Huge

I grew up watching Brent Butt's Corner Gas so I was so excited to receive an ARC for HUGE.

HUGE is a slow-burn thriller about three stand-up comedians, Dale, Rynn, and Hobie Huge, who are on tour in rural Canadian towns. Dale and Rynn quickly find out that Hobie's an awful performer, but they have yet to learn that it's not just Hobie's jokes that are brutal.

Brent Butt has always done an amazing job of creating interesting characters, and there's absolutely no shortage of them in this book. The main characters were fleshed out really well, and I enjoyed that a good chunk of the story was spent getting to know them.

I also loved the world-building in this book; it was like a behind-the-scenes look into what it's like being on tour, show more performing in sketchy bars in the middle of nowhere.

HUGE was a surprising, twisty ride that kept me on the edge of my seat!

A huge thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the gifted copy. HUGE comes out on October 3. show less

A very entertaining read. This is the story of three stand-up comedians doing a series of one-nighters across rural Manitoba and Ontario. We have Dale -- a veteran comedian struggling to cover his daughter's tuition. Rynn is a rising star hoping to be cast for a new TV sketch comedy. And Hobie is brand new. I loved the inside look at the comedy business. But there's more to the story. This is a thriller and thins go horribly wrong for two of the comedians, at the hands of the third.

The book is funny at times...how can a book starring comedians not be? It's also chilling. So many thrillers strain my credibility but this is one page-turner that rang true.

Brent Butt is a man of many talents!

A fantastic debut novel from the creator of Corner Gas, one of Canada’s best TV shows. Dale Webly is a stand-up comedian, trying to make enough to pay for his daughter’s first year of college. He is slated to do a series of shows in some lesser-known spots in Canada. The second act on the bill is Rynn Lanigan, a woman in her twenties from Ireland, who appears to be headed for success. The third guy is a last minute addition, Hobie Huge, a loud, belligerent, bad-tempered guy whose build matches his name and who is completely without talent. The tour becomes a nightmare, and gets progressively worse as Dale and Rynn find themselves in a massive struggle to stay alive. While there are amusing moments throughout the story, this is one show more that mutates into horror.

Butt has written (and narrated) a winner proving his considerable talent is multifaceted. I can’t wait for him to write more. show less

I may have watched one too many Corner Gas reruns because when the Dale character yells out the window at a would-be mugger, I heard Brent Leroy’s voice! Not a bad thing as it helped to keep it light when things got dark. So this thriller has comedy, but also crime/horror elements. Why obsess over genre? I needed the read to qualify for the “genre I don't usually read” box on my summer-reading challenge bingo card.

An engaging and fresh thriller about three comedians on tour in the wilds of small-town Canada when something goes very wrong for two of them. Butt did a superb crafting of each of the comedians -- they pop out of the pages like real people. I particularly liked the friendship among them and the insider's view of the comedy world. Highly entertaining.