Review: The Last Days of Jack Sparks

4 stars. I am thisclose to giving it 5, because I want everyone to read this immediately so we can discuss over a bottle of something... non-alcoholic (all of Jack's drinking turned me off that for a bit lol. There are some vivid hangovers in this puppy.). 

Phew, okay - this might take a few paragraphs for me to work through. As someone who reads (and watches) a healthy amount of horror, I always appreciate a refreshing take on a beloved trope. This is undoubtedly a very unique, unexpected story full of surprises and wild spins on concepts like hauntings, possessions, paranormal investigations, even a bit of found footage. Expect a crazy ride with some captivating twists and turns.

It's an epistolary novel that features a collection of documents (including a manuscript, emails and other forms of correspondence) gathered by the brother of the late Jack Sparks, a sort of shock-jock journalist intent on disproving the existence of the supernatural. The manuscript (which may or may not be authentic) shares Jack's journey into the unknown after he attends an alleged exorcism. 

I certainly picked the wrong week to read about a semi-controversial British comedian-type character, didn't I? It was genuinely difficult to get certain accused famous figures out of my head, which also probably informed my opinion that Jack isn't likeable in any capacity - I disagree with any takes that say Jack is sort of a rugged, charming anti-hero. He's an asshole, end of story. Bex was also kind of a confusing character to me, and I had some trouble keeping track of the other minor characters (I do love a good group of investigators, though.)

But the journey Jack goes on is truly breathtaking. A little reminiscent of Cloud Atlas, or the incredible, affecting Australian mockumentary Lake Mungo, Jack's story hurdles him towards intersections - points of connection of all kinds - in a way that ends up very loopy by the end, and I do mean that in every sense of the word. Pay close attention; even as things start to clear up there are still surprises in store.

As far as the writing goes, I actually found it to be a bit... dense. I practically skimmed quite a bit, trying to cling onto the narrative thread without getting lost. This was probably profoundly stupid of me, as it turns out the little details easily dismissed are super important, but I managed to grasp just enough to be suitably satisfied when things clicked into place. Did they actually though? Click into place? Who knows. That's part of the fun.

(I looked high and low for theories and/or explanations around some of the more ambiguous aspects and couldn't find much. I half expected there to be full Reddit threads dissecting every clue with visual representations like venn diagrams and flowcharts. Maybe I should start one.)

Overall, this is a must-read for horror fans. It's very meta, and there are some wonderfully eerie, spooky sequences and even some darkly funny moments. I've heard it's quite good on audio - maybe that would've felt like a better experience for me! Regardless, I see this becoming a true classic in years to come. Read it before the inevitable adaptation comes out!

The Last Days of Jack Sparks on: Amazon | Bookshop.org | Goodreads