselves a few steps behind the villains. And uggggh it makes for such a great read!
The best thing about this book, though, (and Pargin's writing as a whole, I think) is that beyond all the humor and horror, there's a deeply impactful story being told. In this case, a story about how we shape our futures—and our pasts. Dave, John, and Amy are such wonderful characters and they play off each other in amazing and surprising ways. It's their relationships to one another that ground this wild, pitch-perfect John Dies story. I mean, it's gory and will have you in stitches from laughing every other page, but it's also heart-warming in the same way being hugged by three toddler-sized tarantulas stacked on top of each other wearing a trench coat might be.
If you liked his previous books, even a little, you're going to love this one. And if you haven't read any of his other books yet, you can certainly jump into this one without doing so (but you should read all his books anyway, because if you like horror comedies, the JDATE series is top freaking tier).
Also you should preorder it so that Jason Pargin can keep writing forever because, honestly, this book series is like 60% of my personality at this point and I can't lose that. Who would I be then??? A really annoying book-recommending ghost??? Eugh.
Thanks to Edelweiss for the advanced copy! -
These books are so ridiculous and hilarious that I can’t recommend them enough. The fourth installment was insane, there were children’s toys birthing horrific monsters, time travel, and alternate realties. There’s also gore and dick jokes, which is basically everything you can expect from this.
I love the way that the gang has developed in these books, and this was probably my favorite of their dynamics. They were somehow more self aware that they’re dumbasses (except for Amy) so that’s always fun to read. And their friendship, while odd, works really well in the context of the story. These books are just so incredible and every time a new one is released it’s like Christmas. -
Best JDATE book yet! Worth the wait.
-
Pargin has done it again.
The JDATE books scratch a certain itch for me. The inherent need for a Douglas Adams style romp through a lovecraftian nightmare. I can't say why I have this inherent need, but hot damn!
Very early in my life I realized that a smart joke, well told, could stop and make you think. Douglas Adams showed me that a profound novel presented in a silly way could make little edits to the way I perceive the world around me. Pargin, to me, is his successor. I can say that without books like this, I would be a different person. Worse? Probably. Better? We may never know, but I feel like I think a little more about why other people act like tools sometimes and maybe I can be a little less of a tool myself. These books are full of horrors that represent the systems that humanity builds to subjugate itself, but just like those monsters, people are just caught in their jaws of those monsters and the gears of those machines. Sometimes we have to be reminded not to become servants of those monsters or cogs in those machines, that we can save ourselves, and just maybe bring someone else in danger along with us. How Pargin can tell a story so full of stupidity and chaos, and so profoundly touch my heart is a bit of a miracle in itself.
ITBEYITWU is excellent. It surprised me several times. It subverted my expectations and once again connected on an emotional level. Although John, David, and Amy (and now Joy I guess), live in the worst town in America, there is a part of me that wishes I could be there too. Of course, if I ever show up in a JDATE novel, I'll almost certainly be a redshirt.
I personally don't like to run down the plot in reviews unless it's really bad and I just can't help myself, but I will summarize by simply saying;
This book is da filthy. -
I'm not sure how Jason Pargin can write something that is so thought-provoking, yet emotion-rendering, and then throw in some dick and fart jokes without missing a beat. I literally laughed out loud while reading this book on practically every page. I've read all of the John Dies series and his Zoey Ashe series and can truly say that I've never been disappointed. If you like Douglas Adams and Neil Gaiman and Rick and Morty, then this author is for you. This book is da filthy!
-
HAHAHA WHAT THE FUCK I LOVED THIS SO MUCH
-
Awesome! Hilarious!
-
Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for giving me access to this ARC in exchange for this honest review!
In ITBEYITWU, we return to the city of Undisclosed which is basically ground zero for everything supernatural, demonic, or otherwise weird and bizarre, and catch up with our favorite trio of professional paranormal investigators. David has depression, Amy has anxiety, and John is just having a good (?) time. Oh, and Joy is a hive of interdimensional insects. The gang find themselves stuck in a seemingly doomed-to-fail time loop trying to stop a cult of nerds (who really need to stop for a minute and touch some grass) from bringing about the apocalypse in the form of one of those hatchable toy egg things with a stuffed furby-esque bird inside, which is REALLY hungry for human body parts (eat a snickers, Magpie, you’re not you when you’re hungry).
Maybe I’m biased because John Dies At the End is my favorite book, but this series never disappoints me. Confuse me? Oh, absolutely. Gross me out? Naturally. Make me read 400+ pages without a single clue as to what is going on? I mean, what else would you expect from a JDATE book. But disappoint me? Banish the thought.
I have no complaints, so let’s roll out the praises:
-Joy was an absolute joy the entire time!! She fit in with the trio perfectly with her sassiness and flippant attitude about weird shit happening. I loved her attitude with Dave specifically—-“What can Joy do?” “What can you do? Juggle?”
-Such a good balance between heavy and philosophical and ridiculous and funny. You can definitely sense that the characters have grown up a lot since the first book, even if a lot of it is reflected internally, and I’ll forever love how Dave is so loyal to John and Amy. He doesn’t have much in life but he has them, and they bring out the best in him.
-The end successfully tied everything together for me. Sure, there are always going to be parts where you’re like “I have no idea what just happened and I’m never going to know” and you just have to barrel right on ahead, but personally I think it’s all worth it in the end.
-The idea of John and Dave smoking weed with the boy who’s been trying to bring about the apocalypse and kill them was hilarious to me, but it actually really fleshed out Bas as a character. You know it’s a good “villain” when their monologue starts making a bit too much sense
I started rereading John Dies at the End for the millionth time recently, and comparing the stories back to back really highlights how far they’ve come maturity-wise, with Marconi going from a super powerful untouchable figure to a sort of long-suffering rich uncle, and them hardly even caring about soy sauce (“I am not in the mood for this.”) But at the same time, everything I’ve loved about the trio from the beginning is still there—the humor, the stupidity, their “professional” method of dealing with the paranormal by saying fuck it and poking it with a stick.
Look, as much as I sing the praises of this series, I am very aware that it’s not for everyone—it is VERY much a love it or despise it type deal. But if you’re here for a good time not a long time and you like your cosmic horror served up slapstick style, then I couldn’t recommend this series enough. -
This review is for an ARC copy received from the publisher through NetGalley.
Dave and John are back again (Yay!) this time dealing with a children's toy that is the centerpiece of a nefarious cult, a cult run by an angsty teenager who has mastered magical abilities and a desire to end our reality. The JDATE series is one of my absolute favorites because they are the most hilarious books with imaginative plots and wonderful blend of comedy, horror, sci-fi and weird fiction. And this one was no exception. It took me forever to get through the opening parts of the book because I found myself stopping to laugh out loud so many times. As the plot becomes more series in the latter parts, the humor does taper off and tone down a bunch, but pithy comments still find their way into the narrative. If I have one minor complaint it's that, though I want to read more and more of Dave's and John's adventures, but not all in one book. One or two fewer twists and 0 fewer pages would make it feel like a tighter read. But overall, this was as hilarious and well written as any of Pargin's series. It was definitely da filthy! -
BIG thank you to Netgalley for the advanced copy.
Multiverses are all the rage these days. It should feel tired, then, but Jason Pargin breathes new life into the genre through the whip-smart antics of Dave, John, and Amy. In this fourth installment of the JDATE series, [Undisclosed] seems to become a character in its own right, with our beloved trio at the center of its frequent hauntings, explosions, and, uh, children's toys.
John has always been a favorite of mine, but Amy really shines here. Pargin excels at multiple POVs, and Amy's conjoined cynicism and hopefulness paint a realistic picture of trauma and what it means to live after the fact.
This book will have you giggling, stunned from the gore, and desperate to turn pages--likely late into the night. If you loved Pargin's previous installments, you'd love this one. I mean, it's practically 𝘥𝘢 𝘧𝘪𝘭𝘵𝘩𝘺. I def recommend picking it up today (Or yesterday, or tomorrow. Depending on how you perceive time). -
I had so much fun reading this book. I highlighted a ton of awesome sentences, some silly , some profound, many both. I would love to share them here, but I don't think this book is out yet and I don't want to spoil the fun for anyone.
I will be reading this whole series again soon, but note that you don't have to have read the entire series to enjoy the book. It doesn't make any sense, but if you just go with it, and you have a weirdly dark sense of humor you'll have a blast.
NSFW. All of the trigger warnings. Read at your own risk. You have been warned. -
So good! Just as enjoyable as the first book in the series. The story is exciting and creative, with solid humor maintained throughout. I don't know how many books I've read where the author tried to be funny and the whole thing was just awkward or cringe, but this series is legit hilarious. The sense of humor reminds me of "Shaun of the Dead," to sort of give you an idea of the comedic timing, but Jason Pargin pulls it off on paper. It's quite impressive as this is not as easy to do as one might think. Four books in and these characters def have their flaws, but that's what makes them real, and they've come a long way. (He even made Amy likable again!) My favorite thing about these books is that beneath the insanity and the childishness there's heart, and a surprising amount of morality. (But just a warning: If you can't put up with boob and dick jokes, you might not like it here.) John is still by far my favorite character, because I'm convinced that Pargin somehow based him on my real-life friend who acts exactly like him. (Their names even rhyme.) Joy is a close second because she was awesome. In the afterword it was directly stated that another book will be written at some point and I'm really looking forward to it! This was a delight. You might even say that this book was da filthy.
-
this was such a weird/fun story and great writing. it scratched my “fantasy” itch but also had a wholesome ending…sort of. it took you through alternate realities and had monsters and hilarious dialogue. 😅 highly recommend this book and I will be reading the others by this author.
-
This book made me laugh out loud too many times to count. A perfect bromance and my favorite book series. Please give us more!
-
I will never look at Hatchimals the same way ever again.
-
This book had me worried for a minute. I love this series!
-
Fantastical and funny, just like every other book in this series. Just a joy to read. I recommend the series to anyone who needs an escape, who likes snarky sci-fi/fantasy mashups, monsters, aliens, or just really wants to laugh.
-
Da filthy!
-
Funny. Thought provoking. Creepy. Thrilling.
The way I was so invested in every character. Every storyline. Every change. This was my first book in the series (I didn’t realize it was a series), so I read it as a stand alone. I really didn’t feel like I missed much aside from possible character development. I loved it! Thankfully, the afterword helped reassure me that I didn���t need to read the first books in the series to follow along.
I look forward to reading the rest of the series.
Huge thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the ARC!
