Project and content management for Contemporary Authors volumes
WORK TITLE: An Idiot in Marriage
WORK NOTES:
PSEUDONYM(S):
BIRTHDATE:
WEBSITE: http://david-jester.com/
CITY: Newcastle, England
STATE:
COUNTRY: United Kingdom
NATIONALITY: British
RESEARCHER NOTES:
| LC control no.: | no2013020595 |
|---|---|
| LCCN Permalink: | https://lccn.loc.gov/no2013020595 |
| HEADING: | Jester, David |
| 000 | 00477cz a2200145n 450 |
| 001 | 9204720 |
| 005 | 20161205175021.0 |
| 008 | 130222n| azannaabn |n aaa c |
| 010 | __ |a no2013020595 |
| 035 | __ |a (OCoLC)oca09412363 |
| 040 | __ |a MiFliG |b eng |c MiFliG |d DLC |e rda |
| 053 | _0 |a PR6110.E79 |
| 100 | 1_ |a Jester, David |
| 670 | __ |a Forever after, 2013: |b t.p. (David Jester) |
| 670 | __ |a amazon.com, viewed on 12-05-2016: |b (David Jester; works as a freelance writer; lives in Newcastle, England) |
PERSONAL
Born c. 1986, in England; married.
EDUCATION:Earned a degree from Open University.
ADDRESS
CAREER
Writer.
WRITINGS
SIDELIGHTS
David Jester is the pseudonym of a British author who followed an unlikely path to publication. Jester, whose real name is Paul Aitken, suffered from depression as a youth, a condition that became so severe that he dropped out of school at age twelve. He would, however, take the General Certificate of Secondary Education examinations to pass high school and went on to earn a degree in English literature at the Open University.
Jester long held a dream of becoming a writer, but, as a contributor for the Press News Online noted, he “feared his dream would never amount to anything.” He published his first short story at eighteen, and continued writing, as the Press News Online contributor further remarked, “as a form of catharsis.” He self-published numerous novels and novellas in the genres of horror, mystery, and comedy, and as with most such self-published works, they lingered in semi-obscurity on Amazon. And then came a breakthrough work, An Idiot in Love: A Novel, again self-published but that surprisingly earned more than 6,000 downloads on its first day of release and sold 10,000 copies the first month, sending it to the top of the Amazon charts in the U.S.A. and in the UK. This romantic comedy hit also earned Jester a six-book contract with Skyhorse Publishing in the United States. Of this amazing turn of career events, Jester told the Press News Online writer, “This has been a long time in the making and I can’t wait to see where this leads.”
An Idiot in Love and An Idiot in Marriage
An Idiot in Love features clueless Kieran, who has since adolescence had a glaring incapacity in all things dealing with romance, throwing up at his first kiss and getting beat up by the first girl to have a crush on him. Things have not got better as an adult, as he takes advice from male friends as ignorant of romance and dating as he is. But then he finally finds his dream girl only to have her disappear. Will he ever be able to find her again?
“I never intended to write a romance novel,” Jester wrote on a posting for Female First Website. “[A]nd to be honest. I don’t think I did. To me, An Idiot in Love is comedy. 100%. To my publishers, and to everyone else, it’s a ‘romantic comedy’. So, whether I like it or not, I wrote a romance novel. I wanted An Idiot in Love to be as interesting to men as it was to women, so I had to go against the grain, to incorporate elements that both sexes could relate to.”
The sequel, An Idiot in Marriage: A Novel finds Kieran now married to the love of his life, Lizzie, who plays breadwinner in the family while Kieran is the house-husband taking care of their infant son, Ben, and generally getting into all sorts of trouble via his cast of bewildering male friends, including Matthew , who tends to follow his sexual instincts wherever they may lead him. There are also neighbors who accuse Kieran of stealing their cat, dirty diapers, and incompetent babysitters to deal with. He is still the naive and incompetent person he was when he was a child, but now as a parent this is no longer endearing and he needs to get it together before it all falls apart. A Publishers Weekly reviewer noted that this sequel is filled with “risque humor and littered with forehead-slapping moments,” and concluded: “The delightfully biting, tongue-in-cheek British sensibility occasionally overwhelms, but the ridiculous situations are usually balanced with dashes of normalcy.”
This Is How You Die and The Clinic
Jester turns to horror and thrillers in other works. This Is How You Die: A Thriller is told from the perspective of a young serial killer, Herman, who discovers that his own father was The Butcher, a killer he has wanted to emulate. The death of his father sends Herman on a killing spree, taking vengeance on those who mocked him or beat him up at school, and now Homicide Detective Lester Keats is on his trail. An online Love Reading critic had praise for this novel, commenting: “Gritty, gruesome and with a deft touch of dark humour, this horror-thriller from prolific British novelist David Jester pulls no punches, but will keep strong-stomached readers hooked from start to finish.” The contributor added: “Anti-social, manipulative and utterly callous, teenage killer Herman is an utterly redeemless horror figures that readers will find hard to forget.”
The Clinic: A Thriller focuses on more troubled teens. Darren, Malcolm, and Eddie have been best friends since childhood and while Darren and Malcolm now are surviving by house-breaking, Eddie likes to go along just for the kicks. But when this trio of misfits decides to strike a remote rehab clinic where they figure they can steal from the rich and famous, their criminal careers take a turn to the dark. The clinic is not what it appears to be. It is populated by psychopaths rather than wealthy drug and alcohol abusers, and now the young men are in for the fight of their lives. A Publishers Weekly reviewer was unimpressed, noting that an “overly familiar premise helps sink this so-so suspense novel.” The reviewer further commented: “Since Jester’s leads are more types than fully realized characters, few readers will care what happens to them.”
Forever After
Jester’s Forever After: A Dark Comedy, features Michal Holland, who died three decades ago and has worked as a grim reaper ever since, maintaining his immortality by collecting dead souls and then turning them in for credit points. Michael tries to make the best of a bad deal, with demons and clones as acquaintances and his best friend Chip and a psychiatrist who can read his mind. The novel is told episodically with complications from psychopaths to succubi and a demon who believes he is Santa Claus.
A Publishers Weekly reviewer found fault with Forever After, terming it an “unsuccessful foray into dark comedy that simply tries too hard.” The reviewer further commented: “The novel’s rapid vacillation among graphic horror, psychological thriller, and Michael’s agitated musings ensures that it’s light on comedy but heavy on lowbrow jokes.” On the other hand, Bookbag Website writer James Donald lauded the work, noting: “This is a funny, engaging and very well written book. The characters come to life (no pun intended there) and you can smell the fetid streets. … This book feels initially like it was going to wrap up into a simple romp but ended up playing out to be a great first book in a series. Jester keeps it punchy with the structure.”
BIOCRIT
PERIODICALS
Publishers Weekly,May 8, 2017, review of An Idiot in Marriage: A Novel, p. 44; July 3, 2017, review of Forever After: A Dark Comedy, p. 59; December 18, 2017, review The Clinic: A Thriller, p. 108.
ONLINE
Bookbag, http://www.thebookbag.co.uk/ (August, 2017), James Donald, review of Forever After.
British Fantasy Society, http://www.britishfantasysociety.org/ (February 21, 2018), review of Forever After.
David Jester Website, http://david-jester.com (March 25, 2018).
Female First, http://www.femalefirst.co.uk/ (June 23, 2016), “Top 10 Tips on Writing Romance for Men by Bestselling Romcom Author David Jester.”
Love Reading, http://blog.lovereading.co.uk/ (October, 17, 2016), review of This is How You Die: A Thriller.
Press News Online, https://www.thepressnews.co.uk/ (August 5, 2016), “Author Not Such an Idiot After All.”*
David Jester is the pen name of a horror and comedy author living in the North-East of England. David has been working as a full-time writer since the age of 18, when he published his first short story. In his late 20s, towards the end of 2012, David self-published An Idiot in Love to great acclaim. Within 6 months this comedy novel had achieved Amazon bestseller status in the UK, US, Canada and Italy.
Throughout the next two years he published several other novels, novellas and short stories as David Jester. He also rewrote some of his older books and published these under a different pseudonym. In his spare time, David worked as a freelance writer, assisting with film scripts, comic books, novels, content writing, copywriting, and more.
In 2015, David began working with San-Francisco based agent Peter Beren, and together they sold all of his previously self-published books, as well as two un-released titles, to Skyhorse Publishing. In 2016, David began to spend less time on his freelance work and devoted more time to his role as an author.
His books are due to be republished between the summer of 2016 and the end of 2018, with two new titles being released in October 2016 and July 2017. David plans to write several more books in this time, including more novels in the An Idiot in Love and Forever After series.
QUOTE:
feared his dream would never amount to anything
form of catharsis
This has been a long time in the making and I can’t wait to see where this leads.
Author not such an idiot after all
Friday 5th August 2016
Author not such an idiot after all
A MAN from Dewsbury who dropped out of school before his teens has won a six-book publishing deal.
Paul Aitken 30, formerly of Nook Green, left the then Thornhill High School at the age of just 12 due to depression. Now of Northumberland and writing under the name David Jester, his life was blighted by regular bouts of the condition into his mid-20s.
But he took his GCSEs and studied for a degree in English Literature with the Open University.
David always wanted to become a novelist but feared his dream would never amount to anything. He continued writing as a form of catharsis and four years ago self-published debut novel An Idiot in Love topped Amazon’s charts in the UK and US.
Described as Bridget Jones meets American Pie, it was downloaded more than 6,000 times on its first day.
It went on to sell more than 10,000 copies in its first month of release and remained on Amazon’s best-seller list for a year.
David has now agreed a six-book deal with Skyhorse Publishing, the US firm which is home to Nobel Prize winners Samuel Beckett and Octavio Paz.
The first book is an updated version of An Idiot in Love, which hit the shelves recently.
David said of his book deal: “This has been a long time in the making and I can’t wait to see where this leads.
“Skyhorse Publishing have worked with some of the best writers of my generation and it is an honour to be listed alongside them.”
UK publishers rejected An Idiot in Love as “too niche” but found favour with San Francisco-based literary agent Peter Breen.
David admitted: “It’s a very unusual book and doesn’t really fit into any genre, so getting a publisher to pay attention has not been an easy task. Thankfully, Peter loved my book and has been incredibly supportive.”
Mr Breen said: “I was stunned by the lack of interest because his work is so wickedly funny and engaging. To have achieved what he has through self-publishing is a fantastic achievement and his passion for writing is unquestioned.”
QUOTE:
I never intended to write a romance novel, and to be honest. I don't think I did. To me, An Idiot in Love is comedy. 100%. To my publishers, and to everyone else, it's a "romantic comedy". So, whether I like it or not, I wrote a romance novel.
I wanted An Idiot in Love to be as interesting to men as it was to women, so I had to go against the grain, to incorporate elements that both sexes could relate to.
Top 10 tips on writing romance for men by bestselling romcom author David Jester
23 June 2016
I never intended to write a romance novel, and to be honest. I don't think I did. To me, An Idiot in Love is comedy. 100%. To my publishers, and to everyone else, it's a "romantic comedy". So, whether I like it or not, I wrote a romance novel.
David Jester
David Jester
I wanted An Idiot in Love to be as interesting to men as it was to women, so I had to go against the grain, to incorporate elements that both sexes could relate to. And along the way, I picked up a few tips.
10. Unsexy sex
Writing about sex is like taking a selfie first-thing in the morning. It doesn't matter how much you plan, edit or manipulate - it always looks terrible. Most men still have a little boy in them, one who giggles when he sees the word "member" or "organ". That little boy was constantly on standby when I was writing An Idiot in Love, but I held him at bay by keeping the sex descriptions to a minimum and never, ever using the word "shaft".
Tip: Avoid cringe-worthy sex scenes.
9. Romance? What romance?
An Idiot in Love is a light-hearted comedy about relationships - it couldn't end with everyone dying in a cataclysm of blood and violence. My editor just wouldn't allow it. There had to be some "feel good" moments, some romantic moments. You think these would turn men off, but for the most part, they react in the same way as women. After all, every action movie has a romantic sub-plot. The obsession with soul mates and love is not the reserve of women, but for men, romance is never the main course, it's always just an interesting side dish.
Tips: Romance is fine, but don't pig-out on it.
8. Don't get advice from men
Asking male friends and family members for advice may sound like a great idea. You're going to the source, to the demographic that you want to appeal to. But most of them will just mess with you. A female writer friend of mine did that once, and her "friends" convinced her that all men secretly have a thing for Ann Widdecombe.
Tip: Don't ask men anything. They'll only make things worse.
7. We all like comedy
An Idiot in Love was comedy first and romance second. The beauty of this is that I didn't have to worry about alienating either sex because we all love comedy and we all respond to it in the same way. There isn't such a thing as a male or female sense of humour. It's true that some men will respond more to fart jokes and poop jokes than women, but that's more connected to maturity than anything else (I do love a good fart joke). Comedy is far reaching, and only limited by age and culture, so it's a great device to keep men onboard while still appealing to women.
Tip: Use comedy to connect all demographics.
6. Macho Macho Man
Most men have that one friend who is always mean to women and thinks he's God's gift. He's a bit of a dick if we're honest with ourselves, but we keep him around because he's a good FIFA companion. Men can relate to having friends like this, which is why I gave the protagonist one. But they don't want to be that friend, which is why the protagonist is not a sexiest pig. The macho man is a vehicle for comedy, he is the opposite of what the main character is and what the reader should be. He's also someone that most women have met before, and someone they can laugh at.
Tip: By all means add a sexist idiot, just make sure he's not the main character.
5. Help them feel good about their flaws
Most men are just as self-conscious as women, and writing about perfect men with immaculate looks and bodies to die for, isn't going to make them feel good about themselves. They prefer to read about the everyday man, someone who isn't very good looking and is a little awkward, yet still manages to get the girls and enjoy himself. If you're going to write about a guy with chiselled looks, make him an idiot or make him the bad guy. Because men tend not to be so jealous if they think those perfect features are attached to an empty skull.
Tip: Don't write about the perfect man.
4. Optimism
I think that all protagonists need to have a degree of optimism, even more so when the book is comedy and written in first-person. It doesn't matter if the reader is a pessimist who constantly thinks the world is going to end. There's a degree of comfort from assuming the perspective of a protagonist who always see the glass as half full.
Tip: Let your protagonist see the good in everything.
3. Relatable
All readers like characters that they can relate to and this is even more important when you're trying to hold the interest of someone who wouldn't typically read that genre. In Kieran McCall, I created a protagonist that was stupid but loveable, promiscuous but innocent. He is unique and I've never really known anyone like that. But there are parts of him that we can all relate to, men and women, and many of his experiences are also relatable.
Tip: Always ensure your demographic can relate to your characters.
2. Meet his ex-girlfriends
By the time they reach a certain age, most men will have had a number of sexual experiences they regret. Writing about these helps to bring those memories back for the reader and it helps them to see the funny side. I have been with the same partner for the last 10+ years, and have never so much as looked at another woman without regretting it, but even I've had a few crazy experiences and crazier exes. Male readers should see themselves in the protagonist and they should see their friends in his friends, but they should also see their ex girlfriends in the female characters.
Tip: Let them relive past relationships vicariously.
1. Men aren't that different
It was always my goal to target both men and women - and not just because there was more money in it (although that did help). I created a balance of comedy and romance, love and stupidity, trying to appease both sexes. But the truth is that women enjoy gross-out comedy as much as men, they enjoy reading about awkward situations and macho idiots getting their comeuppance, while men like an occasional dose of romance, sex and love.
We're not from Mars or Venus. We all share the same planet and deep down, we're very similar.
David Jester is a bestselling British author, who has recently signed a six-book deal with US publishing powerhouse Skyhorse. His new romcom novel, An Idiot in Love (ISBN 9781510700017), is released in paperback on June 23, priced £9.99.
QUOTE:
overly familiar premise helps sink this so-so suspense novel
Since Jester's leads are more types than fully realized characters, few readers will care what happens to them.
Publishers Weekly.
264.52 (Dec. 18, 2017): p108. From Book Review Index Plus. COPYRIGHT 2017 PWxyz, LLC http://www.publishersweekly.com/
Full Text:
The Clinic
David Jester. Skyhorse, $14.99 trade paper (216p) ISBN 978-1-5107-0437-4
An overly familiar premise helps sink this so-so suspense novel from British author Jester (This Is How You Die): small-time juvenile delinquents planning a robbery end up encountering more danger than they bargained for. Teenagers Darren and Malcolm have difficult home lives. Darren's mother is a "drug addicted, malnourished alcoholic freak," and Malcolm's parents routinely beat each other up. Along with the affluent Eddie, who has evolved from a mischievous child into a criminal, the friends have become successful burglars. The trio set their sights on a more lucrative score than simple house break-ins after Eddie suggests a promising target--a rehab center for the rich and famous "out in the middle of nowhere." The clinic is housed in an intimidating building that, from the outside, resembles a prison. Inside, the boys encounter murderous psychopaths running amok, and they must struggle desperately to survive. Since Jester's leads are more types than fully realized characters, few readers will care what happens to them. (Feb.)
Source Citation (MLA 8th Edition)
"The Clinic." Publishers Weekly, 18 Dec. 2017, p. 108. Book Review Index Plus,
http://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/A520578877/GPS?u=schlager&sid=GPS& xid=95b3acb2. Accessed 25 Mar. 2018.
Gale Document Number: GALE|A520578877
1 of 3 3/25/18, 12:32 AM
http://go.galegroup.com/ps/marklist.do?actionCmd=GET_MA...
QUOTE:
unsuccessful foray into dark comedy that simply tries too hard
The novel's rapid vacillation among graphic horror, psychological thriller, and Michael's agitated musings ensures that it's light on comedy but heavy on lowbrow jokes.
Forever After: A Dark Comedy
Publishers Weekly.
264.27 (July 3, 2017): p59. From Book Review Index Plus. COPYRIGHT 2017 PWxyz, LLC http://www.publishersweekly.com/
Full Text:
Forever After: A Dark Comedy
David Jester. Skyhorse, $16.99 trade paper (272p) ISBN 978-1-5107-0436-7
Jester (An Idiot in Marriage) makes an unsuccessful foray into dark comedy that simply tries too hard. For the 30 years since Michael Holland's untimely death, he's worked as a reaper who collects the souls of the dead and turns them in for credits, like an Uber driver of the afterlife. He has the worst beat in his anonymous town: Brittleside, the home of the dregs of society. The series of interconnected vignettes, many told through Michael's conversations with his psychiatrist, details Michael's metamorphosis from a simple bystander in his own existence to an active but very annoying participant who's fueled by self-righteous indignation. The catalyst for his change is an unknown force who has taken great offense at the reaper's side assignment of sleuthing. Along with his friends Chip (who exists to be a source for toilet humor) and Naff (a record keeper whose characterization is paper-thin), Michael stumbles through cases involving mysterious werewolf deaths, clones, Santa Claus, and a serial killer. The novel's rapid vacillation among graphic horror, psychological thriller, and Michael's agitated musings ensures that it's light on comedy but heavy on lowbrow jokes. Most readers won't last to the thoroughly unsatisfying cliffhanger ending. (Aug.)
Source Citation (MLA 8th Edition)
"Forever After: A Dark Comedy." Publishers Weekly, 3 July 2017, p. 59. Book Review Index
Plus, http://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/A498381388/GPS?u=schlager&sid=GPS& xid=e83f8e61. Accessed 25 Mar. 2018.
Gale Document Number: GALE|A498381388
2 of 3 3/25/18, 12:32 AM
QUOTE:
risque humor and littered with forehead-slapping moments.
The delightfully biting, tongue-in-cheek British sensibility occasionally overwhelms, but the ridiculous situations are usually balanced with dashes of normalcy.
http://go.galegroup.com/ps/marklist.do?actionCmd=GET_MA...
An Idiot in Marriage
Publishers Weekly.
264.19 (May 8, 2017): p44. From Book Review Index Plus. COPYRIGHT 2017 PWxyz, LLC http://www.publishersweekly.com/
Full Text:
An Idiot in Marriage
David Jester. Skyhorse, $14.99 trade paper (276p) ISBN 978-1-5107-0434-3
Jester's slice-of-life sequel to An Idiot in Love is filled with risque humor and littered with forehead-slapping moments. It's not much of a romance, but it delivers dozens of laughs with a few cleverly disguised moments of thoughtfulness mixed in. Kieran is the titular self-proclaimed "idiot." He's in his 20s and can't keep a job to save his life; instead he takes care of his infant son, Ben, while his wife, Lizzie, has employment that pays the bills. Kieran's life is filled with stunning misadventures and over-the-top friends, especially his best friend, Matthew, a womanizing, vulgar miscreant with delusions of adequacy. Kieran's neighbors are equally absurd and think nothing of accusing him of catnapping. Yet somehow he manages to stumble through life, possibly learning a lesson or two about himself and others along the way--including how to function outside the psychiatric facility where he and Lizzie met. The autobiographical style lends itself well to full immersion in the laugh-out-loud situations encountered by Kieran and those unfortunate enough to love him. The delightfully biting, tongue-in-cheek British sensibility occasionally overwhelms, but the ridiculous situations are usually balanced with dashes of normalcy. (July)
Source Citation (MLA 8th Edition)
"An Idiot in Marriage." Publishers Weekly, 8 May 2017, p. 44. Book Review Index Plus,
http://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/A491949096/GPS?u=schlager&sid=GPS& xid=4532f5b0. Accessed 25 Mar. 2018.
Gale Document Number: GALE|A491949096
3 of 3 3/25/18, 12:32 AM
QUOTE:
This is a funny, engaging and very well written book. The characters come to life (no pun intended there) and you can smell the fetid streets.
This book feels initially like it was going to wrap up into a simple romp but ended up playing out to be a great first book in a series. Jester keeps it punchy with the structure
Forever After: a dark comedy by David Jester
Forever After: a dark comedy by David Jester
Jester Forever.jpg
Buy Forever After: a dark comedy by David Jester at Amazon.co.uk or Amazon.com
Category: Paranormal
Rating: 4/5
Reviewer: James Donald
Reviewed by James Donald
Summary: An entertaining book filled with foul language and horrid locales. An interesting take on a tired old trope that brought new life to it (pun intended).
Buy? Yes Borrow? Yes
Pages: 272 Date: August 2017
Publisher: Skyhorse publishing
External links: Author's website
ISBN: 978-1510704367
Share on:
Michael Holland is a cocky and brash young man who dies and gets made the offer of his lifetime; immortality. We follow Michael, a grim reaper and his friends Chip (a stoner tooth fairy) and Naff (a stoner in the records department) as they grapple with their long lives and finding a clean surface to sit on in their flat.
The pickings for books to review were sparse. Christmas is coming and publishers are holding off releases to play on our neophilia over the festive season. I sighed as I asked my wonderful editor to send me Forever After, yet another take on the Grim Reaper. Don't get me wrong I love Gaiman's chirpy goth chick, Pratchett's looming sensitive soul and what Bryan Fuller did with Mandy Patinkin et al but it has been done to death (another intended pun). What else is there to say on the subject?
I really should have remembered the mantra of the TVTropes website Tropes aren't bad, they are tools. I've heard the comic book artist and writer Mike Collins give sound advice to new storytellers – think about the setting. He took their pitches, twisted them slightly then put them on an alien world, ancient Rome, in a disaster zone… anything that wasn't ordinary. The story alone is nothing, the story and setting are a gestalt organism. Jester's setting of Brittleside and his approach to the Grim Reaper proves both points. An old trope can be given a fresh approach and the location can seal the deal.
This is a funny, engaging and very well written book. The characters come to life (no pun intended there) and you can smell the fetid streets. There are a couple of editing issues that draw you up short a bit though. The first flash back is handled poorly and the arrangement of the story around it needed a slight tweak. The last third feels a little bit like it has been hacked at by an editor and not stitched back together again properly after; this gives is a slightly disjointed flow and a rushed feel. Overall there is a sense of editorial muddling beyond these points. The novel seems to get structurally lost. Was this supposed to be a series of short stories within a flowing narrative or was it supposed to be a novel? I really don't want to blame the author for this issue as it really does smack of a 3rd party muddying up the water a bit.
I despise many of the protagonists in this book but this is deliberate and it is the same feeling most people would have if they met their drunken teenage selves. I found the swearing to be a bit crass but that was my own sensibilities and it completely matched the story.
Brittleside, the town in which the book is set, is disgusting. One part Manchester, one part Gotham with a twist of the foulest parts of London from the 70s it is the grimiest and nastiest hidden places of every town combined to make its own municipality. Life is cheap and so the Reaper for the area has his work cut out.
Most takes on the Grim Reaper or similar mythology bring along a sense of wonder, knowledge and other-worldliness. Gaiman's Death is one of the Endless, being who have existed since the start of time. Pratchett's is a supernatural skeleton who lives extra dimensionally and rides a horse called Binky. Patikin's Sofer wants to ensure that his Reapers study hard and pass their exams. Michael Holland is Dave Lister from Red Dwarf without the fun. He lives with the real-world versions of what Dave Lister would be (disgusting, smelly, and foul stoners). He is cursed with his eternal life and nobody can answer his, fairly reasonable, questions.
This book feels initially like it was going to wrap up into a simple romp but ended up playing out to be a great first book in a series. Jester keeps it punchy with the structure but as I say above he would have been better committing to expanding the tales out and strengthening the narrative to make a denser novel or going all out and making a book of connected short stories.
Further reading? What else could I recommend but Mort by Terry Pratchett?
Buy Forever After: a dark comedy by David Jester at Amazon You can read more book reviews or buy Forever After: a dark comedy by David Jester at Amazon.co.uk
Buy Forever After: a dark comedy by David Jester at Amazon You can read more book reviews or buy Forever After: a dark comedy by David Jester at Amazon.com.
Comments
Like to comment on this review?
Just send us an email and we'll put the best up on the site.
QUOTE:
Gritty, gruesome and with a deft touch of dark humour, this horror-thriller from prolific British novelist David Jester pulls no punches, but will keep strong-stomached readers hooked from start to finish.
Anti-social, manipulative and utterly callous, teenage killer Herman is an utterly redeemless horror figures that readers will find hard to forget.
Book Review. THIS IS HOW YOU DIE BY DAVID JESTER
Gritty, gruesome and with a deft touch of dark humour, this horror-thriller from prolific British novelist David Jester pulls no punches, but will keep strong-stomached readers hooked from start to finish.
This-Is-How-You-Die-FCThe book is the second in Jester’s six-book deal with respected international publishers Skyhorse, and is a dramatic contrast to its predecessor, the laugh-out-loud comedy An Idiot in Love.
This Is How You Die is an ultra-dark tale recounted from the twisted perspective of a serial killer, who prides himself on ‘hating everybody equally’.
But although it is filled with graphic descriptions of gory killings, Jester’s trademark dry humour is still in evidence in the scathing way that anti-hero protagonist, Herman, describes the people and the situations that surround him.
It’s also an adept piece of social commentary about the situations that can drive mentally ill, emotionally disturbed young people to commit unspeakable acts of violence. Herman is a bullied, socially inept teenager, who feels that he can only earn respect by instilling fear.
The book opens with teenage Herman being brutally beaten up by the school bullies – an act which has become as much part of his day-to-day life as brushing his teeth in the morning.
He seethes with rage at the bullies, and fantasises about enacting bloody revenge. His hero is ‘the Butcher’ – a serial killer who carves up his victims after their demise.
An antisocial teenager with no friends, and whose mother has apparently abandoned him, Herman is an emotionless, obsessive and hate-filled teen who barely bothers to disguise the scorn he feels for every other human on the planet.
He is being raised by his father – an ultra-polite, much-loved member of the local community who he has witnessed exploding into fits of violent rage at home, and who dies in the early pages of the novel.
Unmoved by his father’s death and entrusted to the care of a hard-drinking uncle, Herman makes a bloody discovery – his ‘pillar of the community’ father was none other than The Butcher. Rather than being horrified, Herman is thrilled – and vows to continue his father’s ‘work’.
Herman’s initial attempts to carry on the Butcher’s legacy are met with frustration, and he realises that he should focus on carving out his own killer identity.
Embarking on a killing spree that goes beyond anything even The Butcher could have carried out, Herman assumes a new identity and lives in the shadows, waiting to strike again.
But while many people assume Herman’s vengeful killing spree ended after taking the ultimate revenge against the schoolmates that mocked him mercilessly, Homicide Detective Lester Keats believes he is still active.
A gruesome game of cat-and-mouse begins, and the page-turning pace does not let up. There’s a spectacularly theatrical piece-de-resistance from Herman as the book draws towards its conclusion which particularly riveted this reviewer’s attention.
By no means a book for the faint of heart, This Is How You Die is a clever horror-thriller that goes beyond OTT gratuitous violence (although there is plenty of that, for those who enjoy splatter).
It’s a masterly examination of the mind of a twisted serial killer akin to disturbing yet critically acclaimed ‘80s film Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer
Anti-social, manipulative and utterly callous, teenage killer Herman is an utterly redeemless horror figures that readers will find hard to forget.
FOREVER AFTER by David Jester. Book review
Posted on February 21, 2018 by craiglockley in Reviews
FOREVER AFTER by David Jester, Skyhorse Publishing, paperback edition, £7.00
Reviewed by Shona Kinsella
The blurb for this book had me interested straight away. I mean, who wouldn’t be intrigued by this: “Michael Holland is a grim reaper working the worst beat in the worst town. Michael’s best friend is a pot-smoking tooth fairy, his boss is the angel of death, his psychiatrist can read his mind, and he counts bogeymen, demons, and clones as his acquaintances.”
The book follows reluctant grim reaper, Michael Holland through the afterlife, a place filled with bureaucracy, poor hygiene and mysterious rules. Michael is not a particularly likeable character though he is engaging enough to follow through the book. He’s intelligent but selfish and full of self-pity, with a history of making bad decisions.
The world building is strong, with great sensory details added. There are points where you can almost smell the filthy alleyways and Michael’s tooth fairy flat-mate, Chip. The scenarios that Michael finds himself in are intriguing and imaginative. The scenes with Michael’s psychiatrist were very funny, not least because she is a vampire.
The main problem I had with this book was the narrative structure. It’s basically a collection of short stories or novelettes about Michael rather than one coherent narrative, as presented. There’s no sense of resolution or narrative arc, so the story jumps about and leaves the reader wanting. The first part of the book deals with a mysterious agency who are stealing the souls of werewolves before Michael can collect them, but this storyline ends on a cliffhanger with the book continuing onto another plot. If the book had been presented as a collection of short stories featuring the same character this might have worked, but, as it was, this was a major flaw for me.
Each of the separate storylines works quite well. In addition to the one mentioned above, Michael and his friends have to locate and detain a demon who thinks he’s Santa Claus, track down a confused succubus and stop a serial killer. Each of these plots is clever, engaging and well put together but they don’t make a novel.
The characters use strong language throughout which suited the context but will not be to everyone’s taste. There are also several sexually crass conversations which, for me, didn’t add anything to the book and could have been cut with no great loss.
This book has a lot going for it but feels like it hasn’t achieved its full potential.