Wake Up and Open Your Eyes

By: Clay McLeod Chapman

Narrated by: Kelli Tager, Joe Hempel, Cary Hite, Neil Hellegers, Marni Penning, P. J. Ochlan, Noah Levine, Soneela Nankani, Charlotte Moore-Lambert, Megan Tusing

From Vulture’s “master of horror” Clay McLeod Chapman, a relentless and emotionally charged social horror novel about a family on the run from a demonic possession epidemic that spreads through media, for fans of The Last of Us and Where Evil Lurks

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 listeners to the core.

©2025 Clay McLeod Chapman (P)2025 Blackstone Publishing

insane

something I never need is time after finishing a book. this one i do. I need to soak in what I just listened to. it was great.

This was not good

This book goes absolutely no where. I was honestly so close to giving up on it and then it was over. I thought I was only in the middle of the book because literally nothing had happened apart from backstory. Do not waste your money on this book.

gross and weird! excellent!

pretty good overall, slow start but an AMAZING middle and I loved the little transcripts of videos! ended with a lot unresolved, but still a solid book

Wake Up and Open Your Eyes

Social horror. Political horror. Religious horror. Family horror. Body horror. This is the epitome of the building of and the current world climate. Relatable. Retell-able. Strong. Meaningful. Poignant. Gross. Gruesome. Gory. Visceral.

This is and will always be a book I will recommend to anyone. The audiobook was incredible.

Thank you for this story.

Repetitive, Pointless

The idea of this book was great, but the execution of it was not. The main character’s actions weren’t believable and if there was a point to all the nonsense, I never heard it. The narration became so repetitive, it was annoying. Disappointing read.

Could’ve Been Great

I had high expectations for this book. The subject matter is extremely to timely. The story started out strong, but began to flounder after the first 3rd of the book. There’s a lot of extremely graphic scenes that I’m not sure are necessary, except for shock value. The author inserted humor that was sometime over the top, and again unnecessary. I might’ve felt differently if our country wasn’t experiencing one of the greatest challenges to our understanding of democracy and rampant toxic polarization in our country’s history.

A most Read.

I wish I could convince my family members to read this. it almost doesn't feel like fiction at all.

Shocking but the Ending Was Deep

I almost stopped listening to this book halfway through. So much of the book is posed in such a shocking and disturbing way, but when you get to the message at the end, you realize the purpose to all the shock and disgust. Even as a democrat, this book left me questioning my political motivations and showed me how dangerous political obsession can be. Truly recommend.

Highly recommended if you hate yourself

Wow… Where could I possibly begin?

Clay McLeod Chapman has encapsulated every fear imaginable into one incredible story. Absolutely brilliant.

As another reviewer stated, definitely cringeworthy. Not for the faint of heart or those sensitive to graphic descriptions.

As much as I’d like to recommend this book, I almost wish I never listened to it. As someone who thought they could handle horrific stories, this one easily takes the cake. I both loved it and hated it simultaneously. Bravo Mr. Chapman, great work.

Amazing!

Loved the story and the narration was absolutely fantastic! I really enjoyed this book and would recommend!