Shallow Ends

by David James Keaton

An innocent celebration takes a twisted turn when thirteen unlucky people find themselves trapped on a party bus with an inscrutable driver at the wheel.

It was just supposed to be a birthday party, a mobile celebration with a group of college friends on a modified fire truck. But at some point, things take a dark detour. As the pulsating beats of dance music reverberate over an endless stretch of asphalt, the temperature suddenly plummets, and the reality of the situation becomes chillingly clear. The driver will not stop. After frantically attempting contact, the passengers begin to suspect this party may never end. Desperation mounts as the trapped revelers hatch a plan to halt the rolling nightmare themselves. While they continue to drink and argue, shifting narrators peel back the layers of their past lives, exposing the disturbing secrets that bind them all together. Alliances shift, old grudges resurface, and battles erupt as the terrified passengers turn on one another in a struggle for survival as they careen through the night.

The Twilight Zone meets Speed in Shallow Ends, a harrowing exploration of the human psyche set on a desolate highway, where the line between what’s real and unreal blurs. Brace yourself for a psychological thrill ride that will leave you questioning the boundaries of perception—and confronting the darkness that lurks beneath the placid surface of our lives.

Genres: Horror

289 pages, Kindle Edition

Published September 24, 2024

About the author

David James Keaton received his MFA from the University of Pittsburgh and was the co-founder and Editor-in-Chief of Flywheel Magazine. His first collection of fiction, FISH BITES COP! Stories To Bash Authorities, was named the 2014 Short Story Collection of the Year by This Is Horror. Kirkus spotlighted his debut novel, THE LAST PROJECTOR, calling it "rapidly paced and loaded with humor... a loopy, appealing mix of popular culture and thoroughly crazy people." His second collection of fiction, STEALING PROPELLER HATS FROM THE DEAD, received a Starred Review from Publishers Weekly, who said, "The author's joy in his subject matter is obvious, often expressed with a sly wink and a wicked smile. Decay, both existential and physical, has never looked so good.” His most recent novel, HEAD CLEANER, was recommended by Booklist and Library Journal, who called it "light and breezy with dark undercurrents that keep the reader off-kilter" as well as "great fun." He also teaches composition and creative writing at Santa Clara University in California.

Reviews

[David Agranoff · Rating 4 out of 5]

Years ago, homey Anthony Trevino lent me The Last Projector by David James Keaton. It sounded good, and Anthony swore by it. I can’t explain it, but that book has been unread on my TBR pile in four apartments. Probably 8 years now. For the life of me why I have not read it is a mystery and at this point, I think I am just being stubborn.

I mean I read Head Cleaner his last novel, and Interviewed David on the podcast. That fucking book was one of my favorites of that year. I even made it Dick-like Suggestion on the Dickheads podcast. So, think about it. I talked about Keaton’s weird SF VCR time travel novel on not one, but two podcasts. I also think of him every time a character in a movie takes a decompression shower, seriously once you notice it they are as pervasive as giant massive grave holes that magically happen in movies. Why do I think of DJK when a character stands in the shower and just thinks about their horrible situation? Because whenever he sees it in a movie or TV he posts a picture of it. I can’t unsee them because of him. That should serve as a reminder, of that book still sitting on the TBR.

The point is I have plenty of reminders and reasons to read The Last Projector and I have not. Then last month a package showed up on my porch. In the package mailed by David James Keaton there was a DVD for Innocent Blood. A movie I saw in the theater that I used to call ‘European Vampire in Pittsburgh’. Get it? John Landis the director of American Werewolf in London directed it. It had the same horror comedy tone. They should’ve called the movie by that title. There was also a CD for the band Yes: The Yes Album. I was listening to the Misfits this morning. Now for the rest of this review, I will listen to that Yes album. I am not a Yes Fan, so this may become a commentary on Prog rock. I like Prog metal, so maybe I will like it.

Bye, bye Danzig and the boys. Here comes Yes.

The package also contained a novel by David James Keaton. Which I have read already despite not reading The Last Projector, and even though he sent me this hippie bullshit in the mail. Yes is the hippie bullshit to be clear. Shallow Ends is the novel. In one way it is a throwback. In the Golden Age of Science Fiction, authors would break up novels and sell them as short stories, later compile them into what were called Fix-up novels.

As best I can tell Keaton took seven short stories that he published in various places and recycled them into this novel. You can call it smart or shroud because the common wisdom is that readers don’t want to buy short story collections. They want novels baby. One long story with characters that grow and have character arcs over a complete book. So here is David James Keaton the author of seven published short stories and what does he do with them? Publishers don’t want a collection.

So I am sure he turned on a hot shower let the water run on him and closed his eyes. As the steam rose cinematically around him in his moment of despair an idea! I will put them together in one novel with a single story to tie them together. (I can’t take anymore Yes, I might have to cleanse with Morbid Angel. Speaking of YES – Why didn’t Weird Al ever make “Donor of a Faulty Heart?”)
You maybe asking now? Who could make that work? The Answer is clearly the author of the Last Projector David James Keaton. This is a pretty solid act of writing, not everyone could take seven stories seemly slide them into one novel, thankfully the stories are thematically themed and stylistically suited for the task.

The story of the fire truck converted into a nightmarish party bus sets perfectly for Keaton's hilarious Clerks meets Twilight Zone vibe. Add a bit of Speed (the movie, not the other stuff) and you have all the ingredients for a fun read. The party bus heads out of Louisville, where the novel starts on a lost highway, it won't stop, the poor bastards are afraid it will never stop. As the characters try to figure out how they ended up in this hell the guilt brings up memories. The short stories!

Damn you for making me listen to YES hippie shit, but thank you for the novel Keaton! Some of the stories, like the shark one, are better than others but the story tying them together was fun. I laughed many times. I had fun with this book. Podcast interview is coming. It will be about Shallow Ends. Not The Last Projector.

[♡Heather✩Brown♡ · Rating 4 out of 5]

Okay so I LOVED THIS ONE SO MUCH! I just had to scream that for a minute. Seriously! If you’re looking for an intense, twisty, mind blowing thriller then this is the book for you. I could not put it down and still think about this one.

The story pulls you in from the start, the writing is perfect, and the characters well built. I liked how each character was brought together and to see how each responded to the events. They all brought something to the table. Unique and quick read!

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Benoit Lelièvre · Rating 4 out of 5]

Reading David James Keaton always feels like talking to an extremely intelligent, but bipolar sixteen years old who's undergoing a severe episode of mania and/or might be high on speed.

This is a good thing, mind you.

Shallow Ends is less complicated than other of his novels (* ahem * The Last Projector * ahem *) and offers us basically Saw meets Damon Lindelof's secret, shameful screenplay by the way of Love Island. It's a bunch of drunken, irresponsible adults trapped in a rolling swimming pool, getting ridiculously existential as why they ended up in this predicament. I enjoyed reading it. Once you get used to the structure, it becomes quite fun to read.

There's too many characters (as there is on Love Island) and sometimes it becomes confusing as who did what and what happened to who, but it's a David James Keaton novel after all. The man doesn't do straightforward.

[Jay Slayton-Joslin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Generation X meets Speed meets Bodies Bodies Bodies

[Michael Hicks · Rating 2 out of 5]

David James Keaton spent a decade trying to get Shallow Ends published before the team at Podium took a chance on it. Honestly, it's not hard to see why. Shallow Ends is a strange piece of weird fic lit that, if we're to compare it to the movies for easy pop culture reference, tows a line somewhere between David Fincher's The Game and the indie sensibilities of A24, heavily seasoned with LOST-styled flashbacks to bolster the narrative, although it lacks such easily advertised hooks and popularized sensationalism of your traditional Big 5 (or is it Big 4 nowadays? Big 3?) best-sellers.

Instead, it's content to be the odd duck, the new weird, wallflower kid that's a bit standoffish and withstands scrutiny. The more questions asked of it, the fewer easily digestible answers it reveals. Chiefly, what the hell is happening and what the hell does it all mean, if anything at all? Shallow Ends is, at its simplest, the birthday party from hell gone completely off the rails. To celebrate Jill's Leap Year birthday, her friends have rented a party bus, or more precisely a party truck. This former 1950s-era fire truck has been turned into a rolling, disco-lighted pool for all-night madcap revelry through the streets of Kentucky. Aboard it, time becomes unstuck and ephemeral, and the people you've signed on with reveal themselves to be strangers with dark secrets and hidden pasts. For Angie and her friends, it's a drug and alcohol-fueled nightmare of an unending night that, as the hours drag on and on and on, devolves into paranoia, the inexplicable, and murder.

Keaton adopts a mosaic approach to the story, recycling a number of previously published short stories to give his characters personal histories that reveal some shared similarities between each of them and possible reasons for how they all wound up together on this freakish fire rig. For his part, Keaton keeps many of the answers tucked close, if not secret then at least elusive, allowing readers to draw their own conclusions in a riff on those old Choose Your Own Adventure books. The profit-driven prison of Angie's hometown and the prank phone call holocaust that destroyed it, alongside the collapse of America's honeybee population give the overarching narrative an unsettling apocalyptic feel, while other passengers feel observed and studied, as if trapped not on a party bus but in a panopticon. Who's to say either interpretation is wrong? Or, maybe it's all just a poisoned-fueled hallucination brought on by a mix of drugs and a contaminated stew of pool water dirtied by bodily waste from the trapped partiers?

Yeah, this ain't your mommy's NYT bestselling trad pub thriller. It's too fast and loose, and too chaotic, for that.

And while I appreciate Shallow Ends, and Keaton himself, for delivering up this oddball story, it didn't completely work for me. The cast of characters is simply too large and many of them too one-note. Instead of caring for these kooks, I found myself too often confused over who was who. Dan and Reeves are apparently different people, but there's little separating them personality-wise. They're both bullying jackasses but I'm hard-pressed to tell you much else about them. Ditto Amy, Angie's best friend, who even now I'm having a hard-time recollecting anything of importance about barely an hour after finishing the book. I'm not even sure what age range these people fall into. Angie is a teacher, and the rest of her crew are apparently post-college professionals, but many of them, particularly the boys, come across far younger, like middle schoolers, thanks to their juvenile behaviors and immature hazing rituals. The story itself is slow and plodding, and the constant flashbacks rob the story of any forward momentum, making it hard to get lost in its already difficult narrative. Ultimately, it's a frustrating endeavor and the lack of clarity or resolution make it hard to recommend.

As with Keaton's previous book, the conspiracy-minded Head Cleaner, Shallow Ends is less about the destination than the journey, intent on challenging readers to scry loose whatever illusive (and perhaps even imaginary) answers they can, although I believe the former worked better and more interestingly than the latter. There was a certain rebellious charm to Head Cleaner that invited interrogation and curiosity, whereas Shallow Ends just ended up feeling, well, shallow.

[Candice Covello · Rating 5 out of 5]

Shallow Ends immerses its readers in the palpable fear of the unknown and an overwhelming urgency to escape. Elements of visual intrigue, horror, and comedy expertly punctuate the suspense. David James Keaton masterfully blends the intensity of building human connection in challenging situations with the wild fantasies of inebriated minds. He skillfully pulls you along on this misadventure, weaving a gruesome tale of acquaintances caught in a pool of secrets and danger. His storytelling skills make this a must-read for fans of eerie adventures. Loved it!

[Peter Goutis · Rating 4 out of 5]

I used to write a lot of reviews, and in the reviews, I would always end up comparing the book to another book or two or a movie. Something to clue people in a little better about what they feel or whatever is going to be. I also think that that's overdone, so I promised myself I wouldn't do that again. But here we are... I don't know how else to describe this one.

This starts off with a gathering of friends. We are thrown into the action as the party has already started at their meeting place. We are here to celebrate a birthday. And now we get on the party bus, though it's a party Fire Truck.

Every time I get in an Uber or Lyft I always have to reassure myself that the app tracks where we are going. Because I tend to think - what if this is a seriel killer? Somebody has really figured it out. The victims come to you! So getting on a sketchy fire truck to party already has me squeezing my butthole asking - what the heck are you guys thinking?

So this is where the comparisons come - it's like Twilight Zone bent over Lost and asked Speed to
invite Canterbury Tales to join, except instead of keeping the bus going and everybody is trapped (or wasn't there one where they were stuck in an elevator?), they want the truck to stop because everybody is trapped but they can't stop drinking long enough to worry about it. I have a love for Twilight Zone and weirdness that runs deep, so I immediately fell in love with the book.

It was a fun ride. I really did enjoy the book. My only real complaint, besides not fully understanding the ending, was that I sometimes get confused when there are too many characters. I have a hard time telling them apart. And maybe that's on me. I read a lot, but that doens't mean that I'm good at it. So, at times, all the characters blended together a bit for me.

But, the stories between, I loved every single one of the stories that were told. I enjoyed them the most, more than the overall story anyway. So, ending be damned, I still really enjoyed reading this book.

[Salvatore Pane · Rating 5 out of 5]

Structurally, SHALLOW ENDS marries a neo-slasher to TALES OF THE CRYPT, braiding a bunch of excellent short stories around the narrative spine of a group of PhD students trapped atop a pool party bus that's inexplicably a firetruck. The premise is fun and unhinged, but the tentacles of Keaton's fiction venture in unexpected directions. There's a lot here about the panopticon and surveillance and cell phones and bees, and some of the sections I loved most were the most unexpected: the heist of a rundown college bar, the Troma-esque surfer battle for sand dune turf, a beachside under-the-bridge murder spree that recalls John Fante's ASK THE DUST, a man drinking and subsequently expelling a cocktail through his genitals (OR DID HE????). It's a wild ride, but it's the cracked sense of reality that always works for me in Keaton's fiction. Like the rest of his books, this too is a call: do you see life the way that he does? Do you agree that the world is a pretty strange and messed up place? If so, toss back a shot of Devil's Cut bourbon and hop on the firetruck.

[Michael Doane · Rating 5 out of 5]

Shallow Ends is the kind of psychological horror that doesn’t rely on cheap scares—it builds tension slowly, then tightens its grip until there’s no escape. The premise alone is unsettling, but what really elevates the story is how it leans into the human psyche rather than just the situation. Being trapped is one thing; being trapped with secrets, unresolved tensions, and shifting loyalties is something far more disturbing.

The use of multiple perspectives adds depth, gradually revealing the fractures beneath each character’s surface. As the story unfolds, it becomes less about the external threat and more about the internal unraveling of the passengers. That’s where the real horror lives. The comparisons to The Twilight Zone and Speed feel justified, but the narrative ultimately carves out its own identity through its focus on perception, paranoia, and psychological breakdown.

It’s intense, disorienting at times, and deliberately uncomfortable, but that’s exactly what makes it compelling. A solid pick for readers who enjoy character-driven horror with a psychological edg

[Christine Choptovy · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is one of the strangest horror stories that I’ve read. The novel starts by letting the reader know that cell phones have killed off bees. Yet humanity managed to survive the calamity. Angie is a university professor who’s increasingly frustrated by her student’s behaviour. Fortunately, it’s the end of the semester and she’s booked a “party” fire truck. She and her colleagues (she has no close friends) are looking forward to letting off steam. Once they’re on the bus, they descend into a nightmarish reality. Too me, it was a very strange book. I wanted to know more about each character, especially Angie and her background regarding a massive prison that was built in her hometown. I kept reading, only to see if I would learn more about her. However, it never happened and that left me feeling disappointed. As a result, I am giving the book a 2* rating.

I received an ARC and this is my personal opinion.

[Heather Barksdale · Rating 4 out of 5]

“Shallow Ends” introduces a group of college friends meeting up to celebrate a birthday party by means of a firetruck turned party bus. The converted ride has everything one would want for a killer party- a pool, a hot tub, and great music. Everything’s going great, until the ride won’t stop.

Overall, I enjoyed this book for being something unique and interesting. It’s written in a character-forward, dialogue-centric, and quick-paced manner that keeps you on your toes. There’s a lot of sarcasm, too many pop-culture references to count, and a levity throughout that manages to cut through some of the more serious content and themes. The main difficulty with this book? Way too many voices and characters. Find the full blog post at heatherlbarksdale.com

I received a copy of this story in exchange of a fair and honest review. I also checked out the book on Audible.

[Anne · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a well written story with a lot of characters and the most important ones were developed well. It didn’t completely hit for me, which probably is partly due to taste and partly due to the writing style. It’s hard to pin down, but I think it felt like a lot of things coming at me fast that didn’t always resonate. I also felt that the story wasn’t what I thought it was from the description. I didn’t like any of the characters but I think that was intended. There was humor in it that made me chuckle sometimes, and the gruesome parts were pretty nasty in a good way. Overall I’d recommend this one to those who like their horror fast-paced.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[David · Rating 2 out of 5]

I never (rarely) DNF a book (and why doesn’t GoodReads make that a category?). but I did here.

Got about 1/2 way through and just didn’t get it. Simply some of the basics - how damn big was this “fire truck”?

Is it purgatory? Likely. Twilight Zone? Likely.

I wanted to care about Angie and her “friends” but really really didn’t. Have a feeling some will die, some will be maimed. Maybe I’ll read the last chapter to find out.

I’m sure the author is talented as he’s written many books to rave reviews. Just not for me.

[Nupur · Rating 3 out of 5]

Although this book promises Twilight Zone vibes meeting speed but I couldn't somehow get there. Not that it didn't have those elements, but the hook I needed to read on completely was missing. I did finish this book, but I didn't find it too dear. I enjoy horror and thrillers, but somehow, it wasn't what I had expected. I liked the blurb of the book. I did enjoy the back stories of people and the insights. But overall, it didn't go well with me.
For me, this would be 2.5-3.

[Chasity Trimble · Rating 4 out of 5]

Holy cow does this one suck you in! Mind blowing and addictive and will keep you gripping your book! Had me from the start and couldn’t put it down. The suspense, intensity, twists - all will have you at the edge of your seat. Fast paced, thrilling, suspenseful, a bit of horror, chilling gruesomeness with a sprinkle of humor. What more could you want? This is the first book I’ve read by this author and it won’t be the last.

[Meghan · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love DJK books so much. They're so packed with detail on every page, and I'm never bored, even if I'm often confused (but in a good way). This one was no different. I agree with other reviewers that the weaving together of plot lines was one of the book's biggest strengths. What a ride (pool party firetruck pun intended)!

[Kathryn Gustafson · Rating 1 out of 5]

This book is nonsense. The author has a few interesting ideas and concepts that could potentially make a good anthology, but they are never used to their full potential. This book is confusing and stressful in a way that is not engaging, and the ending fails to wrap up any threads. Could benefit from some editing.

[Shane Weinstein · Rating 2 out of 5]

Did I Read The Same Thing As Everyone Else?

I thought the story was convoluted, confusing, and borderline incoherent. The characters were beyond unlikable. The ending was underwhelming to say the least.

Maybe it just wasn’t for me, but I did not at all enjoy this.

[Amy Lueck · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved how the stories here were all woven together with the action to develop the characters and world-build. The complex story rewarded a careful read and really paid off in the end when the storylines all came together. And it's really funny and fast-moving along the way!

[Nichole · Rating 1 out of 5]

I wanted to love this book! The writing was wonderful but I honestly had no idea what the fuck was happening! The ending? Idk? All the stories? IDK! the never ending purgatory and the prison phone calls? I DONT KNOW. Am I dumb??

[Jamie]

audio - 2.5 stars
This book had so much potential. It read as if it was previously written stories reworked into a new piece. (Which it is.) Due to this disjointed feeling, I struggled to maintain interest. The monotonous nature of the narration didn't help.

[Erin · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was bonkers and I loved it.

[Nancy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Unlucky 13 guests on a party bus to nowhere. Full of flashbacks and real time storytelling. A must read for any horror fan.

[Rebecca · Rating 1 out of 5]

DNF.

[Micki-D · Rating 2 out of 5]

I enjoyed the writing style it was beautiful I just was confused af. I really have no clue what was happening I reread stuff but I was so lost.

[B.]

*Audiobook

[Andi Rae · Rating 1 out of 5]

One of the worst books I’ve read in awhile. Absolutely pointless and a waste of time. I thought the ending would wrap up SOMETHING and it didn’t. Fucking horrible.

[David Keaton · Rating 5 out of 5]

I think I broke my keyboard writing this one because when I tried to give it ten stars it only gave me five.

[Ranna (Ray) Marie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wow! I don’t even know what to say except that this book will spin you around, chuck you through chaos, and leave you feeling like you were on the craziest trip of your life! I have never felt so involved; it was like I was watching a movie. This book plays out like Final Destination meets Black Mirror. The storyline gets more insane as you go. You’ll get addicted to trying to figure out what’s going on, and then it all comes together in a rush of adrenaline that leaves you going… Holy Moley.
5 stars.

*I received a free copy of this book via Podium Team and am voluntarily leaving a review.