The Best Kind of Gross
You know a book has its hooks in you when you wake up early just to sprint through the final 25%. That was me this morning, and what an intense, “gross-out” ride it was. After reading and absolutely loving Claire Darling, I knew I had to see what else this author could do, and they did not disappoint. We follow Ed Cook, a lovable but lonely British man living in Tokyo with his wife and daughter. Ed is a man on the edge—unemployed and drowning in debts fueled by a gambling addiction. Out of pure desperation, he applies for a private chef position for a mystery employer that seems almost too good to be true, and things get weird from there. It’s truly best to go into this book blind, but I will give a fair warning: only pick this up if you enjoy the extremely gross.
If Season 1 of Squid Game and Fear Factor had a baby, it would be this book. The writing is addictive, incredibly descriptive, and kept me totally captivated even when I felt physically unsettled. I found myself deeply rooting for Ed despite his flaws, and I loved how the story balanced the “ick” factor with brilliant social commentary on wealth, privilege, identity, and classism. It is the kind of story that makes you think just as much as it makes you recoil.
The suspense had me turning pages all the way to the end, especially during the last four chapters which had me going “ew” and “wow” in equal measure. The ending was perfectly executed, featuring a twist in the final chapter that I genuinely did not see coming. This book officially has my seal of approval, and just like with Claire Darling, it confirms that I would read anything this author puts out.
