This was so far my book of the year, I devoured it in about two days and then promptly bought the second book in the....trilogy? The series is not finished yet and I'm assuming based on how to story is progressing. That being said, I annotate, highlight, and tab all my books and that helped me to keep track of who was who and what was going on. There are a lot of character POV's, some only have one chapter just to give background of what's going on throughout the town. Personally I liked that about the book because it let some of the less important "mysteries" get solved right away from the readers perspective. Venus was not my favorite character, but the evolution of her friend Penny alone makes the book worth reading! The god's chapters are some of my favorite. The god views things in such an interesting black and white way and it becomes very obvious from the beginning that the god is a creature of our own making. A great read for those like me who enjoy a good horror mystery. ( )

DNF'd at 160-something pages.

Gosh, was this boring. There were too many POVs and I was bored during all of them. Many parts were overly wordy, and it could've used a good editing down. I also just don't like books about cults. I find them so one note and uninteresting. I really wish that I knew about that before I bought this book.

I've got incredibly mixed feelings about this book. On one hand, Dubeau's writing and story engaged me right from the beginning, and the premise is so interesting that it kept me hooked ever at points where the book lagged a bit. On the other hand, part of the problem here was that the book was drastically in need of editing down--overwriting was a serious problem throughout the book, whether it came down to head-hopping offering more POVs of a scene than necessary or the author feeling the need to 'tell' what he was already showing, or scenes that simply could have been quite a bit shorter and had more power as a result. So much detail and overwriting went into nearly every scene, the story just didn't have the momentum it should have--and so, in the end, it felt like it had been far too long even though the conclusion and climax had themselves felt rushed and a little bit unsatisfying (more like the first book in a series vs. the stand-alone I thought it was when I began reading).

I don't know. I'd probably give the author another try, but not if it was another book through this publisher since I think editing was one of the big problems here, as the book could have been a lot stronger if the over-writing had been cut down on and the ending given more heft. ( )

A God in the Shed by J.F. Dubeau is a wonderful horror story woven around a small town and a God of Hate and Death. The plot is fantastic and spine chilling. The book really lived up to my expectations as with every page something new comes up. The twists and turns were mind blowing. You will definitely not be able to put down the book. The book deserves a 5 star rating.

Read full review on bibliophileverse.blogspot.com ( )

Hmmm. This is a frustrating one. 3.5 stars grudgingly rounded up to four. Why?

Because at times, this novel was as brilliant as they come. Imagination and horror to spare.

And then there were the times when it almost felt like either a second, far less talented author took over, or else sections were simply skipped over in the editing process.

For every stunning scene of the titular God in the shed (those scenes just pretty much sing), there's a scene of stunningly clunky dialogue. For every gorgeous scene of magic or supernatural occurrences, there's a scene of someone losing a mother, a father, a girlfriend, who simply seem to shrug it off within pages.

All told, I think Dubeau mostly pulled the story off—despite it being needlessly overcomplicated—but I can't help but despair of what an amazing novel with would have been with more even writing and editing. ( )

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A fan of gothic stories set in small towns with worldly terrors, I went into A God in the Shed by J-F Dubeau with giddy excitement. While it started strong, ultimately it left me bored.

The prologue started with such promise. It was truly terrifying, well written, and hooked me straightaway. I wondered what would happen now with this cave dwelling god. How will this small town endure?

The answer? Pretty easily. The majority of the book consists of alternating points of view from everyone in this small town all wondering how they can use the god to further their own agendas. There is never any sense of fear or worry until the very end, and even then, it fizzles. We hear that suddenly, the god is finally going to make his move, but nothing happens. The end. Literally, the town is no better or worse than they were at the start. I don’t understand what the purpose was, the driving force of the book because we start at point A, walk around aimlessly, and end at point A.

So, why the two stars? Because it wasn’t necessarily bad, it just didn’t capture me. It simply existed. It was like going on a car ride around the block. Sure, you got out of the house, but did you really accomplish anything in the end? I don’t know, I’ve struggled with writing the review for A God in the Shed by J-F Dubeau for weeks now simply because I don’t know what to say. With books I’ve disliked, I try to be constructive and break down what didn’t work, what was problematic. With books I’ve liked, I talk about what worked, what made it stand out from others. With this, I just have nothing.

// I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this title. // ( )

This book was wonderful. Plot-wise, it's unlike anything I've ever read before, and I've read a lot of books. Especially horror books. I heard a rumour that book 2 is available for preorder, so I'll be looking into that immediately. I can't recommended this enough for a horror lover who's looking for something just a bit different from your usual ghosts, goblins, and ghouls!!!

Unrelated to the story, I have to mention how much I love the actual book itself. The artwork on the cover is beautiful and I love the stylistic binding that was chosen. It all fits in so perfectly with the story within! ( )

I received this novel as an advanced copy from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This is by far one of the best horror novels I have ever read. It hit the mark on all counts and kept the suspense, magic, and gore coming throughout the story.

First of all, the story itself is ridiculously good. There is so much depth, so many different elements that come together to give an intricate backstory that makes the reader want more. The author does a great job of keeping you in the dark until the right moment while also delivering a story that you can follow along. Every so often, you get clues that make you question what you previously knew.... and the author also provides the perfect opportunities for you to remember those clues and link the story together. It almost made me feel like a detective, and it was just so much fun to read this book! I loved the gore and the horror and the magical elements incorporated into this story; it was truly dark and I was definitely creeped out! The author had multiple POVs going, but he did such a fantastic job of keeping each one unique and fresh and interesting for the reader! The author also managed to show internal (and external) changes in character personalities and roles, which is not an easy feat by any means! There was so much going on in this novel and yet, it never felt overwhelming. Everything made sense, everything had depth, and everything made me want to flip the page and read on. The writing style was also amazing and easy to follow. I don't want to keep on praising and praising so just do yourself a favor and give this book a shot, because it will definitely be worth your time! ( )

Inspector Crowley should be celebrating the capture of serial killer in a small town in Canada. What was a straightforward crime novel quickly turns to the spine chilling macabre horror story. There are some stomach churning scenes and supernatural forces that add nuances that draw you deeper into the lives of Venus, Daniel, Gabrielle, Randy, Cicero, Virginie, William, Paul, Andre', and of course, Crowley. It is stories like this that will keep you out of the woods and stop you from exploring small villages like Saint Ferdinand.

Goodreads Giveaway randomly chose me to receive this book. Although encouraged, I was under no obligation to write a review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. ( )

A GOD IN THE SHED BY J-F DUBEAU has everything in not only a horror novel but a mystery. Cults, sacrifice , serial killer, and more big secrets than a small town deserves. On a scale of one to ten on my weird/creepy meter, this hit a twelve!

For decades the people of Saint-Ferdinand have had to deal with a serial killer. Now the local inspector has caught the killer, or has he? Even as the self confessed killer sits in jail the killings keep on happening & minute by minute things keep getting worse and worse. Not only is the inspector dealing with murders but an entity has gotten loose and with it loose the town is in mortal danger.

A God in the Shed is not a mild horror novel. It is very graphic on many points. , which of course makes it all the better when it comes to the creepy/weird. I really and truly hope to see more of the authors works of the weird and creepy!

I recieved this book free from goodreads in exchange for an honest review. ( )

This was...not good. The prose was overwrought and confused, characters were inconsistently written and their motivations obscure, and there was no real resolution at the end (which turns out to be fine, because there was no real tension either). There are some interesting ideas here, but poorly executed. ( )