samusiamus's review against another edition
3.0
This, my friends, is a wild and crazy elevator ride that probably won't suit a lot of people. I liked how it starts off fairly "normal" and slowly amps up the weirdness over time, and you don't know what's actually happening and what's all in Isaac's head. He's not someone that you can really relate to, but you can certainly sympathise with him and the hand he's been dealt in life.
If you're looking for something profound about the hospitality business and society, then I would look somewhere else. If you want a surreal, vulgar, and visceral reading experience that feels like the movie Four Rooms had a threesome with the books American Psycho and Trainspotting, then you've found your little corner of hell. Welcome in.
If you're looking for something profound about the hospitality business and society, then I would look somewhere else. If you want a surreal, vulgar, and visceral reading experience that feels like the movie Four Rooms had a threesome with the books American Psycho and Trainspotting, then you've found your little corner of hell. Welcome in.
sjj169's review against another edition
2.0
Isaac is the night auditor at the God Damn Hotel in the middle of nowhere Texas. His nights are endless stretches of Netflix binges and masturbating on the roof of the hotel. Totally what I did when I worked as a night auditor. (You can tell this author really works in the hotel business-he cracked me up with these parts)
Then a new employee catches Isaac's attention. Mandy 2. She might be the one to fall in love with him since the Bulimic homeless girl hasn't realized her love for him yet. He starts talking to Mandy 2 and realizes that she might just have a weird owl fetish. She keeps rambling on about wanting to pet one and that she has an owl stalker.
Then he finds out that Mandy 2 has met her demise by owl. An owl ate her face off.
I HATE birds. I knew those bastards were creepy and this just confirmed it. So I'm still with the story.
Isaac seems to attract loonies. It happens to the best of us. He gets involved with a couple of shoe counterfeiters, drinks on the job with his bestie who works at the Other God Damn hotel and then the book takes a weird turn.
I admit I totally suck at reading bizarro, so I'm probably at fault with not liking the second half of this one.
Isaac starts to descend into crazy town.
Bodies are piling up. Blood and gore are everywhere. (I didn't hate this part. I'm not that much of a willy)...and the owls.
So I'm going with 3 stars for the first half of the book and 1 star for the second. I like this author though so I'm not done with him yet.
Booksource: Netgalley in exchange for review.
Then a new employee catches Isaac's attention. Mandy 2. She might be the one to fall in love with him since the Bulimic homeless girl hasn't realized her love for him yet. He starts talking to Mandy 2 and realizes that she might just have a weird owl fetish. She keeps rambling on about wanting to pet one and that she has an owl stalker.
Then he finds out that Mandy 2 has met her demise by owl. An owl ate her face off.
I HATE birds. I knew those bastards were creepy and this just confirmed it. So I'm still with the story.
Isaac seems to attract loonies. It happens to the best of us. He gets involved with a couple of shoe counterfeiters, drinks on the job with his bestie who works at the Other God Damn hotel and then the book takes a weird turn.
I admit I totally suck at reading bizarro, so I'm probably at fault with not liking the second half of this one.
Isaac starts to descend into crazy town.
Bodies are piling up. Blood and gore are everywhere. (I didn't hate this part. I'm not that much of a willy)...and the owls.
So I'm going with 3 stars for the first half of the book and 1 star for the second. I like this author though so I'm not done with him yet.
Booksource: Netgalley in exchange for review.
lucasm12333's review against another edition
5.0
Brilliant book. Just the right mix of bizarro and blue collar drudgery. Great characters and settings. I will definitely be reading more by this author. Stop being a bum and buy this book. The tourism industry is hurting in these Covid times, so do your part and help out.
goobersmom57's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
funny
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
haywee_waka's review against another edition
dark
funny
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
sheldonqueens's review against another edition
4.0
Max Booth III has the first-person perspective down to perfection.
Storywise, this is exactly what I love about the Horror genre. Nothing is off limits and a story can go in absolutely any direction without hesitation.
Also, I laughed out loud on at least three occasions, and that's a rarity.
Storywise, this is exactly what I love about the Horror genre. Nothing is off limits and a story can go in absolutely any direction without hesitation.
Also, I laughed out loud on at least three occasions, and that's a rarity.
thaatswhatsheread's review
dark
funny
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
karamelka_kar19's review
funny
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.25
5hadow_girl's review
5.0
I saw this on Netgalley first, and since I'm Social Media buddies with the author, the book's description had me searching for a GIMMIE! link before I was even finished reading it! (see the GR comment I left on the 27th, before I even got the book >.< )
Excellent read, and full review will be posted soon.
Excellent read, and full review will be posted soon.
mrfrank's review
5.0
Wow. THE NIGHTLY DISEASE by Max Booth III is an amazing story. Who knew you could take your crummy night shift job, add in some owls and sprinkle it over a gripping crime story and get a masterpiece? Max Booth! That's who!
From the opening line of the book and straight through to the final period, THE NIGHTLY DISEASE drags you into its talons and refuses to let go. So many great, quotable sentences pepper the pages of the book. The prose is wonderful. The plot is nerveracking. Isaac, the protagonist, is a consumate fuck-up who makes choices that should make you hate him and yet you find him endearing and can't help but route for him.
This book is nominated for the 2017 Wonderland Book Award as of the writing of this review. I thought my pick for the award was a long standing lock. This confuses things. It is a great book that deserves to be elevated above the confines of genre and be appreciated on a mass scale. Bravo, Max, Bravo.
From the opening line of the book and straight through to the final period, THE NIGHTLY DISEASE drags you into its talons and refuses to let go. So many great, quotable sentences pepper the pages of the book. The prose is wonderful. The plot is nerveracking. Isaac, the protagonist, is a consumate fuck-up who makes choices that should make you hate him and yet you find him endearing and can't help but route for him.
This book is nominated for the 2017 Wonderland Book Award as of the writing of this review. I thought my pick for the award was a long standing lock. This confuses things. It is a great book that deserves to be elevated above the confines of genre and be appreciated on a mass scale. Bravo, Max, Bravo.