Who Would Like This Book:
If you love the feeling of being dropped into a delightfully weird, mysterious small town where the extraordinary is hilariously ordinary, "Welcome to Night Vale" is your jam! The writing is witty, the world-building superbly bizarre, and the alternating perspectives of Jackie and Diane add depth and heart to the strangeness. Sci-fi fans, podcast listeners, lovers of absurdist humor, and anyone who appreciates thoughtful character-driven stories with an X-Files-meets-Douglas-Adams vibe will be hooked. Whether you’re a longtime fan or a complete newcomer, there’s plenty to enjoy here.
Who May Not Like This Book:
If you prefer straightforward narratives, grounded realism, or characters you can instantly relate to, this book’s surreal, sometimes confusing storytelling might not be your cup of tea. The plot jumps around, logic takes a backseat to atmosphere, and not every joke will land if you’re not into deadpan or absurdist humor. Some readers felt the pacing dragged or the ending was underwhelming, especially if they weren’t already invested in the Night Vale universe.
About:
Welcome to Night Vale is a novel by Joseph Fink and Jeffrey Cranor that blends multiple genres into a unique tapestry of storytelling. It follows two women, Jackie and Diane, whose lives are turned upside down by the arrival of a mysterious man in a tan jacket. The narrative unfolds through alternating chapters, revealing the absurdity and mystery of their small desert town where strange occurrences are part of everyday life. The plot cleverly intertwines their personal quests with the broader mysteries of Night Vale, including the enigma surrounding KING CITY.
The book's writing style captures the same whimsical and surreal tone as the original podcast. It embraces a poetic cadence that enhances the reading experience, making it feel alive and engaging. Readers appreciate the well-developed characters and humor infused throughout the story, creating a balance of lightheartedness and depth. A mix of absurdist humor and poignant moments allows it to resonate with readers, whether they are fans of the podcast or new to the world of Night Vale.
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Notes:
Sensitive Topics/Content Warnings
The book contains themes of horror, supernatural elements, and existential dread, which may be unsettling for some readers.
Has Romance?
There are elements of romance present, but they are not the central focus of the story.
From The Publisher:
From the creators of the #1 international hit podcast Welcome to Night Vale comes an imaginative mystery of appearances and disappearances that is also a poignant look at the ways in which we all struggle to find ourselves . . . no matter where we live.
Welcome to Night Vale . . . a friendly desert community somewhere in the American Southwest. In this ordinary little town where ghosts, angels, aliens, and government conspiracies are commonplace parts of everyday life, the lives of two women, with two mysteries, are about to converge.
Pawnshop proprietor Jackie Fierro abides by routine. But a crack appears in the standard order of her perpetually nineteen-year-old life when a mysterious man in a tan jacket gives her a slip of paper marked by two pencil-smudged words: KING CITY. Everything about the man unsettles her, especially the paper that she cannot remove from her hand. Yet when Jackie puts her life on hold to search for the man, no one who meets him can seem to remember anything about him.
Diane Crayton's fifteen-year-old son, Josh, is moody and a shape-shifter. Lately, Diane has started to see the boy's father everywhere she goes, looking the same as he did the day he left when they were teenagers. Josh is growing ever more curious about his estranged father-leading to a disaster Diane can see coming but is helpless to prevent.
Diane's search to reconnect with her son and Jackie's search to reclaim her routine life draw them increasingly closer to each other, and to this place that may hold the key to their mysteries and their futures . . . if they can ever find it.
Ratings (38)
Incredible (5) | |
Loved It (12) | |
Liked It (8) | |
It Was OK (8) | |
Did Not Like (4) | |
Hated It (1) |
Reader Stats (88):
Read It (39) | |
Currently Reading (2) | |
Want To Read (38) | |
Did Not Finish (5) | |
Not Interested (4) |
4 comment(s)
I really liked the first 1/3, but I kinda got tired of the plot once it turned in to baby daddy drama lol
I think this is one of those times where listening to the audiobook might've been preferable to reading it. For one thing, the sentences meander (the last two pages consist of one incredibly long sentence), there isn't enough description, and some of the things that seem cute in the podcast feel out of place in a novel (was that a smile?).
Of course, I liked it because it was Night Vale. It was good to be able to submerge myself in Night Vale for so long a time, like when I used to binge listen to the episodes. And the characters are certainly likeable, although the plot also drifts a bit.
Would I recommend it to people who haven't listened to Night Vale? No. I think part of its charm is that it references so many different episodes.
I've listened to the Night Vale podcast a couple of times, but I'm no means a big fan. Not to say that I didn't like it - I just spend the time I could spend listening to podcasts reading. Night Vale would be way up on my list if I did listen.
That said, you don't have to be a regular listener to enjoy this book. I loved this book. The story is almost beside the point of the theme and mood - funny, irreverent, and touching all at the same time. Time works differently in Night Vale. It's something all of the citizens accept, and ultimately, this is a story of acceptance and homecoming. The situations are weird bordering on wacky, but they're also lessons if you're willing to read carefully.
Jackie Fierro has been 19 and working in a pawn shop for as long as she can remember. Diane Crayton is happy to be the single mother of a shapeshifting teenager. But when a long lost citizen of Night Vale returns to town, and a man who is almost impossible to remember starts popping up making trouble, Jackie and Diane must confront what they have always known to be true and return Night Vale to its normal level of weirdness.
Although Jackie doesn't read like a typical teenager to me (do teenagers say "man" that much?), I like her attitude. Diane shows the most growth, and really is there a more perfect metaphor for a teenager than a shapeshifter? Josh, Diane's son, is always in a different form. Teenagers are going through changes they can't understand. But whether he's a horsefly or a potted plant, Diane always recognizes him.
Most importantly, as a librarian with an MLS from an accredited program, I can say that everything written about libraries and librarians in this book is absolutely true.
Quirky and had some good/funny ideas, but not being familiar with the podcast, it didn't work as a stand-alone novel for me.
What can you read after
Welcome to Night Vale?
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