Wake Up and Open Your Eyes by Clay McLeod Chapman review

About The Book

Last year, I read Clay McLeod Chapman’s novelette Stay on the Line and loved it. I was excited to dive into a full-length book from him.

Wake Up and Open Your Eyes is unlike anything I’ve ever read before. I generally enjoy transgressive fiction, weird lit, satire, and horror. Even I found myself questioning what on earth I was reading with every page turn! It’s definitely a memorable read and any book that can make you think that is good, right?!

The premise is that Noah’s parents are hooked on far-right news. They’ve been watching Fax News and gradually spouting more and more buzzwords. Noah’s mum has been blowing up his voicemail with a series of strange messages. Her last mentions a “great reawakening,” which Noah dismisses as yet another conspiracy theory. Then the voicemails stop.

Concerned by the sudden radio silence, Noah tries calling his mum back but gets no response. Worried, he decides to make the drive from New York to Virginia to check on her. What ensues is absolute madness – from arriving outside his childhood home on page 23 to the concluding page 393.

I think it’s best to go into the rest of the book blind. But be warned – it’s a LOT. There is a quote on the cover from Jordan Peele. The book definitely feels like one of his movies. Alternatively, it resembles a really messed up Black Mirror episode.

I really enjoyed how the book was formatted throughout. It also helped with the flow. This meant I sped through the read.

Thanks again to Titan Books for the gifted copy. Wake Up and Open Your Eyes is out today, 7th January.