I am not even going to bother breaking this one down book-by-book as it just builds and builds in books 1-4 and the bonus novellas are just icing on top of a very funky cake.
Jack Townsend is not your average gas station employee. He suffers from a rare form of insomnia that will eventually kill him as he never sleeps. He's never met the owners- an odd mom and pop duo he only interacts with over the phone - but they trust Jack to keep things running smoothly as the station's only full-time employee.
Jack is not even the best kind of employee as he tends to sit behind the counter and reading odd books, often not even noticing customers entering and shopping until they slam their items down on the counter. But he is willing to cover the crazy night shift as the part-timers tend to wind up with horrible accidents, missing limbs or go missing entirely. Those who do survive tend to quit within days.
After all, this is a town where odd things happen and the crappy gas station outside of town just happens to be ground zero.
Psychotic raccoons, plants with human hands growing from them, a local politician named Keifer who keeps coming back from the dead and the odd cult compound down the road. It's a town of missing person posters from those who wandered into the woods and never returned. And who is the cowboy who haunts the station bathroom and why is he there?
This station is so active that it has its own police deputy assigned to handle all of the strange inccidents that occur there.
Jack is possibly going insane, maybe not, but who can say when you haven't slept for nearly a year. But the locals that visit the station aren't all in their right minds either.
Enter Jerry. When the rest of his cult members disappear, Jerry finds himself spending more time at the gas station, and earning himself a part-time position. While Jack is often in over his head, Jerry is a laid back heavy smoker, drinks anything he can get his hands on, including his homemade booze and has yet to meet a drug he will refuse.
He is also foul-mouthed and quick with the most off-the-cuff responses to any situation. Oh, and he's unafraid of anything- often rushing in with his fists, gun, baseball bat, or his favorite- a katana sword. Jerry is definitely holding onto some secrets, but you just want to hug him... or just pat him on the head like a big try-sexual pet.
You will wonder just what in the world you got yourself once you open the pages and follow along, but it will also leave you automatically reaching for the next book in the series as you won't be ready to walk away from this universe anytime soon.
There are so many one-off characters as well as loads of recurring ones, and just because someone has been buried, don't count on them staying there.
This horror comedy series will keep you scratching your head, on the edge of your seat and giggling maniacally at all things Jerry. A wild ride through the realm of the supernatural and other-worldly.
There's no sex, but Jerry has a talent for mouthing off in conflicts, turning just about everything into inuendo. There is a lot of f-bombs and other swearing, smoking, drinking, drug use, blood and violence, including the loss of limbs and people getting the crap beaten out of them.
And a lot if it happening to poor Jack.
Depending on your kids i'd say it would be okay for older teens and adults- if your kid has been approved to read Stephen King then you can hand these right over. It's safer than most of King's works anyway, and far more entertaining rather than oure nightmare fuel.
And be sure to check out the author's website as you'll find Jack's blog is there as well as other fun goodies.
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