Out Of Whack

by Jeff Strand

From the author of How to Rescue a Dead Princess comes Out of Whack, an outrageous comedy about friendship, love, following your dreams, and other really scary stuff. Seth Trexler has two goals in life: to find success with his off-the-wall sketch comedy troupe, and to win the girl of his dreams. But when you suffer from brain-erasing stage fright and an incredible female-phobia, those goals can be a bit tricky to attain. With his best friend Travis at his side, Seth struggles to overcome his fears (along with the 2,873 other roadblocks in the path to success) in this hilariously demented yet heartfelt tale. But don't read it for the laughs. And don't read it for the heartfelt parts. Read it for the sex scene, which proves that even if you're filled with ravenous animal passion, trying to dramatically tear off somebody's underwear can only lead to wedgies.

Genres: Humor

248 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2004

About the author

Bram Stoker Award-winning author of a bunch of demented books, including PRESSURE, DWELLER, CLOWNS VS. SPIDERS, AUTUMN BLEEDS INTO WINTER, MY PRETTIES, the official novelization of ATTACK OF THE KILLER TOMATOES, and lots of others!

Reviews

[Bridgett · Rating 4 out of 5]

I know I'll probably take a beating for this, but the truth is, I like Jeff Strand's non-horror work just as much, if not more, than his darker stories.

Don't get me wrong, I love everything this guy writes...but there is something about books like Kumquat or Bang Up: A Filthy Comedic Thriller or Out of Whack that appeal to me on every level. I never want them to end.

Though this story is twenty-five years old (the technology, or lack thereof, definitely gives that away), and though Jeff's writing maybe isn't as refined as it is today, OUT OF WHACK still shines. If he'd written this today, it would be a 5-star read for me, without a doubt. It's laugh-out loud funny with totally lovable characters and a fun premise. Although the book is really difficult to find these days...I suggest making the effort. I enjoyed every minute. (I'm not sure Doug did though, as I was doing an awful lot of giggling while he was trying to sleep.)

Side note: I think I have a new favorite author. Stephen King, you've been dethroned.

I mean, how can you not love a story when it contains such a seductive lap dance as this?

'She leaps up onto my lap and starts clog dancing, leaving several nasty bruises. When the dance is completed forty-five minutes later, she asks me how I liked it.'

Am I the only one who can envision this Naked Gun-esque scene in my head? :) Anyway, do yourself a favor and go read Strand. All the Strand.

[Adam Wilson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Out of Whack is yet another winner from Jeff strand. It is not horror though, not even a little, unless you count some of the demented skits that Seth writes up. It is an incredibly fun read though and, like the Andrew Mayhem series, is full of random jokes, interruptions, characters, and so on. As you read, you will come accross things like "Lord of the Unzipped Flies" and statements about toilets with attitude problems that just won't take shit from anybody. The book also contains one of the funniest worst first date stories I have ever heard. The main goal of Seth and his friend Travis ultimately becomes to form a comedy group and it is very interesting to hear how they try to make it in a world that is very unforgiving when it comes to un-funny comedians. All in all, a very good, yet exhausting read for me. It was a bit like watching the extended version of Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story. It is very funny but after a while the constent randomness, joke after joke, and contradictions become slightly trying.

[Sean Randall · Rating 3 out of 5]

One of Strand's less mature offerings, this still managed to elicit a chuckle.