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All Apart of The Chaos
In the world of pro wrestling, everything is staged—except Ryder Blakemore's fight to find what's real.
Born into a legendary wrestling family, Ryder Blakemore has always known that selling the illusion is key to success. His entire career has been about making the unbelievable look real, and it's finally paying off. A shot at the FAW Title is within reach, and Ryder is on the brink of the fame he's always dreamed of.
But when his best friend Cole attempts suicide, Ryder's world is thrown off the ropes. Suddenly, the scripted drama of the ring pales in comparison to the real-life battle for Cole's life. As Ryder puts his future on hold to help Cole, he confronts a harsh truth: he's spent years faking it in the ring, but he can't fake his way through this.
Forced to step away from the spotlight, Ryder finds himself in an unfamiliar role: caretaker. As he helps Cole navigate his battle with depression, Ryder begins to see the cracks in the persona he’s spent years crafting. Fame and glory have always been his driving forces, but now he’s faced with a truth he can’t ignore—there’s more to life than just the show.
With the title match fast approaching, Ryder's growing connection with Amira challenges him even further. She sees through his facade, showing him that in love, as in life, there are no shortcuts. Ryder soon realizes that some things can’t be faked, and that true strength comes from facing your toughest battles head-on.
But when Cole's mental health takes a sudden turn for the worse, Ryder is confronted with a heart-wrenching choice: pursue the career-defining title that he's always dreamed of or stay by his friend's side when he's needed most.
In the end, Ryder must decide—what’s more important: the dream he’s chased for years, or the people who’ve always been there for him?
Born into a legendary wrestling family, Ryder Blakemore has always known that selling the illusion is key to success. His entire career has been about making the unbelievable look real, and it's finally paying off. A shot at the FAW Title is within reach, and Ryder is on the brink of the fame he's always dreamed of.
But when his best friend Cole attempts suicide, Ryder's world is thrown off the ropes. Suddenly, the scripted drama of the ring pales in comparison to the real-life battle for Cole's life. As Ryder puts his future on hold to help Cole, he confronts a harsh truth: he's spent years faking it in the ring, but he can't fake his way through this.
Forced to step away from the spotlight, Ryder finds himself in an unfamiliar role: caretaker. As he helps Cole navigate his battle with depression, Ryder begins to see the cracks in the persona he’s spent years crafting. Fame and glory have always been his driving forces, but now he’s faced with a truth he can’t ignore—there’s more to life than just the show.
With the title match fast approaching, Ryder's growing connection with Amira challenges him even further. She sees through his facade, showing him that in love, as in life, there are no shortcuts. Ryder soon realizes that some things can’t be faked, and that true strength comes from facing your toughest battles head-on.
But when Cole's mental health takes a sudden turn for the worse, Ryder is confronted with a heart-wrenching choice: pursue the career-defining title that he's always dreamed of or stay by his friend's side when he's needed most.
In the end, Ryder must decide—what’s more important: the dream he’s chased for years, or the people who’ve always been there for him?
Kindle Edition
Published June 1, 2020
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About the author
Larry T. Griggs
2 books5 followersLarry T. Griggs holds a BFA in English from the University of West Georgia. These bags under his eyes are Gucci. He's the author of many short stories and screenplays. He works as a writing tutor and substitute teacher in his hometown. When he isn't writing or reading he is taking care of the many animals his wife brings home.
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Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews
May 8, 2021
This book kept me addicted from start to finish, it has got some adult moments, the boxing match was great, it is a well written book, and well thought out.
October 14, 2020
Wrestler with a heart.
I want to say unusual but that isn't exactly right. The world of professional wrestling is different but the people involved are just people. Ryder is trying to be a real person not what he sells in the ring. This is a book that I found engrossing and touching.
I want to say unusual but that isn't exactly right. The world of professional wrestling is different but the people involved are just people. Ryder is trying to be a real person not what he sells in the ring. This is a book that I found engrossing and touching.
April 14, 2021
All Apart of the Chaos is a Sports Fiction novel with so much accuracy and heart that I fell in love with everyone and everything about this story.
Born into a tight-knit wrestling family, Ryder is ecstatic when he gets a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity at a shot at the FAW Title. As a wrestler, Ryder lives and dies by the sell, the act of making wrestling look believable to the audience. Armed with his wrestling persona of "Thunderbolt Ryder" and his blue tights, he sets out to cement his legacy as the best wrestler in the world. But not if chaos has anything to say about it. With the title match fast approaching, Ryder meets and quickly forms a bond with Amira. Being fake doesn’t get you anywhere with love and Ryder soon finds out that even in wrestling, you can’t sell the way of the heart.
Starting with characters, Griggs did an amazing job. I loved every character, and all of their flaws. I related to them and rooted for them. Ryder was perfectly portrayed as a man with deep wounds but also perfect at "selling". Additionally his relationships spoke deeply to the man he was or could be. His love interest was sweet and stedfast. She was a nice anchor for such a chaotic lifestyle portrayal. Then there were the fighters. The fun list of Ryder's fellow wrestlers with their multitude of personalities really brought me back to WWE, AEW, NJPW, and every other professional wrestling company. Away from the ring though, they were all real.
I thought the world Griggs presented was very realistic. First, being based in places like grocery stores and common homes, I was able to find grounding. The environments were rich and very easy to see. Then there were unfamiliar locations like professional locker rooms, and fight venues. Without turning to stage directions, Griggs was able to describe and introduce us to these locations effectively.
I enjoyed the very sweet plot of this story. Romance aside, I loved the friendships among the wrestlers and how they supported each other. As a big fan of wrestling, I know that fighters often have long term rivalries and its kinda cool to see the backstage and be reminded that these men and women are actually co-workers and friends. They aren't stalking around, hating each other all day long. This fun glimpse into their world was a big part of the plot and I really enjoyed it.
The biggest theme in this book is change. Basically every main character went through some kind of change and I really think that Griggs nailed the struggles and triumph associated with personal change. Change is really hard and these characters did not go quietly into their change, again adding a layer of development to each character. I especially enjoyed seeing Cole's transformation and he was my favorite character.
Griggs has an easy to read writing style and I was really happy with how well he explained everything with wrestling terminology specifically. You DON'T need to know about wrestling to enjoy this book. There is literally a Glossary and Griggs explains the matches perfectly. He also doesn't over power us with ring talk and saves the deep details for the right time.
I truly enjoyed this book and can't say enough good things about it. I recommend this book for anyone who is interested in being introduced to Sports Fiction as well as readers who are already familiar with the genre. Griggs has done an excellent job guiding us through and reinforcing our love of the sport!
Born into a tight-knit wrestling family, Ryder is ecstatic when he gets a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity at a shot at the FAW Title. As a wrestler, Ryder lives and dies by the sell, the act of making wrestling look believable to the audience. Armed with his wrestling persona of "Thunderbolt Ryder" and his blue tights, he sets out to cement his legacy as the best wrestler in the world. But not if chaos has anything to say about it. With the title match fast approaching, Ryder meets and quickly forms a bond with Amira. Being fake doesn’t get you anywhere with love and Ryder soon finds out that even in wrestling, you can’t sell the way of the heart.
Starting with characters, Griggs did an amazing job. I loved every character, and all of their flaws. I related to them and rooted for them. Ryder was perfectly portrayed as a man with deep wounds but also perfect at "selling". Additionally his relationships spoke deeply to the man he was or could be. His love interest was sweet and stedfast. She was a nice anchor for such a chaotic lifestyle portrayal. Then there were the fighters. The fun list of Ryder's fellow wrestlers with their multitude of personalities really brought me back to WWE, AEW, NJPW, and every other professional wrestling company. Away from the ring though, they were all real.
I thought the world Griggs presented was very realistic. First, being based in places like grocery stores and common homes, I was able to find grounding. The environments were rich and very easy to see. Then there were unfamiliar locations like professional locker rooms, and fight venues. Without turning to stage directions, Griggs was able to describe and introduce us to these locations effectively.
I enjoyed the very sweet plot of this story. Romance aside, I loved the friendships among the wrestlers and how they supported each other. As a big fan of wrestling, I know that fighters often have long term rivalries and its kinda cool to see the backstage and be reminded that these men and women are actually co-workers and friends. They aren't stalking around, hating each other all day long. This fun glimpse into their world was a big part of the plot and I really enjoyed it.
The biggest theme in this book is change. Basically every main character went through some kind of change and I really think that Griggs nailed the struggles and triumph associated with personal change. Change is really hard and these characters did not go quietly into their change, again adding a layer of development to each character. I especially enjoyed seeing Cole's transformation and he was my favorite character.
Griggs has an easy to read writing style and I was really happy with how well he explained everything with wrestling terminology specifically. You DON'T need to know about wrestling to enjoy this book. There is literally a Glossary and Griggs explains the matches perfectly. He also doesn't over power us with ring talk and saves the deep details for the right time.
I truly enjoyed this book and can't say enough good things about it. I recommend this book for anyone who is interested in being introduced to Sports Fiction as well as readers who are already familiar with the genre. Griggs has done an excellent job guiding us through and reinforcing our love of the sport!
September 15, 2022
I've been running the merch table at a local wrestling promotion for years now. So when the author offered me a review copy of this one, I was thrilled to accept!
While I didn't need the help, I did appreciate that the book explains some of the inner-workings of wrestling. It's nothing ground-breaking, mostly what any fan would know. But it makes it a lot easier for people who don't follow wrestling in general. You don't need to be a mark to understand it.
There were some tonal shifts in the story that I couldn't quite understand. The book goes out of it's way to talk about selling, kayfabe, and the like. But then there were moments that were written as if they were shoot (real). Like Ryder getting surprised and upset over heels cutting promos insulting him. Or him genuinely not knowing how the title match was going to end. However, since that's a lot of behind the scenes stuff that's not easy to research, it didn't seem fair to take a star off for it. Also, Devastator as a character archetype is absolutely spot on. In my experience, the "monster heels" make for some of the biggest sweethearts out of the ring.
Hands down my favorite part was the budding relationship between Ryder and Amira. Their chemistry was really well done and I found myself wishing their dynamic was a bigger focus of the story. Although I also enjoyed Ryder's strange friendship with Ian. I liked that it took a major turn on what you were expecting it to be. I got the gist of Ryder as a party dude that didn't know how to not be the party dude and it made for a compelling redemptive arc.
The idea of Cole and his friendship with Ryder had some great ideas, I just wish there was a lot more time spent between the two of them. The themes are incredibly heavy and the big reveal that leads to a major fight needed a lot more time to simmer beforehand. Maybe more mentions of exactly what his marriage to Cassie was like told in a more serious tone.
And that was my biggest issue with the story: length. The copy I had wasn't even 100 pages (although the text was highly dense, so I imagine a more standard spacing would see a much longer book page-wise) and there were so many things going on in an emotional context. Ryder struggling with grief over his mom, a budding relationship, a depressed friend, and a general redemption arc. It was a lot to be happening in such a short period of time. With less time to marinate, the one big scene near the end felt much more melodramatic than it might have otherwise. I would have liked to see the length expanded, or else have other aspects of the story saved for a later book in the trilogy.
Overall, the writing tone was great, the characters lifelike and loveably flawed, and it reads as a love letter to "sports entertainment."
While I didn't need the help, I did appreciate that the book explains some of the inner-workings of wrestling. It's nothing ground-breaking, mostly what any fan would know. But it makes it a lot easier for people who don't follow wrestling in general. You don't need to be a mark to understand it.
There were some tonal shifts in the story that I couldn't quite understand. The book goes out of it's way to talk about selling, kayfabe, and the like. But then there were moments that were written as if they were shoot (real). Like Ryder getting surprised and upset over heels cutting promos insulting him. Or him genuinely not knowing how the title match was going to end. However, since that's a lot of behind the scenes stuff that's not easy to research, it didn't seem fair to take a star off for it. Also, Devastator as a character archetype is absolutely spot on. In my experience, the "monster heels" make for some of the biggest sweethearts out of the ring.
Hands down my favorite part was the budding relationship between Ryder and Amira. Their chemistry was really well done and I found myself wishing their dynamic was a bigger focus of the story. Although I also enjoyed Ryder's strange friendship with Ian. I liked that it took a major turn on what you were expecting it to be. I got the gist of Ryder as a party dude that didn't know how to not be the party dude and it made for a compelling redemptive arc.
The idea of Cole and his friendship with Ryder had some great ideas, I just wish there was a lot more time spent between the two of them. The themes are incredibly heavy and the big reveal that leads to a major fight needed a lot more time to simmer beforehand. Maybe more mentions of exactly what his marriage to Cassie was like told in a more serious tone.
And that was my biggest issue with the story: length. The copy I had wasn't even 100 pages (although the text was highly dense, so I imagine a more standard spacing would see a much longer book page-wise) and there were so many things going on in an emotional context. Ryder struggling with grief over his mom, a budding relationship, a depressed friend, and a general redemption arc. It was a lot to be happening in such a short period of time. With less time to marinate, the one big scene near the end felt much more melodramatic than it might have otherwise. I would have liked to see the length expanded, or else have other aspects of the story saved for a later book in the trilogy.
Overall, the writing tone was great, the characters lifelike and loveably flawed, and it reads as a love letter to "sports entertainment."
August 10, 2020
Book Rating: ★★★★☆ (3.75 / 5 stars)
“The secret to selling is to suspend the disbelief of the audience.”
Ryder Blakemore, A.K.A. Thunderbolt Ryder, is a master and suspending disbelief. Raised in a pro wrestling family, he needs to live up to his father’s name while also defining himself within the sport. But, sometimes being Thunderbolt Ryder takes a tole on the real Ryder, and when he goes back home to help his friend with a divorce, he begins to wonder what else there is beyond the art of the sell.
I was pleasantly surprised by this book. I wasn’t sure what I would think at first; I’m not one to read a lot of sports fiction, but All A Part of the Chaos is beautifully written examination of self-hatred and growth. One could say that Ryder is so talented at suspending disbelief and selling himself on the stage, that he even has himself fooled. He righteously follows his friends, his loyalty worn on his sleeve, that he ignores their toxic behavior. Some days, he puffs out his chest and pretends like he is always that wrestler in the ring.
But deep down, Ryder is struggling. When he forms a friendship with Amira at the local supermarket, it helps him explore the depths behind some of his emotions. Griggs does a fantastic job letting Ryder’s emotions and revelations come organically, and throughout the narrative the reader can see him growing from an expected, stuck up, somewhat sexist wrestler, to a man with a big heart…who is still a wrestler!
I do wish we could have explored Ryder’s relationship with his father more. Amid all the drama with his friend and with Amira, some of the other relationships that were equally important were sidelined. His father was one of them. Perhaps Griggs will be exploring that in another novel though.
My hesitancy for this book also initially due to the trope of boy-meets-girl…but the girl has a boyfriend. Part of me worried we would be spending the novel watching Ryder try to woo Amira. But to my satisfaction, that wasn’t the case.
This book is not just a sports book; this is a book about friendship and romance. Ryder is an endearing character to read, and I enjoyed getting in his head. I cannot wait to see what Bubba Griggs puts out there next.
Note: I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
“The secret to selling is to suspend the disbelief of the audience.”
Ryder Blakemore, A.K.A. Thunderbolt Ryder, is a master and suspending disbelief. Raised in a pro wrestling family, he needs to live up to his father’s name while also defining himself within the sport. But, sometimes being Thunderbolt Ryder takes a tole on the real Ryder, and when he goes back home to help his friend with a divorce, he begins to wonder what else there is beyond the art of the sell.
I was pleasantly surprised by this book. I wasn’t sure what I would think at first; I’m not one to read a lot of sports fiction, but All A Part of the Chaos is beautifully written examination of self-hatred and growth. One could say that Ryder is so talented at suspending disbelief and selling himself on the stage, that he even has himself fooled. He righteously follows his friends, his loyalty worn on his sleeve, that he ignores their toxic behavior. Some days, he puffs out his chest and pretends like he is always that wrestler in the ring.
But deep down, Ryder is struggling. When he forms a friendship with Amira at the local supermarket, it helps him explore the depths behind some of his emotions. Griggs does a fantastic job letting Ryder’s emotions and revelations come organically, and throughout the narrative the reader can see him growing from an expected, stuck up, somewhat sexist wrestler, to a man with a big heart…who is still a wrestler!
I do wish we could have explored Ryder’s relationship with his father more. Amid all the drama with his friend and with Amira, some of the other relationships that were equally important were sidelined. His father was one of them. Perhaps Griggs will be exploring that in another novel though.
My hesitancy for this book also initially due to the trope of boy-meets-girl…but the girl has a boyfriend. Part of me worried we would be spending the novel watching Ryder try to woo Amira. But to my satisfaction, that wasn’t the case.
This book is not just a sports book; this is a book about friendship and romance. Ryder is an endearing character to read, and I enjoyed getting in his head. I cannot wait to see what Bubba Griggs puts out there next.
Note: I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
November 9, 2021
Read the full review here: https://onreviewbysara.com/2021/11/08...
I was lucky enough to receive this book directly from the author. I hope the prospective reader will read this review fully before making any prejudgments on the book. I will give the book my thoughts. These thoughts are completely my own and not swayed in any way by anyone else’s reviews or opinions.
Check out my blog for more: www.onreviewbysara.com
My Rating: I rate this book a 4 out of 5 stars. I took a star off because I am not sure if I would want to read the next installment. The author is talented and the writing is very good. I just don’t think the story connected with me in an overwhelming way where I believe I will read this book over and over again. Although I rate the book 4 stars, I do think it is worth reading. If you love sports fiction, this may be an author I would tell you all to seriously look into.
I was lucky enough to receive this book directly from the author. I hope the prospective reader will read this review fully before making any prejudgments on the book. I will give the book my thoughts. These thoughts are completely my own and not swayed in any way by anyone else’s reviews or opinions.
Check out my blog for more: www.onreviewbysara.com
My Rating: I rate this book a 4 out of 5 stars. I took a star off because I am not sure if I would want to read the next installment. The author is talented and the writing is very good. I just don’t think the story connected with me in an overwhelming way where I believe I will read this book over and over again. Although I rate the book 4 stars, I do think it is worth reading. If you love sports fiction, this may be an author I would tell you all to seriously look into.
October 11, 2020
"being fake doesn't get you anywhere with love "
I was pleasantly surprised to find romance in this sports fiction novel. Ryder has to find a balance between being himself and his wrestling persona. He's tested when he returns home to help a friend in need along the way he just might find something or someone that he's been needing.
I think the author, who has to be a fan of wrestling, based on the way he gave voice to the sport did a good job when it came to character and plot development. He also did a good of making Ryder's angst believable. However, I was distracted by the errors. For me, they distracted from the story enough for me to notice. Outside of that, I think the author is talented and you can see his enjoyment of the sport in this novel.
I was pleasantly surprised to find romance in this sports fiction novel. Ryder has to find a balance between being himself and his wrestling persona. He's tested when he returns home to help a friend in need along the way he just might find something or someone that he's been needing.
I think the author, who has to be a fan of wrestling, based on the way he gave voice to the sport did a good job when it came to character and plot development. He also did a good of making Ryder's angst believable. However, I was distracted by the errors. For me, they distracted from the story enough for me to notice. Outside of that, I think the author is talented and you can see his enjoyment of the sport in this novel.
March 6, 2024
I loved this book. The whole prowrestling thing had me deep in my childhood nostalgia and I felt as if I was on this journey of discovery with Thunderbolt Ryder. It was nothing like I expected and yet everything I was looking for in what I would almost call a sports romance. The slow burn relationship and the promise of more, alongside Ryder coming to terms with things in his life was such a lovely way to spend my evening. I read this in one go and I can honestly say that this is a reread book for sure.
November 23, 2019
This book is one you really don't want to stop reading until it's finished, and even then you don't want it to end. I am not into wrestling, but this author really made reading the action feel like you were watching it. I love how he used new words, well at least words I have not heard. The story line calls out many emotions and leaves you guessing as to what is going to happen next. I look forward to a part 2.
September 18, 2022
Being fake doesn't get you anywhere in love. What a true statement. This reminded me of my own life. Sitting here reading the chapters I was drawn to Ryder's and Amira's (friendship....romance?) whatever they're thing was but it reminded me of someone I used to be motivated by. Not only was she beautiful but she pushed me to be better. She made me feel important and I had more to give. Thank you for the author for making me feel this again.
January 3, 2021
As someone not particularly a fan of pro wrestling the way the author painted the picture of the milieu of this world was intriguing. I especially liked the balance and the chaos between how the character intersects the two worlds that he inhabits. The character of Amira was my favorite. She was nicely written and complemented the main character in a grounded way. Looking forward to part two.
October 8, 2021
Please let there be a second book. I need a second book. Thunderbolt Ryder is incredible as the main character and he has Great, great chemistry together with Amira. They brought the heart of this book and you could actually root for Ryder as the flawed complex character. I laughed, I was hurt, but overall it was a great read.
May 23, 2022
Despite the main character being a competitive show wrestler, this story was far more relatable than you might think. Not exactly a coming of age and not exactly a romantic comedy but has the vibe of both.
August 7, 2025
Found this book on BookTok from Jrenslr profile. Immediately fell in love with the characters and the story. This author has a way with words that makes the tension and the emotion bleed on the page. Finished it one day.
May 7, 2022
This read like a movie. Raise your hand if you googled the promotion and the wrestlers because you actually thought they were real. Only me? Can’t wait for the next one.
June 20, 2020
‘All Apart Of The Chaos’ is a very beautifully written book with some dark elements to the story. You are immediately thrown into the world of a professional sportsman/performer who seems to treat women as sex objects and I wondered if he would be a likeable character. I soon realised that Ryder (Thunderbolt) performs to more than one crowd. His alter ego gets him by in life, helping him to forget the pain of losing his mother and a ruined relationship with his father. Then, we meet Amira, and we see a different side to Ryder. A side that cares and helps him live a life out of the ring. Things aren’t so simple when he discovers she isn’t available but that doesn’t stop him trying to find what makes him happy instead of the fans around him.
Ryder has some deep, repressed feelings and the more the story went on, the more I could understand him wanting to shy away from being himself. Especially when he is the sole carer for his friend Cole who was battling some demons of his own.
I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book and am grateful to have been sent a copy to read and review. Larry Griggs is an extremely talented writer. So much so that during the final title wrestling match, I could actually envisage what was going on and my nerves were on edge wondering who would win!
Also…‘What’s a chicklepeck?’ I need to know the answer, ha!
Ryder has some deep, repressed feelings and the more the story went on, the more I could understand him wanting to shy away from being himself. Especially when he is the sole carer for his friend Cole who was battling some demons of his own.
I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book and am grateful to have been sent a copy to read and review. Larry Griggs is an extremely talented writer. So much so that during the final title wrestling match, I could actually envisage what was going on and my nerves were on edge wondering who would win!
Also…‘What’s a chicklepeck?’ I need to know the answer, ha!
Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews