What a creative and unique debut novel! I literally started 4 different books for my last book of 2022, but only this one grabbed me from the very first page.
I first saw this book floating around Instagram and I’m my opinion, it lives up to all the hype. So refreshing, sarcastic and fun, especially since it is set in, well, Hell! Such a unique premise. If this is the author’s debut novel, she certainly has a brilliant career ahead of her. Also: please someone make this into a limited series or movie!
Whatever you imagine Hell is like, this author has out-imagined you.
“You see, bars in Hell serve only Jägermeister. Even if you like Jägermeister, if it’s the only option day after day of cleaning up human pulp, you will hate it in a year, tops.”
And puddles. They are so deep that you will sink in up to your chest. Or, sometimes they are just normal puddles. All to keep the inhabitants off-guard. But mostly, Hell is the perfect imitation of a
soul-crushing corporate job “above ground”.
First, let’s start with the character’s name. Peyote Trip, our main protagonist, went by a different name on Earth. But no one can remember their lives or their given names anymore, because they have all been in Hell for centuries. Peyote works on the coveted Fifth Floor, which is infinitely desirable then the dreaded “Downstairs”, which apparently is where souls are tortured mercilessly. This sounds heavy and unbearably sad, but the author mixes it up with hilarity.
“I know a great place,” Trey said, writing down an address, followed by his beeper number. If you were wondering where beepers went, Hell is the answer. They all went to Hell, and now we have to use them.
Trey is aiming to capture the souls of an entire family, and through a series of unfortunate events, must team up with two other teammates to accomplish this goal. Trey’s story is intertwined with the members of this family, the Harrisons, and the narrative alternates between several different points of view.
I found this highly unique novel to deliver the emotions on all counts. A bit of thriller, dark humor and good vibes and it all mixes perfectly. Highly recommend!
(Thanks to the publisher for providing an advanced reading copy. All opinions are my own.)
About the Book:
A darkly humorous, surprisingly poignant, and utterly gripping debut novel about a guy who works in Hell (literally) and is on the cusp of a big promotion if only he can get one more member of the wealthy Harrison family to sell their soul.
Peyote Trip has a pretty good gig in the deals department on the fifth floor of Hell. Sure, none of the pens work, the coffee machine has been out of order for a century, and the only drink on offer is Jägermeister, but Pey has a plan—and all he needs is one last member of the Harrison family to sell their soul.
When the Harrisons retreat to the family lake house for the summer, with their daughter Mickey’s precocious new friend, Ruth, in tow, the opportunity Pey has waited a millennium for might finally be in his grasp. And with the help of his charismatic coworker Calamity, he sets a plan in motion.
But things aren’t always as they seem, on Earth or in Hell. And as old secrets and new dangers scrape away at the Harrisons’ shiny surface, revealing the darkness beneath, everyone must face the consequences of their choices.
