This Book Is Full of Spiders (John Dies at the End, #2)

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This Book Is Full of Spiders (John Dies at the End #2)

4.28 of 5 stars 4.28 · rating details · 4,570 ratings · 733 reviews

From the writer of the cult sensation John Dies at the End comes another terrifying and hilarious tale of almost Armageddon at the hands of two hopeless heroes.

WARNING: You may have a huge, invisible spider living in your skull. THIS IS NOT A METAPHOR.

You will dismiss this as ridiculous fearmongering. Dismissing things as ridiculous fearmongering is, in fact, the first sym...more

Hardcover, 406 pages

Published October 2nd 2012 by St. Martin’s Press (first published October 1st 2012)

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Community Reviews

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Oct 13, 2012 Goosey rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: deserves-to-be-read-more-than-once, flawless-book-is-flawless, oh-my-monsters, the-favorites

Pre-Read Review: WANT. NOW.

Post-Read Review: I’ve read quite a few books this year - some good, some bad, but nothing that is as near to perfection as this one. Like most fans of “John Dies at the End,” I’ve been waiting for years for Spiders to finally make its way into my hands. And like most, I spent that time wondering if it could possibly be as good as the original. Or… good at all. (Yes, that thought crossed my mind more than once. How could it not?)

Now here I am, having finished Spiders...more

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Nov 01, 2012 Alan rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

What ever I am reading on October 2 will be put aside for the day and a half it will take me to read this.

A more mature (well, relatively), and therefore less original, book than his first. Still, a lot of fun. The book seemed always on the verge of making some profound social commentary or of presenting some meta observation on genre convention, but then just thought better of it. Anyway, it should be easier than JDatE must have been to adapt into a movie.

8 likes · like · see review

Oct 16, 2012 Cheighlee rated it 3 of 5 stars

Sorry, I don't want to be "that guy" but I just didn't "bought" it. First book was narrated flawlessly and purposefully with a lot of going on and with no short of interesting things getting explained and a bunch of holy shit but funny moments.

In this book, however i found it very unpleasant to read and then BAM! - some David Wong Cracked related fact that seems so out of place in the context of the book that it just jolts me from enjoying the narrative itself. Also, it felt like a really detai...more Sorry, I don't want to be "that guy" but I just didn't "bought" it. First book was narrated flawlessly and purposefully with a lot of going on and with no short of interesting things getting explained and a bunch of holy shit but funny moments.

In this book, however i found it very unpleasant to read and then BAM! - some David Wong Cracked related fact that seems so out of place in the context of the book that it just jolts me from enjoying the narrative itself. Also, it felt like a really detailed screenplay than a book at the moments. I don't want to say I got bored but... yes, at the moements I got bored. It's hard to top creativity of the first book but that seems too, fell short as well for me on this one. It felt "Aw, I've already seen/read/played that.", nothing new vibe but it had it's shining moments though. Also, that Marconi mumbo-jumbo speech in quarantine was at the moments very confusing and unclear. And that would be ok if it didn't stretch for 50 pages, or at least it felt like 50 pages and made it confusing even if it actually wasn't. I also didn't like the "XX hours/days before XYZ" format. It did served purpose to I guess, lead reader onto something and then XYZ just happens but not in the way reader thought it would go. And then that repeats a lot.

That being said - I actually enjoyed this book overall. Wretched thing is that you just and must, have to compare it to the first book and in that light, This Book is Full of Spiders holds weak. But technically it was a good and welcomed change of pace comparing to the JDaTE. It has some grand ideas that just at the end fall flat and I dare to say - don't deliver as promised (or we at least thought we are actually promised something). And that is the biggest flaw here, too much hype, too much expectations. Also, it kinda felt that JDaTE didn't have any actual consequences even when the narrator tries to convince us otherwise.

Yet, it's a pageturner.

This book is good in its own right and I don't regret a dime paid for it. You shouldn't too. Especially if you liked the first book, then it's a must read. But if you're a novice here, I suggest you read John Dies at the End first, beceause you won't understand third of what's happening in this book.

No matter what here, I'm still looking forward to the next David Wong book. If he plans to write it that is. And if you do, David Wong, just leave the book thematics out from Cracked (at least until the book comes out).(less)

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Dec 03, 2012 Evans Light rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: have-it

Going to keep this one short and sweet.

Bottom line: I liked it, and look forward to David Wong's next book.

Did I like it as much as JOHN DIES AT THE END?

No.

Why?

Because even though the story itself was strong, the quality of the writing seemed rushed and the narrative scattered. The personalities of the main characters shifted quite a bit from what I remember in the original book, and the supporting characters in SPIDERS were paper-thin, usually summed up with a description of a celebrity they lo...more

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May 06, 2013 Mayra rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I try to stay away from book series in general. First of all, because the experience of waiting three years for Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix traumatized me (clearly, I didn't learn my lesson, as evidenced by my spontaneous bouts of anxiety induced by the long wait for The Winds of Winter), and secondly, because the books that follow the first one are never as good as the one that made me want to read the whole series in the first place.

This Book Is Full of Spiders is one of those r...more

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Oct 16, 2012 Kate rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: books

One of the blurbs for this book mentions that the author manages to keep up the horror while also being funny, which is both true and an incredibly good thing, because when you're reading a book that's designed to keep your shoulders tight from the suspense--and this book is designed to keep you in suspense--you really need to be able to laugh once in a while, or a lot, or you're probably going to strain something.

The jerkiness of the storyline got a little frustrating around midway through--the...more

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Dec 08, 2012 Cameron rated it 5 of 5 stars

Following up the extraordinary John Dies At The End must have been a daunting task. The first in what I'm calling David Wong's David Wong series (the author's name is a pseudonym and is also the main character's name, as the books are written - mostly - in the first person) was a remarkable achievement, blending wit, juvenile and irreverent humor, and a healthy dose of gory horror. The follow-up, with what is one of the greatest titles of any book to date, is the continued adventures of David an...more Following up the extraordinary John Dies At The End must have been a daunting task. The first in what I'm calling David Wong's David Wong series (the author's name is a pseudonym and is also the main character's name, as the books are written - mostly - in the first person) was a remarkable achievement, blending wit, juvenile and irreverent humor, and a healthy dose of gory horror. The follow-up, with what is one of the greatest titles of any book to date, is the continued adventures of David and John, but it's a slightly more mature book in its telling. Does that make it any better or worse? Well, it's a little of both.

First off, there's a reason I'm giving this book five stars. It's just plain old great reading. The sheer number of jokes has been reduced from the manic pace of John Dies At The End, but that comes with some better plot structure and a more focused narrative. And while the jokes aren't as rapid-fire as the first, the individual moments of This Book are still terrific.

As a variaition on the zombie novel, this is pretty decent, though the focus is less on the monsters and more on the individual relationships of the characters, which is how a good book should be. David and Amy's continuing relationship is, surprisingly, the highlight of the book, as John ends up playing second fiddle compared to his amazing role in the first novel. John isn't played with quite the manic insanity of the first, either, which I suppose lends more credibility to the character and should end up lengthening his shelf life, though I can't help but miss his stunningly awful (and awesome) one-liners like, "Got your tickets to the con-CHAIR-to?" However, he is given a bit more humanity in this novel, especially in regards to his fear of the creatures and reluctance to help Amy. It's a trade-off, neither a bad nor good one.

There's only one real problem with the novel, and that's in its two deus ex machinas. While one is most certainly a jab (and a delightfully hilarious one at that) at the convention, the other isn't. However, both are so particularly well written that I'm willing to overlook them. Like I've said before, I'd forgive David Wong anything short of murder, and even that, I might let slide. He's that talented of a writer.

So then really, my only problem with This Book Is Full Of Spiders is that there isn't a third in the series already in my hands. When I finished the book, I launched immediately into what I'm calling post-writum depression, that feeling you get when you've read all of an author's books to date and don't have another one in your hands. This writer is fantastic, and I cannot tell you enough that you should go read his work immediately.(less)

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Jan 10, 2013 Allen Adams rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: published-reviews

http://www.themaineedge.com/buzz/when...

“TBIFOS” is an unabashed horror novel, packed with visceral imagery, dark undertones and a wealth of scares. The world that Wong has created (and inhabits by proxy with his self-named protagonist) is undeniably frightening. The author’s clear understanding of the genre alone would make this book worthy of a read by any horror fan. However, that’s not what makes this book truly special. There’s one simple factor that allows this novel to transcend simple ge...more

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Feb 03, 2013 Kristina rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: first-reads, audiobooks, 2013-goal-70, big-book-challenge

I will say this about this book:
It is funny as hell, just like John Dies at the End, it is just the story that misses the mark some how. So entertaining though I have to say 3.5 stars.

Most of the book was like that episode of Blue's Clues where Joe and Steve are trying to find each other but they keep just missing one another, yeah, just like that... for about 70% of the book. It was funny, and chaos ensued, but after a while I just wanted the story to move forward. I did however like how the a...more

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Mar 06, 2013 Kate O'Hanlon rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: horror

This book is also full of zombies (sort of) if that's a problem for you.
If you hated John Dies at the End you'll hate this too.
If you thought John Dies at the End was fun but uneven and terribly bloated the same goes.

I wish Wong would make more if his philosophical musings and less of endless stretches of vague action packedness wherein secretly nothing happens. There's are some interesting points about what zombies represent to humans, our desire for justified kills, our hatred of our neighbour...more

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Jan 10, 2013 Natalie rated it 3 of 5 stars

So yaaaaah. I started this. I was enjoying it much more then the first book. And then I broke my foot. And I left the book in NC with my mom. So... to be continued.

And then my mom wrapped this book up and gave it to me for Christmas. hahaha. So I'm now finishing it. TBC...

OK.. Like JDATE, this was also a smidge too drawn out. It's such a snappy book... I wish it was just.. snappier! A lot of the stuff just draaaaaags. Otherwise, I liked this one a LOT better I think. It was more focused on one t...more

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Jun 14, 2013 Chy rated it 4 of 5 stars

Ahh, the sequel to John Dies at the End, I have been waiting to read you.

I was afraid. I thought, when I got this and opened it that, possibly, the first was so hilariously awesome because I'd just been in the right mood, and I wouldn't enjoy this one so much. I don't think I was two pages in before I got over that fear.

However, comma, it wasn't as good as the first, for me. Or, no, that's not right. It's that there's this chunk in the middle or so that wasn't what I want to have when reading ab...more Ahh, the sequel to John Dies at the End, I have been waiting to read you.

I was afraid. I thought, when I got this and opened it that, possibly, the first was so hilariously awesome because I'd just been in the right mood, and I wouldn't enjoy this one so much. I don't think I was two pages in before I got over that fear.

However, comma, it wasn't as good as the first, for me. Or, no, that's not right. It's that there's this chunk in the middle or so that wasn't what I want to have when reading about David and John. Because it wasn't pure awesome with my grimace-laughing every other page, at least.

In that chunk, it actually read quite a lot like an imaginative zombie book. By "imaginative," I mean that it wasn't really zombie zombies. But the spark that made me give the first book five stars wasn't there. And yeah, I hate to say this, because I love Amy, but it was Amy's fault. And even John's. John is not as good in John's point of view. Neither is Amy as awesome in Amy's point of view.

In my review of the first book, I said John made the book. I'd like to amend that---David's narration of John makes things awesome.

Wait. Lemme amend that, because John's POV picked right the hell up when Soy Sauce entered the scene. I didn't know how much I would miss the Sauce until the Sauce was there again.

The author says that John is a friend's character, and one of the conditions of using the character is that he has to "ramp something" in one scene in every book. I count that as a dare. And let me say that when that dare was fulfilled in this book, I laughed until my husband had to leave the room because he couldn't continue his phone call I was so loud. (Okay, part of the laughter was because I knew the dare, and because I've traded similar dares, so it was part because it was awesome, part because it was so unbelievable, part because I thought it was an awesome fulfillment of the dare, and part because---dammit, I had another one. Aw, well.)

Anyway, yeah. It's not that the chunk that stole a star from my rating wasn't good, just that it wasn't David Wong. And that counts for something.

In any case, I can't freakin' wait until the next one. There'll be a next one, right?

(less)

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May 30, 2013 Matthew Brown rated it 5 of 5 stars

Stop. I don’t care what you are doing, stop it. Seriously, stop it right now.
Grab your keys, grab your bike, your favorite pair of shoes, and go buy this book.
Well... I suppose you could flip on your WiFi eBook enabled device, slap down twenty invisible credit moneys and start reading even faster.

To say this book was good is a grossly inadequate yet appropriate understatement.
Understatements, like hyperboles, help create a sense of awe and appreciation for that which is difficult to describe in...more

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Mar 15, 2013 Sandra Grauschopf rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: read-in-2013

I picked this book up from the library, read the beginning, and loved it so much that I immediately put it down and sought out the first book in the series. My library didn't have it, so I bought it, waited for it to arrive, and read the whole thing, even though I have a huge stack of library books out and a deadline to bring them back looming. And... I was a little disappointed.

It's not that I didn't like the first book, it was just that it was a bit short on some kind of important elements. Li...more

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Mar 12, 2013 Benjamin added it

Let's hit the obvious question first: is it as good as the first one? HOLY CRAP YES would be the most delicate way I can answer that.

Back for round two are the deeply-flawed, reckless characters we somehow still want to cheer for, and they're opposing a horror more far-reaching and coherent than the nebulous Lovecraftian insanity we saw last time. The previous book was written in a somewhat fragmented style, a byproduct if its years of serial-like publication on Wong's website. This book is less...more Let's hit the obvious question first: is it as good as the first one? HOLY CRAP YES would be the most delicate way I can answer that.

Back for round two are the deeply-flawed, reckless characters we somehow still want to cheer for, and they're opposing a horror more far-reaching and coherent than the nebulous Lovecraftian insanity we saw last time. The previous book was written in a somewhat fragmented style, a byproduct if its years of serial-like publication on Wong's website. This book is less episodic and more focused, and really does a great job of exploring horrific events and the mass hysteria that would inevitably follow thanks to the always-connected, real-time, information-saturated world we live in today.

But what really sets this book apart from other horror novels is the enormous... well... clusterfuck the main characters manage to set in motion and inadvertently perpetuate. These aren't your infallible heroes who understand their predicament and have all the answers. Not in the slightest: John and Dave (and to a lesser extent Amy) deal with a lack of reliable communication in terrible, completely plausible ways. They consistently make the worst possible choices -- but those choices seem completely reasonable to us as we follow along. And we're along for the ride, agreeing with the characters as they analyze the situations they're in. We see their thought processes and we're sure they've made the right decisions... only to be horrified a couple chapters later when we (and the characters) suddenly realize the truly tragic and devastating consequences of their actions. Characters miss rendezvous points with each other, misunderstand each other, panic, run away, screw up, and sometimes despair.

In the previous book, John and Dave manage to blunder their way through the horrors, ultimately coming out more-or-less victorious. They were able to FIGHT their enemies. They were able to depend on and help each other. In this book, we see just how helpless John and Dave really are in the face of the end the world. And tragically, REALISTICALLY, John spends DAYS drinking himself into a stupor when confronted with just how incredibly, pants-shittingly SCREWED they are. He has no plan for this scenario of this scale. He can't be a big damned hero and save the day. And he doesn't know how to handle that. For the audience, that's the most frightening, awful thing we can witness. We're convinced our heroes really HAVE seen it all and if anyone's prepared for this weird craziness, it's them. But when we realize they simply DON'T KNOW WHAT TO DO, it's like a punch to the gut.

All in all, you should read this freaking book. It's a fascinating, hilarious, horrifying look into human nature, human sympathy, human endurance, and human nature. Wong's writing style is at the same time coherent and refined; witty and crude. And at the end of this book, if you're not laughing through your tears, you have no soul.

Why are you still reading this? GO BUY IT!(less)

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Mar 04, 2013 Ed Bernard rated it 4 of 5 stars

Really more like 4.5 stars.
There is no earthly reason why I should like this book, but I do. David Wong is the voice behind Cracked, a very funny and engaging web site. His previous book, John Dies at the End, features the same characters as this one, so it’s a sequel of sorts. However, JDATE was written as a series of installments, so it lack the narrative cohesion one generally finds with a novel; this one was conceived as a complete project from the beginning. That’s the good news, and it sho...more

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Mar 04, 2013 Chris "Stu" rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2013

Unlike the previous book, "John Dies at the End," this book is just one single plot, which makes it more consistent than its predecessor ("JDatE" had three different sections with a frametale, some of which were much better than others.) This book is also darker and less funny. Don't get me wrong, it's still funny. The narrative voice is consistent from JDatE, and is one of my favorites in many years. The books shines the most when the characters of David and John are together and can riff off o...more

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Feb 15, 2013 Jahlene rated it 5 of 5 stars

Okay. I fell in love with JDaTE after reading what comes after the Prologue? Because I guess it was kind of weird for me at first. Talking meat and all. I just really thought this book is unique.

Well so anyway, after reading every chapter, I start to... let me say this the cheesy way, fall in love with the book and just the whole story and just craziness of it.

The characters are going to be your heroes. That's pretty much it.
I remember being so contented after reading the book, you know?

So then...more

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Jan 02, 2013 Stefanie rated it 4 of 5 stars

Weeee! I stole this book from Andy, probably a little bit literally. Oops. I couldn't help it! I only made it to page 230 before I had to leave Columbus, and what was I supposed to do? Not read it?

Anyhoo, David Wong (or whatever his real name is; something white; starts with a "J" probably) is, of course, amazing. Horror isn't really my genre, but he makes it so funny and somehow a little bit poignant and thus I am intrigued. This book is a little less off-the-cuff random than its predecessor; t...more

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Dec 19, 2012 Jeremy rated it 4 of 5 stars

I'll start of by saying that this book is probably not everyone's proverbial cup of tea - it may also fail to be everyone's cup of coffee, cup of water, or fail entirely at the test of being vaguely cup-like. What it is, however, is a great read for those who enjoy their humor dark with a dash of the absurd and liberally peppered with concepts both abstract and sometimes terrifying. Mr. Wong manages to take a concept like an "alien" invasion mixed with a zombie outbreak and make it relatable in...more

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Nov 26, 2012 Tyler rated it 4 of 5 stars

3.5/5 (close to 4)

I don't feel like writing out a full, well written review right now so these are the bullet points of it:

- Great, conversational writing style. It's very easy to follow, which is nice considering the subject matter is pretty odd. The way Wong goes from really serious to comical is sometimes amazing.

- But it's not all amazing. Sometimes the tone shifts don't work, and take you out of the story. It's not often but it happens.

- People say this is a horror story. I can see it, I c...more

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Nov 11, 2012 Cassandra rated it 5 of 5 stars

From the reviews that I have read from this book, I knew I was going to either love it or hate it.

I am so relieved that I absolutely loved it! As in, I am going to re-read it many many times and forever think of it as a favorite.

I read John Dies at the End about three years ago, and I had never read anything that simultaneously had me laughing so hard I was crying and also terrified to turn the lights out. SO. GOOD. Also, what an original story.

Now, This Book is Full of spiders will not have t...more

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Nov 07, 2012 Melissa rated it 3 of 5 stars

"This Book is Full of Spiders" is the sequel to David Wong's John Dies at the End. This book had the benefit of being conventionally written as appose to the first book which started online as short stories, then pieced together. This allowed Wong to write a more traditional story, with a beginning, middle, and an end, and with foreshadowing of the resolution. That said, I'm not sure I liked this book any better than its predecessor, and in some regards I think it was weaker. John dies at the en...more

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Nov 06, 2012 Rory rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Comparison to 'John Dies At The End' is inevitable so I'll do that quickly as preface to my actual review:

Idea: Not as original as 'John Dies At the End'
Execution: Better than 'John Dies At The End' with a more realised plot.
Structure: This is the big advantage 'This Book is Full of Spiders' has over 'JDATE' as fantastic as JDATE was, you could see the seams. It was quite clearly an Internet serial with three stories stuck together. The book had three distinct beginnings, middles, and ends. TBFS...more Comparison to 'John Dies At The End' is inevitable so I'll do that quickly as preface to my actual review:

Idea: Not as original as 'John Dies At the End'
Execution: Better than 'John Dies At The End' with a more realised plot.
Structure: This is the big advantage 'This Book is Full of Spiders' has over 'JDATE' as fantastic as JDATE was, you could see the seams. It was quite clearly an Internet serial with three stories stuck together. The book had three distinct beginnings, middles, and ends. TBFS has none of that, it is one coherent well paced novel.
Writing: Better overall, but also doesn't maintain a consistent tone in the same way that 'John Dies At The End' did.

This Book is Full of Spiders despite having a kind of played out concept, is a worthy successor to John Dies At the End. While there aren't scenes like David talking to an apparently deceased John through a bratwurst, it does hold its own improving in a lot of the areas where JDATE really fell down, and while not better than JDATE it's not necessarily worse either.

The book is about a zombie infection in the Town of Undisclosed, the intrepid pair of David Wong and John Cheese are America's last hope to set things right, and they go about fucking everything up spectacularly.

The writing of the First Part is brilliant and a return to the same kind of 'Hitchhikers Guide' humour of the first. Wong (as a writer) has a real talent for crafting these wonderfully bizarre situations that dovetail into pure madness. But then the tone kind of shifts. I won't reveal any spoilers but Wong and Cheese are separated for a significant portion of the book and while I liked the dark tone that filled the middle of the book it did feel kind of jarring. Once the pair are back together the tone returns to the depressing but hilarious style that so animated JDATE. The book is filled with these amazing monologues and interludes where the crazy dives into the philosophical and when they aren't too much like reading a Cracked Article they're really good.

I gave the book five-stars because I enjoyed reading it more than probably anything else I read this year, and because I truly find David Wong such a great writer, with such a unique style that I can't not reward that. I do think that David Wong's writing always seems just on the precipice of being amazing (as opposed to just really good) I can't shake the feeling that he's got a classic in him waiting to get out, I just hope it does at some point. (less)

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Nov 05, 2012 Daniel Ferguson rated it 5 of 5 stars

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

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Oct 30, 2012 Chris rated it 3 of 5 stars

I felt compelled to read the first few pages of this book even though I really didn't want to encounter any spiders. Unfortunately, I was already enjoying the irreverent and droll humor and the main character (also the author), from whose perspective most of the story is told, by the time the spiders appeared. "Unknown" is a strange, strange town and a chapter heading on page 6 announces "48 Hours Prior to Outbreak" so we know where this story is headed. The outbreak, of course, is not just your...more

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Oct 29, 2012 Dan Avera rated it 5 of 5 stars

John Dies at the End was 100% fresh, sometimes disturbing, and always uproariously funny. This Book Is Full of Spiders was as unique as JDAtE, sometimes uproariously funny, always disturbing, and sometimes legitimately terrifying.

Let me start off by saying that I don't love the horror genre. I'm too squeamish to watch the torture-porn that's become popular nowadays, and I'm a bit of a wuss when it comes down to the jump-out-and-scare-you style (though I'll tough it out and act like an old salt...more John Dies at the End was 100% fresh, sometimes disturbing, and always uproariously funny. This Book Is Full of Spiders was as unique as JDAtE, sometimes uproariously funny, always disturbing, and sometimes legitimately terrifying.

Let me start off by saying that I don't love the horror genre. I'm too squeamish to watch the torture-porn that's become popular nowadays, and I'm a bit of a wuss when it comes down to the jump-out-and-scare-you style (though I'll tough it out and act like an old salt in front of other people, as is only natural). The horror that I really love - the cerebral, spine-tingling, you-know-there's-something-around-that-corner-and-you-shouldn't-look-but-oh-god-you-did-it-anyway style like Lovecraft's stuff or the original F.E.A.R. - seems more and more to be a dying breed, so I pretty much just stay away from the genre.

The fact, then, that I rated TBIFoS five out of five stars and think that it should be taught in schools as an examination of human nature is the highest endorsement I can give.

To be honest, I expected more of the first book when I bought the second, and while that wasn't a bad thing (I was still absolutely stoked for more hilarious soy sauce-fueled romps with Dave, John, and the naive but loveable Amy), what I got was so much better. This time around the book is hilarious for about the first ten to fifteen percent (sorry, read it on a Kindle). And then, all of a sudden, the silliness gets shut off and doesn't return until you're about ninety percent of the way through. The humor is still there, but this time it's more of a macabre, The Cabin In The Woods style of extremely dark comedy that occasionally leaves you wondering why you found it funny; you give one of those nervous laughs that trails off at the end and says quite clearly, "I can't believe I'm laughing at this."

What you get instead is one of the most entertaining, disturbing, and revelatory looks into mankind's collective psyche outside of a particularly well-written psychology book. The people portrayed in the novel act exactly as they would in real life - full of bravado and stupidity, and dripping with that loathsome faux-wisdom that you see all the time anymore from anybody in the limelight. And that's the ultimate message of the book: we are our own worst enemy.

I'm not really sure what it was about this book - whether it was the painfully realistic portrayal of people in a crisis situation, the idea that you can't trust anyone, or just my completely irrational phobia of creepy little children - but I haven't been this scared of a book since I read It (in eighth grade - when it was constantly raining, no less, and I had to walk past a storm drain to get home). I'm not ashamed to admit that there were several occasions where I had to calmly (haha, naht) get up and turn the light on.

So, tl;dr - if you're looking for a book that will not only give you an extraordinarily entertaining and intelligent read, but will scare the living crap out of you AND make you laugh out loud, read This Book Is Full of Spiders: Seriously, Dude, Don't Touch It. I haven't enjoyed a horror story this much since World War Z. Read it - you won't regret it.(less)

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Oct 18, 2012 Drew Buddie rated it 1 of 5 stars

I wanted SO much to like this book, in fact it is a long time since I have shown such doggedness in sticking with a book, even when, in this case, I truly DISliked it.

Great pedgigree, brilliant reviews, gorgeous cover and cracking opening meant that there was SO much in favour of this book being a hit with me. But it wasn't, it just wasn't. The chatty nature of the narrative grated after a while and I found it impossible to stick with the plot developments and was ultimately disorientated by wh...more

3 likes · like · see review

Oct 08, 2012 Geoffrey Boyd rated it 5 of 5 stars

This Book is Full of Spiders is an interesting book for many reasons. The poignant and deceptively hilarious narrative is full of provoking ideas and is not at all scared of showing them to you, often alongside descriptions of graphic violence and male nudity. For that reason alone it would be a good book, but there is always more to it.

There's a lot of hidden meat to the story, subtle nods and references that can only be perceived if the reader is paying close attention and has absorbed the boo...more

5 likes · like · see review

Oct 07, 2012 Andrew rated it 4 of 5 stars

David Wong presents another work of extra-dimensional horror that can only be stopped by two Midwestern slackers in the town of Undisclosed. This one is much more tightly plotted and thought out than John Dies at the End (which of course started out as a web serial); in most respects, this is a good thing, because one doesn't lose the plot thread to the extent that can happen in John Dies. That said, Full of Spiders tends to lack something of the manic intensity that made John Dies such a deligh...more

2 likes · like · see review

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About David Wong

David Wong is the pseudonym of Jason Pargin, online humorist, National Lampoon contributor, and editor in chief of Cracked.com. He is the author of John Dies at the End.

http://us.macmillan.com/author/davidwong

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John Dies at the End (John Dies at the End, #1)

John and Dave and the Temple of X'al'naa'thuthuthu

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“SHUT UP. Both of you. You're coming with me." To me he said, "Put some pants on."

"Fuck you. This is my house. I make the rules. You take your clothes off. John, get the Twister mat.” — 31 people liked it

“There are two types of people on planet Earth, Batman and Iron Man. Batman has a secret identity, right? So Bruce Wayne has to walk around every second of every day knowing that if somebody finds out his secret, his family is dead, his friends are dead, everyone he loves gets tortured to death by costumed supervillains. And he has to live with the weight of that secret every day. But not Tony Stark, he's open about who he is. He tells the world he's Iron Man, he doesn't give a shit. He doesn't have that shadow hanging over him, he doesn't have to spend energy building up those walls of lies around himself. You're one or the other - either you're one of those people who has to hide your real self because it would ruin you if it came out, because of your secret fetishes or addictions or crimes, or you're not one of those people. And the two groups aren't even living in the same universe.” — 22 people liked it

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This Book Is Full of Spiders (John Dies at the End #2)

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