John Dies at the End

By: David Wong

Narrated by: Stephen R. Thorne

Length: 14 hrs and 17 mins

Publisher's summary

John Dies at the End is a genre-bending, humorous account of two college drop-outs inadvertently charged with saving their small town—and the world—from a host of supernatural and paranormal invasions.

Stop.

You should not have touched this flyer with your bare hands.

No, don’t put it down. It’s too late. They’re watching you.

My name is David Wong. My best friend is John. Those names are fake. You might want to change yours. You may not want to know about the things you’ll read on these pages, about the sauce, about Korrok, about the invasion, and the future. But it’s too late. You touched the book. You’re in the game. You’re under the eye.

The only defense is knowledge. You need to read this book, to the end. Even the part with the bratwurst. Why? You just have to trust me.

The important thing is this: the drug is called Soy Sauce, and it gives users a window into another dimension. John and I never had the chance to say no. You still do.

I’m sorry to have involved you in this, I really am. But as you read about these terrible events and the very dark epoch the world is about to enter as a result, it is crucial you keep one thing in mind: none of this was my fault.

©2007 David Wong and Permuted Press. All rights reserved. (P)2011 BBC Audiobooks America

absolutely awesome

if you take 1part bevis and butthead and 1 part Douglas Adams and mix them together with a dash H.P. Lovecraft that's this book. get a bit confusing but it's still a killer book, can't wait to read the following books!

This is a WTF book

I watched the movie. Twice. My nephew read the book and said it was so much deeper and stranger than the movie. I have now listened to the book. The narrator is really good. I was able to follow along quite well. Can I tell about the story, plot, characters, etc.? Nope. I enjoyed it. Laughed out loud a few times. Cringed more than a few. But, describe it? The title of this review sums it up. Now on to the next book in the series. . .

Not for everyone… custom built for me

If you’ve ever found yourself in the middle of a “comedy”… and your opinion of said entertainment required the use of the aforementioned “”’s, this isn’t for you or for most people to be blunt. This is an experience for those who can truly appreciate the daring journey into brilliant stupidity and enjoy as one should… (evil laughter, fart, awkward silence… loud evil laughter)

AWESOME READ!

This book is downright amazing!
It’s an absolute MUST-read for anyone that enjoys sci-go, trippy, edge-of-your-seat action!

David Wong is a true master of his craft!

Unique and Pulpy!

Korrok has my book review. His shadow men have taken it into an interdimensional hell; they don’t want you to know the truth. And the truth is…THIS BOOK IS FREAKING GREAT.

Premise: Two averagely intelligent guys take a new drug called Soy Sause; it cracks open their minds and scrambles them like cooked eggs. When they don’t explode, they have an all-new outlook on the world. They have gazed upon the EYE, and it has seen them. They can see past the glamor that keeps our happy world happy and into the hell that seeps around the corners of our universe. With the clock ticking, it's up to these two knuckleheads to save us all from interdimensional hell on earth.

Is this book masterfully written? Yes. the craftsmanship is great.

Is it hilarious? Absolutely. I busted out laughing so many times.

Do I love these characters? Yes. John and Dave are great. Dave is the logical one who consciously chooses to ignore illogical things like shadow men, bugs that control your mind, animated corpses, and exploding dogs that magically reappear. John, on the other hand, was always that weird fringe dude. You know the guy…the one who does weird shit…but for REASONS. That’s John.

Am I a fan of all the fart, shit, and penis jokes? Maybe just the penis ones.

Was there so much chaos happening that I occasionally didn’t know what was going on in an action scene? Occasionally, I would NOT RECOMMEND audiobooking this book at an accelerated speed.

I loved this book, I am currently audiobooking the second one in the series; sometimes I worry for the characters and for us as a species, lol. 10/10 would recommend.

Could not stop listening!

I binged this whole series of books like I binge any good story.. started it and devoted every possible moment to it until I was done! I highly recommend it! Stephen R Thorne brings these character to life in a way that really lets them shine individually. He helps you root for them the entire way. An actor at the top of his craft, I’d say. David/Jason is a brilliant writer if this voice is your cup of tea, it is exactly mine so I LOVED the whole thing! I accidentally started with the 4th book and had to come back to the first, I have no complaints about that process, because the books are amazing on their own even read/listened to out of order. Just buy the thing!

One of my favorites

It’s so good I read/listen to it twice a decade. Four more words required.

Must read!

This is my all-time favorite book series. The stories are always entertaining and mind-blowing. If you haven't read this series, then you are missing out.

So much better than the movie

I knew of the movie but hadn’t seen it. I started this book, then my wife asked if we could watch the movie. It was fun and campy but this reads much deeper and darker. Far more Stephen King than Sam Raimi, if you get me. Absolutely lover it and going to continue the series.

Put down this book

Would you consider the audio edition of John Dies at the End to be better than the print version?

Oh, I'm sure it is because the narration was really the only enjoyable part.

What was most disappointing about David Wong’s story?

It made no sense, was unnecessarily gross and disgusting without any apparent relationship to whatever plot there was.

Which character – as performed by Stephen R. Thorne – was your favorite?

His performance was fine; the characters were non-existent.

If you could take any character from John Dies at the End out to dinner, who would it be and why?

Please don't ask.

Any additional comments?

I'm sorry, but this book was a total waste of time. I couldn't listen to it at mealtime because there was something disgusting every 10 minutes. I kept waiting for something to make sense and nothing ever did.