(Audio courtesy of Victory Editing NetGalley Co-op and NetGalley.)

5 really wild, really bizarro ⭐s

First, and CLEARLY, most important: Kansas City representation for the win! Wild seeing my town—was not expecting that.

So, what's this book about?

Well …

Uh…

Hrm.

Okay, so John Doe’s best friend is a garden gnome he got from a garage sale as a kid. They drop a lot of acid together, and the acid may or may not have paranormal properties. There you go, now you have a complete and total understanding of the book. (You really, really don't.)

It’s easier to just say that this story is an experience. Very silly, in the best ways. I really loved John Doe as the MC. He's good-humored and not an asshole. (Traits we should all aspire to.)

The plot leans hard into the liminal space—but I’m not sure that it does the best job of showing liminality. Since Doe’s POV feels like he’s talking to you, the reader, there isn’t the complete sense of isolation that you get if you’re, say, playing a liminal horror video game. Does the book suffer for it? Not even a little.

Now, the monster work? Excellent. The creatures are grotesque and menacing, but never shift the story out of its humor. It's all very well balanced.

Also, I was super stoked to see that this is a series, because it landed on a very satisfying stopping place for book one, but I’m already chomping at the bit for a sequel on audio.

Audio-Specific 🎧: Christopher Harbour really fits the main character’s vibes. The voice he created for Doe is rough and grimy, with a little bit of sleaze, and somehow also has “total fuck-up” baked right in. It's really nuanced.

I ran the book at 1.5x, but honestly? 1x isn't awful. I find most stories are pretty intolerable at 1x these days, to the point that I wonder if they aren’t actually slowing down a narrator’s normal reading speed in post-production. But with this one, I think you'll be pretty pleased with the default speed.

📌 TL;DR: Bizarre, liminal-ish, crazy-ass masterpiece. Read it. Or not, your loss.

Welcome To The Deep Estate by Kevin Kane is a trippy, gory, weird sci-fi tale riddled with sarcasm, pop culture references, and jokes galore. If Beavis and Butt-Head waltzed into an episode of the X-Files featuring Deadpool. I recommend to fans of John Scalzi’s Constituent Service and Andy Weir’s Project Hail Mary who are looking for a bizarre tale that doesn’t take itself too seriously and has more gory action. Christopher Harbour is an excellent narrator and did a fantastic job with this audiobook, fully bringing the odd characters of this story to life.

Thank you, Victory Editing, for providing me with this audiobook for review consideration via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

This audiobook was so funny. I could not stop listening to it. The narrator did a fantastic job, using different voices to bring the characters to life. The many references in the book added to my enjoyment. The story focuses on John Doe and his wacky, crazy adventure. This book was so silly and kept me laughing the whole time. Who doesn’t need laughter and silliness in their life once in a while? I cannot wait for the sequel.

I am so glad I picked this book up. Not only was it incredibly funny, it had some really poignant themes which resonate with current topics. It feels as though this book looks at topics such as discrimination and political goals in a humorous light, where the audience can laugh but can also see echoes in the world around them.

However, the story is really fun. The main character, John Doe. A guy who grew up with his conspiracy theorist father, and still sees the world with odd coincidences and connections. Though he doesn't fully live off the grid, he tries not to leave too much of a digital footprint. One day he receives a newspaper which shouldn't exist and he finds a hidden message in the looking for love section which leads him to an address. His best friend seems to be a garden gnome he can hear speaking but no one else really can, Bobo.

Things happen and he becomes partnered with a girl named Edith who is an accidental vampire. This book is chaotic, bizarre, and silly with rivers of gravy and ice cream that tastes like a savory meal. I needed something pretty light-hearted since the world is currently in shambles. So I have to give this book a solid 4*stars, not because it is perfect but because I was utterly entertained and hope others can find the same in it.