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Wake Up and Open Your Eyes
Runtime: 11 . 19 Hours
For fans of The Last of Us, a fast-paced supernatural horror novel about a mass demonic possession epidemic that spreads through the internet from Vulture’s “master of horror� Clay McLeod Chapman.
Noah Fairchild has been losing his formerly polite Southern parents to far-right cable news for years, so when his mother leaves him a voicemail warning him that the “Great Reckoning� is here, he assumes it’s related to one of the many conspiracy theories she believes in. But when his own phone calls go unanswered, Noah makes the long drive from Brooklyn to Richmond, Virginia. There, he discovers his childhood home in shambles, a fridge full of spoiled food, and his parents locked in a terrifying trance-like state in front of the TV. Panicked, Noah attempts to snap them out of it and get medical help.
Then Noah’s mother brutally attacks him.
But Noah isn’t the only person to be attacked by a loved one. Families across the country are tearing each other apart-–literally-–as people succumb to a form of possession that gets worse the more time they spend watching particular channels, using certain apps, or visiting certain websites. In Noah’s Richmond-based family, only he and his young nephew Marcus are unaffected. Together, they must race back to the safe haven of Brooklyn�-but can they make it before they fall prey to the violent hordes?
This ambitious, searing novel from "one of horror's modern masters" holds a mirror to our divided nation, and will shake readers to the core.
For fans of The Last of Us, a fast-paced supernatural horror novel about a mass demonic possession epidemic that spreads through the internet from Vulture’s “master of horror� Clay McLeod Chapman.
Noah Fairchild has been losing his formerly polite Southern parents to far-right cable news for years, so when his mother leaves him a voicemail warning him that the “Great Reckoning� is here, he assumes it’s related to one of the many conspiracy theories she believes in. But when his own phone calls go unanswered, Noah makes the long drive from Brooklyn to Richmond, Virginia. There, he discovers his childhood home in shambles, a fridge full of spoiled food, and his parents locked in a terrifying trance-like state in front of the TV. Panicked, Noah attempts to snap them out of it and get medical help.
Then Noah’s mother brutally attacks him.
But Noah isn’t the only person to be attacked by a loved one. Families across the country are tearing each other apart-–literally-–as people succumb to a form of possession that gets worse the more time they spend watching particular channels, using certain apps, or visiting certain websites. In Noah’s Richmond-based family, only he and his young nephew Marcus are unaffected. Together, they must race back to the safe haven of Brooklyn�-but can they make it before they fall prey to the violent hordes?
This ambitious, searing novel from "one of horror's modern masters" holds a mirror to our divided nation, and will shake readers to the core.
12 pages, MP3 CD
First published January 7, 2025
1,095 people are currently reading
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About the author
Clay McLeod Chapman
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 1,709 reviews
February 10, 2025
This book was horrifying.
Currently reading
July 14, 2024The Feel Good Horror Novel of 2025.
April 10, 2025
Wake Up and Open Your Eyes is W-I-L-D!
A possession story unlike any other you've read. If someone is addicted to something, no matter what it is, would that person eventually be possessed by that thing?
I'll say that if you love F*X News, this is probably not the book for you. They are never mentioned, just the FACTS, (FAX?) I listened to this, so I’m not sure how it’s actually spelled. Liberals take a bit of a hit here too, but not nearly as bad.
I smirked at the Easter eggs which consisted of other author names, reviewer names, etc.. I also thought the narration of the various actors added an extra layer of enjoyment. (Interspersed with the main narrative are bits of videos, podcasts, social media posts-all of which feature a different narrator.)
In the end, this book felt gleeful to me, in a way. Not to make light of any of the real life issues addressed here, but I can’t help but think of Clay McLeod Chapman’s face as he was writing this. In my mind’s eye I see him, a pipe wedged between his teeth, while somehow also cackling and typing like a madman. At some points I was laughing…really hard, at other times I was grossed out and repulsed. I was also saddened by the thought of how far things have gone already and where they might yet go. There you have it, the gamut of feelings I experienced and if you haven’t guessed-I loved this book.
*Purchased from Audible.
A possession story unlike any other you've read. If someone is addicted to something, no matter what it is, would that person eventually be possessed by that thing?
I'll say that if you love F*X News, this is probably not the book for you. They are never mentioned, just the FACTS, (FAX?) I listened to this, so I’m not sure how it’s actually spelled. Liberals take a bit of a hit here too, but not nearly as bad.
I smirked at the Easter eggs which consisted of other author names, reviewer names, etc.. I also thought the narration of the various actors added an extra layer of enjoyment. (Interspersed with the main narrative are bits of videos, podcasts, social media posts-all of which feature a different narrator.)
In the end, this book felt gleeful to me, in a way. Not to make light of any of the real life issues addressed here, but I can’t help but think of Clay McLeod Chapman’s face as he was writing this. In my mind’s eye I see him, a pipe wedged between his teeth, while somehow also cackling and typing like a madman. At some points I was laughing…really hard, at other times I was grossed out and repulsed. I was also saddened by the thought of how far things have gone already and where they might yet go. There you have it, the gamut of feelings I experienced and if you haven’t guessed-I loved this book.
*Purchased from Audible.
February 6, 2025
This is extreme horror. Please be aware of that before reading. I'd hate for anyone to read this and give it a bad review because it's violent and frankly disgusting. It absolutely is both of those things.
This was as unsettling as it was harrowing. The way the author depicts our main character slowly losing his mother to this political cyclone was so goddamn sad.
I related to the main character in so many ways that it made every emotion heightened.
This book will piss a lot of people off. But it will hit home in a way that will scare a lot of people as well. It's unflinching in it's view on current politics and the surge of racism our country is reveling in.
One thing I really enjoyed about this book was the context it gave to the other side of the field. The talk of people having picked a side based on lineage or community, then regretting that decision but feeling unable to change or switch positions because the other side makes them feel small and stupid, was so eye opening to me. How can I expect anyone to listen to me, or god-forbid agree with me, if I'm saying "You're wrong. You're the problem"? No one wants to be the villain. Calling someone one is a sure fire way to make them never see another side of the story.
All-in-all I was captivated by this book from page one and felt connected to this main character in a way that made me scared for myself, my future, and that of those I love.
Sorry to get a bit deep. But I had a lot of emotions while reading this book.
This was as unsettling as it was harrowing. The way the author depicts our main character slowly losing his mother to this political cyclone was so goddamn sad.
I related to the main character in so many ways that it made every emotion heightened.
This book will piss a lot of people off. But it will hit home in a way that will scare a lot of people as well. It's unflinching in it's view on current politics and the surge of racism our country is reveling in.
One thing I really enjoyed about this book was the context it gave to the other side of the field. The talk of people having picked a side based on lineage or community, then regretting that decision but feeling unable to change or switch positions because the other side makes them feel small and stupid, was so eye opening to me. How can I expect anyone to listen to me, or god-forbid agree with me, if I'm saying "You're wrong. You're the problem"? No one wants to be the villain. Calling someone one is a sure fire way to make them never see another side of the story.
All-in-all I was captivated by this book from page one and felt connected to this main character in a way that made me scared for myself, my future, and that of those I love.
Sorry to get a bit deep. But I had a lot of emotions while reading this book.
January 15, 2025
DNF @ 13%
I don’t want to read about a mother m@sturbating in front of her 42 year old son and then humping him and moaning in pleasure � idc that she’s possessed, I just need male authors to think of something else to do with female bodies tysm
I don’t want to read about a mother m@sturbating in front of her 42 year old son and then humping him and moaning in pleasure � idc that she’s possessed, I just need male authors to think of something else to do with female bodies tysm
March 31, 2025
Edit: the more I think about it, I’d probably rate it like 3.5 ⭐️, maybe like 3.75 ⭐️ which might be kinda pedantic but this is my review so I’m allowed to overthink things 😂 farther out from it I’m more thinking about the things that worked as opposed to all that didn’t.
This was right in the middle of the road for me! Ghost Eaters is probably my least favorite book I’ve read in recent years, but I decided to pick this up after seeing EVERYONE rave about it, and yeah I think it just cements that this author isn’t for me.
It wasn’t all bad- it’s graphic and upsetting to read at times, I liked the very beginning and the middle section was interesting despite how repetitive it got, and just the idea itself was cool.
But yeah- it was pretty repetitive in part 2, and VERY heavy handed. I also didn’t like the switch to second person perspective in part 3, nor the way the viral videos were described (I usually love both, it was just kinda clunky idk). I also had a hard time remembering characters names and I got the POV’s mixed up at times.
Yeah, not *all* bad, but this will be my last from this author.
This was right in the middle of the road for me! Ghost Eaters is probably my least favorite book I’ve read in recent years, but I decided to pick this up after seeing EVERYONE rave about it, and yeah I think it just cements that this author isn’t for me.
It wasn’t all bad- it’s graphic and upsetting to read at times, I liked the very beginning and the middle section was interesting despite how repetitive it got, and just the idea itself was cool.
But yeah- it was pretty repetitive in part 2, and VERY heavy handed. I also didn’t like the switch to second person perspective in part 3, nor the way the viral videos were described (I usually love both, it was just kinda clunky idk). I also had a hard time remembering characters names and I got the POV’s mixed up at times.
Yeah, not *all* bad, but this will be my last from this author.
January 7, 2025
HAPPY PUBLICATION DAY!
“This is not our horror story. This is your f-ing horror story. An American Horror Story... But whose America, am I right?�
Disclaimer: The plot of this book will be extremely offensive if the narrative doesn’t fit your political viewpoint.
Wake up and open your eyes…The Great Reawakening is happening on December twentieth. Noah had a disagreement about politics with his conservative parents on Thanksgiving and has since kept his distance. However, when his mother’s phone calls become increasingly incoherent and then abruptly end, he drives from New York to Virginia to check on his parents� well-being.
When he arrives at their house, he finds his parents completely transformed into something beyond recognition. But it’s not just his parents who have been infected. It appears that all of the viewers of Fax News-Just the Facts- have been indoctrinated into a zombie cult. “Fax News Brain. It’s spreading. It’s communicable. Mad cow disease for conservatives.� Can Noah save his family?
“It’s every Democrat for themselves out here. Survival of the leftist. You know you’re next if you don’t keep running.�
Wake Up and Open Your Eyes is a political satire and social horror novel which preaches conservative politics and Fax News will turn you into a sex-crazed zombie. In this political apocalypse, Noah, a Democrat, must fight to survive. It is an uncomfortable, timely, and polarizing novel that is certain to get people talking.
Note: It was extremely difficult to read in the weeks before the U.S. presidential election.
Trigger warnings: School shooting, strong sexual content
3.5/5 stars rounded up
Expected publication date: 1/7/25
Thank you to NetGalley and Quirk books for the ARC of Wake Up and Open Your Eyes in exchange for an honest review.
“This is not our horror story. This is your f-ing horror story. An American Horror Story... But whose America, am I right?�
Disclaimer: The plot of this book will be extremely offensive if the narrative doesn’t fit your political viewpoint.
Wake up and open your eyes…The Great Reawakening is happening on December twentieth. Noah had a disagreement about politics with his conservative parents on Thanksgiving and has since kept his distance. However, when his mother’s phone calls become increasingly incoherent and then abruptly end, he drives from New York to Virginia to check on his parents� well-being.
When he arrives at their house, he finds his parents completely transformed into something beyond recognition. But it’s not just his parents who have been infected. It appears that all of the viewers of Fax News-Just the Facts- have been indoctrinated into a zombie cult. “Fax News Brain. It’s spreading. It’s communicable. Mad cow disease for conservatives.� Can Noah save his family?
“It’s every Democrat for themselves out here. Survival of the leftist. You know you’re next if you don’t keep running.�
Wake Up and Open Your Eyes is a political satire and social horror novel which preaches conservative politics and Fax News will turn you into a sex-crazed zombie. In this political apocalypse, Noah, a Democrat, must fight to survive. It is an uncomfortable, timely, and polarizing novel that is certain to get people talking.
Note: It was extremely difficult to read in the weeks before the U.S. presidential election.
Trigger warnings: School shooting, strong sexual content
3.5/5 stars rounded up
Expected publication date: 1/7/25
Thank you to NetGalley and Quirk books for the ARC of Wake Up and Open Your Eyes in exchange for an honest review.
March 30, 2025
⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️
If mind-possessing demons found their way onto the Discovery+ adventure and paranormal shows, I’d be screwed. Although I feel like that might not be their first choice for some reason.
Flesh feasts, orgy obsessions, smoothie sadists, maniacal masturbation, disinformation diets, La-Z-Boy lunatics. This book has it all. It’s gross. It’s interesting. It’s scary. It’s sad.
Although a bit jarring at times with shifting tenses and perspectives, I think it captures the frenzied desperation we have to fill our self-created voids with anything to regenerate meaning. Some may be turned off by its “on-the-nose� metaphor, but I found its lack of ambiguity to be necessary to navigate a political culture where all nuance has been lost. We no longer think in shades of grey, so why would a fictional cultural representation try to?
It takes courage to write a book that will alienate a subset of readers before they even read a single page, and I applaud Chapman for that. I think this is an important cultural artifact, and one that I will remember for a long time. I just hope at some point it will be remembered as a relic of a bygone era.
If mind-possessing demons found their way onto the Discovery+ adventure and paranormal shows, I’d be screwed. Although I feel like that might not be their first choice for some reason.
Flesh feasts, orgy obsessions, smoothie sadists, maniacal masturbation, disinformation diets, La-Z-Boy lunatics. This book has it all. It’s gross. It’s interesting. It’s scary. It’s sad.
Although a bit jarring at times with shifting tenses and perspectives, I think it captures the frenzied desperation we have to fill our self-created voids with anything to regenerate meaning. Some may be turned off by its “on-the-nose� metaphor, but I found its lack of ambiguity to be necessary to navigate a political culture where all nuance has been lost. We no longer think in shades of grey, so why would a fictional cultural representation try to?
It takes courage to write a book that will alienate a subset of readers before they even read a single page, and I applaud Chapman for that. I think this is an important cultural artifact, and one that I will remember for a long time. I just hope at some point it will be remembered as a relic of a bygone era.
February 10, 2025
4.0 Stars
Some people say that authors should keep social commentary out of horror books. However, I strongly disagree. If you look at the history of the genre, you will see that it has always been used as a way to comment on our world. And sometimes those nuggets are reality are more terrifying than fiction.
Personally I loved how this novel turned its targets on propaganda media and its role in dividing families along political lines. The novel and its author clearly have an opinion that colors the narrative. I happened to share the author's views so I was not deterred by the not-so-subtle messaging. Certainly this novel will ruffle feathers among readers who disagree but I have no problem with a politically heavy novel.
The story was engrossing and exciting. It hit the right balance between satire and a hard hitting horror novel with relatable characters. Despite having a heavy slant to the narrative, I found this one still aimed to deliver its themes in a smart, thoughtful manner.
If you are looking for a topical take on current events in North America, this one delivers a powerful take on the horrors of blind allegiance. It's hardly an escapist read, but this is the cathartic read I needed right now.
Disclaimer I received a copy of this book from the publisher.
Some people say that authors should keep social commentary out of horror books. However, I strongly disagree. If you look at the history of the genre, you will see that it has always been used as a way to comment on our world. And sometimes those nuggets are reality are more terrifying than fiction.
Personally I loved how this novel turned its targets on propaganda media and its role in dividing families along political lines. The novel and its author clearly have an opinion that colors the narrative. I happened to share the author's views so I was not deterred by the not-so-subtle messaging. Certainly this novel will ruffle feathers among readers who disagree but I have no problem with a politically heavy novel.
The story was engrossing and exciting. It hit the right balance between satire and a hard hitting horror novel with relatable characters. Despite having a heavy slant to the narrative, I found this one still aimed to deliver its themes in a smart, thoughtful manner.
If you are looking for a topical take on current events in North America, this one delivers a powerful take on the horrors of blind allegiance. It's hardly an escapist read, but this is the cathartic read I needed right now.
Disclaimer I received a copy of this book from the publisher.
September 8, 2024
ARC for review. To be published January 7, 2025.
Well, let me first say that if you like horror, but you disliked Stephen King’s HOLLY for its political content…then boy, are you going to HATE this one! I, personally, thought it was really enjoyable and it’s the best thing I’ve read by Chapman.
Noah Fairchild is a progressive living with his wife a daughter in Brooklyn. From afar he sees his parents, who are from Virginia, slipping into far-right conspiracy theories; his mother is constantly calling him with the newest “information as they head on down that slippery slope of lies. When things seem to get really bad, then his parents stop answering the phone, Noah makes an emergency trip to Virginia to check things out. Big, big mistake. Humongous. Because their twenty-four hour news station has taken them over. Literally. And it’s not pretty. And they aren’t the only ones, either.
Part 2 of the book focuses on Noah’s brother Ash, his wife Devon and their sons Caleb and Marcus and their own struggles with far-right new programming, the wellness community and social media, especially Twitter (I will NEVER call it “X,� just because you want me to, Elon.). Oh, and a healthy dose of “this is…and I’m just going to say it here - this is some white people shit.� Well, I guess that’s not wrong. And we also get the crisis actors/Sandy Hook was not real/Alex Jones insanity. And speaking of insanity, it has breached this branch of the Fairchild family as well. I always thought being a right-winger might be a sickness! :)
But there are insights on why these nutjobs (sorry, am I being offensive? I will have to try to go on somehow, I guess.) believe what they do, have Fox News (here “Fax News�) on 24/7 and are willing to buy into QAnon theories (here what is going on is called “the Great ReAwakening,� Q theory has its own “Great Awakening.). “Anderson Cooper made him feel stupid. Fax didn’t make him feel stupid. Fax just made him FEEL.�
And there’s some fun, with that same Anderson Cooper as a ride-along narrator for a bit, a “Baby Shark� take off which finally made me go watch the You Tube version of the song (parents…how did you possibly stand it? I would have left my child on a street corner with absolutely no remorse, and I listened to the song ONCE.). Oh, and adrenochrome which is what the Q followers say the pedophiles steal from young bodies and Hillary Clinton and a pizza place in D.C. are both involved, I don’t know.
Like I said, I’ve read Chapman before and in my opinion this is the best thing he’s written. This is not HOLLY, don’t read it if you are a die-hard Trumper; I can guarantee you won’t like it. However, if you aren’t, and you like horror I really think you will enjoy this…EXCEPT�
I came back to edit my review and to lower my rating a star because of something that happened early in the book that I forgot about/blocked out of my mind until
I saw another reviewer talk about it, and then I recalled how much it bothered me.
There are two scenes where MINOR SPOILER ALERT, NO MAJOR PLOT POINTS REVEALED�.
Noah’s mother, who under the influence of/has been driven insane by Fax News, makes sexual advances on her son. These are described in a detail I felt horribly uncomfortable with when reading them. As the book goes on, you often see the insane people having sex, so I guess whatever this is leads to lust, but I don’t know that it absolutely had to be introduced in the form of attempted incest or to that level of detail. Probably I’m just overly squeamish, but I am, what I am and those scenes (it happens twice, like once wasn’t enough, “no, I get it! I’m not hard of understanding, thanks!�) seemed unnecessary.
Well, let me first say that if you like horror, but you disliked Stephen King’s HOLLY for its political content…then boy, are you going to HATE this one! I, personally, thought it was really enjoyable and it’s the best thing I’ve read by Chapman.
Noah Fairchild is a progressive living with his wife a daughter in Brooklyn. From afar he sees his parents, who are from Virginia, slipping into far-right conspiracy theories; his mother is constantly calling him with the newest “information as they head on down that slippery slope of lies. When things seem to get really bad, then his parents stop answering the phone, Noah makes an emergency trip to Virginia to check things out. Big, big mistake. Humongous. Because their twenty-four hour news station has taken them over. Literally. And it’s not pretty. And they aren’t the only ones, either.
Part 2 of the book focuses on Noah’s brother Ash, his wife Devon and their sons Caleb and Marcus and their own struggles with far-right new programming, the wellness community and social media, especially Twitter (I will NEVER call it “X,� just because you want me to, Elon.). Oh, and a healthy dose of “this is…and I’m just going to say it here - this is some white people shit.� Well, I guess that’s not wrong. And we also get the crisis actors/Sandy Hook was not real/Alex Jones insanity. And speaking of insanity, it has breached this branch of the Fairchild family as well. I always thought being a right-winger might be a sickness! :)
But there are insights on why these nutjobs (sorry, am I being offensive? I will have to try to go on somehow, I guess.) believe what they do, have Fox News (here “Fax News�) on 24/7 and are willing to buy into QAnon theories (here what is going on is called “the Great ReAwakening,� Q theory has its own “Great Awakening.). “Anderson Cooper made him feel stupid. Fax didn’t make him feel stupid. Fax just made him FEEL.�
And there’s some fun, with that same Anderson Cooper as a ride-along narrator for a bit, a “Baby Shark� take off which finally made me go watch the You Tube version of the song (parents…how did you possibly stand it? I would have left my child on a street corner with absolutely no remorse, and I listened to the song ONCE.). Oh, and adrenochrome which is what the Q followers say the pedophiles steal from young bodies and Hillary Clinton and a pizza place in D.C. are both involved, I don’t know.
Like I said, I’ve read Chapman before and in my opinion this is the best thing he’s written. This is not HOLLY, don’t read it if you are a die-hard Trumper; I can guarantee you won’t like it. However, if you aren’t, and you like horror I really think you will enjoy this…EXCEPT�
I came back to edit my review and to lower my rating a star because of something that happened early in the book that I forgot about/blocked out of my mind until
I saw another reviewer talk about it, and then I recalled how much it bothered me.
There are two scenes where MINOR SPOILER ALERT, NO MAJOR PLOT POINTS REVEALED�.
Noah’s mother, who under the influence of/has been driven insane by Fax News, makes sexual advances on her son. These are described in a detail I felt horribly uncomfortable with when reading them. As the book goes on, you often see the insane people having sex, so I guess whatever this is leads to lust, but I don’t know that it absolutely had to be introduced in the form of attempted incest or to that level of detail. Probably I’m just overly squeamish, but I am, what I am and those scenes (it happens twice, like once wasn’t enough, “no, I get it! I’m not hard of understanding, thanks!�) seemed unnecessary.
Read
January 14, 2025Just finished this and I really don't know what I read. I'm gonna quote an expression Sex Pistols' Johnny Rotten used to describe their first US tour in 1978: I'm too unamerican for this shit.
March 15, 2025
Unique take on demonic possession where Republicans minds in the US are overtaken through social media devices and they are turned into ravenous zombies. The story is very critical of both democrats and republicans, the news media, and the current state of affairs in the US. Mindless passivity and consumption of news media must end, It’s Time To Wake Up And Open Our Eyes.
The story follows a man as he ventures out to check on his family members and confronts shear chaos. Strange story, told in a strange way, but had a serious message for all of if us. This book captures the terrors taking place in the Untied States. One thing both sides should be able to agree on is that we desire a new system with new laws that better serve us, hopefully we can find that before our own self destruction and the zombie apocalypse happens!
The story follows a man as he ventures out to check on his family members and confronts shear chaos. Strange story, told in a strange way, but had a serious message for all of if us. This book captures the terrors taking place in the Untied States. One thing both sides should be able to agree on is that we desire a new system with new laws that better serve us, hopefully we can find that before our own self destruction and the zombie apocalypse happens!
February 1, 2025
I expected this book to be a lot funnier. There were definitely some parts that were funny, but for the most part, it was repetitive, which made it too easy for my mind to wander. I really liked the concept, but in execution, the author needed to have tried just a tiny bit harder. It was like McLeod had stretched just before reaching past the line that would've taken the story from ok enough to brilliantly fantastic. I think my major issue was the structure of the book where we start with the protagonist in the first part, who is then omitted in the next part in order to explain why he's the hero of the book, and then we come back to him trying to be heroic.
There are also some scenes that made me cringe, especially on behalf of the children (including Noah).
The book is pretty obvious in that it exaggerates the impact of social and news media. I'm certainly a victim of this - the more the ultra-conservative MAGA lovers dig into MAGA, the further left I run. So the divide keeps getting bigger and bigger between us, and when I try to have discourse with people I love who sit squarely on the other end, it often ends up with both of us holding our heads and wondering what's wrong with the other one's brain (and in my case, I also wonder what happened to their heart - where their compassion fled to).
In this sense, I think this is a necessary and effective book to remind of us of how people we should be close to, like family, are the first people we are judging (and yes, I'm judgy about their prioritization of commerce and "mine" over human decency!). I can easily see how their selfish little hearts can be consumed by the greed that comes with perceived influence and power. I can easily see both sides want to scream at the other to open their eyes and wake up! (To all my MAGA friends whom I'm not yet ready to give up on, please, please, please do!!!!, and please also stay with me and not give up on me either. We were important to each other before the red hats were printed and sold. We are important to each other still. Let's keep it that way!)
3.5
There are also some scenes that made me cringe, especially on behalf of the children (including Noah).
The book is pretty obvious in that it exaggerates the impact of social and news media. I'm certainly a victim of this - the more the ultra-conservative MAGA lovers dig into MAGA, the further left I run. So the divide keeps getting bigger and bigger between us, and when I try to have discourse with people I love who sit squarely on the other end, it often ends up with both of us holding our heads and wondering what's wrong with the other one's brain (and in my case, I also wonder what happened to their heart - where their compassion fled to).
In this sense, I think this is a necessary and effective book to remind of us of how people we should be close to, like family, are the first people we are judging (and yes, I'm judgy about their prioritization of commerce and "mine" over human decency!). I can easily see how their selfish little hearts can be consumed by the greed that comes with perceived influence and power. I can easily see both sides want to scream at the other to open their eyes and wake up! (To all my MAGA friends whom I'm not yet ready to give up on, please, please, please do!!!!, and please also stay with me and not give up on me either. We were important to each other before the red hats were printed and sold. We are important to each other still. Let's keep it that way!)
3.5
Want to read
July 19, 2024Big DNF.
There's visceral horror, and then there's THIS. There's, yet again, another male author making anything involving a woman sexual, and even worse, this time it's Oedipal. I couldn't even get past the first 30 pages or so.
And honestly at this point, big metaphors about fanaticism and cults in horror have to be done in a way that's smart and interesting. This...was not that. At all.
I've tried Chapman before and found he's right in the middle of that pack of male authors doing that thing with women and how TERRIFYING their bodies are and I am over it. No more male horror authors for me, I can't trust them.
There's visceral horror, and then there's THIS. There's, yet again, another male author making anything involving a woman sexual, and even worse, this time it's Oedipal. I couldn't even get past the first 30 pages or so.
And honestly at this point, big metaphors about fanaticism and cults in horror have to be done in a way that's smart and interesting. This...was not that. At all.
I've tried Chapman before and found he's right in the middle of that pack of male authors doing that thing with women and how TERRIFYING their bodies are and I am over it. No more male horror authors for me, I can't trust them.
January 8, 2025
3 stars. WTAF did I just read🤯!?!? I would certainly classify this as “social horror� with it’s very political and overt swipe at the conservative media (which I loved) but the gore and splatter was just way, way too OTT for my personal comfort level. Really, really liked the concept though 🙌🏼
March 17, 2025
This has received really high marks from my ŷ� friends, so chalk me up once again as a wrongreader. The intentions of this release are very clear � piss off right wingers. Which is all fine and good aside from the fact that none of them will ever read this to begin with so the author is basically just yelling into the void and relying on his audience to be amused by the chronic masturbation which is (literally, in this case) the MAGA hive mind. I’m not a fan of kitschy and I’ve made that very clear so having said kitsch on repeat was a total flop for me.
January 26, 2025
[TW/CW: Language, drinking, smoking, misogyny, sexism, racism, slurs, death of dog, child abuse, blood, gory scenes, death by suicide, ]
SPOILERS
About the book:
Noah Fairchild has been losing his formerly polite Southern parents to far-right cable news for years, so when his mother leaves him a voicemail warning him that the “Great Reawakening� is here, he assumes it’s related to one of the many conspiracy theories she believes in. But when his own phone calls go unanswered, Noah makes the long drive from Brooklyn to Richmond, Virginia. There, he discovers his childhood home in shambles, a fridge full of spoiled food, and his parents locked in a terrifying trance-like state in front of the TV. Panicked, Noah attempts to snap them out of it and get medical help.
Then Noah’s mother brutally attacks him.
But Noah isn’t the only person to be attacked by a loved one. Families across the country are tearing each other apart-–literally-–as people succumb to a form of possession that gets worse the more time they spend watching particular channels, using certain apps, or visiting certain websites. In Noah’s Richmond-based family, only he and his young nephew Marcus are unaffected. Together, they must race back to the safe haven of Brooklyn�-but can they make it before they fall prey to the violent hordes?
Release Date: January 7th, 2025
Genre: Horror
Pages: 384
Rating: 👎🏻👎🏻👎🏻👎🏻👎🏻 (5 thumbs down)
What I Liked:
1. The cover is great
What I Didn't Like:
1. Book is annoying as fuck with all the weird sounds
2. Redundant sentences over and over
3. The weird social media challenge of wake up
4. Too long
5. 117 uses of wake up
6. 62 uses of Fax
7. 43 uses of open your eyes
8. Writing was just bad
9. Over the top sexual scenes for no reason
Overall Thoughts:
{{Disclaimer: I write my review as I read}}
It's so true when Noah says that he didn't know who his parents voted for before all this. I just learned this year who my parents voted for in previous elections. Nobody talked about who they voted for but the last 10 years that's all people want to talk about.
Noah is ridiculous. He hasn't heard from his parents all night and day and upon coming into their home he finds furniture thrown around but doesn't call the police. This is the exact time you call the police in case someone is still in the home or your contaminating evidence.
Again what the hell is Noah doing?? He finds his parents in a state of unwellness and he decides rather than follow his wife's advice of calling someone from social services to come check on them he thinks he needs to clean their home. His mother was masturbating to a TV in front of him and he wants to clean. To clean! Why??? It would be like his story of his mom coming to his rescue when he fell off the bike but instead of helping him she goes to clean the bike.
Here I thought Taylor Adams wrote the longest action fight scene in a book but dude this author is giving him a run for his money. Talk about going on and on and on. In a show or movie scene but in a book it's boring and feels redundant. Way too long going on for 14 pages.
We find out that Asher was apart of the thing happening and has gunned down a school.
Didn't need to read about Asher's semen rolling down the TV. Ew. And then he smelled his fingers. Gag.
‼Where's the dog!? Please tell me they didn't eat the dog!‼� Omg they ate the dog‼�
This book is being weird and not in a fun way but in a bored over it kind of way.
I am so over the repetitive sentances and actions. So much of this book could be cut down if I didn't have to read the same thing over and over.
Phase 3 was is so boring and stupid and annoying. We get social media pov's of people I don't care about. After that we get news reporting things happening. Omg I am so bored.
Nope I can't anymore. I just can't. I hate this book. I'm annoyed too.
Final Thoughts:
This book made me feel as though I was reading a Dr. Suess book with all the different sounds in it written out.
I guess I thought this book was going to be as it was presented but it ended up being so weird and disconnected that I feel like it missed the point the author was trying to give us. It felt somehow less political and more on the edge of the pressures of social media and being bullied. I couldn't connect the dots of the characters falling so far into what they ended up doing because it wasn't really explained who they were before. We just get the introduction of them and suddenly they are falling a yoga lady, obsessed with Fax, and listening to a random Twitter person.
I dnfed this book at page 290. The thought of even reading another page made me want to scream. I don't think a book has annoyed me as much as this book has.
I hate all the sexual scenes with masturbation. It felt so unneeded and unnecessary. It was gross and am exhausted with male authors putting in sexual scenes.
In closing this book is going on my worst book of 2025.
I will say that if you like these kinds of books then I recommend; DMV - Bentley Little
|
Thanks to Netgalley and Quirk Books for this advanced copy of the book. All thoughts and opinions are my own
SPOILERS
About the book:
Noah Fairchild has been losing his formerly polite Southern parents to far-right cable news for years, so when his mother leaves him a voicemail warning him that the “Great Reawakening� is here, he assumes it’s related to one of the many conspiracy theories she believes in. But when his own phone calls go unanswered, Noah makes the long drive from Brooklyn to Richmond, Virginia. There, he discovers his childhood home in shambles, a fridge full of spoiled food, and his parents locked in a terrifying trance-like state in front of the TV. Panicked, Noah attempts to snap them out of it and get medical help.
Then Noah’s mother brutally attacks him.
But Noah isn’t the only person to be attacked by a loved one. Families across the country are tearing each other apart-–literally-–as people succumb to a form of possession that gets worse the more time they spend watching particular channels, using certain apps, or visiting certain websites. In Noah’s Richmond-based family, only he and his young nephew Marcus are unaffected. Together, they must race back to the safe haven of Brooklyn�-but can they make it before they fall prey to the violent hordes?
Release Date: January 7th, 2025
Genre: Horror
Pages: 384
Rating: 👎🏻👎🏻👎🏻👎🏻👎🏻 (5 thumbs down)
What I Liked:
1. The cover is great
What I Didn't Like:
1. Book is annoying as fuck with all the weird sounds
2. Redundant sentences over and over
3. The weird social media challenge of wake up
4. Too long
5. 117 uses of wake up
6. 62 uses of Fax
7. 43 uses of open your eyes
8. Writing was just bad
9. Over the top sexual scenes for no reason
Overall Thoughts:
{{Disclaimer: I write my review as I read}}
It's so true when Noah says that he didn't know who his parents voted for before all this. I just learned this year who my parents voted for in previous elections. Nobody talked about who they voted for but the last 10 years that's all people want to talk about.
Noah is ridiculous. He hasn't heard from his parents all night and day and upon coming into their home he finds furniture thrown around but doesn't call the police. This is the exact time you call the police in case someone is still in the home or your contaminating evidence.
Again what the hell is Noah doing?? He finds his parents in a state of unwellness and he decides rather than follow his wife's advice of calling someone from social services to come check on them he thinks he needs to clean their home. His mother was masturbating to a TV in front of him and he wants to clean. To clean! Why??? It would be like his story of his mom coming to his rescue when he fell off the bike but instead of helping him she goes to clean the bike.
Here I thought Taylor Adams wrote the longest action fight scene in a book but dude this author is giving him a run for his money. Talk about going on and on and on. In a show or movie scene but in a book it's boring and feels redundant. Way too long going on for 14 pages.
We find out that Asher was apart of the thing happening and has gunned down a school.
Didn't need to read about Asher's semen rolling down the TV. Ew. And then he smelled his fingers. Gag.
‼Where's the dog!? Please tell me they didn't eat the dog!‼� Omg they ate the dog‼�
This book is being weird and not in a fun way but in a bored over it kind of way.
I am so over the repetitive sentances and actions. So much of this book could be cut down if I didn't have to read the same thing over and over.
Phase 3 was is so boring and stupid and annoying. We get social media pov's of people I don't care about. After that we get news reporting things happening. Omg I am so bored.
Nope I can't anymore. I just can't. I hate this book. I'm annoyed too.
Final Thoughts:
This book made me feel as though I was reading a Dr. Suess book with all the different sounds in it written out.
I guess I thought this book was going to be as it was presented but it ended up being so weird and disconnected that I feel like it missed the point the author was trying to give us. It felt somehow less political and more on the edge of the pressures of social media and being bullied. I couldn't connect the dots of the characters falling so far into what they ended up doing because it wasn't really explained who they were before. We just get the introduction of them and suddenly they are falling a yoga lady, obsessed with Fax, and listening to a random Twitter person.
I dnfed this book at page 290. The thought of even reading another page made me want to scream. I don't think a book has annoyed me as much as this book has.
I hate all the sexual scenes with masturbation. It felt so unneeded and unnecessary. It was gross and am exhausted with male authors putting in sexual scenes.
In closing this book is going on my worst book of 2025.
I will say that if you like these kinds of books then I recommend; DMV - Bentley Little
|
Thanks to Netgalley and Quirk Books for this advanced copy of the book. All thoughts and opinions are my own
January 21, 2025
1 of 5 stars at The BiblioSanctum
Social horror. Psychological horror. Body horror. Zombie plague horror. Wake Up and Open Your Eyes by Clay McLeod Chapman, a novel which follows the Fairchild family as they navigate the apocalypse triggered by an epidemic of a mind virus that spreads through media consumption, can probably be slotted into any of these categories. As the story opens, we meet Noah, a self-proclaimed “libtard� who grows increasingly alarmed as his “formerly polite Southern� parents fall under the influence of a “Great Reawakening� conspiracy propagated by a far-right commentator on the cable news network, Fax News (seriously…as in “Just the Fax!�) After not being able to reach them for a while, a concerned Noah makes the drive from Brooklyn to his childhood home in Richmond, Virginia to check up on his mom and dad, only to find the place in shambles. His parents are in even worse shape—dehydrated, malnourished, and unkempt—yet they remain strangely indifferent to their condition. That’s because their minds are fully consumed by the television, on which a voice loudly and gleefully declares that the long-awaited Great Reawakening is finally at hand.
When Noah tries to snap his parents out of it, he is met with vicious and indecent attacks, forcing him to do the unthinkable. With no other help coming, he comes to the sickening realization that this was not an isolated incident. All over the country, roughly half the population has been transformed into aggressive, salacious, zombie-like beings, forming huge mobs to engage in reckless self-harm while inflicting violence on others without restraint. Some of Noah’s other family members are among those who have succumbed to the far-right programming, including his brother Ash and his social media addicted sister-in-law Devon. Determined to reunite with his wife and child, Noah embarks on a treacherous journey back to Brooklyn while desperately trying to make sense of it all.
So, if you’ve already seen my rating, then you might have guessed: I have regrets. Let’s just start with how nothing good ever comes from talking about politics. For that reason alone (though there were plenty of others…oh so many), I probably should have DNF’ed Wake Up and Open Your Eyes because there’s enough political bullshit in real life—I certainly don’t need more of it in my leisure reading. Still, I decided to give the book a fair shake and pressed forward until 20%, at which point the narrative shifted toward the apocalyptic elements. For a moment, I thought the story might redeem itself, but this hope fizzled again by the time I was about three quarters of the way through, when things took another nosedive. Of course, by then I was too far in to abandon ship and resolved to finish the book, if for no other reason than it means I get to write this review out of sheer spite.
First, let’s talk about the themes. The most obvious one here is the political messaging, which by itself is not a dealbreaker for me usually. Whether it’s heavy-handed satire or thinly veiled preachiness, if it’s done well and serves its purpose, I can enjoy it. That said, this wasn’t the case here. This book makes you wonder whether the author has ever actually stepped outside his bubble to interact with real Americans from both sides of the aisle. I’ve always considered myself an independent, and even then, I thought that the stereotypes in this story—regardless of their political slant, even as satire—came across as downright ignorant and cartoonish. LAZY! I’m also wondering now if he wishes the book had come out before the last election, as the final polls reveal just how off base and out of touch some of the stereotypes are in this story, especially the assumptions regarding demographics. From the heavy-handedness to the complete lack of self-awareness, all of it was just so cringey.
But the main issue I had with this book was the over-the-top horror, particularly its reliance on unsettling imagery that seemed to exist solely for the sake of being offensive and shocking rather than having any real meaning or reason to be there. It’s like the author went down a checklist of the most inappropriate topics imaginable and decided to throw it all against a wall and see what sticks. Allusions to incest? Check. Brutalizing cute little animals like the family dog and a fluffy bunny? Check. Violence against children and disturbing school shooting references? Also check. Rather than horrifying, it just felt exploitative and tasteless. Again, LAZY!
And as if that wasn’t enough, the book’s structure was an absolute mess. A part of me can look beyond this disaster and appreciate the creative desire to make bold, stylistic choices, but another part of me can’t help but assume that, at this point, you’re just trolling your readers and trying to annoy them on purpose. The story starts off being told in third person, then switches to second person (you can’t make this up!), then randomly inserts transcripts from cam footage and social media videos because, why not? For shits and giggles, we can also just repeat the same words over and over for pages at a time! Let’s throw in some footnotes too while we’re at it, that’s totally edgy and different, right? Heck, if you told me this novel was meant to be experimental art, I’d believe it—but I’d also tell you straight up that it feels less like art and more like pretentious chaos.
In conclusion, Wake Up and Open Your Eyes was a disappointment on multiple levels and should have been a DNF had I followed my initial gut instinct. If there’s any silver lining at all, it’s the catharsis and satisfaction of venting all my frustrations into this review. Safe to say, this one wasn’t for me. Since it’s my first book by Clay McLeod Chapman, I have no idea if maybe this was just a fluke when it comes to its particular themes and writing style. While I wouldn’t rule it out completely, I’d still need to think long and hard and probably do some research before considering another book by the author.
Social horror. Psychological horror. Body horror. Zombie plague horror. Wake Up and Open Your Eyes by Clay McLeod Chapman, a novel which follows the Fairchild family as they navigate the apocalypse triggered by an epidemic of a mind virus that spreads through media consumption, can probably be slotted into any of these categories. As the story opens, we meet Noah, a self-proclaimed “libtard� who grows increasingly alarmed as his “formerly polite Southern� parents fall under the influence of a “Great Reawakening� conspiracy propagated by a far-right commentator on the cable news network, Fax News (seriously…as in “Just the Fax!�) After not being able to reach them for a while, a concerned Noah makes the drive from Brooklyn to his childhood home in Richmond, Virginia to check up on his mom and dad, only to find the place in shambles. His parents are in even worse shape—dehydrated, malnourished, and unkempt—yet they remain strangely indifferent to their condition. That’s because their minds are fully consumed by the television, on which a voice loudly and gleefully declares that the long-awaited Great Reawakening is finally at hand.
When Noah tries to snap his parents out of it, he is met with vicious and indecent attacks, forcing him to do the unthinkable. With no other help coming, he comes to the sickening realization that this was not an isolated incident. All over the country, roughly half the population has been transformed into aggressive, salacious, zombie-like beings, forming huge mobs to engage in reckless self-harm while inflicting violence on others without restraint. Some of Noah’s other family members are among those who have succumbed to the far-right programming, including his brother Ash and his social media addicted sister-in-law Devon. Determined to reunite with his wife and child, Noah embarks on a treacherous journey back to Brooklyn while desperately trying to make sense of it all.
So, if you’ve already seen my rating, then you might have guessed: I have regrets. Let’s just start with how nothing good ever comes from talking about politics. For that reason alone (though there were plenty of others…oh so many), I probably should have DNF’ed Wake Up and Open Your Eyes because there’s enough political bullshit in real life—I certainly don’t need more of it in my leisure reading. Still, I decided to give the book a fair shake and pressed forward until 20%, at which point the narrative shifted toward the apocalyptic elements. For a moment, I thought the story might redeem itself, but this hope fizzled again by the time I was about three quarters of the way through, when things took another nosedive. Of course, by then I was too far in to abandon ship and resolved to finish the book, if for no other reason than it means I get to write this review out of sheer spite.
First, let’s talk about the themes. The most obvious one here is the political messaging, which by itself is not a dealbreaker for me usually. Whether it’s heavy-handed satire or thinly veiled preachiness, if it’s done well and serves its purpose, I can enjoy it. That said, this wasn’t the case here. This book makes you wonder whether the author has ever actually stepped outside his bubble to interact with real Americans from both sides of the aisle. I’ve always considered myself an independent, and even then, I thought that the stereotypes in this story—regardless of their political slant, even as satire—came across as downright ignorant and cartoonish. LAZY! I’m also wondering now if he wishes the book had come out before the last election, as the final polls reveal just how off base and out of touch some of the stereotypes are in this story, especially the assumptions regarding demographics. From the heavy-handedness to the complete lack of self-awareness, all of it was just so cringey.
But the main issue I had with this book was the over-the-top horror, particularly its reliance on unsettling imagery that seemed to exist solely for the sake of being offensive and shocking rather than having any real meaning or reason to be there. It’s like the author went down a checklist of the most inappropriate topics imaginable and decided to throw it all against a wall and see what sticks. Allusions to incest? Check. Brutalizing cute little animals like the family dog and a fluffy bunny? Check. Violence against children and disturbing school shooting references? Also check. Rather than horrifying, it just felt exploitative and tasteless. Again, LAZY!
And as if that wasn’t enough, the book’s structure was an absolute mess. A part of me can look beyond this disaster and appreciate the creative desire to make bold, stylistic choices, but another part of me can’t help but assume that, at this point, you’re just trolling your readers and trying to annoy them on purpose. The story starts off being told in third person, then switches to second person (you can’t make this up!), then randomly inserts transcripts from cam footage and social media videos because, why not? For shits and giggles, we can also just repeat the same words over and over for pages at a time! Let’s throw in some footnotes too while we’re at it, that’s totally edgy and different, right? Heck, if you told me this novel was meant to be experimental art, I’d believe it—but I’d also tell you straight up that it feels less like art and more like pretentious chaos.
In conclusion, Wake Up and Open Your Eyes was a disappointment on multiple levels and should have been a DNF had I followed my initial gut instinct. If there’s any silver lining at all, it’s the catharsis and satisfaction of venting all my frustrations into this review. Safe to say, this one wasn’t for me. Since it’s my first book by Clay McLeod Chapman, I have no idea if maybe this was just a fluke when it comes to its particular themes and writing style. While I wouldn’t rule it out completely, I’d still need to think long and hard and probably do some research before considering another book by the author.
January 21, 2025
If you are not squeamish with horror and are not bothered by very specific political opinions in your books, proceed with caution. If either of those things bother you, would recommend you keep on moving.
It starts with Noah who lives in NYC with his wife and daughter. He is upset by some pretty bigoted and other offensive comments made by his ultra-conservative parents. He has kept his distance from them since Thanksgiving. Mom continues to call with her off the wall conspiracy theories she learns from consuming a steady diet of Fax news on television. Noah gets a weird voicemail from his mom and afterwards, he is unable to reach his parents. This prompts him to drive to his childhood home in VA to check on them, promising his wife he will be home by Christmas. Then shit gets bananas. Because The Great Awakening is coming on December 20th, and it's time to wake up and open your eyes. And things don't just get weird for Noah, also his brother Ash and his entire family, and across the US.
This is very heavy handed in the political commentary, which did start to wear me down just a bit. I had to keep taking breaks to read something that didn't make me feel quite so helpless and upset. It would be far more comical if some of the very WILD sounding conspiracy theories weren't actually things that real humans truly believe in (crisis actors, just to name one). Many of these are directly referenced within the book. I found it all to be a bit repetitive at times, but I think that might have been the point.
Overall, I rather enjoy this author's writing. And it was really very funny at times, despite the heavy commentary and disgusting body horror. I won't forget it anytime soon.
It starts with Noah who lives in NYC with his wife and daughter. He is upset by some pretty bigoted and other offensive comments made by his ultra-conservative parents. He has kept his distance from them since Thanksgiving. Mom continues to call with her off the wall conspiracy theories she learns from consuming a steady diet of Fax news on television. Noah gets a weird voicemail from his mom and afterwards, he is unable to reach his parents. This prompts him to drive to his childhood home in VA to check on them, promising his wife he will be home by Christmas. Then shit gets bananas. Because The Great Awakening is coming on December 20th, and it's time to wake up and open your eyes. And things don't just get weird for Noah, also his brother Ash and his entire family, and across the US.
This is very heavy handed in the political commentary, which did start to wear me down just a bit. I had to keep taking breaks to read something that didn't make me feel quite so helpless and upset. It would be far more comical if some of the very WILD sounding conspiracy theories weren't actually things that real humans truly believe in (crisis actors, just to name one). Many of these are directly referenced within the book. I found it all to be a bit repetitive at times, but I think that might have been the point.
Overall, I rather enjoy this author's writing. And it was really very funny at times, despite the heavy commentary and disgusting body horror. I won't forget it anytime soon.
January 13, 2025
"How do you give an exorcism to the whole country?"
Well damn....this was an insane ride!!!!
Well damn....this was an insane ride!!!!
March 19, 2025
" . . . we are in the process of the second American Revolution, which will remain bloodless if the left allows it to be.� - Heritage Foundation President Kevin Roberts discussing Project 2025
As Roger Ailes and Rupert Murdoch discovered, the best way toblast a gullible audience with a firehose of falsehood impose your views on others is to create your own "news" empire using the very screens we can't seem to tear ourselves away from to tell us how to think, who to vote for, and whom to fear. So far, it's working. Their 24-hour service has become the most-watched television news channel, currently attracting nearly 50% of the cable news viewing audience. Over four million viewers just can't get enough of it. And, for years now, adult children of Fox News addicted parents have seen their loved ones transformed into shills for the network, spouting perhaps deeply held, but previously secret opinions about everything from illegal immigrants to furries.
Noah already tried dragging Mom and Dad back from their batshit conspiracy-laden crackpottery . . .
Noah's mom and dad suffer from "Fax News Brain" and he's already googled "how to deprogram your parents." When he can't get them on the phone, he travels from Brooklyn to their home in Virginia only to discover that they've been turned from "mildly racist vegetables" to "mindless monsters" by the new "Mad cow disease for conservatives." Not only have social norms been allowed to slip away, Noah's folks have become downright violent.
And . . . hungry.
Yep. Fax News is turning people into LITERAL ZOMBIES.
This horror novel is INSANELY violent with the author dreaming up new uses for ordinary household objects like blenders and pizza cutters. He also gives new meaning to the phrase "family meal time." In addition to the gore, there seems to be a "ripped from today's headlines" feel to this one. As the far right prepares to play a large part in the new administration with many Project 2025 architects slated to fill cabinet positions, Robert's prophecy seems right on the money: the Second American Revolution is indeed coming, and with or without zombies, I truly doubt it will be bloodless.
Thanks to NetGalley and Quirk Books for the read.
As Roger Ailes and Rupert Murdoch discovered, the best way to
Noah already tried dragging Mom and Dad back from their batshit conspiracy-laden crackpottery . . .
Noah's mom and dad suffer from "Fax News Brain" and he's already googled "how to deprogram your parents." When he can't get them on the phone, he travels from Brooklyn to their home in Virginia only to discover that they've been turned from "mildly racist vegetables" to "mindless monsters" by the new "Mad cow disease for conservatives." Not only have social norms been allowed to slip away, Noah's folks have become downright violent.
And . . . hungry.
Yep. Fax News is turning people into LITERAL ZOMBIES.
This horror novel is INSANELY violent with the author dreaming up new uses for ordinary household objects like blenders and pizza cutters. He also gives new meaning to the phrase "family meal time." In addition to the gore, there seems to be a "ripped from today's headlines" feel to this one. As the far right prepares to play a large part in the new administration with many Project 2025 architects slated to fill cabinet positions, Robert's prophecy seems right on the money: the Second American Revolution is indeed coming, and with or without zombies, I truly doubt it will be bloodless.
Thanks to NetGalley and Quirk Books for the read.
January 26, 2025
If you've ever thought that things aren't right with the world, that something is off, that half the people in this country are fucking nuts, then Clay McLeod Chapman's horror novel "Wake Up and Open Your Eyes" may help to confirm those thoughts. But, be forewarned: falling down this rabbithole may be fun, but it will leave one emotionally scarred if not traumatized for life.
"WUAOYE" is a not-so-thinly-veiled criticism of Q-Anoners, Trumpers, FOX News viewers, and anybody who spends way too much time on electronic devices to the point that they view the world solely through their myopic echo-chamber of lies and distorted reality that the Internet provides. It is a clever novel, one that some readers will chuckle or guffaw over, but it is by no means meant to simply be a satirically funny work of fiction. Chapman is certainly making fun of ultra-Right conservatives, but he also doesn't let the liberals off easily.
The novel follows Noah Fairchild, a New York liberal husband and father who has gradually become estranged from his parents and his brother's family who live in the country. Over the years, their FOX news-fuelled anti-liberal, anti-gay, anti-immigrant, anti-intellectual worldviews have taken their toll on Noah. Then, one day, he receives a weird phone call from his mom about "The Great Reawakening". He travels to their home to check on them, only to step into a global nightmare of violence and debauchery.
If, when reading this novel, it seems reminiscent of Stephen King's novel "Cell" or Garth Ennis's graphic novel series "Crossed", it's probably intentional, as Chapman cites an entire bibliography in his "Acknowledgements" of fiction and nonfiction books, TV shows, and movies that he references---via fun little Easter eggs that horror afficionadoes will definitely catch---throughout the novel.
Chapman's brilliance in this novel is that while he hints at explanations (extraterrestrial, demonic, AI run amok) he also makes it quite clear that it doesn't matter. The train went off the rails decades ago, and this is just the end result that we all secretly saw coming but were too blinded by denial or stupidity to do anything about it.
"WUAOYE" is a not-so-thinly-veiled criticism of Q-Anoners, Trumpers, FOX News viewers, and anybody who spends way too much time on electronic devices to the point that they view the world solely through their myopic echo-chamber of lies and distorted reality that the Internet provides. It is a clever novel, one that some readers will chuckle or guffaw over, but it is by no means meant to simply be a satirically funny work of fiction. Chapman is certainly making fun of ultra-Right conservatives, but he also doesn't let the liberals off easily.
The novel follows Noah Fairchild, a New York liberal husband and father who has gradually become estranged from his parents and his brother's family who live in the country. Over the years, their FOX news-fuelled anti-liberal, anti-gay, anti-immigrant, anti-intellectual worldviews have taken their toll on Noah. Then, one day, he receives a weird phone call from his mom about "The Great Reawakening". He travels to their home to check on them, only to step into a global nightmare of violence and debauchery.
If, when reading this novel, it seems reminiscent of Stephen King's novel "Cell" or Garth Ennis's graphic novel series "Crossed", it's probably intentional, as Chapman cites an entire bibliography in his "Acknowledgements" of fiction and nonfiction books, TV shows, and movies that he references---via fun little Easter eggs that horror afficionadoes will definitely catch---throughout the novel.
Chapman's brilliance in this novel is that while he hints at explanations (extraterrestrial, demonic, AI run amok) he also makes it quite clear that it doesn't matter. The train went off the rails decades ago, and this is just the end result that we all secretly saw coming but were too blinded by denial or stupidity to do anything about it.
January 18, 2025
I enjoyed the writing, storytelling, the format and the use if the famous "zombie thrope" but making it uniqe and feeling fresh. Altough I must admit that I had to put the book down repeatedly as it a lot about politics and conservatives and felt at times to heavy and "brain rotting". But definitely a 4 star read and was in a diffrent type of way.
January 13, 2025
So I started listening to this and realized I had read this before.... I was racking my brain at how I knew what was happening. I remember I read and Clay's short story of this was in there.
So basically, he took that short story which I loved, had less detail and still got the point across and put it into a 300+ book... disappointing to say the least.
I was good on the short story, it legit got the point across in a shorter version and no cringy excess bullshit that was put into a 300+ word salad.
So basically, he took that short story which I loved, had less detail and still got the point across and put it into a 300+ book... disappointing to say the least.
I was good on the short story, it legit got the point across in a shorter version and no cringy excess bullshit that was put into a 300+ word salad.
January 7, 2025
A violent possession story that packs a bloody punch, Chapman's frenetic writing style paired with his scathing political commentary make this a timely piece of horror that makes for an uncomfortable or cathartic read depending on your views, a brave and bold story from an author that stomps into this story where other authors may tread lightly, if you don't wake up and open your eyes Clay will prise em apart with this deeply disturbing unhinged political satire that explores the total decline and devastation of society
January 9, 2025
I don't know about this one. It was essentially political satire with a channel called "Fax News" turning everyone into people with zombie like tendencies.
I got the idea behind it, and it was relevant to culture today, but it was just kind of wildly silly and over the top. There was a lot of gore that felt like it was just there for shock value.
I got what the author was trying to do with this book, but I think it would have been better as a short story or something like that. There was no real plot twist that I noted, it just kind of went on and on the same plot line.
If you like humorous horror and political satire, this one might be for you, but it wasn't my cup of tea.
I got the idea behind it, and it was relevant to culture today, but it was just kind of wildly silly and over the top. There was a lot of gore that felt like it was just there for shock value.
I got what the author was trying to do with this book, but I think it would have been better as a short story or something like that. There was no real plot twist that I noted, it just kind of went on and on the same plot line.
If you like humorous horror and political satire, this one might be for you, but it wasn't my cup of tea.
January 2, 2025
Well, I totally didn’t expect this book to hit the ground running from the very first chapter! But hey, with Clay McLeod Chapman writing, I should’ve known better.
Wake Up and Open Your Eyes
is one motherfucking hell of a demonic possession journey, partly narrated by Noah Fairchild as he casually strolls through “The Great Reawakening,� which is what the possessed are calling this delightful wake-up call to America’s media saturation.
I’ll make this review short and sweet since I don’t want to ruin it for all the potential slug eaters out there. This book was a mindfuck in the best possible way. I loved every minute of it and will never watch the news the same way again, or EVER for that matter.
Essentially, Chapman is mocking the woke mindset, targeting social media influencers (especially health gurus and momfluencers), political conspiracies (like crisis actors and fake school shootings), COVID, the news and their misinformation, and all the other things we’ve become numb to without realizing it.
This book is basically a personal wake-up call for anyone who dares to read it. It’s written in such a detailed and horrifying way that someone who doesn’t think much would dismiss it as “just another horror book.� But the devil’s in the details, and once again, Chapman has ensnared me with his writing. This time, though, I came out with my eyes wide open and my mind unfortunately WOKE.
� FYI, there’s a shit ton of triggers (Rufus, we hardly knew ye) in this book, so be warned!
(Quirk Books, thank you for entrusting me with a physical ARC of this crazy-but-amazing book. I very much enjoyed it.)
I’ll make this review short and sweet since I don’t want to ruin it for all the potential slug eaters out there. This book was a mindfuck in the best possible way. I loved every minute of it and will never watch the news the same way again, or EVER for that matter.
Essentially, Chapman is mocking the woke mindset, targeting social media influencers (especially health gurus and momfluencers), political conspiracies (like crisis actors and fake school shootings), COVID, the news and their misinformation, and all the other things we’ve become numb to without realizing it.
This book is basically a personal wake-up call for anyone who dares to read it. It’s written in such a detailed and horrifying way that someone who doesn’t think much would dismiss it as “just another horror book.� But the devil’s in the details, and once again, Chapman has ensnared me with his writing. This time, though, I came out with my eyes wide open and my mind unfortunately WOKE.
� FYI, there’s a shit ton of triggers (Rufus, we hardly knew ye) in this book, so be warned!
(Quirk Books, thank you for entrusting me with a physical ARC of this crazy-but-amazing book. I very much enjoyed it.)
January 15, 2025
I only read Part I of this book and I couldn’t finish it. FOX News infiltrating the minds of republicans through demonic possession??? I can’t believe 37 people were waiting for me to finish this 🤦🏽♀� they can have it back early!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 21, 2025
An exceptional take on the social climate of today, all wrapped up in a rip-roaring horror novel.
"What if this is their way into our world? Hear me out...Demons have
been slowly insinuating themselves into our daily lives without us even
realizing it."
I'll be honest, I wasn't sure whether to read this or not, due to it delving into political issues, but I decided to listen to the hype and here I am.
There are a lot of political commentaries but for me, the biggest thing this novel highlighted for me was our use of social media and how it now sits centrally in a lot of our lives. It's scary, really scary.
I just want to add, Clay isn't only aiming at the right wing, if you look deeper he has us all locked in his target.
Now for the fun stuff.
Clay Mcleod Chapman has managed to create an absolute monster of a horror novel, he creates such vivid and lush imagery throughout. Combining multiple storytelling methods to develop the plot and giving us different perspectives to look upon events. There are parts told as social media posts, descriptions of videos posted online, 3rd person accounts and even 1st person, using a character's inner monologue to startling effect.
The narrative moves along with a steady pace, interlaced with moments of dark humour, graphic violence(which borders on being slapstick at times), a few sordid sexual scene's and also moments which I'm pretty sure all of us can relate to from our day-to-day lives.
"Used to be a Ouija board that brought these devils in... Now all we do is click. By accepting the terms of service, we submit ourselves to these demonic forces."
You know what, I could go on about this book for ages. I have pages on pages of notes and subjects I intended to comment on here.
All these are unimportant, what is important is that you WAKE UP and READ THIS BOOK WAKE UP AND READ THIS BOOK WAKE UP AND READ THIS BOOK...
"What if this is their way into our world? Hear me out...Demons have
been slowly insinuating themselves into our daily lives without us even
realizing it."
I'll be honest, I wasn't sure whether to read this or not, due to it delving into political issues, but I decided to listen to the hype and here I am.
There are a lot of political commentaries but for me, the biggest thing this novel highlighted for me was our use of social media and how it now sits centrally in a lot of our lives. It's scary, really scary.
I just want to add, Clay isn't only aiming at the right wing, if you look deeper he has us all locked in his target.
Now for the fun stuff.
Clay Mcleod Chapman has managed to create an absolute monster of a horror novel, he creates such vivid and lush imagery throughout. Combining multiple storytelling methods to develop the plot and giving us different perspectives to look upon events. There are parts told as social media posts, descriptions of videos posted online, 3rd person accounts and even 1st person, using a character's inner monologue to startling effect.
The narrative moves along with a steady pace, interlaced with moments of dark humour, graphic violence(which borders on being slapstick at times), a few sordid sexual scene's and also moments which I'm pretty sure all of us can relate to from our day-to-day lives.
"Used to be a Ouija board that brought these devils in... Now all we do is click. By accepting the terms of service, we submit ourselves to these demonic forces."
You know what, I could go on about this book for ages. I have pages on pages of notes and subjects I intended to comment on here.
All these are unimportant, what is important is that you WAKE UP and READ THIS BOOK WAKE UP AND READ THIS BOOK WAKE UP AND READ THIS BOOK...
February 24, 2025
Um, Holy 💩. This is insane. “The Last of Us� meets “The Crazies� meets� real life???
Absolutely disgusting and horrifying.
“Baby Ghost! Boo, boo, boo, boo.� 👻
Absolutely disgusting and horrifying.
“Baby Ghost! Boo, boo, boo, boo.� 👻
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