Audiobook Review: Road Trip of Doom

I’m Starting to Worry About This Black Box of Doom

by Jason Pargin

Read by Ari Fliakos

Published: September 2024

Summary from Goodreads:

Outside Los Angeles, a driver pulls up to find a young woman sitting on a large black box. She offers him $200,000 cash to transport her and that box across the country, to Washington, DC.

But there are rules:

He cannot look inside the box.
He cannot ask questions.
He cannot tell anyone.
They must leave immediately.
He must leave all trackable devices behind.

As these eccentric misfits hit the road, rumors spread on social media that the box is part of a carefully orchestrated terror attack intended to plunge the USA into civil war.

The truth promises to be even stranger, and may change how you see the world.

Confession:

I have had this book on my TBR list since last year, mostly because of the title and the fact that it is a road trip book. (I just love those) So when I was looking around for a new audiobook to listen to this one popped up, and I am so glad I chose to listen to it this week. It was a hilarious book that had me laughing out loud as I listened. It is a pretty unique book with a lot of colorful characters and interesting commentary on all of the societal ills that the younger generations are having to deal with.

First off I just have to say that Ari Fliakos does a fantastic job with the narration. Every character had a unique voice and accent, even the ones who are only on page for a very short time. It was fantastic, I was never confused as to who was talking or whose point of view we were engaging with. I loved it and will certainly be adding him to my list of favorite readers.

As I mentioned there are a lot of characters in this story and all of them have important roles to play, even the ones who we only see once. All of them are very colorful and quirky and yet had very distinct voices. Only the ones who are the major players in the story are well fleshed out, but the others all had their roles to play and they do it well.

Abbott and Ether are probably the two most important characters as they are the ones transporting this mysterious box. Their conversations in the car were very well done, and it is where we get most of the commentary on society and all of the anxieties and issues facing young people today. I really enjoyed both of them and had sympathy for both of their issues and views of the world. The other mainish characters are Abbott’s dad, a retired FBI agent, and a excon biker who also wants what is in the box. Their characters and points of view were also vital to the story as it unfolds.

One of the best parts of the story though, is all of the comments and theories that are started by random people on the internet and on the Reddit threads about what is in the black box. Those were absolutely hilarious and really makes you think about how crazy some people can get with their conjectures and conspiracy theories. At one point Abbott and Ether are in Roswell, NM so people start talking about how there is a dead alien in the box. I loved it. Such a great commentary on how awful social media is and how quickly things can get out of control.

The plot is very fast moving and I was here for the entire ride across the country. I had my own ideas about what was in that box, but nothing was stranger than the truth. The lead up to the big reveal was so outrageous and unexpected that it really had me almost yelling at the book to just tell me what was in the box already! Great writing and characters really were excellent in this book, the social commentary was also excellent and very on point.

If you enjoy funny satire, quirky, yet lovable characters, and a fast moving plot that involves a road trip this is a book you really should give a chance. This is my first book by this author, but I don’t think it will be my last.