I received this book for free from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
Janitor by OSCAR. BRADY Narrator: Oscar Brady
on May 27, 2025
Genres: Splatterpunk
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Also by this author: Bunny RoomIn this love letter to 1980s slasher films, a killer janitor murders staff and students with his custodial tools.
At Chatelain Academy, Lead Custodian Franky Williams is having a very, very bad day. From pretentious staff to prankster teenagers, Franky is always busy cleaning something up. Franky’s last straw is when he is fired for no reason only months before retirement. That’s when he decides that cleaning up this school means more than mopping up a few messes!
Lucy White is the “new girl” and has problems of her own. From bullies, to her starring role in the school play, to pressure from her boyfriend to take things to the next level, Lucy has a lot on her mind! Unlucky for Lucy, these troubles become trivial when she finds herself locked in at school with a mad janitor on the loose!
Janitor was more than I expected. I assumed this was a straightforward splatter punk book about a psycho janitor in the style of an 80s slasher. What I got was something much deeper and shrouded in mystery. Oscar Brady loved this movie called Janitor, and he’s been trying to find a copy for years. Little did he know, his search for the movie would lead him down a path of a real-life mystery. Janitor is one part true-crime and one part movie novelization, and the way the novel is put together is actually pretty clever.
Personally, I do wish there was more slasher action, but that’s just me. I don’t want to say much more than that because I don’t want to spoil anything. The writing is entertaining, and Brady really nails the schlockiness (if that’s a word) of 80s slashers and video nasties. From the dialogue to the plot devices, he does a great job of creating that vibe. I’d definitely like to get this in paperback as well; I think it’s on my Amazon book wishlist.
The performance was pretty decent and because this is Brady’s first book narration, I won’t judge too harshly. I did like the voice he came up with for the Janitor. Near the end, as the Janitor started to go a little more insane, he started to sound like the leprechaun from the ’90s movie with an American accent. One thing listeners may have a bit of an issue with is the inconsistency in the audio production itself. Some parts had more background noise than others, in some parts Brady’s voice had more reverb than others, and plosives could be heard throughout the recording. With that said, it didn’t deter me from listening to the whole book. Overall, Janitor was a lot of fun to listen to and I honestly would listen to it again.
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