What the Hell Did I Just Read: A Novel of Cosmic Horror

Jason Pargin · David Wong

Oct 2017 · John Dies at the End Book 3 · Sold by St. Martin's Press

About this ebook

John Dies at the End's "smart take on fear manages to tap into readers' existential dread on one page, then have them laughing the next" (Publishers Weekly) and This Book is Full of Spiders was "unlike any other book of the genre" (Washington Post).

Now, New York Times bestselling author Jason Pargin is back with What the Hell Did I Just Read, the third installment of this black-humored thriller series.

It's the story "They" don't want you to read. Though, to be fair, "They" are probably right about this one. To quote the Bible, "Learning the truth can be like loosening a necktie, only to realize it was the only thing keeping your head attached." No, don't put the book back on the shelf -- it is now your duty to purchase it to prevent others from reading it. Yes, it works with e-books, too, I don't have time to explain how.

While investigating a fairly straightforward case of a shape-shifting interdimensional child predator, Dave, John, and Amy realized there might actually be something weird going on. Together, they navigate a diabolically convoluted maze of illusions, lies, and their own incompetence in an attempt to uncover a terrible truth they -- like you -- would be better off not knowing.

Your first impulse will be to think that a story this gruesome -- and, to be frank, stupid -- cannot possibly be true. That is precisely the reaction "They" are hoping for.

Ratings and reviews

Great addition to the John Dies at the End series. I've read them all and own the first two. I've also read Futuristic Violence and Fancy Suits twice. It's spectacular and, if you've enjoyed any of David Wong's writting, I suggest you read it. Of course this book great. It's equally as clever, funny, terrifying, and thrilling as it is confusing. Leaving you without the satisfaction of a conclusion because that's how life and humanity really is.

Another great installment of the JDATE series. Excellent if you've ever read Lovecraft and thought, "yes, this, but stupider!" The story hasn't lost it's charm or continuity. It feels like another adventure in Undisclosed. This is, however, probably the bleakest and most depressing installment, though. The characters have grown older. Dave's depression is no longer just a personality trait, it's now a problem that John and especially Amy have to confront. Dave's scruples and depression have left him jobless. Amy is stuck in a nine dollar-an-hour job. Whereas in the past you sometimes felt like the supernatural was an encroachment on John and Dave's life, in this version you get the feeling that they don't have anything else left. It's very bleak, but the book addresses this. The characters are growing up. The book itself seems (marginally) more mature, with most of the absurdity coming from John and less from the supernatural horrors, which can be seen as a pro or a con. Easily held my attention for a binge read throughout the day.

3-star only in comparison to the two previous books. Felt like the author was slipping into writing a screenplay at times rather than a novel, maybe an outcome of having the first book turned into a movie. There was also more sophomoric philosophy that felt shoe-horned into the text. Still entertaining, but not nearly as brilliant as Spiders.

About the author

JASON PARGIN is the New York Times bestselling author of the John Dies at the End series as well as the award-winning first book in the Zoey Ashe series, Futuristic Violence and Fancy Suits, formerly published under the pseudonym David Wong. His essays at Cracked.com have been read by tens of millions of people around the world.