The Last Days of Jack Sparks by Jason ArnoppMy rating: 4 of 5 stars
I finished this gem about an hour ago and have struggled with how to even begin a review. The book is way outside my wheelhouse in terms of genre, assuming its place is in the horror niche, but even casting it as such feels less than genuine. Trying to nail down exactly where it does belong, however, is like trying to capture smoke in a jar, as elements of horror, fantasy, the supernatural and parody are all present to varying degrees.
The novel is presented as a posthumous publication of work done by British journalist and social media star Jack Sparks as he sets out to discover the truth behind paranormal phenomena. It is Jack’s brother Alistair who has not only released but also in places annotated the manuscript for public consumption. In acknowledging this fact, the reader is left with the quandary of the unreliable narrator. Is it Jack we believe, even after discovering the depth of his self-deception, or is it Alistair, who suffers a brutal character asassination in his brother’s depiction of events? The book reads very differently once one decides where to parse the line between accounts. If the reader is to take Jack’s retelling at face value, the manuscript exposes dark supernatural forces that seek revenge as a consequence of his “politically-incorrect” gaffe when observing an exorcism. These other-worldly entities, along with his hyper-inflated ego and desperate need for attention, conspire to drag him straight to the bowels of hell. On the other hand, Alistair’s after-the-fact commentary paints the entire piece as nothing more than a product of his brother’s drug-addled mind, fallen prey to Jack’s own narcissistic ambition. The irony here is that the man Jack initially portrays himself to be, then later renounces, is precisely the man Alistair appears to become following the publication of Jack’s work.
What blew me away was the structure. As the author travels from the past to present, the future to the past, every detail becomes a stolen jewel cleverly hidden in plain sight. Seemingly inconsequential items are revealed to be of tremendous significance in a denouement that left me slack-jawed and reeling. I would be remiss if I didn’t also mention the profound “creep” factor. It is 4 am here, and I have little hope of seeing any peaceful sleep. Seriously. This one just crawled under my skin, where it is festering.
Read it with the lights on.
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