{"id":2239,"date":"2025-03-11T00:03:05","date_gmt":"2025-03-11T00:03:05","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/bookloves.com\/?p=2239"},"modified":"2025-03-11T00:03:05","modified_gmt":"2025-03-11T00:03:05","slug":"oddball-in-3g-by-marc-berlin","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/bookloves.com\/?p=2239","title":{"rendered":"Oddball in 3G by Marc Berlin"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Synopsis:<\/strong><\/p>\n

Robert Krieger\u2019s life is falling apart.<\/p>\n

He\u2019s been fired from his job, split up with his girlfriend, and has a controlling mother he feels obligated to call twice a week. As a result, he\u2019s developed a distressing anxiety disorder.<\/p>\n

Robert lends money to an acquaintance across the hall in his building, a small-time drug dealer named Skids. When Skids is brutally beaten by enforcers working for an inner-city drug gang, the Dragons, he gives Robert a \u201cpackage\u201d to hold for him until he either asks for it back or dies. Determined to find a new girlfriend, while jogging one morning Robert meets the beautiful and willowy Lindsey Marriott, whom he awkwardly begins to romance. Soon afterwards, he finds himself in a bloody one-man war with the Dragons, who believe Robert possesses money Skids owes them.<\/p>\n

Robert is soon juggling an array of anxiety-heightening issues, which together conspire to wreak havoc on his fragile sanity.<\/p>\n

Gritty and violent, ODDBALL IN 3G is a psychological thriller that\u2019s also surprisingly funny.<\/p>\n

Favorite Lines:<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u201cI have rules, and the rules say this: you\u2019re human, act accordingly.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cEverything, I realize, is temporary \u2013 especially life itself.\u201d<\/p>\n

My Opinion:<\/strong><\/p>\n

I received a copy of this book from the author in exchange for my honest opinion.<\/p>\n

Oddball in 3G<\/em> by Marc Berlin is a quirky, offbeat novel that delivers a refreshing dose of humor and satire while weaving in moments of genuine heart and clever commentary.\u00a0 From the very first page, it was clear I was in for a delightfully unpredictable ride.<\/p>\n

The story primarily follows Robert Krieger who immediately reminded me of a mixture between Norman Bates and Dexter Morgan but with very sarcastic and dry sense of humor which lent to the almost conversational storytelling tone throughout this book that I found I really enjoyed.<\/p>\n

What really impressed me was Berlin\u2019s sharp wit and keen observational humor. His writing is snappy, with dialogue that feels natural yet packed with clever quips and subtle digs at life\u2019s absurdities. The pacing is brisk, ensuring there\u2019s never a dull moment, and just when you think you\u2019ve figured out where the story is headed, it throws a curveball that keeps you on your toes.<\/p>\n

Despite the humor, Oddball in 3G<\/em> isn\u2019t just a collection of comedic sketches\u2014it has surprising depth. Beneath the layers of absurdity are themes of friendship, loneliness, and the odd connections people form in unexpected places. The characters\u2019 antics might be exaggerated, but their emotions and struggles feel genuine, giving the novel a balance between laughter and poignancy.<\/p>\n

I do want to call out that it is possible that some of the more surreal elements might not appeal to readers looking for a straightforward narrative. But for those who enjoy a story that embraces the bizarre with open arms, this book is an absolute treat.<\/p>\n

Summary:<\/strong><\/p>\n

Overall, Oddball in 3G<\/em> is perfect for fans of quirky comedies and character-driven stories that don\u2019t take themselves too seriously but still manage to say something meaningful. If you\u2019re looking for a fun, fast-paced read that keeps you entertained while offering a fresh perspective on life\u2019s oddities, Marc Berlin\u2019s latest is well worth picking up. Happy reading!<\/p>\n

Check out\u00a0Oddball in 3G<\/a>\u00a0<\/em>here!<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Synopsis: Robert Krieger\u2019s life is falling apart. He\u2019s been fired from his job, split up with his girlfriend, and has a controlling mother he feels obligated to call twice a week. As a result, he\u2019s developed a distressing anxiety disorder. Robert lends money to an acquaintance across the hall in his building, a small-time drug […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":0,"featured_media":2240,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2239","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-bookreviews"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/bookloves.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2239"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/bookloves.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/bookloves.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bookloves.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=2239"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/bookloves.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2239\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bookloves.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/2240"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/bookloves.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=2239"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bookloves.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=2239"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bookloves.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=2239"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}