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4.09 AVERAGE
4.09 AVERAGE
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
What a wild ride this book was! I was HOOKED from page one! A year after her boyfriend’s death, Hannah is still having nightmares and hallucinations. When she slips up and gets suspended from her job at the hospital, Hannah seeks counsel from her psychiatrist and goes on a spiritual retreat with a group of friends. Things seem off from the get-go, but when her friends begin to disappear, Hannah has to wonder what is really going on in the desert? I COULD NOT put this book down! Five stars!
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
A fun campy slasher set in the desert PLUS an amazing cover sign me up!
Hannah has been dealing with her grief after her fiancé death she is struggling at work and in her personal life when one day her best friend invites her to a spiritual retreat. While at the retreat Hannah tries to reset but she soon finds out that won’t be possible.
I love a good slasher but sadly this one just didn’t work for me. I really didn’t like any of the characters the main character Hannah was okay-ish but not great but I keep pushing through hoping that the slashing and the reveal of who had been doing the slashing would win me over but it sadly didn’t.
I would recommend this book if you are new to the slasher genre or if you want a quick read.
This was an arc that was sent to me by the publisher but my review is always my own.
Hannah has been dealing with her grief after her fiancé death she is struggling at work and in her personal life when one day her best friend invites her to a spiritual retreat. While at the retreat Hannah tries to reset but she soon finds out that won’t be possible.
I love a good slasher but sadly this one just didn’t work for me. I really didn’t like any of the characters the main character Hannah was okay-ish but not great but I keep pushing through hoping that the slashing and the reveal of who had been doing the slashing would win me over but it sadly didn’t.
I would recommend this book if you are new to the slasher genre or if you want a quick read.
This was an arc that was sent to me by the publisher but my review is always my own.
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Such a fun slasher mystery. Loved the twist!
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Graphic: Drug use, Violence, Murder
Moderate: Gun violence, Suicidal thoughts, Vomit, Medical content
dark
funny
mysterious
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
This book pulled me in, hit my body with a Range Rover, and then left me bleeding out in the middle of the desert. It was all so fun that I want to do it again!
I really enjoyed this fresh take on the horror subgenre classic, the slasher. While reading, I was reminded of the over-the-top kills in the Final Destination franchise, as well as the thrill of guessing who the killer is in Scream. Breathe In, Bleed Out brought the slasher all the way into present day, which was something I didn’t know I was missing.
I really enjoyed this fresh take on the horror subgenre classic, the slasher. While reading, I was reminded of the over-the-top kills in the Final Destination franchise, as well as the thrill of guessing who the killer is in Scream. Breathe In, Bleed Out brought the slasher all the way into present day, which was something I didn’t know I was missing.
dark
tense
fast-paced
dark
emotional
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Hannah is still grieving and struggling with the death of her boyfriend, Ben, and is haunted by his memory. When her friend comes to her with a plan to take her on a retreat in the middle of nowhere in hopes to help Hannah move past her trauma, Hannah reluctantly agrees. It is on this retreat where everything goes wrong. One by one, members of their friend group start to disappear.
Breathe In, Bleed Out is a fast paced thriller with an unreliable narrator and a mix of lovable and extremely annoying characters. I really enjoyed this slasher! I thought Hannah was an excellent unreliable narrator. I could never really tell if something was truly happening or if she was just imagining it. The whole plot gave me subtle Midsommar vibes
I will admit I was a little disappointed in the reveal of who the killer was. I just thought it could have made the story more interesting if the author had gone in a different direction. I felt as though the actual killer was a little cliche.
Huge thank you to NetGalley & Poisoned Pen Press for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Breathe In, Bleed Out is a fast paced thriller with an unreliable narrator and a mix of lovable and extremely annoying characters. I really enjoyed this slasher! I thought Hannah was an excellent unreliable narrator. I could never really tell if something was truly happening or if she was just imagining it. The whole plot gave me subtle Midsommar vibes
I will admit I was a little disappointed in the reveal of who the killer was. I just thought it could have made the story more interesting if the author had gone in a different direction. I felt as though the actual killer was a little cliche.
Huge thank you to NetGalley & Poisoned Pen Press for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Addiction, Cursing, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Gore, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, Blood, Medical content, Grief, Car accident, Alcohol
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Brian McAuley’s latest dive into the slasher pool had all the ingredients I should love—blood, guts, a creepy desert retreat, and a heroine with a haunted past. Sounds like my kind of horror vacation, right? Wrong. As a lifelong horror lover (especially slashers—I basically have a PhD in Final Girls, trust me), I wanted to be obsessed with this. But sadly, this one just didn’t slash its way into my heart.
The setup screams modern pinkie out art house horror (think A24) mixed with late-night B-movie vibes: a soul-searching wellness retreat that turns into a bloodbath. And while I appreciate a good machete-to-yoga-mat kill, the characters felt like they walked straight out of the cliché factory—troubled girl, creepy cult leader, token snarky friend. I couldn’t quite connect with anyone, including our lead, who stayed so shrouded in trauma fog that I never got a real sense of her.
Now, credit where it’s due—the setting was a total win. Dusty, ominous, and absolutely dripping with bad vibes. I could practically hear the wind chimes of doom. And the kills? Inventive enough to keep me turning pages. But the plot twists? About as surprising as finding almonds in your trail mix. Edible, sure. But no thank you.
If you're in the mood for a fast, bloody read that feels like a grainy VHS flick at 2 a.m. (with stale popcorn and all), this one will scratch that itch. But for me? It was more background noise than a scream queen standout.
Pub Date: September 2, 2025
Thank you to Poisoned Pen Press and Net Galley for this advanced reader copy. My thoughts and opinions are my own.
#campnetgalley
The setup screams modern pinkie out art house horror (think A24) mixed with late-night B-movie vibes: a soul-searching wellness retreat that turns into a bloodbath. And while I appreciate a good machete-to-yoga-mat kill, the characters felt like they walked straight out of the cliché factory—troubled girl, creepy cult leader, token snarky friend. I couldn’t quite connect with anyone, including our lead, who stayed so shrouded in trauma fog that I never got a real sense of her.
Now, credit where it’s due—the setting was a total win. Dusty, ominous, and absolutely dripping with bad vibes. I could practically hear the wind chimes of doom. And the kills? Inventive enough to keep me turning pages. But the plot twists? About as surprising as finding almonds in your trail mix. Edible, sure. But no thank you.
If you're in the mood for a fast, bloody read that feels like a grainy VHS flick at 2 a.m. (with stale popcorn and all), this one will scratch that itch. But for me? It was more background noise than a scream queen standout.
Pub Date: September 2, 2025
Thank you to Poisoned Pen Press and Net Galley for this advanced reader copy. My thoughts and opinions are my own.
#campnetgalley
3.75/5✨
A 👏🏽BLOODY👏🏽 GOOD 👏🏽TIME👏🏽 I really enjoyed this one, it seriously felt like watching a little slasher film. it's a mix of scream & scooby doo but for adults ya know?? the whodunnit aspect kept me guessing until the very end & when i tell you....I guessed everybody as the killer except the actual killer, baby I could never be Sherlock Holmes because I was way off.
It did take a bit to get to the actual slashing but when we do get there every kill was really gory & creative, think final destination🤔. I will say I thought Luna was going to get the Art the Clown treatment, iykyk.
I also enjoyed Hannah as the main narrator. She's so unreliable I kept thinking is this really happening or is she just crazy, is it only in her head? this was my first book from the author & i will definitely be checking out more of Brian McAuley's work!
You will never catch me at any retreat in the desert that's for sure! I most definitely will be buying peppermint oil in BULK! If you're a slasher fan & want something quick & twisty with funny one liners & a final girl you have to pick this up. 🩸⛏️
A 👏🏽BLOODY👏🏽 GOOD 👏🏽TIME👏🏽 I really enjoyed this one, it seriously felt like watching a little slasher film. it's a mix of scream & scooby doo but for adults ya know?? the whodunnit aspect kept me guessing until the very end & when i tell you....I guessed everybody as the killer except the actual killer, baby I could never be Sherlock Holmes because I was way off.
It did take a bit to get to the actual slashing but when we do get there every kill was really gory & creative, think final destination🤔. I will say I thought Luna was going to get the Art the Clown treatment, iykyk.
I also enjoyed Hannah as the main narrator. She's so unreliable I kept thinking is this really happening or is she just crazy, is it only in her head? this was my first book from the author & i will definitely be checking out more of Brian McAuley's work!
You will never catch me at any retreat in the desert that's for sure! I most definitely will be buying peppermint oil in BULK! If you're a slasher fan & want something quick & twisty with funny one liners & a final girl you have to pick this up. 🩸⛏️