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The Awful Truth About The Sushing Prize
Should I tell him about Sushing or play dumb?
Sticking in my comfort zone, I played dumb.
Writer Marco Ocram has a secret superpower—whatever he writes actually happens, there and then. Hoping to win the million-dollar Sushing Prize, he uses his powers to write a true-crime thriller, quickly discovering a freakish murder. But Marco has a major problem—he's a total idiot who can't see beyond his next sentence. Losing control of his plot and his characters, and breaking all the rules of fiction, Marco writes himself into every kind of trouble, until only the world's most incredible ending can save his bacon.
Fast, funny, and utterly different, welcome to the weird world of The Awful Truth.
Sticking in my comfort zone, I played dumb.
Writer Marco Ocram has a secret superpower—whatever he writes actually happens, there and then. Hoping to win the million-dollar Sushing Prize, he uses his powers to write a true-crime thriller, quickly discovering a freakish murder. But Marco has a major problem—he's a total idiot who can't see beyond his next sentence. Losing control of his plot and his characters, and breaking all the rules of fiction, Marco writes himself into every kind of trouble, until only the world's most incredible ending can save his bacon.
Fast, funny, and utterly different, welcome to the weird world of The Awful Truth.
346 pages, Paperback
First published June 1, 2019
16 people are currently reading
62 people want to read
About the author
Marco Ocram
3 books18 followersLittle is known of Marco Ocram’s earliest years. He was adopted at age nine, having been abandoned in a Detroit shopping mall—a note taped to his anorak said the boy was threatening the sanity of his parents. Re-abandoned in the same mall a year later, with a similar note from his foster parents, he was homed with his current Bronx mom—a woman with no sanity to threaten.
Ocram first gained public attention through his bold theories about a new fundamental particle, the Tao Muon, which he popularized in a best-selling book, The Tao Muon. He was introduced to the controversial literary theorist, Herbert Quarry, who coached Ocram in a radical approach to fiction, in which the author must write without thinking, a technique to which Ocram was naturally suited. His crime memoir, The Awful Truth about the Herbert Quarry Affair, became the fastest selling book of all time, making him a household name. It was translated into every known language, and at least three unknown ones, and made into an Oscar-winning film, a Pulitzer-winning play, a Tony-winning musical, and a Golden Joystick-winning computer game.
Ocram excelled at countless sports, until a middle-ear problem permanently impaired his balance. He has yet to win a Nobel Prize, but his agent, Barney, has been placing strategic back-handers; announcements from Stockholm are expected imminently (and, according to Barney, we're not just talking literature and physics). Unmarried, in spite of his Bronx mom’s unceasing efforts, he lives near his foster parents in New York.
Ocram first gained public attention through his bold theories about a new fundamental particle, the Tao Muon, which he popularized in a best-selling book, The Tao Muon. He was introduced to the controversial literary theorist, Herbert Quarry, who coached Ocram in a radical approach to fiction, in which the author must write without thinking, a technique to which Ocram was naturally suited. His crime memoir, The Awful Truth about the Herbert Quarry Affair, became the fastest selling book of all time, making him a household name. It was translated into every known language, and at least three unknown ones, and made into an Oscar-winning film, a Pulitzer-winning play, a Tony-winning musical, and a Golden Joystick-winning computer game.
Ocram excelled at countless sports, until a middle-ear problem permanently impaired his balance. He has yet to win a Nobel Prize, but his agent, Barney, has been placing strategic back-handers; announcements from Stockholm are expected imminently (and, according to Barney, we're not just talking literature and physics). Unmarried, in spite of his Bronx mom’s unceasing efforts, he lives near his foster parents in New York.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 52 reviews
March 19, 2025
In a Nutshell: A spoof crime novel, the plot of which is nigh on impossible to explain in a line. Possibly the silliest book I have ever read! (I mean this as a compliment!) Enjoyed it to a great extent. Recommended, but only to those who read spoofs the way spoofs are meant to be read: by tossing out their thinking caps.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Plot Preview: (Honestly, I have no idea how to offer a preview to this crazy book! Trying my best!)
I grab books for all kinds of reasons. In this case, it was the author’s palindromic pseudonym, the crazy-sounding blurb, and high praise by a fellow reviewer that stirred my curiosity in this mouthful of a title. However, what sealed the deal was the tagline: "When Idiots Fight Crime"! 😆
This is such a whimsical book! I’ve heard of some authors writing themselves into their books in minor appearances (often via a casual mention of their other novels as a promotional strategy.) But this is the first time I have read an author not only being a part of an active plot in his own avatar but also writing the plot as it is unfurling and also interacting with his characters while figuring out his next writing move as well as breaking the fourth wall and talking to his readers about his writing techniques. It is all so meta! I am still not sure how the book works, but surprise, surprise – it works!
(On an aside, this book repeatedly mentions another novel by Marco Ocram: “The Awful Truth About the Herbert Quarry Affair.” But here’s what’s strange: “The Awful Truth About the Herbert Quarry Affair” wasn’t even written at the time this book was first published in 2019. However, the author did write it as a prequel in 2021, and hence The Sushing Prize is now the second book of the Awful Truth series. See? Everything about this series is unusual! 😁)
Books often begin with an epitaph or a foreword or a prologue. Not this one! It starts with the one section that is always found at the end of the book: “About the Author”. The content herein (the same as the author’s bio on Goodreads) is so ludicrous that it sets the right expectations about what to expect from the plot.
But what DO you expect from a plot where the writer is working out the story right in front of your eyes? Mayhem, that’s what! There’s absolutely nothing sane in this story, or even about the writer, who constantly swerves between self-congratulatory and self-recriminatory.
Marco Ocram, who is talent incarnate and humility personified *wink, wink!*, has a great on-page rapport with his character Como Galahad, the detective from the Clarkesville County Police Department who is absolutely fed up of his writer. These two are the main characters, with plenty of secondary characters coming and going as needed. Every chapter comes with a tagline that tells us what it contains; these are as hilarious as the plot.
I believe that humour is the toughest of all genres to write. People have different tastes when it comes to what’s funny; what’s hilarious to one might be offensive to another. Moreover, written jokes don’t hit the same way as spoken jokes do; humour writers don’t have the advantage of facial expressions or voice modulations to create an impact. As a satirical work however, this book seems to get most of its jokes on point. There’s also plenty of name-dropping, some of which is outright hilarious. I burst out laughing quite a few times, especially in the first half. Until the midpoint mark, I was quite sure this book would be a 4.25 stars read.
But the second half changed tone to some extent. The plot started feeling dragged, and the humour turned from consistently intelligent to sporadic and farfetched, making the reading journey a bit tedious. The ending and the epilogue helped somewhat, but the magic of the first half was mostly missing in the rest of the book. The eponymous Sushing Prize doesn’t even come up until almost the final quarter; the title is thus a bit misleading.
Just because the content is funny doesn’t mean that the book is a cushy read throughout. There are a couple of gruesome scenes that, though tackled lightly, are still a bit too brutal. There is also racism and misogyny, but both of these are tackled in a mostly satirical fashion, poking fun at how typical thrillers incorporate such stuff without qualms. I loved how the book made me question my own ingrained bias, when I jumped to conclusions about the gender of a character based on their career and was happy to be proven wrong.
Marco Ocram admits in the book that he isn't a great writer and that his plots often have non sequiturs and repetitions and loopholes. So whatever can be pointed out as a flaw of the plot can also be considered a genius writing move, the writer-of-the-book’s way of confirming the writer-in-the-book’s shortcomings. (I don’t even know if that sentence makes sense! 🤭)
All in all, this is the stupidest book I've ever read, and I had quite a jolly time reading it! Most of my friends know that I dearly love logic, so it was quite challenging for me to throw all rules of logic aside while reading this wacky indie novel. But I think I managed to do so to a great extent, thanks to the clear hints in the book blurb and the author’s bio. (The plot contains an Easter egg about the author's actual identity. Smart!)
Suspension of disbelief is anyway something most thriller readers these days are accustomed to doing. However, this isn't an ordinary thriller but a satirical thriller – it requires suspension of disbelief for the entire ride. Basically, when you read the utterly and unbelievably ridiculous events of this book, you will say “What nonsense” either while rolling your eyes or while bursting into laughter. No matter what, you will say “What nonsense!” The whole book is nonsensical! 😅
Recommended to those who would enjoy a parody crime thriller that breaks not just the fourth wall but every conceivable wall of logic and writing. Despite the dip in the second half, this is still a fun book and quite clever too, all the more if you remember that it is a debut work. Put away your thinking caps and enjoy the ride.
3.75 stars.
My thanks to Zooloo’s Book Tours, Tiny Fox Press LLC, and author Marco Ocram for a complimentary digital ARC of 'The Awful Truth About The Sushing Prize'. This review is voluntary and contains my honest opinion about the book.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Connect with me through:
My Blog || The StoryGraph || Instagram || Threads || X/Twitter || Facebook ||
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Plot Preview: (Honestly, I have no idea how to offer a preview to this crazy book! Trying my best!)
Marco Ocram (Yup, the “author”!) is a high-achieving, super-intelligent, uber-popular, humble writer who has a secret: whatever he writes happens immediately. As his natural affinity is towards writing crime, Marco writes crime novels, much to the chagrin of his book’s lead character DI Como Galahad, who is stuck solving the crime while Marco keeps penning impossible twists and getting them into dangerous situations. All of this would have been fine if Marco were a truly talented plotter. Unfortunately, he is more of a pantser, so even he doesn’t know how the crime he has written himself into can be resolved. With the latest murder he has written, Marco has set himself up for yet another challenge, and poor Como has to sacrifice his football match to solve the case.
The story comes to us in Marco’s first-person perspective.
I grab books for all kinds of reasons. In this case, it was the author’s palindromic pseudonym, the crazy-sounding blurb, and high praise by a fellow reviewer that stirred my curiosity in this mouthful of a title. However, what sealed the deal was the tagline: "When Idiots Fight Crime"! 😆
This is such a whimsical book! I’ve heard of some authors writing themselves into their books in minor appearances (often via a casual mention of their other novels as a promotional strategy.) But this is the first time I have read an author not only being a part of an active plot in his own avatar but also writing the plot as it is unfurling and also interacting with his characters while figuring out his next writing move as well as breaking the fourth wall and talking to his readers about his writing techniques. It is all so meta! I am still not sure how the book works, but surprise, surprise – it works!
(On an aside, this book repeatedly mentions another novel by Marco Ocram: “The Awful Truth About the Herbert Quarry Affair.” But here’s what’s strange: “The Awful Truth About the Herbert Quarry Affair” wasn’t even written at the time this book was first published in 2019. However, the author did write it as a prequel in 2021, and hence The Sushing Prize is now the second book of the Awful Truth series. See? Everything about this series is unusual! 😁)
Books often begin with an epitaph or a foreword or a prologue. Not this one! It starts with the one section that is always found at the end of the book: “About the Author”. The content herein (the same as the author’s bio on Goodreads) is so ludicrous that it sets the right expectations about what to expect from the plot.
But what DO you expect from a plot where the writer is working out the story right in front of your eyes? Mayhem, that’s what! There’s absolutely nothing sane in this story, or even about the writer, who constantly swerves between self-congratulatory and self-recriminatory.
Marco Ocram, who is talent incarnate and humility personified *wink, wink!*, has a great on-page rapport with his character Como Galahad, the detective from the Clarkesville County Police Department who is absolutely fed up of his writer. These two are the main characters, with plenty of secondary characters coming and going as needed. Every chapter comes with a tagline that tells us what it contains; these are as hilarious as the plot.
I believe that humour is the toughest of all genres to write. People have different tastes when it comes to what’s funny; what’s hilarious to one might be offensive to another. Moreover, written jokes don’t hit the same way as spoken jokes do; humour writers don’t have the advantage of facial expressions or voice modulations to create an impact. As a satirical work however, this book seems to get most of its jokes on point. There’s also plenty of name-dropping, some of which is outright hilarious. I burst out laughing quite a few times, especially in the first half. Until the midpoint mark, I was quite sure this book would be a 4.25 stars read.
But the second half changed tone to some extent. The plot started feeling dragged, and the humour turned from consistently intelligent to sporadic and farfetched, making the reading journey a bit tedious. The ending and the epilogue helped somewhat, but the magic of the first half was mostly missing in the rest of the book. The eponymous Sushing Prize doesn’t even come up until almost the final quarter; the title is thus a bit misleading.
Just because the content is funny doesn’t mean that the book is a cushy read throughout. There are a couple of gruesome scenes that, though tackled lightly, are still a bit too brutal. There is also racism and misogyny, but both of these are tackled in a mostly satirical fashion, poking fun at how typical thrillers incorporate such stuff without qualms. I loved how the book made me question my own ingrained bias, when I jumped to conclusions about the gender of a character based on their career and was happy to be proven wrong.
Marco Ocram admits in the book that he isn't a great writer and that his plots often have non sequiturs and repetitions and loopholes. So whatever can be pointed out as a flaw of the plot can also be considered a genius writing move, the writer-of-the-book’s way of confirming the writer-in-the-book’s shortcomings. (I don’t even know if that sentence makes sense! 🤭)
All in all, this is the stupidest book I've ever read, and I had quite a jolly time reading it! Most of my friends know that I dearly love logic, so it was quite challenging for me to throw all rules of logic aside while reading this wacky indie novel. But I think I managed to do so to a great extent, thanks to the clear hints in the book blurb and the author’s bio. (The plot contains an Easter egg about the author's actual identity. Smart!)
Suspension of disbelief is anyway something most thriller readers these days are accustomed to doing. However, this isn't an ordinary thriller but a satirical thriller – it requires suspension of disbelief for the entire ride. Basically, when you read the utterly and unbelievably ridiculous events of this book, you will say “What nonsense” either while rolling your eyes or while bursting into laughter. No matter what, you will say “What nonsense!” The whole book is nonsensical! 😅
Recommended to those who would enjoy a parody crime thriller that breaks not just the fourth wall but every conceivable wall of logic and writing. Despite the dip in the second half, this is still a fun book and quite clever too, all the more if you remember that it is a debut work. Put away your thinking caps and enjoy the ride.
3.75 stars.
My thanks to Zooloo’s Book Tours, Tiny Fox Press LLC, and author Marco Ocram for a complimentary digital ARC of 'The Awful Truth About The Sushing Prize'. This review is voluntary and contains my honest opinion about the book.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Connect with me through:
My Blog || The StoryGraph || Instagram || Threads || X/Twitter || Facebook ||
June 17, 2020
The Awful Truth About The Shushing Prize is unique, quirky, and entertaining. The main character is Marco Ocram, a writer, who is writing himself into his own novel. Also note, Marco Ocram is also the real author of this novel. Usually a big no-no to write yourself into a novel and this concept could be really confusing, but Marco Ocram pulls it off, brilliantly.
What’s really fun about this novel is that there is all the expected dialogue and action that you would see in a crime novel, but also, Marco Ocram rides the line of cliché intentionally, which I loved. It’s sly and witty, with a plot twist you’re not going to expect.
I really enjoyed this one. You need to give it a few chapters and remember that this is an unique concept, so it’ll take some adjusting. Once adjusted though, I flew through The Awful Truth About the Sushing Prize. I definitely recommend giving it a go.
*I received a free copy of this book from damppebbles blog tours in exchange for an honest review during the blog tour. All opinions are my own and unbiased.*
What’s really fun about this novel is that there is all the expected dialogue and action that you would see in a crime novel, but also, Marco Ocram rides the line of cliché intentionally, which I loved. It’s sly and witty, with a plot twist you’re not going to expect.
I really enjoyed this one. You need to give it a few chapters and remember that this is an unique concept, so it’ll take some adjusting. Once adjusted though, I flew through The Awful Truth About the Sushing Prize. I definitely recommend giving it a go.
*I received a free copy of this book from damppebbles blog tours in exchange for an honest review during the blog tour. All opinions are my own and unbiased.*
May 1, 2019
There is a technique in theater known as "breaking the fourth wall" in which the actors expose themselves to the audience. In The Awful Truth About The Sushing Prize, author Marco Ocram-not only breaks the fourth wall, but fifth and sixth, and any other wall foolish enough to stand in the way of this sledgehammer of a writer.
A protégé of literary giant Herbert Quarry, Ocram adheres to Quarry’s path-of-least-resistance school of belles-lettres: write whatever comes into your head and pray. For in Quarry’s much-quoted words: “The moving hand once having writ moves on. Nor all thy piety nor wit can lure it back to cancel half a line.” Admittedly, some of our best-selling authors adhere to the Quarry method, but Ocram is the first to submerge the reader in the process.
In The Awful Truth, Ocram takes us from the first to last page (beyond the last page actually) of a police procedural/crime thriller in which the author and Como Galahad, the giant, black police chief of Clarkesville, investigate a crime in which every trope of the genre becomes putty in the author’s hand, reshaped into fiendishly clever send-ups: Black Range Rovers with tinted widows, Latex masks (see Tom Cruise), swarthy Bulgarians, the Bronx mom, gorgeous pathologists, black Monte Carlos, CERN, decapitations, gorgeous receptionists, Rolexes, private jets, baffling murders, political corruption, cavernous warehouses and missing dental records--all fuel Ocram's bonfire.
The Awful Truth is endlessly clever, on the mark with its targets and simply funny. My favorite scenes include Ocram meeting the Pope, the deciphering of computer code and Ocram on trial for murder (the courtroom scene turned on its head). If occasionally a joke doesn't work, it's probably a setup for a later one that will pay off in spades.
The Awful Truth is also a novel about the writing process, and as such it has enormous fun with literary terms, writing strategies and the publishing industry itself. Ocram's updates from his agent Barney ("Hey, Markie babeeeey!) are uproarious.
There were times when the intensity of language combined with self-reference reminded me of Flann O’Brien’s At Swim-Two-Birds. There is also a serious discussion waiting onThe Awful Truth's author, implied author, narrator, narratee, implied reader, reader, implied critic critic, implied used book seller, used book seller. That discussion may wait quite awhile.
A protégé of literary giant Herbert Quarry, Ocram adheres to Quarry’s path-of-least-resistance school of belles-lettres: write whatever comes into your head and pray. For in Quarry’s much-quoted words: “The moving hand once having writ moves on. Nor all thy piety nor wit can lure it back to cancel half a line.” Admittedly, some of our best-selling authors adhere to the Quarry method, but Ocram is the first to submerge the reader in the process.
In The Awful Truth, Ocram takes us from the first to last page (beyond the last page actually) of a police procedural/crime thriller in which the author and Como Galahad, the giant, black police chief of Clarkesville, investigate a crime in which every trope of the genre becomes putty in the author’s hand, reshaped into fiendishly clever send-ups: Black Range Rovers with tinted widows, Latex masks (see Tom Cruise), swarthy Bulgarians, the Bronx mom, gorgeous pathologists, black Monte Carlos, CERN, decapitations, gorgeous receptionists, Rolexes, private jets, baffling murders, political corruption, cavernous warehouses and missing dental records--all fuel Ocram's bonfire.
The Awful Truth is endlessly clever, on the mark with its targets and simply funny. My favorite scenes include Ocram meeting the Pope, the deciphering of computer code and Ocram on trial for murder (the courtroom scene turned on its head). If occasionally a joke doesn't work, it's probably a setup for a later one that will pay off in spades.
The Awful Truth is also a novel about the writing process, and as such it has enormous fun with literary terms, writing strategies and the publishing industry itself. Ocram's updates from his agent Barney ("Hey, Markie babeeeey!) are uproarious.
There were times when the intensity of language combined with self-reference reminded me of Flann O’Brien’s At Swim-Two-Birds. There is also a serious discussion waiting onThe Awful Truth's author, implied author, narrator, narratee, implied reader, reader, implied critic critic, implied used book seller, used book seller. That discussion may wait quite awhile.
June 4, 2019
This was a book that was unlike any book I have ever read before. For the first 52% of the book, this was the FUNNIEST book I have ever read. More than one person had their lunch disrupted by my guffawing at the top of my lungs. This part of the book harkened me back to the days of Monty Python and Police Squad. So outstandingly original and ridiculous, I couldn't read a sentence without a chuckle.
Then the book changed. The last 48% was pretty much a pot boiler whodunnit mystery with intense drama and action that totally took away the humor that was rife in the first half. The drama was a decent read but hard to follow at times and the author seemed to not be willing to take it to the sublimely funny level and let it roll along as a crime book.
The first 52% is, in my view, worth 1 million stars. The other 48% was worth, I think, 3 stars. I believe when taken together, it is a 4-star book that leaves this reader wondering just how amazing it could have been if the silly humor had just carried on.
Disclaimer: I received a copy from the publisher in the hopes I’d review it.
My Rating: 4 stars
Reviewed by: Mr. N
This review first appeared: https://www.nnlightsbookheaven.com/si...
Then the book changed. The last 48% was pretty much a pot boiler whodunnit mystery with intense drama and action that totally took away the humor that was rife in the first half. The drama was a decent read but hard to follow at times and the author seemed to not be willing to take it to the sublimely funny level and let it roll along as a crime book.
The first 52% is, in my view, worth 1 million stars. The other 48% was worth, I think, 3 stars. I believe when taken together, it is a 4-star book that leaves this reader wondering just how amazing it could have been if the silly humor had just carried on.
Disclaimer: I received a copy from the publisher in the hopes I’d review it.
My Rating: 4 stars
Reviewed by: Mr. N
This review first appeared: https://www.nnlightsbookheaven.com/si...
June 23, 2019
As this book's author, I review it here not to promote but to describe it, to allow that interpretive abstraction, the reader, to decide whether to try it.
The Awful Truth about The Sushing Prize is not your usual novel. It sets out to break, disregard, misconstrue, undermine, and, yes I’ll admit it, lampoon the rules we’re taught about how books are supposed to be written.
The first person narrative is that of its awful author, Marco, who is writing the book in real-time while simultaneously existing in it as his self-written protagonist. The point of view shifts continually between Marco the character in the thick of the implausible action and Marco the Writer, contemplating the lot of the author or rueing his self-written tribulations. Technically it is highly self-reflexive, pseudo-aleatory meta-fiction, and it will seem cleverly iconoclastic or mindless drivel, depending upon your taste in such matters.
Marco has two golden rules that set him apart from his colleagues in the mainstream. One is he always writes the first thing that comes into his head—there’s none of that ‘plotting’ nonsense. The other is that he never revises a word—editing is for cheats in Marco’s book. The perceptive and intelligent will realise at once that this is a metaphor for life, in which we, its victims, can’t determine the path ahead or revise the steps we have already taken.
The book being written in Marco's muddled mind is a thriller—a true-crime memoir from his perspective. Detailed tests with finely calibrated reading instruments have shown it to contain no fewer than 13 illogical plot twists, and only traces of character development. Red herrings and loose ends are present at dangerous levels, while the author-cum-protagonist is at times completely outsmarted by his own characters.
Irreverence can be detected at abnormally high concentrations throughout. At least 83% of the established conventions of fiction are violated. The pace measures high to very high on the Paige-Turner scale. There is not a single page which is not marred by jokes, word-play, bizarre twists, or other blatant techniques for distracting the entertained reader from the absence of high literary purpose.
Even the most rigorous examination could find no evidence of research by the author, with less than 0.03% of the work being factually accurate. Descriptions are sketchy and indeterminate, forcing the reader to imagine the unfurnished details. There are 43 occurrences of swearing, and no sexual references or innuendo.
The jokes range from the esoteric to the puerile, some guaranteed to go over or under the poor reader’s head.
According to its publisher’s website, the book is the first in a series of at least three ‘Awful Truth’ adventures featuring the following characters:
Marco Ocram, a publishing legend of unknown age and appearance (and below average intelligence), who has accidentally written the world’s fastest selling book.
Como Galahad, Chief of the Clarkesville County Police Department, believed to be of Afro-Caribbean antecedents, seven feet tall and some 350 pounds.
Marco’s Bronx mom, whose obsessions are baking and matching Marco with any of her friends’ daughters.
Barney, Marco’s unscrupulous agent.
Herbert Quarry, a controversial literary theorist who has introduced Marco to a new approach to fiction, in which the author must always write without thinking, a technique to which Marco is naturally suited.
Flora Moron, sorry, Moran, the icily professional Clarkesville County Chief Pathologist.
The Mayor, the Mayor.
Professor Sushing, the billionaire polymath.
Incidental characters include a Pope, various stars of movies and music, and a certain serving US president who must remain nameless for legal reasons.
The ‘plot’ of each book sees Marco work hand-out-of-glove with Como to investigate a crime that develops into an incredible conspiracy, always ending with the duo escaping certain death only through an utterly implausible denouement written in bewildered desperation by Marco.
From the foregoing, you will not be surprised to learn that the book has no comparable titles.
In conclusion, if you like your fiction served the conventional way, with a logical plot and side orders of character development, don’t go anywhere near this book. On the other hand, if you enjoy cerebral fun and games for the sake of it, appreciate satire, or just fancy something different, give it a go. If you do, I hope you get as much fun from reading it as I did from writing it.
The Awful Truth about The Sushing Prize is not your usual novel. It sets out to break, disregard, misconstrue, undermine, and, yes I’ll admit it, lampoon the rules we’re taught about how books are supposed to be written.
The first person narrative is that of its awful author, Marco, who is writing the book in real-time while simultaneously existing in it as his self-written protagonist. The point of view shifts continually between Marco the character in the thick of the implausible action and Marco the Writer, contemplating the lot of the author or rueing his self-written tribulations. Technically it is highly self-reflexive, pseudo-aleatory meta-fiction, and it will seem cleverly iconoclastic or mindless drivel, depending upon your taste in such matters.
Marco has two golden rules that set him apart from his colleagues in the mainstream. One is he always writes the first thing that comes into his head—there’s none of that ‘plotting’ nonsense. The other is that he never revises a word—editing is for cheats in Marco’s book. The perceptive and intelligent will realise at once that this is a metaphor for life, in which we, its victims, can’t determine the path ahead or revise the steps we have already taken.
The book being written in Marco's muddled mind is a thriller—a true-crime memoir from his perspective. Detailed tests with finely calibrated reading instruments have shown it to contain no fewer than 13 illogical plot twists, and only traces of character development. Red herrings and loose ends are present at dangerous levels, while the author-cum-protagonist is at times completely outsmarted by his own characters.
Irreverence can be detected at abnormally high concentrations throughout. At least 83% of the established conventions of fiction are violated. The pace measures high to very high on the Paige-Turner scale. There is not a single page which is not marred by jokes, word-play, bizarre twists, or other blatant techniques for distracting the entertained reader from the absence of high literary purpose.
Even the most rigorous examination could find no evidence of research by the author, with less than 0.03% of the work being factually accurate. Descriptions are sketchy and indeterminate, forcing the reader to imagine the unfurnished details. There are 43 occurrences of swearing, and no sexual references or innuendo.
The jokes range from the esoteric to the puerile, some guaranteed to go over or under the poor reader’s head.
According to its publisher’s website, the book is the first in a series of at least three ‘Awful Truth’ adventures featuring the following characters:
Marco Ocram, a publishing legend of unknown age and appearance (and below average intelligence), who has accidentally written the world’s fastest selling book.
Como Galahad, Chief of the Clarkesville County Police Department, believed to be of Afro-Caribbean antecedents, seven feet tall and some 350 pounds.
Marco’s Bronx mom, whose obsessions are baking and matching Marco with any of her friends’ daughters.
Barney, Marco’s unscrupulous agent.
Herbert Quarry, a controversial literary theorist who has introduced Marco to a new approach to fiction, in which the author must always write without thinking, a technique to which Marco is naturally suited.
Flora Moron, sorry, Moran, the icily professional Clarkesville County Chief Pathologist.
The Mayor, the Mayor.
Professor Sushing, the billionaire polymath.
Incidental characters include a Pope, various stars of movies and music, and a certain serving US president who must remain nameless for legal reasons.
The ‘plot’ of each book sees Marco work hand-out-of-glove with Como to investigate a crime that develops into an incredible conspiracy, always ending with the duo escaping certain death only through an utterly implausible denouement written in bewildered desperation by Marco.
From the foregoing, you will not be surprised to learn that the book has no comparable titles.
In conclusion, if you like your fiction served the conventional way, with a logical plot and side orders of character development, don’t go anywhere near this book. On the other hand, if you enjoy cerebral fun and games for the sake of it, appreciate satire, or just fancy something different, give it a go. If you do, I hope you get as much fun from reading it as I did from writing it.
July 5, 2019
*I received a free ARC of this book, with thanks to the author, NetGalley and Tiny Fox Press. The decision to review and my opinions are my own.*
This has to go down as my most highlighted ebook to date! Nearly every page brought another tongue-in-cheek spoof of writing, reading, fiction in general, or crime fiction in particular.
I just haven’t read another book quite like it!
The story follows Marco Ocram, bad writer and something of an idiot all round, as he writes his own crime adventure while it occurs. Every word of the story pops from Marco’s addled brain and into reality, via the filter of the words we read on the page. It’s unbelievably meta and incredibly good fun.
Starting with a new television and a squished body, Marco drags his reluctant hero (who he believes to be a sidekick) Como along for a romp through the tropes and clichés of crime fiction, framed utterly anew by the unique style of delivery.
There are innumerable media and cultural references: Marco Ocram is basically standing in front of the Fourth Wall nodding, winking and mouthing ‘Ha ha, look!’ periodically at the reader. I think I could reread the book multiple times and still find new gems.
Whilst seemingly unlikable with few redeeming features, Marco actually quickly endeared himself to me as he bumbled from one ridiculous situation to the next, solemnly pointing out every plot hole and linguistic flaw but pushing determinedly onward in the blind belief that somehow it will all turn out okay if he just keeps on writing.
In my opinion, regardless of the outcome of the case, it did!
I would recommend this to fans of Castle, Robert Rankin’s Lazlo Woodbine and pretty much any self-aware humorous fiction. I can’t wait for the next book…! (5th August 2019).
I hadn’t forgotten. In my last book, I’d wanted to play the bad cop in the ‘good cop, bad cop’ routine when we interviewed one of the baddies, but Como pointed out that I was a writer, not a cop, so we ended up doing the ‘good cop, bad writer’ routine, with me as the bad writer, which had caused no end of cheap jokes at my expense. You don’t forget a thing like that easily.
– Marco Ocram, The Awful Truth About the Sushing Prize
Review by Steph Warren of Bookshine and Readbows blog
https://bookshineandreadbows.wordpres...
This has to go down as my most highlighted ebook to date! Nearly every page brought another tongue-in-cheek spoof of writing, reading, fiction in general, or crime fiction in particular.
I just haven’t read another book quite like it!
The story follows Marco Ocram, bad writer and something of an idiot all round, as he writes his own crime adventure while it occurs. Every word of the story pops from Marco’s addled brain and into reality, via the filter of the words we read on the page. It’s unbelievably meta and incredibly good fun.
Starting with a new television and a squished body, Marco drags his reluctant hero (who he believes to be a sidekick) Como along for a romp through the tropes and clichés of crime fiction, framed utterly anew by the unique style of delivery.
There are innumerable media and cultural references: Marco Ocram is basically standing in front of the Fourth Wall nodding, winking and mouthing ‘Ha ha, look!’ periodically at the reader. I think I could reread the book multiple times and still find new gems.
Whilst seemingly unlikable with few redeeming features, Marco actually quickly endeared himself to me as he bumbled from one ridiculous situation to the next, solemnly pointing out every plot hole and linguistic flaw but pushing determinedly onward in the blind belief that somehow it will all turn out okay if he just keeps on writing.
In my opinion, regardless of the outcome of the case, it did!
I would recommend this to fans of Castle, Robert Rankin’s Lazlo Woodbine and pretty much any self-aware humorous fiction. I can’t wait for the next book…! (5th August 2019).
I hadn’t forgotten. In my last book, I’d wanted to play the bad cop in the ‘good cop, bad cop’ routine when we interviewed one of the baddies, but Como pointed out that I was a writer, not a cop, so we ended up doing the ‘good cop, bad writer’ routine, with me as the bad writer, which had caused no end of cheap jokes at my expense. You don’t forget a thing like that easily.
– Marco Ocram, The Awful Truth About the Sushing Prize
Review by Steph Warren of Bookshine and Readbows blog
https://bookshineandreadbows.wordpres...
May 13, 2019
What a wonderful surprise of a book! After self-publishing my own novels and hoping to find some readers packing positive reviews, I’m doing my own part in reading works by other Indie Authors.
THE AWFUL TRUTH ABOUT THE SUSHING PRIZE by Denis Shaughnessy is an absurd, irreverent, 4th-wall-breaking crime thriller.
SYNOPSIS:
Writer Marco Ocram has a secret superpower—whatever he writes actually happens, there and then. Hoping to win the million-dollar Sushing Prize, he uses his powers to write a true-crime thriller, quickly discovering a freakish murder. But Marco has a major problem—he's a total idiot who can't see beyond his next sentence. Losing control of his plot and his characters, and breaking all the rules of fiction, Marco writes himself into every kind of trouble, until only the world's most incredible ending can save his bacon.
There’s a good mix of zaniness and police procedure, though I can see how this novel might get on a reader’s nerves, with the constant reminders that out protagonist is literally making this story up as he goes along. Some readers, maybe. But this all just worked for me. I found it totally original.
A left-field comparison might be that of The Big Lebowski, with an protagonist who has no clue and is aimlessly following leads all over town.
The book becomes noticeably less funny in some chapters around the half-way and 3/4 points, but its memorable moments quickly make you forget about any lulls. Moments like the CERN backstory development (where the MC makes up a backstory for himself on-the-spot in order to solve a current dilemma), the Pope scene (yes, he knows the Pope of course!), and the Tom Cruise bit (so good!) were genius.
The novel reads very British. I know it takes place in America, by way of which I’m assuming the MC is also American, but there are just enough British-isms (tyres, manoeuvered, lavvy, S’s instead of Z’s, etc) to make it feel….off.
Overall, this is an impressive debut; one where I sometimes forgot this was Shaughnessy's first novel, and that the book was not already a best-selling hit.
THE AWFUL TRUTH ABOUT THE SUSHING PRIZE by Denis Shaughnessy is an absurd, irreverent, 4th-wall-breaking crime thriller.
SYNOPSIS:
Writer Marco Ocram has a secret superpower—whatever he writes actually happens, there and then. Hoping to win the million-dollar Sushing Prize, he uses his powers to write a true-crime thriller, quickly discovering a freakish murder. But Marco has a major problem—he's a total idiot who can't see beyond his next sentence. Losing control of his plot and his characters, and breaking all the rules of fiction, Marco writes himself into every kind of trouble, until only the world's most incredible ending can save his bacon.
There’s a good mix of zaniness and police procedure, though I can see how this novel might get on a reader’s nerves, with the constant reminders that out protagonist is literally making this story up as he goes along. Some readers, maybe. But this all just worked for me. I found it totally original.
A left-field comparison might be that of The Big Lebowski, with an protagonist who has no clue and is aimlessly following leads all over town.
The book becomes noticeably less funny in some chapters around the half-way and 3/4 points, but its memorable moments quickly make you forget about any lulls. Moments like the CERN backstory development (where the MC makes up a backstory for himself on-the-spot in order to solve a current dilemma), the Pope scene (yes, he knows the Pope of course!), and the Tom Cruise bit (so good!) were genius.
The novel reads very British. I know it takes place in America, by way of which I’m assuming the MC is also American, but there are just enough British-isms (tyres, manoeuvered, lavvy, S’s instead of Z’s, etc) to make it feel….off.
Overall, this is an impressive debut; one where I sometimes forgot this was Shaughnessy's first novel, and that the book was not already a best-selling hit.
May 22, 2019
I accepted an advance copy in exchange for a fair review. I can see why some people might not like this book. It is very strange. I haven't read another book like it. It pokes fun at a lot of things, but it is very funny. Some of the set-pieces other reviewers have mentioned are especially good. Some of the humour is laugh-aloud, but some is more clever than funny. There is an example near the end where the villain acuses the MC (who is the author btw) of using certain figures of speech too much, and then does things that make the MC use even more of those figures of speech. There is a lot of wordplay. I think it is a book that puts comedy and cleverness first, which I happened to like, but if you read it expecting it to be a normal book you might not like it. The characters are very cartoonish but funny. The conversations between the MC and his sidekick (who is a giant black police chief in an imaginary town) are strangely believable given that the book is nonsense really. Recommended if you like surreal humour.
October 18, 2019
This book is like getting into a writers head and how difficult it is to write a crime thriller. You can follow Marco’s questions, tribulations, and reflections about his writing and his characters. It’s funny how Marco’s writing materializes and he can see right there that a plot twist is lame. He follows his mentors advice of writing the next thing that comes into his head. Here is an example:
“He was write, sorry, right, of course. As the writer, I carried the burden of the plot; I couldn’t offload it to one of my characters. I stared at his uncaring profile as he munched nuts in anticipation of the game. OK buster—have it your way. But if I have to invent the plot all by myself don’t blame me for what happens. “
At the same time there is also the mystery Marco is writing that turns into reality.
If you enjoy writing and mysteries you will love this book.
“He was write, sorry, right, of course. As the writer, I carried the burden of the plot; I couldn’t offload it to one of my characters. I stared at his uncaring profile as he munched nuts in anticipation of the game. OK buster—have it your way. But if I have to invent the plot all by myself don’t blame me for what happens. “
At the same time there is also the mystery Marco is writing that turns into reality.
If you enjoy writing and mysteries you will love this book.
June 19, 2019
Once you start reading and realise that the book is being written as you 'read' you go along with the ride! It was making me laugh out loud on the tube (yes I am one of those crazies!) - it was very funny and 'out there'! I cannot wait for the next instalment (not released until August) - I think it may have helped that I have read some of the books alluded to... but I thoroughly enjoyed this as it was different from most crime novels and comedy novels I have read in the past.
June 2, 2019
I received an ARC of this book and this is a voluntary and honest review.
First off, I have not heard of this author before. Because the author's name is a palindrome I would consider the name to be either a pseudonym or maybe the writer just doesn't want his/her neighbours to find out that he/she writes such wacky literature.
You may have noticed I said 'wacky'. Well, this certainly is. It took me a dozen or more pages to figure out that the book is being written in the present tense with both author and character being the same person and being involved in the action. I can't recall ever reading a book in this manner before. As well, because of this writing mode, he/she pretty well writes the story as he /she goes along and uses this to extricate him/herself from any predicament presenting itself. (I've heard it might be known as 'breaking the fourth wall'.)
There is definitely an overuse/repetition of particular phrases, even though he/she claims to be avoiding same or word padding, such as Range Rover with tinted window, mam in Bronx, a previous book publication (which I have been unable to locate anywhere) etc.
Because there is only a fictitious background regarding the author, I am not exactly sure of the nationality. The book story location is USA, but the style and storyline tends me to sway towards Irish/British i.e. Monty Python, The Hitchhiker's Guide To The Galaxy etc.
Overall, probably a 3.5-stars, but let's round it up to 4-stars. A recommended read.
First off, I have not heard of this author before. Because the author's name is a palindrome I would consider the name to be either a pseudonym or maybe the writer just doesn't want his/her neighbours to find out that he/she writes such wacky literature.
You may have noticed I said 'wacky'. Well, this certainly is. It took me a dozen or more pages to figure out that the book is being written in the present tense with both author and character being the same person and being involved in the action. I can't recall ever reading a book in this manner before. As well, because of this writing mode, he/she pretty well writes the story as he /she goes along and uses this to extricate him/herself from any predicament presenting itself. (I've heard it might be known as 'breaking the fourth wall'.)
There is definitely an overuse/repetition of particular phrases, even though he/she claims to be avoiding same or word padding, such as Range Rover with tinted window, mam in Bronx, a previous book publication (which I have been unable to locate anywhere) etc.
Because there is only a fictitious background regarding the author, I am not exactly sure of the nationality. The book story location is USA, but the style and storyline tends me to sway towards Irish/British i.e. Monty Python, The Hitchhiker's Guide To The Galaxy etc.
Overall, probably a 3.5-stars, but let's round it up to 4-stars. A recommended read.
June 5, 2019
Funny, creative, and weird mystery. This won't be for everyone (that wants a funny read), but the author is very talented. If you're seeking something different, you'll probably like this. Recommended.
Thank you to Tiny Fox Press and NetGalley for the ARC!!
Thank you to Tiny Fox Press and NetGalley for the ARC!!
June 11, 2019
Author Marco Ocram has a secret superpower—whatever he writes actually happens, there and then. So he decides to write about a crime in attempts to win the million dollar sushing prize. Problem is that Marco doesn't 'stay on track' with his story or characters, this causes all kinds of problems for him. I voluntarily reviewed this book from Hidden Gems.
April 8, 2019
I read a review copy of this book as a beta reader. I don’t normally do comedy, but I loved this book. It has a really weird feel, because the main character, Marco, seems to be writing it as he goes along, and he writes whatever comes into his head, which is like a mix of a thriller and some pretty crazy stuff. He gets confused about Panama and Venice (gondolas on the Panama Canal), he gives the Pope advice on writing a thriller, he wears a Tom Cruise mask to wheedle information out of someone who’s a big TC fan, and it all goes horribly wrong—just nuts. Some of the comedy is f* brilliant. Marco has a kind of side-kick, Como Galahad, who’s the local police chief, and Como’s trying to solve the crazy case Marco’s writing, while Marco’s trying to spin it out longer and longer to fill the book. The arguments between Como and Marco are surreal because Como’s invented by Marco and should do what he’s told, but he doesn’t. It’s not like Douglas Adams, but it’s just as weird in its own way. None of it makes any sense but it’s incredibly entertaining. There were some bits I didn’t get, but I thought it was awesome overall. Totally recommend!
January 30, 2020
Where do I start? Oh yeah. Points of view? Or... Point of views? Good question(s). As another famous author once said: 'It's all just a matter of perspective.' He wasn't quite as famous as Mr Ocram, and neither did he possess the ability to instantaneously 'think write'... act, but the quote is particularly apt.
This brilliantly written book has tiny veins of hilarity marbled entirely throughout its pages, and only the very observant, or the completely insane, will pick up on all of them. (I can't confirm, as I honestly don't know if I did or not!) It also has the advantage of being the first Kindle based story with its own tinted glass. Buy it, then you'll know!
I have never awarded five stars for a book before, and some will argue that it has to be perfect to merit such an award. I present my case. Find me a book even remotely similar, then we'll be able to compare. Not just unique... but, brilliantly so!
This brilliantly written book has tiny veins of hilarity marbled entirely throughout its pages, and only the very observant, or the completely insane, will pick up on all of them. (I can't confirm, as I honestly don't know if I did or not!) It also has the advantage of being the first Kindle based story with its own tinted glass. Buy it, then you'll know!
I have never awarded five stars for a book before, and some will argue that it has to be perfect to merit such an award. I present my case. Find me a book even remotely similar, then we'll be able to compare. Not just unique... but, brilliantly so!
April 7, 2019
This was a very different mystery. I almost said "cozy mystery," but I am not sure that is quite right. The biggest difference is that the author broke the 4th wall, right away, and does so repeatedly, throughout the book. It is as if he is winking at us and saying, "look what I just wrote." I cannot recall ever reading another book where this has been done. Here, it is sometimes amusing and sometimes annoying. It is always different. I will remember THAT about this book, more than anything to do with the actual storyline, which was just so-so.
July 8, 2019
A currently fashionable storytelling device in television and film is for characters, usually while remaining in character, to directly address the audience, often referred to as breaking the fourth wall. In literature, however, this device is distinctly less common because it has the potential to be enormously confusing for a reader.
But not so in this unusual and highly entertaining novel in which the main character—a writer—is writing himself into his own novel while simultaneously deliberating on the merits of his own writing. Sound dizzying? In lesser hands it certainly could be but Ocram pulls it off with clever and enviable aplomb.
The Awful Truth about the Sushing Prize has two comingled plotlines. One focuses on the character of mega-best-selling celebrity author, Marco Ocram, as he writes the second plotline—think of it like live-action real-time genre-fiction writing—while musing on the unimpressive state of contemporary literature and the publishing industry. Occasionally, the author Ocram is interrupted, both in his writing and his participation in his own plot, by a call from his long-suffering mother or his rapacious agent.
The second plotline—that the fictional author Ocram (who, make note, is also the “real” author of The Awful Truth About the Sushing Prize) is writing and in which he is embedded as a character—is a formulaic police caper with the expected cast of murderous, duplicitous and conniving characters, drawn largely from a publishing world that deeply envies Ocram’s literary success. As he writes, his characters’ words and actions become real.
The comingled storylines race along, with all the expected hardboiled dialogue and action, skirting intentionally close to cliché but then surprising the reader with a fresh plot twist, a sly, self-deprecating swipe at genre fiction or a skewering of a well-known (real) celebrity author.
I’ll admit, for the first few chapters, I was a bit set off-kilter by the jarring nature of the prose, but after I let myself fall into the rhythm of this style, I was hooked by not only the audaciousness of the approach but also its intelligent execution. I tore through the book to its satisfying conclusion.
The Awful Truth about the Sushing Prize is the rare novel that manages the dual feat of dishing up a highly entertaining potboiler with all the expected (and desired) flourishes while also provoking readers into a consideration of the writing process itself. Further, Ocram executes on this unusual narrative device so seamlessly that the novel ultimately escapes the confines of its own plotlines to become a broader philosophical reflection on the nature of reality itself, diffusing the line between creator and created. Highly recommended.
But not so in this unusual and highly entertaining novel in which the main character—a writer—is writing himself into his own novel while simultaneously deliberating on the merits of his own writing. Sound dizzying? In lesser hands it certainly could be but Ocram pulls it off with clever and enviable aplomb.
The Awful Truth about the Sushing Prize has two comingled plotlines. One focuses on the character of mega-best-selling celebrity author, Marco Ocram, as he writes the second plotline—think of it like live-action real-time genre-fiction writing—while musing on the unimpressive state of contemporary literature and the publishing industry. Occasionally, the author Ocram is interrupted, both in his writing and his participation in his own plot, by a call from his long-suffering mother or his rapacious agent.
The second plotline—that the fictional author Ocram (who, make note, is also the “real” author of The Awful Truth About the Sushing Prize) is writing and in which he is embedded as a character—is a formulaic police caper with the expected cast of murderous, duplicitous and conniving characters, drawn largely from a publishing world that deeply envies Ocram’s literary success. As he writes, his characters’ words and actions become real.
The comingled storylines race along, with all the expected hardboiled dialogue and action, skirting intentionally close to cliché but then surprising the reader with a fresh plot twist, a sly, self-deprecating swipe at genre fiction or a skewering of a well-known (real) celebrity author.
I’ll admit, for the first few chapters, I was a bit set off-kilter by the jarring nature of the prose, but after I let myself fall into the rhythm of this style, I was hooked by not only the audaciousness of the approach but also its intelligent execution. I tore through the book to its satisfying conclusion.
The Awful Truth about the Sushing Prize is the rare novel that manages the dual feat of dishing up a highly entertaining potboiler with all the expected (and desired) flourishes while also provoking readers into a consideration of the writing process itself. Further, Ocram executes on this unusual narrative device so seamlessly that the novel ultimately escapes the confines of its own plotlines to become a broader philosophical reflection on the nature of reality itself, diffusing the line between creator and created. Highly recommended.
March 24, 2020
Ok, read the synopsis of this book again...Now take in what it tells you. Do you understand? Let me try to simplify it for you:
The author is the main character.
He has a superpower.
What he thinks becomes reality.
And, this is how the story is created.
THE AWFUL TRUTH ABOUT THE SUSHING PRIZE is a very unique book. Definitely not like anything I've read before. And, I've got to admit I rather enjoyed it. The whole concept was just that little bit bizarre that I enjoyed it. Let me give you a little example...
"He was write, sorry, right, of course. As the writer, I carried the burden of the plot; I couldn’t offload it to one of my characters. I stared at his uncaring profile as he munched nuts in anticipation of the game. OK buster— have it your way. But if I have to invent the plot all by myself don’t blame me for what happens."
Now do you kind of get the concept? Plus, I love the whole breaking the fourth wall technique of the character talking personally to us the reader. This reminds me of how Miranda Hart does her hilarious "talk to camera" scenes in her sitcom. It brings us the reader into the story and gives us a place within the story.
The plot of the story is a crime/murder mystery. This is my favourite genre, I've read so many I feel I could be a detective. What the author/main character does here is break down the workings of writing a mystery story.
"It was a good point , but too late to be worrying about that now. If you had to do a re-write every time you found a flaw in a plot, you’d never get a book finished."
The humour in this story is right up my street, I found myself laughing along. And, given the current state of the world we all need some light relief right now.
"I sighed and looked through the window at the vast container port. No wonder most crime thrillers were full of unbelievable crap— if you wrote realistically about police procedure you’d bore your readers to death."
When I was reading this story, I kept getting visions of Leslie Nielsen in Naked Gun. That simple comedy yet a masterpiece in making us smile.
Seriously though this book is definitely wacky, crazy and out there. I can see how some people might not appreciate the pure genius that gone into writing this book, but if you want a book thats different then get this. I'll definitely be reading more just purely to cheer me up and delve into the wacky mind of Marco Ocram.
The author is the main character.
He has a superpower.
What he thinks becomes reality.
And, this is how the story is created.
THE AWFUL TRUTH ABOUT THE SUSHING PRIZE is a very unique book. Definitely not like anything I've read before. And, I've got to admit I rather enjoyed it. The whole concept was just that little bit bizarre that I enjoyed it. Let me give you a little example...
"He was write, sorry, right, of course. As the writer, I carried the burden of the plot; I couldn’t offload it to one of my characters. I stared at his uncaring profile as he munched nuts in anticipation of the game. OK buster— have it your way. But if I have to invent the plot all by myself don’t blame me for what happens."
Now do you kind of get the concept? Plus, I love the whole breaking the fourth wall technique of the character talking personally to us the reader. This reminds me of how Miranda Hart does her hilarious "talk to camera" scenes in her sitcom. It brings us the reader into the story and gives us a place within the story.
The plot of the story is a crime/murder mystery. This is my favourite genre, I've read so many I feel I could be a detective. What the author/main character does here is break down the workings of writing a mystery story.
"It was a good point , but too late to be worrying about that now. If you had to do a re-write every time you found a flaw in a plot, you’d never get a book finished."
The humour in this story is right up my street, I found myself laughing along. And, given the current state of the world we all need some light relief right now.
"I sighed and looked through the window at the vast container port. No wonder most crime thrillers were full of unbelievable crap— if you wrote realistically about police procedure you’d bore your readers to death."
When I was reading this story, I kept getting visions of Leslie Nielsen in Naked Gun. That simple comedy yet a masterpiece in making us smile.
Seriously though this book is definitely wacky, crazy and out there. I can see how some people might not appreciate the pure genius that gone into writing this book, but if you want a book thats different then get this. I'll definitely be reading more just purely to cheer me up and delve into the wacky mind of Marco Ocram.
September 10, 2019
This book confused me at first, but the longer and deeper I got into it the more I came to enjoy and appreciate Ocram’s strange tale. I actually laughed out loud at some points.
The book tells a “crime story” of sorts but has the author written into it. The reader shares Ocram’s thoughts as he ponders his next plot twist or kicks himself for writing himself into a corner (“And yet you let me type us straight into ‘a cliched trap.’”).
Along the way he throws in some lit theory (“Do you understand the deconstructive analysis techniques of post-structuralism as first articulated by Derrida and others?”). Okay, I’m an English literature geek and thought it was funny. He also uses some words that sent me to the dictionary—which I actually love in a book. Examples: tetchily and pootled (I’d save you a trip to the dictionary, but as a teacher I know that the learning experience will stay with you longer if you do your own work). And take a look at the author’s name—another fun piece.
Meanwhile, while working with the characters who are trying to solve an international crime that turns out to be very personal, the author—in his “real” life—is dealing with a mother who is trying to marry him off and an agent who’s ripping him off.
This book isn’t for everyone. I know my mother, who inhaled books, would have tossed it aside with a swear or two after a few chapters. But unlike her, I have a sense of humor. I recommend this book to any who like to laugh while trying to solve a crime.
The book tells a “crime story” of sorts but has the author written into it. The reader shares Ocram’s thoughts as he ponders his next plot twist or kicks himself for writing himself into a corner (“And yet you let me type us straight into ‘a cliched trap.’”).
Along the way he throws in some lit theory (“Do you understand the deconstructive analysis techniques of post-structuralism as first articulated by Derrida and others?”). Okay, I’m an English literature geek and thought it was funny. He also uses some words that sent me to the dictionary—which I actually love in a book. Examples: tetchily and pootled (I’d save you a trip to the dictionary, but as a teacher I know that the learning experience will stay with you longer if you do your own work). And take a look at the author’s name—another fun piece.
Meanwhile, while working with the characters who are trying to solve an international crime that turns out to be very personal, the author—in his “real” life—is dealing with a mother who is trying to marry him off and an agent who’s ripping him off.
This book isn’t for everyone. I know my mother, who inhaled books, would have tossed it aside with a swear or two after a few chapters. But unlike her, I have a sense of humor. I recommend this book to any who like to laugh while trying to solve a crime.
October 1, 2019
What a hilarious, entertaining, totally off-the-wall and unique read. It is a mirthful and shrewd parody of The Truth about the Harry Quebert Affair (a phenomenal best seller a few years back); an astute and sly examination of the publishing industry, the writing process and the ‘celebrity’ author and a knowing poke at literary theory and criticism.
The narrative is very distinctive and, as other reviewers have commented, it breaks the fourth wall; that is, the narrator directly addresses the reader. Marco Ocram, the narrator, is a hugely successful author who can write what actually happens next. The reader is therefore faced with a writer asking himself (and the audience) what the next action is going to be. He is literally making things up as the narrative goes along and on a number of occasions, through his bad judgement, he writes himself into some ridiculous and very funny situations.
The, rather unhinged, plot centres on Marco and his buddy, police chief Como Galahad, investigating a murder (a Bulgarian squashed by a shipping container) and the subsequent discovery of warehouses full of millions of editions of a single book. These investigation lead, bizarrely, to meetings with the Pope and Tom Cruise, plus encounters with Bulgarian criminals and the renowned Professor Sushing. Marco frequently loses control of the action and his characters and zany mayhem ensues. The ending is simply priceless in its lampooning of the action/adventure genre.
This book won’t be for everyone but I loved it. The characters are slightly ridiculous but very engaging, the action moves at a breakneck pace and the humour is laugh out loud on numerous occasions. If you want to read something really, really different then I urge you to read The Awful Truth About the Sushing Prize.
Thank you to the real author, Denis Shaughnessy, for a copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.
The narrative is very distinctive and, as other reviewers have commented, it breaks the fourth wall; that is, the narrator directly addresses the reader. Marco Ocram, the narrator, is a hugely successful author who can write what actually happens next. The reader is therefore faced with a writer asking himself (and the audience) what the next action is going to be. He is literally making things up as the narrative goes along and on a number of occasions, through his bad judgement, he writes himself into some ridiculous and very funny situations.
The, rather unhinged, plot centres on Marco and his buddy, police chief Como Galahad, investigating a murder (a Bulgarian squashed by a shipping container) and the subsequent discovery of warehouses full of millions of editions of a single book. These investigation lead, bizarrely, to meetings with the Pope and Tom Cruise, plus encounters with Bulgarian criminals and the renowned Professor Sushing. Marco frequently loses control of the action and his characters and zany mayhem ensues. The ending is simply priceless in its lampooning of the action/adventure genre.
This book won’t be for everyone but I loved it. The characters are slightly ridiculous but very engaging, the action moves at a breakneck pace and the humour is laugh out loud on numerous occasions. If you want to read something really, really different then I urge you to read The Awful Truth About the Sushing Prize.
Thank you to the real author, Denis Shaughnessy, for a copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.
February 18, 2020
The Awful Truth about the Sushing Prize by Marco Ocram (a.k.a. Denis Shaughnessy) is a brilliantly-written crime thriller, “a light spoof,” parodizing not only literary works but also the writing process itself. Ocram writes the first thing that pops into his head and doesn't go back to revise anything he's written – “what was written was written.” This gets him stuck in strange situations, both in writing and in the story, and forces him to use “ludicrous plot twists whenever it suits him” to get himself out of a jam. In the words of Professor Sushing, “This so-called novel is the final gruesome development of Ocram's warped philosophy of literature. It is no less than a catalogue of bizarre and improbable twists from start to end.”
Marco Ocram isn't just the author of The Awful Truth about the Sushing Prize; he is also the narrator of the story as well as the fictional author of The Awful Truth about the Herbert Quarry Affair, “the world's fastest-selling book,” making him a “literary mega-star.” Ocram, who wears his “anorak” and his Rolex watch with his mom's face on the dial, is obsessed with his black Range Rover with tinted windows. He and his friend, Como Galahad, the Chief of Police of Clarkesville County, fight crime – and Marco writes about it. He is writing his book and sharing the process of writing with the reader: metacognitive story-telling. “I wondered if I was […] committing some enormous literary gaffe.” He does whatever he wants with his writing style, switching to movie-script mode to make writing a dialogue easier and changing to present tense to describe an action-packed scene, all the while alerting the reader of the changes. Ocram writes what he knows and lets the reader fill in the blanks when he doesn't. “[...] ignorance had never stopped me from writing about boring things, and I wasn't going to let it now.”
Those with a sense of humor will thoroughly enjoy the book. It's different, original, absurd, entertaining, ridiculous, and hilarious, all at the same time. I loved it. I found myself laughing out loud at various descriptions and situations throughout the book. I highly recommend it. I give it five stars because that's the maximum allowed. I finished this book and immediately bought the author's next book. I'm officially "Ocramized."
Marco Ocram isn't just the author of The Awful Truth about the Sushing Prize; he is also the narrator of the story as well as the fictional author of The Awful Truth about the Herbert Quarry Affair, “the world's fastest-selling book,” making him a “literary mega-star.” Ocram, who wears his “anorak” and his Rolex watch with his mom's face on the dial, is obsessed with his black Range Rover with tinted windows. He and his friend, Como Galahad, the Chief of Police of Clarkesville County, fight crime – and Marco writes about it. He is writing his book and sharing the process of writing with the reader: metacognitive story-telling. “I wondered if I was […] committing some enormous literary gaffe.” He does whatever he wants with his writing style, switching to movie-script mode to make writing a dialogue easier and changing to present tense to describe an action-packed scene, all the while alerting the reader of the changes. Ocram writes what he knows and lets the reader fill in the blanks when he doesn't. “[...] ignorance had never stopped me from writing about boring things, and I wasn't going to let it now.”
Those with a sense of humor will thoroughly enjoy the book. It's different, original, absurd, entertaining, ridiculous, and hilarious, all at the same time. I loved it. I found myself laughing out loud at various descriptions and situations throughout the book. I highly recommend it. I give it five stars because that's the maximum allowed. I finished this book and immediately bought the author's next book. I'm officially "Ocramized."
March 24, 2020
★ ★ ★ 1/2
This originally appeared at The Irresponsible Reader.
---
After compiling last Saturday's Miscellany post, and thinking about this book, I've decided that I really should have read The Truth About the Harry Quebert Affair by Joël Dicker before starting this one. Just what I've gleaned online about this book makes it seem like Denis Shaughnessy Marco Ocram was fairly influenced on it for at least the backstory and a couple of the character names for this present novel. I'm curious about how much more than that I'd have picked up if I'd read Dicker before the palindromic Ocram, but it's not a necessary pre-requisite.
I have, however, read Mark Leyner's Et Tu, Babe, which this novel also reminded me of. I'm pretty sure I haven't come across anything in Crime Fiction that I could compare to Leyner before, so that's saying something.
The Ocram that's the narrator of The Awful Truth About the Sushing Prize, like the protagonist Leyner, is a mega-selling author and celebrity, master of multiple disciplines. One thing that Ocram can do that Leyner couldn't* is he can shape the course of the novel—or a scene he's in the middle of—because he's writing his reality. Which I hope makes sense. (Think of the movie Stranger than Fiction, but Will Ferrell's character is calling the shots).
* As I recall, anyway. It's been a couple of decades since my last re-read.
In an attempt to get out of watching sports with his friend, the Chief of Police Como Galahad, Ocram invents a body down at the port. The two go to investigate and end up in dealing with criminals from around the globe in a scheme that defies reason (but makes a lot of sense when the details are revealed).
Most of the book is truly outlandish and implausible, but it fits this tour of absurdity better than you could imagine.
The weakness of this book comes from its strength and premise, the novel is so clever and adheres so much to the conceit that it gets in the way of telling a good story with some depth to the characters. It's still a decent story with amusing characters—but I think if the writer had pulled back a little from his commitment to the premise it'd be a better novel. Of course, if he had, I'd probably complain about him pulling his punches. So take this with a handful of salt.
The humor is sometimes as subtle as a sledgehammer attacking a watermelon. Then within a sentence or two, something will be slipped in so cleverly that I had to re-read it a couple of times to make sure that what I thought was funny was supposed to be. I generally preferred the latter, but some of the obvious jokes were so well done that I don't want to knock the frequent lack of subtlety. I've gone back to this next line so many times over the last couple of days, and still chuckle at it:
The metafictional aspect of the novel is largely used for humorous ends—although sometimes it's a tool to progress the plot, too. Sure, sometimes it's used for loftier ends (à la Leyner's work), but the emphasis here is for entertainment value. Which saves it from becoming a self-indulgent, pretentious mess rather than being what it is: self-indulgent fun. Here's a few lines (I could produce many more) as illustration:
There are a couple of instances where the author switches from past tense to present because the events being described are so intense. I found myself grinning while reading each time it happened. It's a delightfully inspired choice.
I chuckled, I looked up a couple of words, I wondered about the author's sanity and really enjoyed myself while reading this. Sure, I wanted a little more depth, a little more reason to connect with any of the characters or the story—but I knew I wasn't supposed to. The Awful Truth About the Sushing Prize is an impressive novel, clever and amusing—and if you can embrace the absurdity behind it, you'll be glad you read it (and you'll probably still enjoy it if you don't fully get on board with the absurdity, but you'll have to work harder for it).
My thanks to damppebbles blog tours for the invitation to participate in this tour and the materials (including a copy of the novel) they provided.
This originally appeared at The Irresponsible Reader.
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With notable exceptions—among whom I would include you, my friend—writers are the most egotistical of all humans. The desire to be published is a desire for attention. When one writer draws less attention than another they suffer a humiliating insult to their psychological ego centres.
After compiling last Saturday's Miscellany post, and thinking about this book, I've decided that I really should have read The Truth About the Harry Quebert Affair by Joël Dicker before starting this one. Just what I've gleaned online about this book makes it seem like Denis Shaughnessy Marco Ocram was fairly influenced on it for at least the backstory and a couple of the character names for this present novel. I'm curious about how much more than that I'd have picked up if I'd read Dicker before the palindromic Ocram, but it's not a necessary pre-requisite.
I have, however, read Mark Leyner's Et Tu, Babe, which this novel also reminded me of. I'm pretty sure I haven't come across anything in Crime Fiction that I could compare to Leyner before, so that's saying something.
The Ocram that's the narrator of The Awful Truth About the Sushing Prize, like the protagonist Leyner, is a mega-selling author and celebrity, master of multiple disciplines. One thing that Ocram can do that Leyner couldn't* is he can shape the course of the novel—or a scene he's in the middle of—because he's writing his reality. Which I hope makes sense. (Think of the movie Stranger than Fiction, but Will Ferrell's character is calling the shots).
* As I recall, anyway. It's been a couple of decades since my last re-read.
In an attempt to get out of watching sports with his friend, the Chief of Police Como Galahad, Ocram invents a body down at the port. The two go to investigate and end up in dealing with criminals from around the globe in a scheme that defies reason (but makes a lot of sense when the details are revealed).
Most of the book is truly outlandish and implausible, but it fits this tour of absurdity better than you could imagine.
The weakness of this book comes from its strength and premise, the novel is so clever and adheres so much to the conceit that it gets in the way of telling a good story with some depth to the characters. It's still a decent story with amusing characters—but I think if the writer had pulled back a little from his commitment to the premise it'd be a better novel. Of course, if he had, I'd probably complain about him pulling his punches. So take this with a handful of salt.
"I heard six shots. You didn’t get him with any of them?”
“No, but they think I hit his car.”
“Good shooting. Next time I need to hit a barn door from ten paces I’ll ask you along for advice.”
“It’s easy to be sarcastic, but don’t forget I’ve never used a gun before.”
“That’s true. At least you worked out which was the shooty end. Could have been messy otherwise.
The humor is sometimes as subtle as a sledgehammer attacking a watermelon. Then within a sentence or two, something will be slipped in so cleverly that I had to re-read it a couple of times to make sure that what I thought was funny was supposed to be. I generally preferred the latter, but some of the obvious jokes were so well done that I don't want to knock the frequent lack of subtlety. I've gone back to this next line so many times over the last couple of days, and still chuckle at it:
He’s meant to be one of the most intelligent people in the world. An autodidact too.”
“He can spout as much about cars as he likes...
The metafictional aspect of the novel is largely used for humorous ends—although sometimes it's a tool to progress the plot, too. Sure, sometimes it's used for loftier ends (à la Leyner's work), but the emphasis here is for entertainment value. Which saves it from becoming a self-indulgent, pretentious mess rather than being what it is: self-indulgent fun. Here's a few lines (I could produce many more) as illustration:
Which left the agency driver—just as I’d suspected when I made him up.
It was the oldest plot twist in the book (so far, anyway). I wagged my head at the thought of how predictable it all was.
Back in the car park, I made a convenient continuity error and climbed into my black Range Rover, hoping my readers wouldn’t remember that I’d left it at a burnt-out warehouse three chapters ago.
There are a couple of instances where the author switches from past tense to present because the events being described are so intense. I found myself grinning while reading each time it happened. It's a delightfully inspired choice.
I chuckled, I looked up a couple of words, I wondered about the author's sanity and really enjoyed myself while reading this. Sure, I wanted a little more depth, a little more reason to connect with any of the characters or the story—but I knew I wasn't supposed to. The Awful Truth About the Sushing Prize is an impressive novel, clever and amusing—and if you can embrace the absurdity behind it, you'll be glad you read it (and you'll probably still enjoy it if you don't fully get on board with the absurdity, but you'll have to work harder for it).
My thanks to damppebbles blog tours for the invitation to participate in this tour and the materials (including a copy of the novel) they provided.
October 31, 2019
The Awful Truth about the Sushing Prize focuses on best-selling celebrity author, Marco Ocram, is about to watch the game on the police chief of Clarkesville, Como Galahad’s the giant, large TV.
Ocram is desperate to be back in the limelight. and Instead of watching the game on the chief’s 72-inch TV, Ocram gets his wish, a phone call requesting the duo investigate a murder and he hopes he will receive the recognition he lusts after, after his success with an earlier novel.
The story takes us on a roller coaster in this crime thriller with a few laugh out loud moments.
This is an unusual and highly entertaining novel in which the main character—a writer—is writing himself into his own novel. At first, I was a little confused as to what was happening, but if you feel this way, please just give it a chapter or two, it is worth it!
Ocram is desperate to be back in the limelight. and Instead of watching the game on the chief’s 72-inch TV, Ocram gets his wish, a phone call requesting the duo investigate a murder and he hopes he will receive the recognition he lusts after, after his success with an earlier novel.
The story takes us on a roller coaster in this crime thriller with a few laugh out loud moments.
This is an unusual and highly entertaining novel in which the main character—a writer—is writing himself into his own novel. At first, I was a little confused as to what was happening, but if you feel this way, please just give it a chapter or two, it is worth it!
March 27, 2020
I thought that this book was really good, it was a very different read and I think that made it stand out for me.
It was very tongue in cheek and I thought the plot was well developed and the author did a great job bringing the story to life.
I really appreciated the satire and it was definitely a book that I was not expecting to enjoy as much as I did if I am honest – I couldn’t really tell from the blurb how much fun it would be to read! It is a very promising start to what the author has promised will be a series of books!
It is 4 stars from me for this one, I really enjoyed it and thought that it was a great story –highly recommended and definitely worth giving a go!!
It was very tongue in cheek and I thought the plot was well developed and the author did a great job bringing the story to life.
I really appreciated the satire and it was definitely a book that I was not expecting to enjoy as much as I did if I am honest – I couldn’t really tell from the blurb how much fun it would be to read! It is a very promising start to what the author has promised will be a series of books!
It is 4 stars from me for this one, I really enjoyed it and thought that it was a great story –highly recommended and definitely worth giving a go!!
July 28, 2019
This is a hilariously funny humorous book that has so much more packed into it.
Fabulously engaging characters and an intriguing plot. Highly recommended."
Fabulously engaging characters and an intriguing plot. Highly recommended."
March 20, 2025
This novel is everything I didn’t know I needed in a novel. Totally unique and a little weird (in a good way!) this is probably the most entertaining read I have read in a while if not the most entertaining in general.
The writing is fantastic since it’s like being in Ocram’s mind and experiencing the writing process (we’ve all had moment where we don’t know what we are doing!). It’s so hard to explain how good this is, the way the plot holes are pointed out, how our protagonist isn’t sure what’s going to happen even if he’s in charge. It’s also fantastic in the way that while it has all the makings of a crime novel and you think you know what will come, including tropes and cliches but it’s done in such a way that it’s witty, brilliantly executed and entertaining. I’d say it’s something akin to what the Pythons may have created or you might see in a ‘Carry on Crime’ but at the same time it’s ultimately unique.
For me, who loves a bit of crime and a bit of a quirky this was the perfect fit. It might not be for everyone but I think everyone should give it a go! You won’t be disappointed unless you have little to no sense of humour!
As always thank you to Zooloo’s Book Tours for the copy to review. My review is always honest, truthful and freely given.
#MarcoOcram #TheAwfukTruthAboutTheShushingPrize #BookTour #Review #FreeReview #AdPR #Gifted #BookBlogger #BookHoader #FantasticRead #BookDragon#ZooLoosBookTours #BookTourReview #BookReview #FreeReview #AdPR #Gifted
The writing is fantastic since it’s like being in Ocram’s mind and experiencing the writing process (we’ve all had moment where we don’t know what we are doing!). It’s so hard to explain how good this is, the way the plot holes are pointed out, how our protagonist isn’t sure what’s going to happen even if he’s in charge. It’s also fantastic in the way that while it has all the makings of a crime novel and you think you know what will come, including tropes and cliches but it’s done in such a way that it’s witty, brilliantly executed and entertaining. I’d say it’s something akin to what the Pythons may have created or you might see in a ‘Carry on Crime’ but at the same time it’s ultimately unique.
For me, who loves a bit of crime and a bit of a quirky this was the perfect fit. It might not be for everyone but I think everyone should give it a go! You won’t be disappointed unless you have little to no sense of humour!
As always thank you to Zooloo’s Book Tours for the copy to review. My review is always honest, truthful and freely given.
#MarcoOcram #TheAwfukTruthAboutTheShushingPrize #BookTour #Review #FreeReview #AdPR #Gifted #BookBlogger #BookHoader #FantasticRead #BookDragon#ZooLoosBookTours #BookTourReview #BookReview #FreeReview #AdPR #Gifted
March 28, 2025
Well this is something different & impossible for me to describe the book in a few sentences here! I really enjoyed it at the beginning & loved that the concept was so unusual.
However, I got easily confused from the mid-section on & found I had to re-read parts; full concentration needed with this one! If you're after a quirky, far-fetched, fast-paced, fun book, give this a read!
However, I got easily confused from the mid-section on & found I had to re-read parts; full concentration needed with this one! If you're after a quirky, far-fetched, fast-paced, fun book, give this a read!
March 21, 2025
I've definitely not read anything like this before. It's quirky, far-fetched, and madcap.
The cover made it look a bit like a war novel. Once you've read it, it becomes a bit clearer how the cover relates to it.
It's an interesting premise that the writer is the main character in the book, with a magical writing ability to make whatever he writes come true. I'm sure many will find this interesting.
Theres lots of occasions in which I was just thinking what on earth, how can this possibly get any madder, then it did.
This is the second in a series, and while they seem standalone enough, the first in the series is frequently referred to in this.
I liked the character of Como. He had a dry wit that appealed to me.
The chapters are super short, so it's quick to race your way through it.
The tagine says "when idiots fight crime" and I have to say that this book does that completely.
The cover made it look a bit like a war novel. Once you've read it, it becomes a bit clearer how the cover relates to it.
It's an interesting premise that the writer is the main character in the book, with a magical writing ability to make whatever he writes come true. I'm sure many will find this interesting.
Theres lots of occasions in which I was just thinking what on earth, how can this possibly get any madder, then it did.
This is the second in a series, and while they seem standalone enough, the first in the series is frequently referred to in this.
I liked the character of Como. He had a dry wit that appealed to me.
The chapters are super short, so it's quick to race your way through it.
The tagine says "when idiots fight crime" and I have to say that this book does that completely.
March 18, 2025
Well this is a wild ride. Unlike anything you'd ever read before or will ever read again I imagine ( unless you pick up Marcos other books. )
Marco is the main character and he is writing and making it up as he goes, but you get to see the madness behind the thought process as he does. I love the honesty of accepting sometimes the story is made unbelievable because who wants to read someone going through 8 filing cabinets to look for a file for example.
It was so refreshing and funny. The little quips the random thoughts and the exasperation as characters and plot go off and do their own thing.
It's totally crime, with quite a gruesome murder early doors, which i quite liked.
You cant help but love some of the characters.
A thoroughly enjoyable read. Im glad I got the chance.
Marco is the main character and he is writing and making it up as he goes, but you get to see the madness behind the thought process as he does. I love the honesty of accepting sometimes the story is made unbelievable because who wants to read someone going through 8 filing cabinets to look for a file for example.
It was so refreshing and funny. The little quips the random thoughts and the exasperation as characters and plot go off and do their own thing.
It's totally crime, with quite a gruesome murder early doors, which i quite liked.
You cant help but love some of the characters.
A thoroughly enjoyable read. Im glad I got the chance.
March 21, 2025
The Awful Truth About The Sushing Prize by Marco Ocram.
I did enjoy this book. It was different and unique. I haven't read anything like it before. This is the first book I've read by this author. Como was crazy. I wasn't sure how I felt about Marco. He grew on me. I was surprised by the ending.
I did enjoy this book. It was different and unique. I haven't read anything like it before. This is the first book I've read by this author. Como was crazy. I wasn't sure how I felt about Marco. He grew on me. I was surprised by the ending.
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