Review of A Dead End Job

[MsTri]

[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "A Dead End Job" by Justin Alcala.]

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3 out of 4 stars

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We've all heard of working a "dead-end job," but we usually take that to mean "a job where there is little or no chance of career development and advancement into a higher paid position," as defined by Wikipedia. However, in Justin Alcala's entertaining story, A Dead-End Job, hitman Buchanan "Buck" Palasinski is working a job where the end result is death because Death himself says so.

After dying in the line of duty, Buck is made an offer he can't refuse: work for Death or go to Hell, literally. Like any upstanding contract killer, Buck opts to work for The Grim Reaper. However, everything is not as it seems with Buck's first big job. Can Death's intern successfully navigate the truths and nontruths, not to mention the undead, and stay out of the hot place? Read this engrossing tale to find out.

Like anybody else, I dislike dead-end jobs, but this Dead-End Job felt like a real treat, and I enjoyed following along with Buck as he tried to keep himself out of hot water. I knew going into this read that the main character would make or break the tale, as an unlikeable protagonist would have made the story a chore to get through, so I was thrilled to find that even though he was a paid killer, Buck also had some redeeming qualities and was quite multifaceted. His tendency to give others snide nicknames based on their physical characteristics - like "Idaho-Face" for a female that had a birthmark resembling that state on her visage - also allowed me to see him as a person I wouldn't mind knowing in real life. It seems strange to say, but Death's humanity - such as his workaholic tendencies - drew me to him, too, and I could even see aspects of myself in him. I hope I get to read more about him in upcoming stories; I think a prequel would be exceptionally great. Death's other assistant, Jumbo, was also pretty likeable, and I loved his dry wit. There were several other characters in this yarn, and I didn't feel like any were out of place or stereotypical except where Alcala himself noted that they were.

One of my favorite things about this Dead-End Job was its twists and turns; I often didn't know up from down and had no clue what was to happen, and I loved the unpredictability. The epilogue was particularly intriguing, so I'm very excited about reading any sequels. I also really liked Alcala's writing style, as he was excellent at turning phrases, and the included puns kept me laughing. He was quite creative with naming the characters too.

Unfortunately, the author didn't take quite as much care with the technical aspects of the story, as the text is full of grammatical errors. There are many issues with incorrect capitalization, verb tenses, hyphenation, and punctuation. I strongly urge the author to invest in a professional editor for any future novels. As it stands, I am rating A Dead-End Job 3 out of 4 stars.

I highly recommend this entrancing tale to fans of gun for hire stories, readers who like interesting personifications of Death, and people who enjoy stories that keep them on their toes. In addition, there are some supernatural aspects, so bibliophiles who like them may also want to invest in this tale. A Dead-End Job includes both violence and profanity, so readers who shy away from those should beware.

"Well." I approached the scythe. "I didn't see this happening when I woke up today."

- Buck, A Dead-End Job

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A Dead End Job
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[Kehinde Hussein]

I like the dynamism to this story. Working for the Grim Reaper or "death" seems odd but promising. I'll give this a try because I'm hooked already.

[Themmie10]

The book got me intrigued already, I wonder how working for a grim reaper will look like with death on your own tail. I’ll love to give this a trial.

[Blessing Odii]

Quite a fascinating story. I love the review.

[Patty Allread]

I like that this book has some humor in it. The very idea of being "Death's intern" is amusing. I enjoyed reading your review; thank you!

[Aloyo Mercy Susan]

In like where justin said he dislike dead end- job...coz it's not good to kill.

[Suzer6440 xyz]

I’m excited for this book and would love to read the story. The only thing I’m on the fence about is the profanity used inside it as described in the review. I’m going to look further into it to see how I feel. Thanks for the details

[Pauline Parnell]

I like that the topic seems 'pun intended'. You make the story sound fascinating. It seems to have the ingredients to become a successful novel. Thanks for the review.

[cutemami]

I feel like i have watched a movie that is kind of like this book. I love the story and i have no doubt i will enjoy reading it.

[Aisha Yakub]

This has a very intriguing and unique storyline. I look forward to reading this. Great review.

[Gavin Groeneveldt]

Death as a person has many different faces. and in this book Death employs people to work for him makes for an interesting topic. I wander if Death in this book has unique emotions or if it is generic as in the sense that it is evil or if there's a deeper implication with the main character's role.

[Essy Nma]

I wouldn't like to experience this "death end Job" in my career. It can be very frustrating. Thanks for the review.

[Ay Obaj]

I love it when books storyline are constructed perfectly, and contains every single element of thrill. A book like this will surely wow any reader. Thanks for a honest review.

[Sarah Sonbol]

The book looks interesting. It's intriguing how the author could turn the charater of a killer into a likable character. Thanks for the great review.

[ellimctreph]

I love a fascinating concept like this.