The Goblin Addiction

Post by Sam Ibeh » 22 May 2023, 03:32

[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "The Goblin Addiction" by Joe Paul Vanhaverbeke.]
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The Goblin Addiction by Joe Paul Vanhaverbeke takes place in a beautiful fantasy world full of mythical creatures and powers. The story is somewhat of a fairytale, where goblins are being hunted and eaten by the Unctionites for the feeling of ecstasy only goblins can give. It is said that once one gets a taste of it, they become hooked forever. They suffer a slow and painful death if they cannot get another dose in five days. A group of Unctionite boys, Little Timmy, Billy, and Joe Bob, set off to Watusi to satisfy their goblin-eating urges. However, they are tracked closely by Coach Mayfield, who seeks to end them and their cruel killings. The battle line is drawn. The boys must learn the true meaning of death, life, and everything in between. Join them in this adrenaline-pumping adventure.

The Goblin Addiction can be seen as an analogy for systemic racism and power imbalance in today's world. The Unctionites are shown to get high off the pain and death of the goblins, which they view as inferior to themselves, seeing them as mere tools to serve their insatiable appetites. The book beautifully captures complex issues such as marginalization, vengeance, and the harmful stereotypes that give rise to biased power systems. This book is a subtle appeal against systemic inequality. Somehow, the author tells a story and positively stirs his reader's mind.

This book is the definition of simple, immersive, and enjoyable storytelling. Vanhaverbeke takes storytelling to levels of visualization, bringing to life a fantasy world of Unctionites, goblins, ogres, and gods that the reader will never wish to leave. He weaves alternate storylines, plots, and characters into symmetry, forming a book. Joe Paul Vanhaverbeke takes the reader's mind on a wild ride with him, his only tool being simple storytelling.

This book's dialogues perform three roles:
1. They are relevant and continue the storyline.
2. They are fun and give the book a unique cartoonish feel.
3. They are realistic and perfectly portray the randomness and ingenuity of real-life conversations.
The dialogues are the driving force behind the book's utterly immersive feel. Many storytellers need help to keep dialogues as exciting and entertaining as the main body. And when they write intriguing dialogues, they often seem unrealistic and improbable. The conversational style in Joe Paul Vanhaverbeke's book fully captures the soul of what good dialogue in storytelling should be.

Beyond the storytelling, there is something quite remarkable about this book — the author's exploration of spiritual concepts such as karma, death, rebirth, and life as we know it. The insightful way these concepts are blended into conversations gives this book a surprising philosophical twist. It is remarkable because a reader picks up a book on goblins, and a few chapters in, they are one step to uncovering the spiritual meaning of human existence. The characters are written as metaphors for more significant concepts, and with each journey these characters go through, the reader learns something they may never have realized before. So with a simple storytelling technique, Vanhaverbeke uncovers spiritual and philosophical concepts regarding life and meaning.

This book, however, will appeal to only some readers. From the first chapter to the last, there is a brash amount of violence, brutality, and inhumane behavior. The weak-hearted reader may not enjoy its storytelling due to the horrifying details of cruelty. Despite all its violence, the book never adopts a tense atmosphere due to the gratuitous use of humor. However, the ordinary reader, easily unnerved by dark themes, can still feel overwhelmed while reading this book. Therefore, the "dark fantasy" label is highly fitting for a book like this.

The Goblin Addiction is a beautifully crafted work of literature that expands on substance abuse, systemic inequality, tyrannical reigns, hope, new beginnings, and death. It is professionally edited and written in easy-to-understand English, combined with good storytelling and humor. It is, however, a dark fantasy that revolves around darker concepts than usual. Adults with a taste for fantasy writing, adventurous storylines, and mature themes in literature will best appreciate it. The Goblin Addiction gets a solid five out of five stars, as there is nothing to dislike.

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The Goblin Addiction
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