THE LAST DAYS OF JACK SPARKS by Jason Arnopp

Jack Sparks died while writing this book. This is the account of his final days. 

 In 2014, Jack Sparks - the controversial pop culture journalist - died in mysterious circumstances. To his fans, Jack was a fearless rebel; to his detractors he was a talentless hack. Either way, his death came as a shock to everyone. 

It was no secret that Jack had been researching the occult for his new book. He'd already triggered a furious Twitter storm by mocking an exorcism he witnessed in rural Italy. 

Then there was that video: thirty-six seconds of chilling footage that Jack repeatedly claimed was not of his making, yet was posted from his own YouTube account. 

Nobody knew what happened to Jack in the days that followed - until now. This book, compiled from the files found after his death, reveals the chilling details of Jack's final hours. 

Read on and decide for yourself what really happened to the notorious Jack Sparks - in this razor-sharp tale about the dangers of mocking what you don't believe . . .

O.M.F.G. This book is amazing!

It's no secret that the words demonic possession and/or exorcism are guaranteed to grab my attention. So, as soon as I found out about this book, I wanted to read it. And I was lucky enough to get a copy from Hachette Australia!

Jack Sparks is a journalist and writer known for being erratic and taking the whole 'research' thing a bit too far. I mean, when he wrote Jack Sparks on a Pogo Stick he actually traveled less-used roads on an actual Pogo stick. Then he went underground while writing Jack Sparks on Gangs, and actually became a drug addict when he wrote Jack Sparks on Drugs. Plus he loves to talk about himself and is constantly updating his social media.

Did I mention that he's also an ego-maniac? Yep, he is.

After his stint in rehab, he decides to write a new book. This time he's going to tackle the occult by writing Jack Sparks on the Supernatural.

That's how he ends up inside a small, remote church in Italy. Where he's about to witness the exorcism of a thirteen-year-old girl. But being the skeptic that he is, during the exorcism he makes a stupid mistake that affects the rest of his life. Everyone knows you're not supposed to get the Devil's attention, but when you don't believe, why would you care? When someone posts a video on his YouTube channel, he's determined to figure out what the hell is going on.

What follows is an insane journey across the world. As Jack tries to outrun the problem he created, he puts a bunch of people in the direct line of danger. And doesn't give a crap...

Jesus! This book is something else. Yikes. What an adventure. The narrative is so addictive that I didn't want to put the book down. But, I took my time reading it, which is great because I enjoyed every single bleak moment.

Jack isn't a very nice person. Actually, the more I read, the less I liked him. He's totally self-absorbed, doesn't care about anyone, and is downright mean. He rides a roller-coaster of emotions and crazy, mean thoughts that inevitably become paranoia. Not to mention that he's totally unreliable and continually withholds important information. On purpose! And when he is honest, there are still lies woven in. But you know what? In spite of him being such a dick, when everything finally unravels, I felt bad for him. Especially when I read the completely opposite way other people's interactions with him were portrayed.

I guess that's the difference between most people and Jack--whether an asshole or not--we actually care about what happens to others.

Also, I have to mention how much I liked Sherilyn Chastain and Bex Lawson. They are two strong women with so much heart and attitude that I loved every time they were on the page. It's always awesome when a male author writes female characters who are actual people. And I have to mention the super creepy Maria Corvi, too. Because damn, was she super trippy and scary. Yikes!

The Last Days of Jack Sparks is one unstable, super freaky ride into darkness that kept me guessing all the way through. It's a thriller wrapped around a demented mystery, with some serious horror at its core. It's also creepy, intense, fun and filled with exciting aha! moments. And that ending was both, Wow and God no! If Jack's heinous story doesn't haunt you, the way everything comes together most certainly will.

No matter what I say, it just won't do this book justice. This is a story that needs to be experienced in order to truly understand the power of Mimi. So go, read it now!

I seriously loved this book.

The Last Days of Jack Sparks, September 2016, ISBN 9780356507187, Orbit