Title: Tales from the Gas Station: Volume Two
Series: Tales from the Gas Station #2
Previous book in this series: Tales from the Gas Station: Volume One
Author: Jack Townsend
Genre: Adult, horror comedy
Publication date: August 2019
Published by: Jack Townsend
Source: Purchased ebook & audibook
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Read the stories it's based on for free on the blog!
Listen to the stories it's based on for free on YouTube!
Buy it: Amazon | Audible | Book Depository
Synopsis: Nightshift clerk and high-functioning insomniac Jack is back to work, trying his best to keep out of trouble. But when his chain-smoking coworker discovers a mysterious radio signal revealing the guarded secrets of their town, Jack will learn that an annoying new dayshift manager is far from the worst of his problems.
In this second installment of the Gas Station saga, Jack finds himself entangled in his most harrowing adventure yet. With the newest crew of coworkers along for the ride and the resident psychopath out for his blood, our hero(?) must navigate the drama of small-town murder conspiracies, vigilante justice, and demonic summoning rituals...whether he wants to or not.
I absolutely loved this book! Because I’ve listened to the free narrations you can find online (I heard them over on MrCreepypasta’s YouTube), I sort of knew where the story was going in regards to the Russian radio. But what I love about this book is that it elaborates on those things and adds a lot more detail, so I really didn’t mind one bit! Just like the last book, this one wasn’t plot-driven like most books I read. It was definitely more on the character-driven side and I was surprisingly okay with that! It did have a lot to do with the fact that I love these characters and the wacky situations they find themselves in.
So our main character, Jack, works at a gas station at the edge of a town, in the middle of nowhere... and things happen. Weird things. Things that are funny to me but not to the characters. Lol. Speaking of which, we get a new character in this book that wasn’t in the short stories I listened to! His name is Calvin Ambrose and I hated him. Lol. I enjoyed his descent into madness, though 🤣 That was fun! And he’s even in the disclaimer at the beginning of the book. Lol.
The book you are about to read is a work of fiction. Any similarities to real people, places, or events is entirely coincidental. (Especially Calvin Ambrose. In fact, that guy is so fictional, I heard he’s started making surprise appearances in people’s dreams. If you are unlucky enough to have this happen to you, just ignore him. He should go away on his own in a couple of hours.)
🤣 One character I do love is Jack. He is so funny and just surprisingly level-headed when it comes to all the weird stuff that goes on in the gas station. He’s almost nonchalant about everything. Although things do get to him from time to time...
I know I’ve seen some weird things in my career. I’ve witnessed more than a few death fake-outs, but if I was about to see that deer head running away with nothing but its tongue, I was ready to call it and nope out of there for good.
😂 He’s also very relatable, which I appreciate.
I looked at the name badge, then at him. “Are you sure?”
“Fuck you.” He flipped me the bird and stormed out of the store, leaving me all alone with nothing but my books. This was shaping up to be a pretty good day.
“Fuck you.” He flipped me the bird and stormed out of the store, leaving me all alone with nothing but my books. This was shaping up to be a pretty good day.
Oh my god, if this isn’t actually me... 😂
“Look,” I said, “I think you’re nice and all, but I’m pretty sure if I get in that hearse, you’re probably going to end up killing me, and I’m really invested in this book and I’ve only got four chapters left to go, so... if you don’t mind...”
Seriously! Like, maybe kill me after? 🤣
Oh and then there’s Jerry, who I freaking love! He’s kind of an airhead, but he’s also surprisingly smart at the same time. I know it doesn’t make sense, but... look, this whole book is ridiculous, okay? 😂 At one point, he and Jack play some video games, and this entire scene was just really endearing because Jack invited him over to the gas station to hang out and Jerry came without a second thought. It was so sweet! But it was also really funny because the video games he brought were knock-offs. There were things like “Super Hit Siblings” and "Marco’s Cart" 😂 I can’t with this guy... I love him!
And another character I also liked was Deputy Amelia O’Brien. I don’t think she was in the last book much, if at all, but she was in a lot of the short stories I listened to. I’m glad to finally have her in this book, though, because she is badass, no-nonsense, and takes shit from no one. Especially not the gas station clerk she’s tasked with protecting (aka Jack).
“Let me be real for a second, if you end up dying all because you were too scared to bother me, I’m going to kick your ass.”
I love her! 😂 And we also got a new part-time employee: Rosa! I love her too! She was another character that was in the short stories, so I’m glad she finally showed up here too! She’s really sweet and she just brings a nice balance to the insanity that goes on in the gas station.
The book did have an interesting subplot I wasn’t expecting regarding the disappearance of a girl named Vanessa, who had a thing going on with Jerry. Well, in this book, we find out what happened to her and it was seriously shocking! But the reason why I found it interesting is because Vanessa has her own story out there on the interwebs! I don’t actually know if there are books, but I do know there are free stories you can read and, of course, narrations. They are about Vanessa’s uncle looking for her, and the story has a very noir/detective vibe to it. So if you like that sort of stuff, definitely check it out. I heard the story myself, and while I found it interesting, that style did not really vibe with me.
But yeah, this book I really loved! It’s just really funny and I love the writing and the character interactions. Not to mention the absolute insanity that goes on around the gas station! Prophetic radios, shapeshifters, mysteries, shenanigans, and just creepy things in general. I loved it! I highly recommend this series, especially if you love dark humor!
It was undeniable. Things weren’t going to go back to the way they were before. But as I sat there in the company of friends just as messed up as me, I couldn’t help but dare to wonder, maybe that wasn’t such a bad thing.
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