David Wong and his best friend John are slacker college dropouts who find themselves the unwilling saviors of the world from evil forces beyond our understanding (theirs, too). The suck at it pretty bad but, you know, they try. Some new drug called soy sauce gives its users the ability to do really cool, bizarre things like time travel, know really obscure information about people, and dimension hop. It also uses the person as a portal to allow things from the other side to enter our world. John Dies at the End chronicles David and John's completely messed up journey of discovering just how nasty their new enemy is, and trying to figure out how the hell a couple of twenty somethings are supposed to defeat evil incarnate.
They do not know. At all. Ever. But they try, because nobody likes it when people try to come through the television.
This book was the closest I'll ever come to a trippy acid experience. It's sheer lunacy on every other page, and I enjoyed every minute of it. I understand now why a lot of people say it's hard to summarize what happens in this book without sounding like you're out of touch with reality. The book is basically David's recount of past events to a reporter who thinks he's full of it. David as a narrator is pretty fantastic. Sometimes unreliable, but bitingly sarcastic, self deprecating and self aware, and hilarious. I enjoyed viewing the story out of his headspace. He's a bit of a coward, except when he's not and doesn't give himself enough credit, has a love hate relationship with his best friend, and genuinely tries to do the right thing most of the time.
There's some much unbelievable WTFery going on, and it's so over the top that you just can't even believe what you're reading, but you're kind of laughing because it is so over the top...until you realize how gross it actually is. I just kind of went with it after awhile, and the characters basically did, too. David and John became so blase towards the paranormal goings on around them that their lack of reaction was funny in and of itself. `Oh, the dog imploded? Whateves. There's a giant floating jellyfish hanging out in someone's bedroom? We'll deal with that later. Cockroach man driving my car away? NOTHIN' BETTER HAPPEN TO THAT CAR, ALL I'M SAYIN.'
I haven't laughed that much since reading Good Omens. The horror was so kitschy yet grotesque that you're just chuckling uncomfortably, like this shouldn't be funny, and on some level you're really disturbed and grossed out, but that nervous laughter keeps bubbling up.
I also enjoyed the fact that I really didn't know what to expect. I could not guess what would happen next (did not see wig monsters coming), who was going to die, what was going to explode or visit the characters any time of the day. I also didn't know what obscure little reference or weird...thing might be important later, so I absorbed everything, and it paid off. I felt David's paranoia at being constantly watched, not knowing where the shadow people were or who was compromised by the other side, having no one to confide in except his crazy best friend. Since it was so campy (Meat monsters. Phone bratwurst. Elton John and Co. Jellyfish. Kittens. Molly.) there weren't a lot of genuine scares, but there were a few solid creepy moments that struck a chord. Waking up knowing you lost an entire night - with no recollection of what you did or where you went - has to be a bone chilling experience. And I can't talk about the television.
The characters were fully fleshed out people; deeply flawed, funny, with just the right pinch of heroism to make you root not just for their survival, but their happiness. We all know someone like John; heck, I dated someone like him. At first I didn't understand why David hung out with him, since he was such an astounding screwup, but I got it the further I read. He's the friend you feel a little responsible for, that you can't shake because you really care about them even when you want to punch them in the face. Who might be the only friend you have. I liked how there's no blatant info dumps on any one character. Amy was kind of refreshing, and the relationship that blossomed between her and David was unexpected and rather sweet. David's background was revealed slowly, peeled back bit by bit through occasional self reflection and relayed to other characters when he was good and ready to tell them.
Excellent, one of a kind read.
John Dies at the End
4.4 4.4 out of 5 stars | 6,752 ratings
Price: 15.66
Last update: 05-24-2024
About this item
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.
Top reviews from the United States
Miskadoodle5.0 out of 5 stars
All the funnies
Reviewed in the United States on October 28, 2012
Benjamin Reed4.0 out of 5 stars
Wong has a talent for engrossing the reader in even the most bizarre of setups.
Reviewed in the United States on February 9, 2013
"John Dies at the End" is a rare blend of comedy and horror from the mind of David Wong (pseudonym of Jason Pargin, editor of Cracked.com), one that throws two misfits into the midst of a sinister plot in which forces beyond human comprehension threaten the universe itself.
In his review of the 2001 film "Donnie Darko," Roger Ebert said: "The setup and development is fascinating, the payoff less so." That statement alone could act as the super-short version of my opinion on this book--and don't get me wrong; I enjoyed it overall, but there's definitely room for improvement here.
The book jacket promises "actual, soul-sucking lunacy," and if there's one thing that this tale successfully delivers on, lunacy is it. Wong doesn't waste any time grabbing the reader's attention; heroes John and Dave do battle against such horrors as meat monsters, exploding girls, and penis doorknobs within the first 20 pages. While normally I would argue that this sort of opening is too much, it's probably for the best that Wong puts this stuff up front. Establishing the wackiness from the get-go will probably weed out any readers who aren't ready for things to get...unconventional.
I feel I should make a vain attempt at plot synopsis. Here goes: David is a slacker attending a concert with his best friend John. During the concert, he encounters a Jamaican dealing drugs and performing "magic tricks" such as levitation and mind-reading. In a wonderfully creepy scene, it becomes apparent that this guy possesses some legitimate supernatural powers. Unbeknownst to Dave, John takes a drug called "soy sauce" from the Jamaican, and he immediately experiences (apparent) hallucinations and extreme panic. David tries to help John, and things go from bad to bad AND weird; David receives a few calls from John, apparently calling from the future. Things seriously hit the fan when David accidentally takes some of the sauce himself. You see, the soy sauce is sort of a double-edged sword; on the one hand, it allows David to be "tuned in," giving him heightened senses that allow him to read minds and communicate across time and space. Alas, it's not all fun and games, for the soy sauce also opens doorways to other dimensions and attracts the denizens of hell. Once someone takes the sauce, they will from that point onward be aware of the things invisible to the naked eye that share the universe with us. It's a great concept, even if it does lead to some incoherence.
While most adventure tales and buddy comedies involve the protagonists setting out to defeat some great evil, this isn't necessarily always the case here. John and Dave (and friends, most of whom don't last too long) aren't really out to stop a sinister plot; for the most part, this is an account of David trying to live his life while putting up with the nuttiness unfolding around him. It makes the story a lot more meandering than it needs to be, and DAMN if this story couldn't have been shorter and more direct. I get that some degree of incoherence is what the author was going for, and to be fair there IS a lot of creativity to be found. David encounters lamp-humping jellyfish, alien insects, shadow people, and driving dogs. But after a while, it all piles up and becomes tiring. There's only so much randomness one can endure before it becomes too much.
This book is described as a "comic horror" novel, but there's definitely more comedy here than horror. This isn't a scary book with comic relief so much as a comedy that involves a lot of violence and monsters. Oh, sure, there are some legitimately chilling things here: the setup is definitely spooky, there's an especially gruesome scene involving a McDonald's ad, and David's narration is sometimes dark enough to genuinely disturb. But too often Wong's comedic side takes over, and many details are so bizarre and so arbitrary that situations become impossible to take seriously. A lot of it comes off as awkward rather than scary OR funny. (Immediately before a particularly brutal scene of slaughter and gore, we are presented with the line, "The kittens will make your sad go away.")
Although, lines like that aren't the norm. If there's one thing that Wong gets PERFECTLY, it's character and dialogue. Unrealistic and unbelievable characters can make or break a story like this, and I'm happy to say that this aspect of the story is pitch-perfect. David is an excellent narrator, reacting to the horrors around him with the utmost believability, not to mention a good dose of refreshing sarcasm and humor. Even more impressive, the side characters are all distinct and interesting, the best of which (by far) is the titular John, a best friend who manages to be loveable and funny despite being a drunkard and a slacker (and a druggie, sort of). I imagine that John will be the favorite of most readers, delivering absolutely hilarious lines in even the most dire of situations. On the subject of characters, my only complaint is that Wong introduces and dismisses female characters too often, going through three (four, if you count the fake-out at the beginning) in the span of one book. Granted, the final, actual love interest is another great character. Truth be told, it's pretty amazing that Wong was able to develop her so well, given barely 1/3 of the story to do so. It's just unfortunate that he couldn't have done it from the start--it would have felt much less rushed that way.
The book also has pacing problems, which is a shame because, despite its faults, it IS immensely entertaining. I raced through each page thanks to Wong's unfailing ability to keep the reader in suspense, and I'm usually not a very fast reader. Momentum builds like mad at the beginning of the book's final third, when a character goes missing and David realizes that he might have killed them (but he can't quite remember clearly). Then, unfortunately, the story hits a serious rut and drags until the last few chapters. Worst of all, there's not much resolution and the story doesn't end; it just STOPS on an anticlimactic note. I'd be lying if I said the wackiness hadn't outlived its charm by the final page. Granted, there IS a satisfying climax, but Wong decides to go on for a few more chapters afterwards. Of course, this may just be due to the fact that "John Dies at the End" is the first part of a bigger story, so I won't hold the ending against it too much.
So, (very) long story short, "John Dies at the End" is worth reading...if you're into this sort of thing. It does have flaws (mainly its meandering nature and often over-the-top supernatural randomness), but if you're willing to overlook them, you'll find that Wong has a talent for engrossing the reader in even the most bizarre of setups. I enjoyed it even if I didn't fully understand it, and I look forward to the next book in the series.
Also, there's a wig monster behind you. Run bro.
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4 out of 5
In his review of the 2001 film "Donnie Darko," Roger Ebert said: "The setup and development is fascinating, the payoff less so." That statement alone could act as the super-short version of my opinion on this book--and don't get me wrong; I enjoyed it overall, but there's definitely room for improvement here.
The book jacket promises "actual, soul-sucking lunacy," and if there's one thing that this tale successfully delivers on, lunacy is it. Wong doesn't waste any time grabbing the reader's attention; heroes John and Dave do battle against such horrors as meat monsters, exploding girls, and penis doorknobs within the first 20 pages. While normally I would argue that this sort of opening is too much, it's probably for the best that Wong puts this stuff up front. Establishing the wackiness from the get-go will probably weed out any readers who aren't ready for things to get...unconventional.
I feel I should make a vain attempt at plot synopsis. Here goes: David is a slacker attending a concert with his best friend John. During the concert, he encounters a Jamaican dealing drugs and performing "magic tricks" such as levitation and mind-reading. In a wonderfully creepy scene, it becomes apparent that this guy possesses some legitimate supernatural powers. Unbeknownst to Dave, John takes a drug called "soy sauce" from the Jamaican, and he immediately experiences (apparent) hallucinations and extreme panic. David tries to help John, and things go from bad to bad AND weird; David receives a few calls from John, apparently calling from the future. Things seriously hit the fan when David accidentally takes some of the sauce himself. You see, the soy sauce is sort of a double-edged sword; on the one hand, it allows David to be "tuned in," giving him heightened senses that allow him to read minds and communicate across time and space. Alas, it's not all fun and games, for the soy sauce also opens doorways to other dimensions and attracts the denizens of hell. Once someone takes the sauce, they will from that point onward be aware of the things invisible to the naked eye that share the universe with us. It's a great concept, even if it does lead to some incoherence.
While most adventure tales and buddy comedies involve the protagonists setting out to defeat some great evil, this isn't necessarily always the case here. John and Dave (and friends, most of whom don't last too long) aren't really out to stop a sinister plot; for the most part, this is an account of David trying to live his life while putting up with the nuttiness unfolding around him. It makes the story a lot more meandering than it needs to be, and DAMN if this story couldn't have been shorter and more direct. I get that some degree of incoherence is what the author was going for, and to be fair there IS a lot of creativity to be found. David encounters lamp-humping jellyfish, alien insects, shadow people, and driving dogs. But after a while, it all piles up and becomes tiring. There's only so much randomness one can endure before it becomes too much.
This book is described as a "comic horror" novel, but there's definitely more comedy here than horror. This isn't a scary book with comic relief so much as a comedy that involves a lot of violence and monsters. Oh, sure, there are some legitimately chilling things here: the setup is definitely spooky, there's an especially gruesome scene involving a McDonald's ad, and David's narration is sometimes dark enough to genuinely disturb. But too often Wong's comedic side takes over, and many details are so bizarre and so arbitrary that situations become impossible to take seriously. A lot of it comes off as awkward rather than scary OR funny. (Immediately before a particularly brutal scene of slaughter and gore, we are presented with the line, "The kittens will make your sad go away.")
Although, lines like that aren't the norm. If there's one thing that Wong gets PERFECTLY, it's character and dialogue. Unrealistic and unbelievable characters can make or break a story like this, and I'm happy to say that this aspect of the story is pitch-perfect. David is an excellent narrator, reacting to the horrors around him with the utmost believability, not to mention a good dose of refreshing sarcasm and humor. Even more impressive, the side characters are all distinct and interesting, the best of which (by far) is the titular John, a best friend who manages to be loveable and funny despite being a drunkard and a slacker (and a druggie, sort of). I imagine that John will be the favorite of most readers, delivering absolutely hilarious lines in even the most dire of situations. On the subject of characters, my only complaint is that Wong introduces and dismisses female characters too often, going through three (four, if you count the fake-out at the beginning) in the span of one book. Granted, the final, actual love interest is another great character. Truth be told, it's pretty amazing that Wong was able to develop her so well, given barely 1/3 of the story to do so. It's just unfortunate that he couldn't have done it from the start--it would have felt much less rushed that way.
The book also has pacing problems, which is a shame because, despite its faults, it IS immensely entertaining. I raced through each page thanks to Wong's unfailing ability to keep the reader in suspense, and I'm usually not a very fast reader. Momentum builds like mad at the beginning of the book's final third, when a character goes missing and David realizes that he might have killed them (but he can't quite remember clearly). Then, unfortunately, the story hits a serious rut and drags until the last few chapters. Worst of all, there's not much resolution and the story doesn't end; it just STOPS on an anticlimactic note. I'd be lying if I said the wackiness hadn't outlived its charm by the final page. Granted, there IS a satisfying climax, but Wong decides to go on for a few more chapters afterwards. Of course, this may just be due to the fact that "John Dies at the End" is the first part of a bigger story, so I won't hold the ending against it too much.
So, (very) long story short, "John Dies at the End" is worth reading...if you're into this sort of thing. It does have flaws (mainly its meandering nature and often over-the-top supernatural randomness), but if you're willing to overlook them, you'll find that Wong has a talent for engrossing the reader in even the most bizarre of setups. I enjoyed it even if I didn't fully understand it, and I look forward to the next book in the series.
Also, there's a wig monster behind you. Run bro.
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4 out of 5