The Loop

By: Jeremy Robert Johnson

Narrated by: Inés del Castillo

The year’s most brutal, cinematic thrill ride is also one of its most critically acclaimed novels. Dazed and Confused meets 28 Days Later in this “wickedly entertaining,” (Kirkus Reviews) “volcano of a book” (Nathan Ballingrud, author of Wounds) as a lonely young woman teams up with a group of fellow outcasts to survive the night in a town overcome by a science experiment gone wrong.

A Best Book of the Month for Den of Geek, Omnivoracious, Mystery & Suspense, and Tor.

A Goodreads’ 2020 Readers Choice Nominee for Best Horror, and one of the Best Books of 2020 for The Lineup, Booked, and Unsettling Reads.

Turner Falls is a small tourist town nestled in the hills of central Oregon. When a terrifying outbreak rapidly develops, this idyllic town becomes the epicenter of an epidemic of violence.

The Loop is a “wild and wonderfully scary novel” (Richard Chizmar, author of Gwendy’s Magic Feather) that offers a “hilarious and horrifying” (Brian Keene, author of The Rising) look at what one team of misfits can accomplish as they fight to live through the night.

“[A] harrowing thrill ride of the first order and an uncompromising page-turner, easily securing its spot as one of the best novels of 2020.” (Rue Morgue, featured “Dante’s Pick” Review)

“Like the best of Crichton or Bentley, it is a great beach read, but it is infused with the neon blood of a brave new writer... [A] kind of literary roller coaster. It will take you to thrilling highs and terrifying lows....” (Los Angeles Review of Books)

“The Loop is the gore-soaked, anxiety-inducing, diabolically funny Richard Linklater/David Cronenberg mashup you never knew you wanted but can’t - or at least shouldn’t - live without.” (The Big Thrill)

©2020 Jeremy Robert Johnson. All rights reserved. (P)2020 Simon & Schuster, Inc. All rights reserved.

Critic reviews

“The Loop is the gore-soaked, anxiety-inducing, diabolically funny Richard Linklater/David Cronenberg mashup you never knew you wanted but can’t - or at least shouldn’t - live without.” (The Big Thrill)

“Unputdownable.... Fans of The Twilight Zone, The X-Files, and Stranger Things will be especially thrilled.” (Publishers Weekly (starred review)

“A satisfyingly dark satire of, well, everything...[a] heart-pounding and deeply unsettling tale.” (Booklist)

Grim, Ultraviolent and Gritty

Great plotline with lots of action. Thoughtful, textured characters. And-- holy cow-- a container-ship-stuck-in-the-Suez canal load of startling, nonstop death and violence from the beginning up to the last heartbreaking second.

Narration and plot

Loved the original story and how it played out in a way you can believe

What in the actual F?!

I may be a bit biased since I always expect Jeremy Robert Johnson to knock it out of the park....but even I wasn’t expecting him to throw my brain for a loop with this one! Firstly, I’m incredibly impressed with his effortless ability to crawl into the psyche of an angsty teenage misfit Latina, making me feel at one with her fears, desires, and motivations - instantly calling me back to my own teenage years. While that is a feat in and of itself, once he gets you settled into Lucy’s mindset and worldview, JRJ then manages to rocket you straight into the pits of hell, not even slowing down enough to let you crack a proverbial window for whiff of refreshing air. As the world (or I guess tiny town of Turner Falls) descends into utter chaos, we get to meet an interesting band of characters through Lucy’s eyes, each one with their own unique charms and foibles. As the story unfolds and the character development strengthens, you find yourself flinching in terror at every turn. Without revealing too much, I can say that it’s in your best interest to not get too attached to anyone in particular, for heartbreak may be lurking around the corner.

I don’t want to give away too much of the plot, but if you enjoy fast-paced action, over-the-top violence, fully fleshed our characters and settings, technology and biology, a little bit of philosophy, and you even get off on a tiny bit of masochism, then The Loop is definitely a book for you!

This is my first JRJ book that I’ve “read” first as an audible, and I have to say that Inés del Castillo did a fantastic job handling Lucy as well as the rest of the characters, and the audio production was top notch. I also enjoyed the unique auditory way they presented and portrayed what happened towards the end of the book - kudos for trying something a little different and actually having it be effective!

only rating to keep similar stories off of suggest

solid story but not for me. performance was incredible which is the only thing that kept me listening after realizing it wasn't my genre.

Great Horror Novel with Topical and Engaging Ideas

Violence was a bit much for me but that's personal preference. I liked what they had to say about brain chemicals, corporate culture, and social issues and weaved that well into the narrative. I'm not just being nice this novel actually kind of rocks and I'll be following this writer and performer.

Beautifully bleak

I enjoyed this book a lot. I think it’s very beautiful, although very bleak, I enjoyed the internal dialogue and the struggles of the main character I think it’s a pretty good representation of like a sci-fi “real world” scenario, were not everything has a happy ending . I feel like it was a tad longer then I wanted it to be but that’s just me.

A good Sci-fi thriller

This was a very fun book filled with gory goodness. A definite recommendation. Enjoy 😎

Lucy's Eyes

I received a eARC of The Loop from NetGalley prior to September in 2020 but ended up buying and listening to the Audible edition instead when I saw it was on sale as a Daily Deal last month in March. Inés del Castillo's narration was just what I needed to be sucked into it all.

Right from the start we know something is going on at Turner Falls, the Nightwatchman podcast having done some investigating on it but most people of Turner Falls apparently don't take Nightwatchman podcast seriously. Our eyes and ears in Turner Falls? Lucy.

Lucy, a adopted orphan from Peru with a traumatic past involving absent alcoholic parents and the car crash that killed them, being a "ghost" on the streets and bullying by other children, until adopted by the Hendersons and moved to Turner Falls, Oregon, has already, clearly, been juggling a lot, for a long time. A outcast among the rich and white teens of Turner Falls and Spring Meadows, she's witness with her class to the breakdown of a classmate who blinds another student, that turns into a murder of her teacher - and the "police" who murder her classmate.

Lucy, surviving that, goes with her best friend Bakhit "Bucket" Marwani and Danny Brewer (who has a crush on her) to a graduation party in some caves in the desert. It turns into the a nightmare of science gone very wrong, INTECH being behind a project called "Oracle" that turns teens into blue eyed and twitchy, seeking only to scratch a itch to cruelty for the feeling of 'pleasure', a loop they can't escape.

Gritty violent but with great story.

Really good story filled with tragedy, violence, and great characters. Highly recommend for horror/sci-fi fans.

Headlines aren't my thing

Loved the story. Over the top late 80's/90's gore with YA elements that didn't make the teens seem stupid or cliche. I'd be comfortable letting my oldest read this when she hits her mid teens. She's currently 10, but we've never talked to her like she's a puppy, so she's pretty mature. The ending walked a fine line between depressing and hopeful, but still remained satisfying. Loved the narration. Best I've heard so far in my 10-15 book Audible experience.