A comedic post-apocalyptic novel set in Brisbane; Jam is a book that will entertain you with its nerdy humour and solid wit.
The premise is bizarre, with Australia being covered in a man-eating jam overnight. With most of the population being wiped out in a flash, it’s up to Travis and his posse of odd companions to survive until help arrives, if it ever does…
As a fan of Croshaw’s online reviews and content, a lot of the comedic elements amused me. However, it is important to not that the humour can sometimes appear outdated or childish, meaning it will probably annoy some readers. The key to enjoying Jam is appreciating Croshaw’s self-awareness and lack of care for what you think of his work — it’s his story, and it’s his world. Watching his imagination at work is the reward of reading Jam, because it really goes in some bizarre directions.
Alongside Travis and his group, clans begin to form and take over the local area. Internet nerds, who adorn themselves in plastic bags (which the jam can’t seem to eat), take over a local shopping centre. Opposite them is a business tower that devolves into a fascist regime in order to survive. There are also some pretty shady secret agent characters and generally a lot more action than you’d expect.
Despite all the satire and love for irony within the novel, it has an unmistakable amount of effort placed into it. With his combination of dry wit, as well as his keenness to write some fairly brutal scenes, Croshaw constructs a unique and crazy novel. Jam is definitely worth a read if you enjoyed 2010s internet culture, or prefer authors who push the boundaries of fiction. It’s a solid recommendation from me.
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