I'm Starting to Worry About This Black Box of Doom: A Novel

Jason Pargin

Sep 2024 · Sold by St. Martin's Press

About this ebook

THE INSTANT USA TODAY BESTSELLER

A standalone darkly humorous thriller set in modern America's age of anxiety, by New York Times bestselling author Jason Pargin.

Outside Los Angeles, a driver pulls up to find a young woman sitting on a large black box. She offers him $200,000 cash to transport her and that box across the country, to Washington, DC.

But there are rules:

He cannot look inside the box.
He cannot ask questions.
He cannot tell anyone.
They must leave immediately.
He must leave all trackable devices behind.

As these eccentric misfits hit the road, rumors spread on social media that the box is part of a carefully orchestrated terror attack intended to plunge the USA into civil war.

The truth promises to be even stranger, and may change how you see the world.

Ratings and reviews

If you're a fan of Jason Pargin's other books, you'll definitely enjoy this one. Although this one is a bit of a departure for him as the John Dies series deals with supernatural/horror and the Zoey Ashe series deals with futuristic tech and society, while this book is firmly rooted in the realistic here and now. Though a work of fiction, it's still something that we can recognize as our current world. It has all the biting wit and engaging storytelling Pargin has shown in all of his other books, but here he seemed to really tone down the outrageous, can't believe he went there situations and dialogue I've come to expect. But I guess that goes along with the more reality grounded story being told. In the end, I didn't love it as much as his other books, but then again, it's a new story, not part of an already loved series. It's still a great book that will probably get re-read more than once.

He gives characters symptoms of real anxiety disorders or neurodivergent conditions, and then says it happened because they spent too much time on social media. That's a simplification, but it's the general gist. You do see some flashes here of the writing in his John, Dave and Amy books, but for the most part, his humor and style don't come across as well here, and he's consistently dipping into exposition on his opinions which derails the story. The most disappointed I've been in a book for a long time.

This book, in my opinion is phenomenal in its pacing, tongue and cheek social commentary, and engaging content. A blend of view points tells a story that is as cohesive as it is convoluted. Thrilling and funny with moments that depict real human thoughts and behaviors.

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 Zoey Ashe novels. He previously published under the pseudonym David Wong. His essays at Cracked.com and other outlets have been enjoyed by tens of millions of readers around the world.