Audiobook Review: Wake Up and Open Your Eyes by Clay McLeod Chapman

Clay McLeod Chapman’s Wake Up and Open Your Eyes is a visceral, electrifying horror novel that cuts to the bone of contemporary America, taking on societal divisions, apocalyptic anxiety, and the dark undercurrents of modern life. Known for his ability to craft stories that are both deeply unsettling and socially poignant, Chapman’s latest work amplifies these talents to their peak, creating a narrative that feels both terrifying and urgently relevant. As an audiobook, this novel is an immersive experience that amplifies its visceral horror, drawing listeners into a world where the body becomes a battleground for power and survival. The narration and sound design elevate the experience, making the novel’s dark themes and gruesome imagery even more immediate and terrifying. Check out my full thoughts below and dive into the full horror through Libro.fm!

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Wake Up and Open Your Eyes

by Clay McLeod Chapman
on January 7, 2025
Bookshop, Audiobook through LibroFM
Goodreads

For fans of The Last of Us, a fast-paced supernatural horror novel about a mass demonic possession epidemic that spreads through the internet from Vulture’s “master of horror” Clay McLeod Chapman.
Noah Fairchild has been losing his formerly polite Southern parents to far-right cable news for years, so when his mother leaves him a voicemail warning him that the “Great Reckoning” is here, he assumes it’s related to one of the many conspiracy theories she believes in. But when his own phone calls go unanswered, Noah makes the long drive from Brooklyn to Richmond, Virginia. There, he discovers his childhood home in shambles, a fridge full of spoiled food, and his parents locked in a terrifying trance-like state in front of the TV. Panicked, Noah attempts to snap them out of it and get medical help.
Then Noah’s mother brutally attacks him.
But Noah isn’t the only person to be attacked by a loved one. Families across the country are tearing each other apart-–literally-–as people succumb to a form of possession that gets worse the more time they spend watching particular channels, using certain apps, or visiting certain websites. In Noah’s Richmond-based family, only he and his young nephew Marcus are unaffected. Together, they must race back to the safe haven of Brooklyn–-but can they make it before they fall prey to the violent hordes?
This ambitious, searing novel from "one of horror's modern masters" holds a mirror to our divided nation, and will shake readers to the core.

A Chilling, Immersive Experience of Body Horror and Political Paranoia

At its heart, this novel is a frenetic exploration of what happens when the foundations of society, and the very people we rely on, start to crumble. The premise is simple yet horrifying: an ordinary world starts to spiral into chaos as something insidious begins to transform those around the protagonist into something monstrous. What begins as a story of personal terror quickly grows into a larger metaphor for a society teetering on the edge of collapse. Sound familiar?

The book’s greatest strength lies in its ability to disturb on multiple levels. Chapman weaves an explosive blend of body horror, apocalyptic dread, and familial conflict, making the novel a gut-wrenching experience from start to finish. The possession elements are cleverly subverted, using the horror tropes as a way to explore the deep fractures in American culture. There’s a constant sense of claustrophobia and tension as the protagonist navigates this increasingly nightmarish landscape (and when I say nightmare, I mean NIGHTMARE). The story mirrors the anxieties of our time, from political polarization to the fear of losing control over the people closest to us. The book is as much a psychological thriller as it is a social commentary, and that duality makes it so unnerving.

Chapman’s signature dark humor is darker than ever, providing brief moments of relief before plunging readers back into the horror. The language is sharp, cinematic, and unrelenting, making the experience feel like a roller coaster of tension, gore, and emotional devastation. And just when you think you know where the story is headed, Chapman throws in yet another twist, keeping you on edge right up to the final word.

This novel is a sociopolitical fever dream that not only terrifies but makes us confront the horrifying potential of our own real-world divisions. In the end, Wake Up and Open Your Eyes is more than a horror story, it’s a reflection of our time, a terrifying reminder of what might happen if we can’t tackle Fox I mean FAX media and bridge the growing gaps between us. This is a story that’s as much about confronting the horror within ourselves as it is about surviving the collapse of society, and the audiobook makes that horror feel even more intimate. Whether you’re listening during a long drive or curled up at home, the experience will undoubtedly haunt you, long after the final chapter.