Review of The Workaholism Cult

[Kendal Low]

[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "The Workaholism Cult" by Jou Nathaniel.]

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3 out of 5 stars

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Like a countless amount of the world’s workforce, Sam detests his job. He does not do it because he enjoys it, or because he has a particular passion for it. He only does it as a means to pay for life; cell phone, internet, food, and a place to live. For the most part, he has learned to grin and bear it. However, when he starts having what he believes are hallucinations, he realizes there is more than the natural dislike for the job that is present. Other people at this job feel similar to Sam, but he notices a huge shift in their attitudes after they come back one by one from a “vacation.” People who used to be negligent at best are now classic workaholics.

After meeting the new project manager, Azazel "Ash" Diabolos, Sam’s world changes tenfold. The Workaholism Cult by Jou Nathanial is a thrilling story that takes readers through Sam’s sinister discoveries.

I do have a few criticisms to bring up about this book. I found that I didn’t particularly enjoy the author’s writing style, as it felt somewhat childish to me. He used far too many exclamation points, and using them when unnecessary took away the effect they could have had when they were necessary. I believe the book was also longer than it needed to be. It felt like it was dragging at times, and I didn’t enjoy the way Jou described Sam’s experiences. It felt too unbelievable and childish to have any lasting effect on me.

Another thing I wanted to mention was that chapter 15 started from Ash’s perspective with no explanation to the reader. I spent the first seventeen pages of the chapter confused as to who was speaking, as I feel there was not enough content given for the reader to infer that it was Ash speaking. That took me straight out of the novel for the next chapter.

While I do have quite a few criticisms, there were also quite a few things I enjoyed about the book as well. I thought the concept of the book was exceptionally intriguing and had it been executed properly, the plot could have been very captivating. I enjoyed the commentary on the nine-to-five job problem, and I agree with Sam that more often than not it is not a sustainable way to live happily. The book could have done with another round of editing, as I found quite a few errors. For the reasons mentioned above, I rate this book 3 out of 5 stars.

I would recommend this book to readers who typically enjoy supernatural thrillers. While I wasn’t a huge fan of the story, I believe it has potential and some readers may take more of a liking to it than I did. As a result of the strong language and violent themes throughout, I do not believe it is appropriate for younger readers.

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The Workaholism Cult
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[Conshelle Dwight William]

"Workaholism Cult" is something I haven't come across before. The character of Azazel "Ash" Diabolos adds an interesting dynamic to the story and his interactions with Sam are something I looked forward to. Despite the issues with the writing style and pacing, the story managed to keep me engaged. It's always refreshing to read something that stands out from the usual narratives.

[NetMassimo]

This novel has a good potential using supernatural elements to address some problems many workers have in our society. However, it seems in need for more editing to correct the errors and improve some bits. Thank you for your great review!