The Unreals

"The Unreals" has elements of old German folklore and fairy tales, weaved into an "Alice In Wonderland" like plot, but with all the modern cultural references and political satire, it's a perfect read for this day and age. Nominally about a search for the main character's missing grandfather, it becomes part road trip and part inward journey, with conspirators and personal demons everywhere. What is real and "unreal" is ultimately for the reader to decide, I suppose. The author's impressive breadth of knowledge about various subjects is often staggering; he weaves well known and obscure historical figures effortlessly into the plot. The characters Jeffries has created are unique and often hilarious. The book is almost as funny as it is thought provoking. Jeffries' writing style reminds me of a curious combination of Charles Dickens and Kurt Vonnegut, with a dash of Thomas Pynchon and J.K. Rowling thrown in for good measure. "The Unreals" is a passionate, emotional work of art, filled with insight, charm and wit. I cannot recommend this book highly enough.

This book was extremely fun to read! I love all of the twists, turns, and the way everything is described! It's very well written, kind of reminded me of Stephen King (who I love!), and has all kinds of true stories intermixed with this whole world of oz deal! I'm intrigued by conspiracy theories, and anything of the sci-fi genre, and I actually learned about all kinds of disappearances, creatures, occurences, and theories i'd never heard of before! Donald Jeffries did an amazing job of incorporating all of these things (which he most obviously is passionate about due to all the research he's done) which are true (or at least possibly true) into a story with a plotline of it's own! There were times that no matter how tired I was, I just had to read the next chapter...and the next one... and maybe even the next one before I could put it down. So in a nutshell, it's: exciting, well written, educational, hilarious, freaky, and unpredictable. What more could you ask for?!

In The Unreals, Donald Jeffries creates a masterpiece of genre fiction. Our charmingly unassuming hero, Waldo Billingsly, takes us on a bizarre journey in search of his grandfather who disappeared under strange circumstances. Along the way we meet zany characters like Brisbane, Bucktooth and Phosphate, learn more about who shot JFK, and visit both real and unreal locations like Lorton Reformatory and magical cornfields. Jeffries' dark rants and satiric raps offer stunning insights reminiscent of Richard Brautigan and Kurt Vonnegut. "The Unreals" is a great read!

Not often does a writer manage to create a novel with a scope that is both sweeping and specific, broad and still focused. Don Jeffries has done exactly this with The Unreals. His story carries readers through an array of adventures, twists of plot, unexpected dialogue and events, and moments of redemption and angst. His expansive cast of characters grab hold of the reader's attention and manage to make themselves both believable and exciting to follow. It may seem odd to write this, but Jeffries' work reminded me of the scope of Russian literature, of which I am very fond, while managing a totally different genre. I applaud Jeffries for this evidently articulate and molded novel, and heartily recommend it to readers looking for a captivating read.

A letter from your grandfather is not a tornado, but this delightful romp into the imaginary with its cast of odd and wonderful characters owes more than a passing 'thank you' to the old Wizard. From one author to another: keep up the good work, and let's hear more from you! John Cooley, author of "Dear Madman"