I've known Yahtzee for a long time from his awesome podcasts but never read any of his works.įrom the moment I started reading, I couldn't let go. I look forward to his next novel more than I look forward to rereading this one.Įverything about this book was unusual. So the Cliff's Notes review would have to be this: Fun, but disappointing. But then, it's rare that an outspoken critic is able to live up to his own standards. Overall, nice way to blow a Saturday afternoon, but given all of Croshaw's ranting about story and so forth in Zero Punctuation, I have to admit, I was hoping for something more. Doesn't really make him all that likeable, but Thaddeus and Slippery John were fun enough to sort of balance him out. Jim does change noticeably over the course of the book, and though he's still not heroic, he definitely qualifies as a protagonist. I've heard complaints elsewhere about the characters, and while I see where those complaints are coming from, I didn't really agree. Clean, easily followed prose filled with fun new similes, with nary a Stephenie Meyer 'flew like a bird' cliche in the mix. Which is a shame, really, since his storytelling abilities seem pretty strong.

Seems more like a long-form cathartic lambasting of something the author finds personally peeving than a real attempt to tell a story. The story was fun, and just meta- enough to keep me interested, but it smacked too much of Croshaw's well-known hatred (to ZP fans, anyway, newcomers should be able to pick it up based on the dedication, though) of MMOs. It was a fun read, with plenty of smirks and one or two genuine laughs, but none of the full-out guffaws I'm used to from his work with The Escapist, and definitely not as much as comedic virtuosos like Douglas Adams or Christopher Moore. But, given my love for Yahtzee, I felt I should round up. That's gotta be the first time that's happened.Īnyway, I really find myself wishing for half-stars again, 'cause this is a fairly solid three-and-a-half star book. Oh hey, looks like I got the first review.

Jam by yahtzee croshaw