What the Hell Did I Just Read
A Novel of Cosmic Horror
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4.5 • 234 Ratings
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- $11.99
Publisher Description
John Dies at the End's "smart take on fear manages to tap into readers' existential dread on one page, then have them laughing the next" (Publishers Weekly) and This Book is Full of Spiders was "unlike any other book of the genre" (Washington Post).
Now, New York Times bestselling author Jason Pargin is back with What the Hell Did I Just Read, the third installment of this black-humored thriller series.
It's the story "They" don't want you to read. Though, to be fair, "They" are probably right about this one. To quote the Bible, "Learning the truth can be like loosening a necktie, only to realize it was the only thing keeping your head attached." No, don't put the book back on the shelf -- it is now your duty to purchase it to prevent others from reading it. Yes, it works with e-books, too, I don't have time to explain how.
While investigating a fairly straightforward case of a shape-shifting interdimensional child predator, Dave, John, and Amy realized there might actually be something weird going on. Together, they navigate a diabolically convoluted maze of illusions, lies, and their own incompetence in an attempt to uncover a terrible truth they -- like you -- would be better off not knowing.
Your first impulse will be to think that a story this gruesome -- and, to be frank, stupid -- cannot possibly be true. That is precisely the reaction "They" are hoping for.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Wong's wildly mind-bending third installment (after This Book Is Full of Spiders) of the adventures of protagonist David Wong is filled with the humorous horror readers have come to expect. David; his girlfriend, Amy; and his friend, John, are still living in the town of Undisclosed, so referred to for "privacy reasons." Their lives have slowly returned to something resembling normal after their previous brushes with the weird, and all seems well until their expertise is requested on the case of a missing child. What follows is a rapid descent into brilliantly convoluted psychological terror, action, and suspense with a few brief forays into the inner workings of the human mind. When the culprit is revealed to be a shape-shifting entity with questionable motives, and 10 more children go missing, the trio must do battle with an enraged father, a shadowy government organization, a mysterious bat-human hybrid creature called the Batmantis, and their own metaphorical inner demons. While the story gleefully wallows in absurdity, thoughtful themes of addiction, perception, and the drive to do the right thing quickly emerge beneath the vivid and convoluted imagery. The plot's rapid pace holds the reader's attention to the truly bitter end.
Customer Reviews
A Pargin Cosmic Horror Comedy
This time Pargin takes us back to the chaotic lives of Dave, John, and Amy as they recount their run-in with a shape-shifting creature from another dimension—one that’s been swiping local kids and brainwashing their parents. Of course, their versions of events don’t always match up. In John’s case, they’re mostly elaborate lies about his manhood. The result? A tale that’s convoluted, contradictory, and comically confusing.
WTH!?!
More soy sauce! Please! I’m completely addicted!
Seriously though, I loved this book and need more David Wong.
Another Masterpiece by David Wong
It’s not the same, but it’s more of what we asked for as fans. It’s not nearly the breadth of the story of JDATE, but it’s the same quick witted humor, optimistically nihilistic, crass, terrifying writing that I came to know and love in the first two books in this series. David Wong has created an evil multiverse that I want to be a part of, documenting its triumphs and failures of the human experience.