phenaproxima's review
adventurous
funny
hopeful
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.75
This book is extremely fun. Right from the get-go, Bastard Zane's tough-guy deadpan leaps off the page, equal parts Jason Statham and Roy Kent. Numbercruncher's vision of the afterlife is truly unlike anything else I've seen, with a strong Terry Gilliam's Brazil vibe. The story is a twisty, nerdy, violent, romantic, frenetic, metaphysical chase, shot through with acerbic wit, spanning life, the universe, and everything, yet somehow you can follow it. I loved this.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence
trike's review
5.0
This was great fun, a book featuring a dweeby little guy who outsmarts God (?) by gaming the rules of the universe and screwing the system. The only thing I’ve encountered that’s anything like this is the superb Director’s Cut of The Butterfly Effect, with a dollop of Groundhog Day and a heaping helping of the TV series “The Good Place.”
I was just thinking the other day about those movies and books where seemingly innocuous scenes and throwaway lines end up being freighted with meaning and intent once you get to the end of the story and realize it was all part of the plan all along. The Sixth Sense is probably the most famous version of this when you get to the end and reevaluate everything you’ve seen.
Well, Numbercruncher takes those ideas and turns them up to 11. There’s no way to summarize this story without spoiling it, and avoiding spoilers would just result in an inadequate description. Suffice to say that the tale is far more than the official description, piling twists and turns on top of each other.
I’d actually like to see someone try to turn this into a movie. The intricate intertwining story of life and afterlife would be a joy to see.
I was just thinking the other day about those movies and books where seemingly innocuous scenes and throwaway lines end up being freighted with meaning and intent once you get to the end of the story and realize it was all part of the plan all along. The Sixth Sense is probably the most famous version of this when you get to the end and reevaluate everything you’ve seen.
Well, Numbercruncher takes those ideas and turns them up to 11. There’s no way to summarize this story without spoiling it, and avoiding spoilers would just result in an inadequate description. Suffice to say that the tale is far more than the official description, piling twists and turns on top of each other.
I’d actually like to see someone try to turn this into a movie. The intricate intertwining story of life and afterlife would be a joy to see.
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