Hello Bookworms!

I hope you’re enjoying another week of bliss. Okay, I’m being sarcastic, but I hope you’re hanging in there and making the best out of your week. I’ve been struggling a bit with things lately, but I’m choosing to stay positive and, as always, keep reading.

Speaking of which, it’s time for another book review!

Today I’m sharing my thoughts on One Last Shindig by Mark Towse.

I discovered this author through some networking on Instagram, and after seeing the beautiful cover for this book, I just had to give it a go. This was one of my library picks for June, and once it came in I was first in line to say gimme, gimme, gimme!

Alright, let’s move on to the review!

Blurb

One Last Shindig—the new novella from the author of Nana, Crows, Nature’s Perfume, and Hope
Wharf.

The world as we know it is coming to an end, but this group of geriatrics on one last shindig have no
idea what’s in store. As far as they’re concerned, they’re on a quick jaunt to see a cave full of glow-
worms and then back to the hotel for apple pie and custard.

So, get the muscle spray ready and change into your big underpants, because you’re going to need
them. Take your seat on this hilarious and terrifying coach tour into Hell.

Includes exclusive bonus novelette, “Watch Me Fly.”

Since day one, David has dreamt of being a superhero-to spread his wings and escape the iron fist of
his mother. But we can’t escape our past, no matter how hard we flap our arms, and his mother’s
voice won’t leave him be.

GoodReads

Amazon

***Brief disclosure***

I am an Amazon affiliate and earn a tiny commission for purchases made through the Amazon links in this post at no cost to you. It’s a great way to help me keep things running on my blog if you’re already intrigued enough to make a purchase. 

The Review

This is my first time reading something by this author, and while it was entertaining it ended up being a mixed bag for me.

Alright, so this read is a special two-for-one. The main story is One Last Shindig, with the last twenty or so pages being the novelette Watch Me Fly. One Last Shindig is about a group of senior citizens and a little girl as they navigate a seemingly apocalyptic event. Watch Me Fly is about a mentally deranged man and his short-lived night as a superhero.

What really worked for this novel was the cover and premise. That cover is absolutely stunning, and it really paints a picture in your mind while reading One Last Shindig. I enjoyed the premise of both stories. They held a lot of promise, but the execution disappointed me a little bit.

I really wanted to love the characters in Shindig. On the plus side they had attitude and charisma, which I enjoy. But I think all the turns of phrase got confusing in the dialogue. Admittedly I’m an American reader, but it was hard to understand all the slang the older folks were using. It really took me out of the story and I think if it was watered down a little it would’ve flowed much better.

The plot for Shindig was fun and went in an unexpected direction by the end, but I wanted more hints along the way at what it could be. We get this really terrifying event at the beginning, but we hardly see anything of the scariness throughout before nearing the end with a surprise reveal. It was certainly tense, I just wanted more scares and the actual antagonists to be more involved.

With Watch Me Fly, I was hoping for more of an traditional superhero story or maybe something more horrific, but it wasn’t quite what I was hoping for.

Overall, the stories in this novel were entertaining to a certain extent. I just think I had a disconnect with the writing in spots and with the direction things went.

That’s A Wrap!

Well that’s it for this book review. I hope you enjoyed it!

Have you read this book? Are there other similar books you’ve read that you simply have to gush about? Feel free to leave a comment. I’d love to start a conversation!

Have a great day!

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