Reviews

FantasticLand by Mike Bockoven

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jackaroni_with_cheese's review against another edition

1.0

Ok, I understand that this is a fantastical (hehe) version of lord of the flies. BUT! I worked in a theme park. And I don’t think there’s any friggin way that we’d have started slaughtering each other FOUR DAYS IN!
Also, I should have kept a tally for all the times we mentioned kids not being able to function because they didn’t have their phones/internet. Please. You know, those nineteen year old dumbass millennials stabbing each other and cutting off people’s hands cause they can’t function without a cellphone. Never mind that I’m a millennial and I’m almost thirty. And WHO THE FUCK KEEPS REAL ASS COMPOUND BOWS AND SWORDS AND SHIT IN A THEME PARK?!? I bet insuring that place was a fucking nightmare. Also, the editor really phoned it in with misspellings and odd sentences galore.

I understand what the author was going for. What would happen if kids were left on their own in the worst-ish of circumstances, and what would happen if they were in Disneyland... I... I mean FantasticLand.

But what do I know? I’m just “sharing every aspect of my life” on my phone with you.
Whatever.

theadorek9's review against another edition

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challenging dark medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

foreverbeautifulbooks's review

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5.0

This book. THIS BOOK!

Excuse me but I'm not CONVINCED this man worked in amusement parks solely based on the “interviews” with management. But also this is a book full of unreliable narrators! Which I love. Because you're like “holy….. we’ll never know! WE WILL NEVER KNOW!”

Imagine if, if you will, major disaster hits an amusement park. The park has a disaster plan we're staff stays behind to keep it safe and clean up after. There is enough of everything for 500 people, for a month-- but after 48 hours, these people start acting like lords of the flies/yellow jackets. FORTY-EIGHT HOURS!

But not just that, they start separating into “tribes” based on their lands. Hhahahahahahahahha

Okay, so, I've worked in the amusement park industry for 16 years. And as I'm reading this book during downtime at work we start having conversations about this book, and what would we do, and who would be the first to murder. It's wild. But also, the sad thing, none of us were shocked by this book!

Anyone who's worked in amusement parks should read this book. But also, it was so well written. Each pov “interview” was like a different person, and then you start second guessing the whole thing, but then being like “where would I go?” Was anywhere safe. But also WHERE DID THE WARTHOG PEOPLE GO MIKE! I NEED A STORY JUST ABOUT THEM!!!! Where did the chainsaw come from, Mike??!!!!!

It's just brilliant. It's entry level horror, if you want to dip your toes in. Definitely read the trigger warnings.

dakwall's review against another edition

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adventurous dark mysterious tense fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.5

outsmartyourshelf's review against another edition

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adventurous dark emotional sad tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A

3.5

Hurricane 'Sadie' causes devastation in Florida whilst 400 employees holed up in 'FantasticLand' (an entertainment park similar to Disneyland) are cut off from the rest of the state & from outside help. The employees are expected to be OK as there are emergency plans in place as well as plenty of food & water available in the park. When the Florida National Guard enter the park several weeks later, they are greeted by the sight of dead bodies & signs of violence. Something went badly wrong in FantasticLand.

At first I thought interviews were an odd choice as a narrative to tell this story, but as it went on I realised that it was the best format & the author's choice made more sense. More of the story is gradually revealed & the reader gets different takes on the same events to show things aren't always what they seem. It's an interesting read that works as a social commentary. There's mention about social media & how it has people glued to their phones, & what would happen if the internet was shut off. The big question though is why a group of (mainly) young people would turn on each other in such a short time. There are several quotes online about the fact that people are smart as individuals but become stupid in groups. Is this true?

I think it's partly this - you only need one sociopath to persuade others to follow their lead as most people are social or herd animals & want someone to follow. One group acting in violence causes others to defend themselves or either take up the offence. The other component is that when people are removed from normal life into an artificial situation, they can feel divorced from reality & therefore do things they normally wouldn't. This can lead to great co-operation & heroics or it can lead to violence & tragedy. The human capacity for both good & evil is an interesting dichotomy.

Content Warnings

popinpobopia's review against another edition

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fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

I read this one on a road trip and I liked it a lot! Ending was a little weak and some parts were a little too unbelievable but the format and story were both very engaging.