Absolutely bloody brilliant

This is the best audiobook I've ever listened to, and I've listened to many. It deserves all the awards. It was perfectly performed. As far as I can remember, I've never been so emotionally all over the place, and so intensely, while listening to a book. This is Nic's first audiobook (whaaat!!), and I wish he did ALL of them.

This is also one of the best books I've ever read—and oh my God, I've read many over the years, and many superb ones too. Less than halfway through, I ordered the physical copy because I needed to have it in my hands, on my shelves. I'll probably hug it when it arrives.

There's so much to unpack—the narrative POV choice, the word choice, the satire, the humour, the violence, the balance between the two, the characterization, the setting, the metaphors (a crumbling, rotting house), the clever title... all the elements, just everything—the book is simply genius. I'm overwhelmed by how much was working, how much was so accurate, so good.

While I listened, I laughed out loud and cried and got goosebumps and commented aloud. I worried, which made me speedwalk. I ate four gingerbread cookies in a row without even noticing (until after. Whoops). I bit my nails too short. I even took a brief break to listen to another book because I was nervous about what might be coming. In short, I EXPERIENCED this book. I even chatted with the author, my new fave, who was kind enough to indulge me.

So I highly recommend The Axeman's Carnival, and especially that you listen to it.

(Also, I just realized that I never googled it beforehand. I read Chidgey's *Pet* first, and because I liked it so much, I wanted to read another of her books. I had no idea how this story might go and never read any reviews. I recommend that you don't either. Get the full effect by listening blindly.

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